Five Reasons Reading Books on Your Phone is Better Than Reading a Physical Book.

I find posts that offer lists generate more clicks. For example: Seven Ways to ____. The Eight Best____. Six Rules to Follow if You Want to____. It’s a cheap trick but I don’t have ads so this is purely an ego boost.

I do have a list for you. This week I realized the pitfalls of reading physical books. This all came about because I am in the midst of ‘Swedish Death Cleaning,’ and am now working on my shelves.

What is ‘Swedish Death Cleaning?’

You don’t have to be Swedish or dying to participate. But, imagine a doctor has advised you that you have six weeks to live. Now think about your stuff. Someone will have the responsibility of cleaning it out. No one wants to touch a dead person’s junk belongings.

“Oh look, a coupon for tampons that expired in 1981.”

Go through your junk today, as a courtesy to whomever will be burdened with the job later. This is the important part – after you’ve finished, don’t die.

I haven’t been told to get my affairs in order, but there is a peace of mind that comes with the absence of clutter. Great plan?

A standard practice for decluttering is to make three piles: donate, trash, keep. My mantra is, when in doubt, throw it out. I won’ t bore you with what I’ve done so far or when I started.

I will always save my collection of nice hardcover classics and continue the hunt for more of those.

I’m currently going through my stash of ‘stupid paperbacks’, the ones I would never admit to reading. These books are not new. I am sifting through them to remove those I will never read again. To be sure I don’t donate something good, I’m reading them again. Over the past 10 years, I’ve been reading books on my phone, so this process has made me realize how my reading has changed.

There are over five reasons I’ve found that make my phone superior to physical books. I want to go back to reading, so I’ll share five.

• 1. I’m filtering through my many Pride and Prejudice fan-fiction novels. The one I’m reading now is trashy …not quite Fifty Shades of Darcy, but Jane Austen would not be pleased. It has an embarrassing cover with Darcy reclining over Elizabeth, kissing her as her voluptuous breasts spill out of her ugly regency style dress. Anyone who looks over at me knows I’m not studying Tolstoy. With my phone, when someone asks what I’m reading, I can say “The Bible. Yes, the end is near.”
• 2. So then, I’m a few chapters in. I tap the paperback to see what time it is. Nothing happens. What the flip time is it?
• 3. This morning, riding my recumbent stationary bike, I tried to put the novel in the slot that holds my phone, so I can ride while I read. A paperback doesn’t work. I have to rebalance it with every page turning. The pages flip and the book falls. It’s a workout.
• 4. I don’t condone this, but it’s a thought. You can prop up your phone at your office job and read while moving your mouse around to “work.”
• 5. Last night, while still consuming the same book, it got late, but I wanted to keep reading. I had to turn on a light, which woke up my pain in the ass dog.

Bonus tip:

Don’t read while lying on your back. I’ve dropped a wide variety of books, and my phone on my face. In that case, one is not better than the other.

George Carlin talks about “stuff.”