In this age of streaming services like Netflix and others, I wanted to know the perspective of readers who had stopped and see if there is a chance for them to come back to reading.
Host: How long ago did you last read a book?
Guest: About a year ago. I was in Manila and had a lot of time because my mother was sick and terminally ill. We spent time with her and during the lull moments, I would read books to kill time.
H: Who were your favorite authors to read?
G: My number one would be Daniel Silva, second would be John Grisham, third would be Tom Clancy.
H: Why did you stop reading?
G: First, I had trouble with my eyes. They started getting worse. That was the reason I had stopped. The next was because of the advent of Netflix. I started watching shows instead of reading. Third, books had gotten more expensive. The authors I liked reading would release their books hardbound first which was very pricey for me.
H: Have you tried looking for alternative authors or books that were paperback that you haven’t read before?
G: Actually, I did a lot of thrifting. I went to a lot of book sales and used book stores. But majority of the authors I had followed, I had already read all their books. I was just waiting for their next book.
H: But have you tried alternative authors that followed in their footsteps?
I tried reading other authors that followed the style of the three aforementioned authors but I didn’t find them as exciting or interesting as my favorites.
H: What certain qualities make those authors not as captivating as your favorites?
G: The build-up to the story is a lot different than the authors I mentioned. There was one author that I read, where the complications and conflict was so interesting, but the ending simplified that complication and turned me off from that initial intrigue. To be fair, John Grisham also started off good, but his later books have that same problem I mentioned. Now, I don’t really follow him anymore. That’s why I shifted to Silva.
H: What can books do to get you back?
G: Maybe because I was a voracious reader before, I had gotten burned out from reading. I used to finish a novel in a day or two. Perhaps time is what I need to get back into books.
H: You mentioned that price is one of the reasons of not buying books now, have you tried e-books?
G: No, I haven’t tried reading e-books. I find them more straining to my eyes. I don’t like buying an e-book reader because they’re expensive and require an online account, which is, for me, a hindrance in a way for me to read. I’m not a techy person and don’t enjoy that kind of thing.
H: What can convince you to buy an e-book and reader?
G: If it was given to me for free!
H: What is your future in terms of reading?
G: Because of my long time burn out, I have plenty of books to read when I go back to it. I’m kind of excited when the time comes.
