37 Comments
Jan 22, 2022·edited Jan 22, 2022Liked by Steven Beschloss

I am reading less "real" books and am not completely at ease with that. It's just that my eyes get tired and strained from the screen thing and there is just SO MUCH to keep up with. I just revamped my book collection by purchasing a big, used legal sized bookcase with glass doors and as I moved and dusted off my book collection, I realized anew how much I treasure these tomes. AND I am happy to say I whittled down the stack of books next to my bed to ONE, since it was really too much to have a huge stack of them there. My ONE book is Ruth Ben-Ghiat's incredibly illuminating (and alarming) newest book, Strongmen. She's keeping me sane. (and I have yet to try to read a "book" on either the ipad or iphone...I may never, as I am really still enamored by having a physical book in my hands).

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Jan 22, 2022Liked by Steven Beschloss

A long time ago, several newspapers would hit the end of our driveway in the early morning hours. That’s long gone. Newspapers are an iPad thing now. As for books, I read quite a few electronically; but there is still a very deep pull to read hard copy books. For me, there is still something very magical about turning a real page and burying myself in a book.

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Jan 22, 2022·edited Jan 22, 2022Liked by Steven Beschloss

Great question. My reading habits have changed since I started to use both iPhone and iPad. I find reading on both easier on my eyes because of the backlight and it’s soothing effect. I would love to be able to sit and read text on paper but it’s work, unlike reading on iPhone where I don’t need to sit under a particular lamp to see. I can read in the dark and do. It’s an adventure!

I , like you, am led to other online places as I read, to research or connect with others as a result of the content. Footnotes are no longer a chore but fun. If I wanted to I could cut and paste all.

I used to read a lot years ago, whole books. Long one’s like Les Miserables in French for example. Today I prefer articles, short stories by people I know. I love reading magazine articles on digital devices.

I like that I can play with Apple’s page turning. Turning the page on iPad is magical and sometimes comic relief. With paper turning the page was uninteresting but necessary. Now it’s fun! I can bookmark a page without fear of losing the bookmark and having to look under the cushions of the couch.

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Jan 22, 2022Liked by Steven Beschloss

I've been using headphones and listening to novels and nonfiction because I was getting ready for and then recovering from cataract surgeries. Getting back to reading now! My stack of books is like the Leaning Tower, can't wait to whittle it down. I received Christmas gifts of books, including Amanda Gorman's Call Us What We Carry, the 2022 Farmers Almanac and Sherman Alexie's War Dances. Love to learn and be entertained at the same time!

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Jan 22, 2022Liked by Steven Beschloss

Absolutely read more on my iPad now than even a year ago. Of course, reading your comments right now on my iPad! But, I find myself buying more books as well after seeing them reviewed on line at Powell’s, The Strand, Kirkus, NYT, WaPo or BN! The stacks by my bed and by my favorite recliner are currently at an all time high! Now if I can just tear myself away from my iPad, need to start “Renegades” by Obama and Springsteen!

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Jan 26, 2022Liked by Steven Beschloss

Hi Steven, like many others who replied today, l gravitated toward e-reading for convenience while traveling, and economy. But, I’m a book lover so too often I must buy a physical book after I’ve read it on kindle. I just have to own it, be able to see its cover etc. I try to get my husband to read those because it feels ridiculous to have a completely unread but beloved book in my library. Right now I have a stack of recently read favorites that don’t fit in my shelving. It’s a deep pleasure to see the titles in the stack, reminding me of how much I enjoyed them, admire the writers, and look forward to the next book to deserve to join that stack.

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Jan 23, 2022Liked by Steven Beschloss

Love my kindle for late night reading because it has its own light. But otherwise, I have gone more to actual books during the pandemic. Perhaps a touch of nostalgia. Also, recently learned the word tsundoku so now I can feel good about the stacks of books everywhere, and think of them as my friends :-) I am reading more now than I was three years ago thanks to the silverlining of the pandemic - no commute

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Jan 23, 2022Liked by Steven Beschloss

The gravity of the historical moment demands we all stay properly informed. And that means reading more.

We need to read more because events are moving incredibly quickly. And there is so much we need to stay current with.

I rely on online printed news from sources I have come to trust. And even the occasional books I read now are e-books. So, like you, I rely on my electronic devices, my computer, my phone, and my ipad.

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Jan 22, 2022Liked by Steven Beschloss

Sometimes when I read your daily articles I have to laugh. I think I am a bit older than you but our habits are very similar. At first I refused to give up paper anything; paper books, paper magazines, paper newspapers. But now everything I read is digital. And, much like you, I’m reading when I’m watching television, waiting in line, riding in the car (not driving-that is my SiriusXM newsfeed time) and winding down at night. I definitely think I am reading more and my reading is more diverse. When I retired from my full-time job I had too many books and had to purge significantly to make room in our home. However, every once in a while I will still purchase a book I want to keep, something special that has significant importance to me, either subject or author or both. Reading is a huge part of life for me. Thanks for sharing.

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Jan 22, 2022Liked by Steven Beschloss

Except for daily news websites and Twitter, I stick with print books and my local newspaper. The tactile experience of reading an actual physical book cannot be duplicated.

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Jan 22, 2022Liked by Steven Beschloss

Just gave Six one year New Years’ subscription gifts of America, America to my Zoom friends. Will be a new area of discussions on our Zooms! Better way to focus our Zooms!

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Jan 23, 2022Liked by Steven Beschloss

Tablet has become the go-to for reading for me now, but I always revert to paperbacks when traveling. I was caught once in an electronic limbo right at the end of a great book and had to wait over THE longest day to find out what happened! :@

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Jan 23, 2022Liked by Steven Beschloss

I’ve been a reader my whole life, and iPads and phones have increased my already voracious appetite for reading. When my devices report back to me about screen time, I scoff, because reading doesn’t count in my eyes. If I’m not reading a book, I’m reading online newspapers, articles, and newsletters. Like yours! Reading actual books is rare, because they aren’t as convenient. And yes, I have read books on my phone, but it’s rare.

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Jan 23, 2022Liked by Steven Beschloss

I've been an avid reader most of my life & still am, but almost all that I read is digital. I read newspapers on my phone or laptop, and books on my Kindle, phone or laptop. I got my first Kindle when I was carting kids and all their stuff all over creation, and the convenience of a slim device was paramount. Now I don't want the weight of an actual book, and I LOVE having 5 or 6 books queued up to read on vacation (assuming we have those again).

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Jan 22, 2022Liked by Steven Beschloss

I've been an avid reader since fifth grade, about 63 years now, and still love it. When we moved to this house I added four back lit built in shelves for a library and they grew full to overflowing. We gradually got rid of most except for some favorites with sentimental value and now I read kindle books on an Ipad, no more propping a book open on the table at lunch, and the Ipad holds a library of books my wife and I can share and take along on trips (remember going on trips before covid?) or read at the same time. Not as lovely an experience as books but practical and cheaper. I read one newspaper online and I do prefer the print version but the expense and need to recycle all that newsprint was a deciding factor along with my old dog who loved to fetch the paper in the morning passed away and the two dogs still with us aren't interested in the job.

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Jan 22, 2022Liked by Steven Beschloss

For a number of years well before the pandemic, I switched from paper to e-devices for most of my reading. That even included making sure I'd download reading materials to my tablet so I could have them when we were out in the boonies camping when we intentionally disconnected from wifi and cell signals for a time. I don't like reading much more than tweet-length content on a phone-sized screen. I've made an effort to get away from paper reading materials even at home, but in the context of the assaults on journalism and the need to read reliable sources have switched almost completely to by-subscription ezines and similar (like substack!). One thing that has been an interesting change: I organized a reading group originally through a professional group listserv. Over the past year we've selected and read a book "together" about once every 3 months, and gotten together in videocalls to discuss the books. We've worked through some heady readings together (Caste, A Promised Land, Becoming Wild, A Matter Of Death And Life), but may actually be on the verge of picking some fiction for our next group reading (I hope so!). The potential to "get together" virtually and discuss books is a silver lining and something that would not have been possible in the same way pre-pandemic, as we've had members join the discussion from across the country and even sign internationally on occasion.

Oh, and I have gotten hit in the nose by my tablet falling asleep when reading.

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I’ve always been an avid reader. Everything! Fiction, non-fiction, biographies ..,my parents sit and read the paper every morning. I would read a book and sometimes get so engrossed, I had to finish it in the living room until 1 AM.

Now, I’ve written 3, (all fiction -under DJ French) and I find I’m reading lots of articles from reputable authors as well as books. Daily, I read Heather Richardson and of course you, Steven. I also listen to Podcasts .. a variety but mostly news. I’m an admitted political junkie and that addiction started when I realized the danger developing under trump. One google search in 2015, chilled me to the bone, I began to realize trump was not a patriot, but was acting in some nefarious way to gain notoriety and some other profitable financial position by running for the most powerful seat in the world. He had been talking about this since the 80’s. The google search was ‘Trump Tower Moscow’ simple enough and in 2016, I went on a Facebook rampage for the BLUE vote. I lost some Facebook friends. Then in 2019, I was very vocal .. posting articles and trying to get my family and friends to see we needed BIDEN. I don’t know if they read the articles, some just voted robotically, they never actually gave it a thought. After trump lost I scrubbed my Facebook of all politics. Twitter is where I’m vocal now. I’m reading Peril now. The script on page 239 has now gained national news attention. Anyone reading this comment .. I highly recommend you begin reading Peril. I cannot tell you how much this book will impact the country. It is not ‘fiction’

So this is how my reading habits have changed Steven. Thank you for allowing me to expound. God bless.

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more Audio books on phone

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I recently downloaded an app from my local library which has given me access to hundreds, if not thousands, of books and magazines. I read these offerings on my iPhone and iPad. Although I still enjoy a good paperback from time to time, most of my reading is now done digitally.

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Since I had cataract surgery in 2003, I read almost nothing. I really enjoyed reading, but now that I have to put on glasses to read, I don't read do that anymore.

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I'm reading a little less, but thanks to this electronic marvel I'm doing a lot more research in far less time. I still order my books in the hard covers, but in the past ten years they are much more politically oriented.

In the past five years the conversation has changed dramatically. The flow of events is like drinking from a fire hose. Hard copy cannot possibly keep up, though I still have to find as much qualified commentary as possible. So, I subscribe to people like Beschloss and H. C. Richardson.

Our democracy demands we keep up with events affecting our lives. We have to remain critical and skeptical. We have to know what kind of movement would want to ban or burn books along with their authors.

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My reading habits have drastically changed, and I think the internet is my demon. I now have to listen to audio books, the performances are captivating! Other than an actual book, I try my best to limit the news and op ed reading to the mornings and evenings.

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I prefer only print books. There is nothing like sitting on a soft couch, a bowl of M&Ms, and a book on my lap. My first real book was in Junior Hi -Gone With the Wind-a 2nd edition unfortunately. In Sr.Hi-Speaking Frankly, 1947 by James Byrnes which I liked so much I didn't want it to end. My grandmother and father were school teachers, so reading and history are in my genes.

I have many of them. Among hers-Bible 1863, The Matrimonial Primer 1905 (There are nagging women & profane men; it is hoped they will all marry each other.), The Wedding Ring 1886,sermons published by The Grand Union Tea Co.(The fact is that many men are more kind to everybody else's wives than to their own. They will let the wife carry a heavy coal scuttle upstairs, and will at one bound clear the width of a parlor to pick up some lady's pocket handkerchief.) Dad also taught math: from Gma, Advanced Arithmetic 1898 (HA !) , Algebra 1890 & 1924.When I want to stir up my brain, I do a couple of pages from the latter.

I have never liked Romance, Sci Fi, or Fantasy, and am not too crazy about self written memoirs.

Best are history and historical novels. When in hospital, in labor with my second child, I read from Lenin. Nurses gave me peculiar looks. I have books by Tuchman, McCullough, McPierson, Halberstam, Meacham, & of course, Presidents of War by Michael Beschloss. : ) The Beards are somewhere, probably in the boxes packed with books and no place to put them. I keep looking on Marketplace for a used one to match my 5, to no avail. I am trying to get books about each president. I even have one on Warren Harding.

Work slowed me down, but I joined a book club when living in Bergen Co, NJ, and that renewed my determination to do more. They were an interesting group of readers including a couple who had literally traveled around the world & a former Rockette with extra long legs !

So, I find my interests remain the same as they always were.I have books on all the wars and all the famous writers. My latest reading was The Lincoln Highway, & before that, Rise and Fail, a history of the Secret Service. I have won many from Goodreads, and I keep Jeff Bezos in pocket change.

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There are very few thing that bring me the enjoyment that getting lost in a good book does. My To Be Read pile is ever-expanding. Nothing compares to the feel of a good book. And I have discovered many new authors by reading online book reviews and discussions.

Lately, I’ve been reading non-fiction on my kindle and my husband reads along on his iPad. That has led to a lot of good discussions.

But I have to confess to spending hours a day reading newspaper and magazine articles on my iPhone, and going down political rabbit holes on Twitter. The pandemic, coupled with retirement, has definitely changed the way I spend my time.

While we do our share of binge watching in the evenings, we are constantly referring to IMDB to fill in gaps in our memories as to where we have seen actors before. That sometimes leads us down rabbit holes as well, especially with foreign movies and tv—MHz Choice has been a great source of entertainment since before the pandemic. It has also led to reading more French and Scandinavian authors.

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I have three print periodicals left, High Country News, The Funny Times and The Week which I subscribe to and drop now and again when it pisses me off. I long ago switched to my iPad for news and opinion, I pay for a lot of substack and blogs, no newspapers, and I use Books and Audible for books. I still buy hard copies of picture/travel books like the latest I just bought, 70 Western National Monuments, or Coffee Table books like The Architecture of Palm Springs. Twitter is about 100% of my social media, I write a Message of the Day and I’m trying to get to 100,000 followers. I am on at least three hours a day.

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I've been a voracious reader since childhood, always reading anything I could get my hands on - cereal boxes, newspapers, books from the bookmobile that visited every week, and from my own bookshelf/window seat that my Dad built in my room. That contained various book series my parents subscribed me to as well as some of the classic books they'd kept! In addition, I became a political junkie in the 8th grade when JFK ran for President as the first Catholic (as one myself, I was appalled at the abuse he took!) And as a teen experiencing his assassination, then the rest of the horrible events of the 60's, I never stopped following politics closely. Nixon was fun of course. I took my kids to Bill Clinton's inauguration and had the privilege of going to Obama's! You can only imagine what I thought of Trump because I had read about his obnoxious behaviors for years!! The only difference in my reading habits is that I bought a Kindle as soon as it was introduced so I wouldn't have to cart books on travels, and I read everything digitally now. As much as I love real books, I've had to give away hundreds in recent years of downsizing. And though there's always the library, if I want to own a book, Kindle is a lot cheaper :) Keeping up with all the internet news is tough and I sometimes spend hours going down rabbit holes. Fortunately time to do it is one of the great benefits of retirement!

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The Atlantic is tops each day. Liberal, but strongly anti-snow flack. Great reporting with wide view of news. Books still on tap, even, or because, I'm 85.

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My daughter bought me a subscription to Libro.fm for my birthday last summer. I have started downloading books to my iPhone, and reading them as I am driving. I have really enjoyed this - driving is dead time, and filling it this way is perfect. I also find it easier to persist with more detailed non-fiction books this way - a thirty minute drive (my usual) gets through a couple of chapters, and I can also follow up at home later. I miss having the physical book on the shelf, though.

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ive read more since trump was in office!every scandal corupt thing he has done its very important to get justice and our freedoms more than ever. also want to get my hands on the book Peril by bob woodward and some of the other authors that printed what happened during trump years we must have the truth

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