1. When You Can’t Read… Listen!
Well, no. I've tried it. I fall asleep. If I try to move around and do things while listening, I miss too much of the book as my attention wanders. Audiobooks are not for me. Also, since audiobooks have been around for decades, this isn't exactly a new concept.
2. Read Big Books In Tiny Pieces
This had me scratching my head a bit. It mostly discusses an app that will send you snippets of a book at a time, the size of the snippet up to you. Which could mean not being able to read more if it's compelling. And why can't you decide how much to read at a time. I actually prefer to slot my reading according to my own schedule, and I can usually find my own stopping point, thanks.
3. Read While You Wait
Yeah, a good idea. I read when I'm on the subway, and thanks to the Kindle app on my phone, I can easily read while waiting on long lines.
4. Lock Yourself Out of Your Phone
heh heh. Actually, I use my phone for a few things, and READING is the top of that list. I also use it to quickly check Facebook and email, and I have a pedometer app for when I'm walking. That's 90 per cent of what I use my smartphone for.
5. Spare Yourself the Reader’s Cramps With a See-Through Book Weight
Yeah, I guess keeping a fat book open this way is a good idea. I, however, read thick books on my Kindle app or my Kindle. I also own those books in hardcopy so they can grace my physical bookshelves, which makes me happy.
6. Make A Book/E-Reader Stand Out Of A Coat Hanger
Um, okay, if you need to prop it up. I just rest it on the table or hold it in one hand. Works fine for me.
7. Choose Your Next Read With A Little Creativity
This is a hack? Really? Read what you're in the mood for. Sure, trying something new is a great idea, but I'd hardly call it a hack. I have a wide variety of books, so the hard part, for me, is narrowing it down to what to read next.
8. Make a DIY Book Haven
This could be nice, I guess. "Setting up a special place for reading is a recommendation to make reading feel like a special thing for children, but we grown-ups are just taller children." Okay, if you have kids who are reluctant readers, sure. And if as an adult, you need extra incentive to read, sure. But I grew up thinking reading was nothing more special than eating or breathing, so I read anywhere and everywhere, quite often at night, in bed, under the covers by light of a flashlight when I was supposed to be sleeping. If it weren't so uncomfortable now, I'd still do it. ;) But really, anywhere is my "book haven."
9. Turn Your Physical Books Into Ebooks… For Free
This mentions an interesting app Shelfie to help you find free ebooks based on your hardcopy collection. I just Google for the books, and I don't mind spending a few dollars for them.
10. Get A Box of Books Every Month
Again, the site makes some suggestions for where to get books, mainly The Book Drop. I buy them when I see them and I have, literally, for real, a thousand or so here to be read. At the slow rate I read, I'll never get through them all, but I keep buying 'em!
11. Get Free Books
More sources suggested, such as Paperback Swap and Project Gutenberg.
Seriously, I'd hardly call ideas like this "hacks." I think the word "hack" is getting so generic and ubiquitous that it's nearly meaningless now. Most of these are just common sense ideas you could probably have figured out on your own. Or maybe you've found some ideas that work for you. If so, and if anyone is actually reading this, why not leave your "hack" in the comments.
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