Readers with miserable attention spans: the oxymoron of our times

I log in to my social media accounts. Scratch that, I never logged out.
So, I hop on to social media for my daily dose of words. There are reams of stories there: micro-fiction, nano tales, haikus, memes and flash fiction.
I will lick through some Terribly Tiny Tales, or chew some Scribbled Stories. Might swallow a lot of memes and digest some flash fiction. It should be no more than 200 words. Two sentences, abrupt and unjust as they may be, should do the trick. You can find word count more clearly embossed on your screen than your own words in Word processors and website templates.

Because reading is now measured.

I click on a link that leads me to an important piece of long-form journalism. But the first thing I notice there is "6 min read". They are telling me it would take me 6 minutes to read this. Well, dear publisher, are you so sure of the mediocre quality of content on your page that you know I am not going to hover over a sentence I find well-constructed? You know for sure that I am not going to read such a long piece if it takes up more time of my day than my daily dump does? Of course you do. You care about content, not words. Words don't sell. Content does.

Because reading is now measured.

Savoruing a book, flipping through its pages, underlining quotes that you like, making a note of those quotes in a special diary, dog-earing pages, inserting multiple bookmarks, putting up post-it notes within pages, finishing the book, going back to these quotes, reliving the story in snippets: the stupid old-school reader seems to have the luxury of time. I think she doesn't have a goodreads book challenge to finish. Someone will tell her about it. Or it will slip into conversations innocuously when she'll be asked how many books she has read this year.

Because reading is now measured.

And yet.
We are all readers. Our loyalties lie with words. But we are not ready to see pages wither away, the book spines breaking apart, the words fading away, the trickle of blood from a paper cut.
We are all readers, even though reading is now measured.

The Best Online Resources for Book Lovers

Media saturation can make it hard to figure out the difference between the good and the bad, and that goes for finding great reads as well. But lucky for modern readers, there are excellent sites out there to do the work for you—from great review sites to excellent literary journals online—and help you keep the focus on the good stuff.

Image courtesy of Emily Carlin under CC BY-ND 2.0

1.     Goodreads

If you aren’t yet acquainted with this book conglomerate, here’s a simple description: it’s the Travelocity for books. With synopses, reader reviews, recommended suggestions and more, it’s the ultimate stop for discovering your next favorite read and sharing what you thought about the last one. I would call it the modern replacement for the weekly book club—you can connect with friends, share reads, and rate books all on one fantastic site.

Gif Courtesy of Buzzfeed.com

2.     Obooko

Obooko is the resource for the thrifty reader—with over 2,000 contemporary titles to choose from, it’s the largest source of free eBooks on the market and essential for tablet readers. Books are available to download in any format, but use a Virtual Private Network when downloading over public WiFi areas, and you’re set with a secure connection and an excellent read. Check out all the genres they have here.

3.      The Millions

Offering book, art and culture coverage since 2003, this website is a great place to discover literature essays, new publications and the latest buzz in the literary world. The New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, and the Village Voice have given The Millions multiple thumbs-up, so you know it has got to be good.

4.      The Paris Review Daily

Any respected reader needs at least one literary magazine under her wing, and the Paris Review should be it. From bloggers, writers, poets, artists and more, this magazine isn't just about producing the next big thing; it's about getting under the skin of the artist behind it. With the Paris Review Daily, readers get a daily offering of the genius that the magazine regularly cultivates, and it only takes one read to fall in love with their curated choices.

Gif Courtesy of Buzzfeed.com

5.     Page-Turner

For the reader open to different mediums in the literary world, Page-Turner offers an excellent podcast to supplement its reviews, takedowns and great essays to captivate its audience.

Whether you’re a traditional reader with a printed-copy-only rule or a techie favorite who loves all the gadgets, these five choices are destined to open up new passages to your favorite hobby. Happy reading! 

This is a Guest Post by Caroline @ Culture Coverage

Caroline is part bibliophile and part culture lover, and she lives to combine her two favorite hobbies into one. She’s a digital nomad and entertainment writer for Culture Coverage. You can follow her literary favorites and recommendations on Twitter. 
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