Why I Am Reading Books Regularly Again
I have always loved books, but I do not read nearly as much as I did two decades ago.
In my early twenties, I could finish one to three books a week. I could sit quietly for hours, become absorbed in a subject and sometimes spend an entire day reading.
In the years since, my reading has gradually slowed. I now finish fewer than six books in an average year.
I still buy and enjoy photography books, especially those filled with images that inspire me and make me want to improve my own photography. However, I miss the experience of reading a book from beginning to end, thinking carefully about its ideas and carrying those lessons into my life.
That is why I am making a deliberate effort to start reading regularly again—using both physical books and my Kindle whenever I have a quiet moment.
I Never Stopped Loving Books
My relationship with books did not completely disappear. I still enjoy being around them, browsing bookstores and discovering titles that interest me.
The difference is that reading is no longer as central to my life as it once was.
Work, family responsibilities and daily routines naturally take up much of my time. But distraction has also played an important role. Today, whenever I have a free moment, it is easy to reach for my phone, open YouTube, check social media or move between different websites.
I may begin by searching for something useful, but one link quickly leads to another. Before I realize it, the time I could have spent reading has disappeared.
I do not want to blame technology for everything. The internet has given us extraordinary access to information. The real challenge is learning how to use it without allowing it to control my attention.
We Have More Information but Less Focus
Today, almost anything can be learned online.
We can watch YouTube tutorials, read blogs, take online courses, listen to podcasts or ask AI to explain a difficult subject. These tools can be extremely valuable, and I use many of them myself.
But having access to information is not the same as truly learning it.
Online information often comes in small, disconnected pieces. I might watch a short video, read part of an article and then move to something completely different. I consume a great deal of information, but much of it is forgotten almost immediately.
Research summarized by the American Psychological Association shows that repeatedly switching between tasks can reduce efficiency and create mental costs. Even brief interruptions can make it harder to return to what we were doing.
I recognize this pattern in my own life. My attention has become more fragile because I have trained my mind to expect constant stimulation.
Reading a book offers a different experience. It asks me to remain with one subject long enough to understand it.
Why Books Still Matter to Me
Some people may see books as old-fashioned. Why read hundreds of pages when a video or AI summary can explain the main points in a few minutes?
For me, the value of a book is not limited to the information it contains. It is also found in the experience of following an author’s complete train of thought.
A good book develops its ideas gradually. It gives the author enough space to explain, provide evidence, share examples and connect one idea to another. It also gives me time to question those ideas and form my own conclusions.
A summary can tell me what a book is about, but it cannot fully replace the experience of reading it.
Books also create fewer opportunities for distraction. A printed page does not send notifications, recommend another video or invite me to open ten more tabs.
It simply asks me to keep reading.
Reading to Rebuild My Attention
One of the main reasons I am returning to books is that I want to improve my ability to focus.
I have noticed how difficult it can be to stay with one activity without checking my phone or thinking about something else. I do not like feeling that my attention is constantly being pulled in different directions.
Reading gives me an opportunity to practise concentration again.
I do not expect to return immediately to finishing one to three books every week. My life is different now, and my attention has changed. I may initially read more slowly or need to reread certain pages.
That is perfectly fine.
This is not a race or a competition. Even reading for 20 or 30 minutes without interruption is a meaningful beginning.
A 2022 study published in Scientific Reports found lower comprehension among participants reading on smartphones than among those reading the same material on paper. This does not mean that all screen reading is ineffective, but it supports what I have experienced personally: the device and environment can influence how well we concentrate.
For me, opening a book is a way of telling my mind that it is time to slow down.
The Subjects I Want to Explore
My reading interests include self-improvement, psychology, business, finance, marketing and history.
Self-improvement books can help me examine my habits, discipline and use of time. Psychology can help me understand behaviour, emotions, motivation and decision-making.
Business and marketing books can strengthen my professional knowledge. They can also help me look beyond the latest online trend and understand the deeper principles behind strategy, communication and growth.
Finance is important because I want to make better decisions about money and become more thoughtful about my future.
History gives me perspective. It helps me understand how earlier decisions, conflicts and ideas continue to shape the world we live in today.
I do not want to read only books that promise easy success or confirm what I already believe. I also want to encounter ideas that challenge me and encourage me to think more carefully.
Physical Books and My Kindle
I am returning to both physical books and my Kindle because they offer different benefits.
Physical books give me the traditional reading experience I remember. I enjoy holding a book, turning its pages and seeing how far I have progressed.
I also enjoy writing notes in the margins and underlining meaningful passages. Over time, those annotations become a record of what I was thinking and learning.
My Kindle offers convenience. It allows me to carry several books wherever I go and read while travelling, waiting for an appointment or sitting somewhere away from home. Because it is primarily designed for reading, it also presents fewer distractions than my phone.
I do not believe I need to choose between printed books and digital reading. The better format is whichever one helps me read more consistently and attentively.
I Want to Become Good at Something
Perhaps the most important reason I am returning to books is that I want to become genuinely good at something.
I do not want to know only enough to repeat a few facts or give a quick answer. I want to develop knowledge that I can remember, explain, question and apply.
AI can answer almost any question I have. It can summarize a subject, clarify an unfamiliar idea and help me organize my notes. I believe it can be a valuable learning partner.
But I do not want AI to do all my thinking for me.
There is value in struggling with a difficult paragraph, sitting with an unanswered question and forming my own opinion before asking for help. That mental effort is part of learning.
I want technology to support my thinking—not replace it.
Making Reading Part of My Life Again
Returning to books connects with my reflection about life at 40 and changing direction. It is another reminder that I am not too old to rebuild a habit or become a serious learner again.
I cannot recover two decades in a few weeks, and I do not need to.
My goal is simply to read whenever I have a quiet moment. Instead of automatically reaching for my phone, I can open a physical book or pick up my Kindle. A few pages may become a chapter, and one chapter may eventually become a completed book.
I want to rediscover the feeling I had in my twenties—the excitement of becoming absorbed in a subject and the satisfaction of finishing a meaningful book.
But I am not trying to become exactly the person I was two decades ago. I am older now, with different responsibilities, experiences and reasons for learning.
I am reading again because I want to improve my focus, expand my knowledge and use my time more intentionally. I want to become a better thinker, writer, marketer, photographer and decision-maker.
Most of all, I want to remain curious.
The love of books never left me. I simply need to make room for it again—one page at a time.
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