Put Down the Phone and Read a Book

I think the world would be a better place and we’d all be happier people, if we put down the phone and read a book instead.

Why don’t more people read books? This is a question that flummoxes me.

My perspective may be skewed because I LOVE to read. In fact, it’s a bit of an addiction that I passed on to two of my kids.

We were once called in for a parent-teacher conference to discuss Brady’s habit of reading during class. The teacher had removed every book from his desk and seated him up front right beside her desk and he would lean over her desk to read anything on the desk rather than listen in class.

Having raised this child, I know that he is somehow capable of reading a book and listening to a conversation at the same time. Too many times we said things believing he wasn’t listening only to have him pipe up with a relevant comment that reminded my husband and I that ‘little pitchers have big ears’ (I finally looked up where that saying comes from. It’s from the 16^th century referring to the handles on pitchers looking like big ears. Context, right?)

This same child is never without a book—he carried one to his senior high school awards ceremony. He sat right in front, thanks to our last name, reading happily while student after student posed right in front of him to receive their awards. I still smile at the thought of him photo-bombing everyone’s pictures! (note – the book is in his cargo shorts pocket when he got his award and he’s standing right in front of the chair he was sitting in for the entire ceremony reading that book)

Another of my kids once drove Nick and me to hear a band play at a bar/restaurant – she was working on her learner’s permit and trying to amass the 75 hours of driving time, and this bar/restaurant was over an hour away. She drove us and then sat at a table by herself (not wanting to be seen with us and not interested in our music) and read a book while we enjoyed the show and a few drinks. Our designated driver, who we paid in unlimited cheese sticks and chicken fingers, then snapped her book shut and drove us home safely.

I’ve been steadily upping my book count each year. (I had a losing dispute with Goodreads over 2023 when I did complete the challenge of 112 books, but failed to report the last two books until after the new year.)

I’m always looking for ways to claim more time to read because with Kindle Unlimited, friends who are writers, Net Galley, and a few awesome local bookshops, I have too many books to read and never enough time.

As an author, I also wish more people would read, from an income standpoint. This morning, as I took a long, slow run through our valley (I’m finally back to running), I pondered what can be done.

Personally, I keep a book with me nearly all the time. I read in waiting rooms, in my car while I wait for my dog’s agility class to start (he’s reactive and has to wait until the last class clears out before I can bring him in), and in check out lines.

I get up most days at 4:30am to read for two hours before I start my day, and end my day with at least 30 minutes of reading before bed. Nick and I both spend hours reading by the pellet stove in the evening or on cold, rainy weekends.

Reading is my thing. But how to make it other people’s thing?

People learn best by example. Would we all benefit from putting down our phones and picking up a book? Help me make this trend real.

Here’s how you can read more, set an example for others, and spend less time on your phone:

1 Keep a book with you. I have a backpack purse that holds a book easily, so I almost always have a book on hand (but I also have plenty of books on my kindle app on my phone should I be caught without a book). Messenger bags are perfect for books, and I searched Etsy looking for someone who made a cross-body bag just the right size for a book (haven’t found one yet, but will post when I do).

2 Look for opportunities to read, even a page or a paragraph. Whip out that book while waiting in line, in waiting rooms, while the doctor has you cooling your heels in the exam room. A few more ideas for opportunities to put down the phone and read instead:

-While dinner is cooking

-When waiting for the game to start

-When you find yourself looking for a snack even though you’re not hungry

3 Read in public. (That’s how you influence others). Find a quiet bench, a spot by a stream or river, a café or coffee shop, or sit in a park or on the stoop of your building. Read while waiting for the bus or plane (or on the bus or plane). Read until the movie/concert/play/meeting starts. Read on your lunch break.

4 Set a Goodreads goal, or just join Goodreads and engage with others, track your books, review books, and win free books. It’s kind of fun (and a bit voyeuristic to see what everyone else is reading. To see what I’m reading, find me on Goodreads.)

It’s time we made reading cool. Go to any public space and glance around. I bet 90% of people are looking at a phone. It’s so Wally World, and it’s just not good for our souls. Stop scrolling social media and the news sites—haven’t you had enough of the disturbing/frustrating/bizarre/distracting nonsense and tragedies that fill our feeds?

Instead, open a book. Preferably a paper book. If you haven’t got a book to read, Venmo me $5 to cover the shipping (@Cara-Achterberg) and I’ll ship you one of mine, or if you don’t want to read one of mine, I’ll send you another great book. Put your name, mailing address, and book preference in the Venmo message. I’m serious. I’ll send you one.

Put down your phone and read a book – let’s make it a movement!

Let’s make May, the month to put down your phone and pick up a book. I need a much more clever way to say that, or at least a catchy hashtag. Ideas, anyone?

• Fuel your mind instead of your frustration. Read a book.
• Escape this moment in time. Read a book.
• Expand your soul. Read a book.
• Connect with kindred spirits. Read a book.

And, seriously, let me know if you need a book. Let’s make this a movement.

Hey, thanks for reading. I know you’ve got lots of options, so thanks for sharing a few of your minutes with me.

Honored,

Cara

If you’re curious about what else I’m up to, check out my website, CaraWrites.com.

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I’d love to connect with you on Facebook, Instagram, or Substack, and I’m thrilled to get email from readers (and writers), you can reach me at carasueachterberg@gmail.com.

My latest novel, Blind Turn is a mother-daughter story of forgiveness in the aftermath of a fatal texting and driving accident. It won the Womens Fiction category of the American Writing Awards. Learn more about it and find out how to get your copy here.