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Mark Teppo's avatar

Amen. After spending all day reading to recommend (bookstore life), reading to acquire (slush), and reading for editorial notes, reading for the sheer pleasure of it has become a supremely "this is my time, get away from me" thing. And I do find myself putting books down more readily without feeling the least bit guilty. "Oh, so that's how this is going to go. Okay, I'm good."

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Henriette Lazaridis's avatar

There is so much here that I agree with. First, debunking the idea that reading, in itself, is a morally superior thing. Second, challenging the idea that reading a -book- is somehow better than reading on a phone. What's the difference? It's still reading. But I admit to having that moment's hesitation about adding yet one more police procedural or mystery to my Goodreads list (which I use merely to help me remember what I read). Which is silly because it shouldn't/doesn't matter what a person reads, as long as they're getting out of the book whatever it is the book promised to provide them.

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