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Paper and Pixels
Twenty years ago, I read paper. Books, magazines, and newspapers. All the books were paperbacks, usually used, because I was a student, and poor. I was almost never the first reader of anything I picked up.
Ten years ago, my newspaper reading went almost entirely online, I started to buy my own paperbacks, and picked up the occasional hardback of favorite writers. Magazines were still second hand. I occasionally listened to audio books checked out from the library when setting off on a long trip.
One year ago, I stopped buying paperbacks, replacing them with cheap Kindle books instead. This is great for travel (except takeoff and landing -- grrr) because I no longer have to lug around a bunch of books or take the slim pickings in the book exchange at some guest house in Latin America. My magazine reading is all online, my audio books are digital (see podiobooks.com), and my newspaper reading has almost entirely gone away except for the occasional linked article. I still buy hardcover, though, as well as the occasional trade paperback, when I want to buy a book from one of my favorite writers or in the case of non-fiction that looks interesting. Interestingly enough, I probably read twice as many words per day as I ever did when I was reading only paper.
How about you? Have your reading habits changed and if so, how? Is there anything surprising, that you wouldn't have guessed would ever happen?
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