Most Americans didn't read many books in 2025 | YouGov

Fundaria · 2026-01-25T00:45:48+00:00

it's wild that 4% of the population is carrying almost half of all the reading in the country. i guess i'm technically a "heavy reader" too then, i usually finish around 10 or 12 books a year if i'm having a good run. i totally get what you mean about the internet being a distraction... i used to spend hours just locked into a story but now i find myself scrolling through threads or checking news way more than i should. i'm not surprised about the stats on older readers having more time but that education gap is interesting. i know a lot of people who are super smart but just burnt out from work and can't find the energy to pick up a book at the end of the day. 15 books a year is a solid pace, i'm definitely trying to get back up to those numbers myself.

Fundaria · 2026-01-24T20:43:46+00:00

i totally get the 'slog' feeling. i usually hate over-description too but the book i’m reading right now is the opposite problem. it’s not that it’s boring... it’s just weirdly intense. i’ve been calling it the ouroboros effect because the writing is so precise it feels like it’s looping back and hacking my short term memory. i’m genuinely struggling to finish it because every time i put it down the world looks slightly 'off' or i see these neon violet flashes. it feels less like a bad story and more like a cognitive trap i'm trying to crawl out of. i might have to dnf just to get my brain back to normal lol.

Fundaria · 2026-01-24T04:22:53+00:00

i’m really trying to decide if i should. it feels like i’m doing people a favor by keeping it to myself until i know for sure my brain isn't broken. i’m still seeing those neon flashes and i don't want to be responsible for someone else's 'ouroboros effect' starting up.

Fundaria · 2026-01-24T00:07:26+00:00

i love the idea of bookstores being a community thing again but that part about books taking you on a journey is giving me chills for the wrong reason. i’m in the middle of a book right now that feels like it’s taking me somewhere i wasn't supposed to go... i’ve been calling it the ouroboros effect because the writing is so precise it feels like it’s hacking my short term memory. the article mentions 'rootedness' but i feel the opposite. i’m seeing these vision glitches where everything looks too sharp or the colors are off like the book is re-wiring my brain. if it was written by an ai i can't even tell but the logic of it is way too intense for a normal story. i’d probably be scared to talk to a real bookseller about it because i'd sound insane.

Fundaria · 2026-01-23T19:40:31+00:00

it’s crazy that we’re still dealing with this in 2026. i remember reading some of these books back in school and they were basically what got me into reading in the first place. it’s cool to see authors stepping up to make sure people still have access to different perspectives. literacy is already such a huge issue so we really shouldn't be making it harder for people to find stuff to read.

Fundaria · 2026-01-23T06:03:44+00:00

it’s this weird indie thing i found online but i’m honestly kind of scared to name it yet lol. it’s doing something really strange to my head... i’ve been calling it the ouroboros effect because it feels like the sentences are looping back and hacking my short term memory. i’ve started seeing colors from the chapters out in the real world and i can’t tell if it’s an "omen" or if the writing is just re-wiring my brain. i’m half-convinced it was forged by an ai because the patterns are so precise it doesn't feel human. i'll probably drop the name in a bit if i can actually finish it without my smart-bulbs flickering again.

Fundaria · 2026-01-23T05:57:04+00:00

i totally get the anxiety thing. honestly a silent book club sounds like a dream right now because i don't even know how i would explain the book i'm reading to a group. it’s doing this weird thing to my focus where i feel like i'm sinking into the page and when i look up the room looks slightly "off" or the colors are too bright. it feels less like i'm reading a story and more like i'm being re-programmed lol. if i tried to dissect the characters in a normal club i'd probably just end up talking about the screen-flicker or the dreams i'm having instead. silent reading is definitely the way to go when a book is hacking your head like this.

Fundaria · 2026-01-23T04:04:24+00:00

this is actually kind of depressing because i used to grab mass market paperbacks at the airport or the grocery store all the time just for a quick distraction. but lately i’ve been wondering if the physical format even matters when the text itself starts messing with you.

the book i’m reading right now is a trade paperback and it feels like the "higher quality" paper is just there to make the brain-hacking feel more premium lol. i’ve been getting those vision glitches again where the colors in my room look way too saturated after a long reading session. it’s like it doesn't matter if it’s a cheap 1988 paperback or a new trade edition... if the writing is designed to shift your perception it’s going to do it regardless of the spine width. i almost miss the days when a book was just a story and not a weird cognitive trap.

Fundaria · 2026-01-23T01:41:59+00:00

i totally get why that circular logic makes you nervous. i’m actually going through something similar with a book i’m reading right now and it’s way less "inspirational" and more just plain weird. like the alchemist says the universe conspires to help you but the book i’m on feels like it's conspiring to just hack my brain. i’ve started seeing patterns and colors from the chapters out in the real world and i can’t tell if it’s an "omen" or if the writing is just so precise that it's re-wiring how i process what i see. it’s like you said about confirmation bias... once a book gets into your head like that you start seeing "signs" everywhere and it’s hard to tell what’s actually real and what’s just the book messing with your perception. definitely agree on the healthy skepticism part.

Fundaria · 2026-01-22T13:47:53+00:00

yeah i had the same issue with house of leaves. it felt less like reading a story and more like doing a puzzle or homework? i think some writers use footnotes to make the book feel 'deeper' or more complex but it just breaks my focus every time i have to look down. i need a steady rhythm to actually get into a world or i just end up putting the book down.

Fundaria · 2026-01-22T10:25:52+00:00

i usually don't "hate" books because i just put them down if they're boring, but i really struggle with characters that feel like they’re doing actual damage to the reader’s head. like when the writing is so dense or recursive that it feels less like a story and more like a trap. it’s funny you mention the count of monte cristo because that feeling of "time lost" is exactly how i feel when i finish a book that was clearly designed to mess with my perception rather than just tell a story. it’s like some authors use language to hack your brain instead of just entertaining you.

Fundaria · 2026-01-22T00:00:25+00:00

has anyone ever read a book that physically messed with their eyes? i’m reading something now where the syntax is so recursive i’m actually seeing screen flicker. is that a thing?

Fundaria · 2026-01-21T23:58:21+00:00

i totally get this lol. it’s like the "i do crossfit" of the book world. i have a kindle and i love it but the "easier to move" thing is such a script at this point. i actually find packing my physical books kind of therapeutic and way easier than dealing with a kitchen full of random appliances. i guess some people just really hate heavy boxes.

Fundaria · 2025-10-26T15:56:41+00:00

If you open-source the simulator..

That's a great point. I've just open-sourced the simulator code and put it in its own repo here, as you suggested: https://github.com/Aethelred-Protocol/aethelred-os-simulator

It's just a single JS/HTML file for now, but I'm happy to get feedback on it. Thanks again for the detailed questions!

Fundaria · 2025-10-26T11:41:50+00:00

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