People with busy schedules often find it hard to create the time to read or to pick up a reading habit. Although several means have been suggested, here are 5 apps we think will help alleviate the burden and allow you to become a better reader.
- Medium
The online publishing platform is popular as a blog host and one of the leading examples of social journalism.
What I like most about Medium is the fact that there is diversity. With content on almost every possible genre/category, Medium is great for short reads on your commute or longer reads that are thought-provoking and add to knowledge you have on a particular subject. The articles/stories are also mostly done by credible professionals, especially if the articles need to fact-related.
Aside from popular reads, Medium allows you to select topics of interest (writing, marketing, education, photography etc) and receive articles daily on these topics. The app gives a rough estimate of how much time you’ll require to read an article and if you won’t read it you can always bookmark it and read it later.
Warning: You are limited to a number of articles per month if you’re using the free membership. Nonetheless, if you can subscribe to the membership and you enjoy reading more diverse content on specific topics then this is the app for you.
There’s a lot of content on the web and some of it captures your attention but you can’t always go through it immediately you stumble upon it, so what do you do?
Pocket is here for you.
Pocket allows you to save content from any website, places it in your app and you can read it later. You can also re-share the article via any of your social media platforms, re-open it in your web browser or send the article directly via mail. It also has an audio option that can read the article aloud for you and it’s absolutely free.
- Goodreads
You want to read, but you don’t know where to start, so what do you do?
The Goodreads app is a platform for readers to rate and share experiences from books they’ve read and get recommendations on books they should read from other readers in the genre they like.
After its update mid this year, the application included an ‘explore’ tab that allowed readers to see (and read) books that were trending within their circles.
The app allows you to set what type of genres you would like to read, how many books you’d like to read over a period of time and what books your friends are reading.
This app is perfect for anyone who doesn’t mind reading e-books (although you can still look up recommendations and buy paperbacks) but is short of a starting point.
Warning: This app is only available on Android platforms.
- Comixology
You don’t like novels, genre-specific articles or magazines? Do you read comics and graphic novels?
If so, then Comixology is the application for you. Developed to entertain comic, graphic novel and manga readers, Comixology distributes thousands of these comics for free (or sometimes for a small fee).
Available on both the Android and iOS platforms, it is perfect for the comic lover in you.
- Audible
You don’t have time to read but you still enjoy books, or you’ve discovered your preference for Audiobooks, this application is for you.
Audible is the largest audiobook service in the world. By buying or subscribing to a membership, you can access and listen to any audiobook from across the globe – it has the world’s largest selection. Downloading the app is free and is itself ad-free which means uninterrupted service at your own leisure. The app also allows you to adjust narration speeds, explore new content and sync books to your account.
This app is tailored made for audiobooks and is available on Android and iOS platforms.
Warning: The in-app purchases might be a bit costly but it is totally worth it.
Try any of these apps and let us know what you think. If you’re still trying to cultivate your reading culture here are 6 practical tips to try.
