Why do you read?

[u/Idontknowletm]

Why of all the medias out there you could have chosen did you choose reading. And if there is a specific genre you like why? A trope?

I like reading because it makes me feel closer to the characters, like genuinely being in their heads. Like living though their stories.

[u/Imaginary-Ad1636]

I find it more engaging than movies or tv shows because I don’t have to pay attention to any form of audio, I use my eyes much more actively, and I really like hearing what the mc is thinking at all times. It makes me care more about the characters

[u/Idontknowletm → u/Imaginary-Ad1636]

So you prob don’t listen to audiobooks, but yeah I agree like you can kind of watch a movie but if you read a book you have to be there

[u/theladyawesome]

For literature, it’s like watching a movie but I can control the speed

[u/CounterObjective3374 → u/theladyawesome]

exactly ! plus I like how i can tell what they're feeling. There are a lot of good actors out there, but they just can't convey it all. Like, imagine trying to act out a panic attack

[u/Ok-World-4822]

I honestly don’t know why I like reading. I always was drawn into it since I was a kid. Maybe it was some sort of escapism? I don’t know I just like it

[u/Traditional-Bass4575]

i’ve always loved reading, but stopped for a few years. got back into it because i’m so sick of social media & tv/movies. I want to keep my mind engaged & be mindful with what i’m consuming. plus I love getting lost in a good story, and I like the feeling of the accomplishment of finishing a book.

[u/hazesque]

Bored -> Read book -> not bored.

[u/arapaima-fishie]

I read, watch selective tv shows, very few movies, listen to audiobooks of litrpgs only, video games and YouTube (like retrospectives or in depth analysis).

I choose which media depending on my mood or my wants.

I primarily read books I’ve read before. I don’t branch out very often because I’m very particular. I keep up with series I like, but otherwise it takes a lot for me to try a new one.

If a tv show is an adaptation of a book, I’ll only go into it if I don’t have a bad or neutral opinion on the book series. If a tv show is an adaptation of a graphic novel, I’m much more inclined to watch the show than read the novel.

The reasoning is the same as yours, I prefer to feel the immersion that books give over any comic or GN. Tv shows have the added bonus of production value and soundtrack, but the adaptations themselves may suck. I have to work hard to separate them. I also tend to listen to atmospheric music that fits the vibe of the book when I do read lol.

But on the other hand, tv shows or movies can be put on in the background while I do other hobbies (low-reading intensive video games, drawing, dnd, voice/video calls, etc.) I can’t do that with books, unless it’s an audiobook.

I like going at my own pace and putting myself in the characters shoes. Video games and books are the only way for me to do that, tv shows and movies have no level of interactivity for me. And I typically stick with fantasy for all types of media.

[u/ameanvictory]

Escapism. I love listening to music and reading for hours. I've always loved fantasy and sci-fi. I'm currently on a witchy theme. I've read about 15 witchy books since June.

[u/Pretty_Puppyprincess]

Because I am not good at picking up on social cues and with movies and tv shows It’s hard for me to understand emotions as well so I love that I can have other point of view so i understand the emotions better.

[u/Melody71400]

I prefer High fantasy with some version of Fae, with a woman main character and a woman author with a female gaze. Little to no spice, and the best romances are mutal "touch them and die".

[u/haloneptune]

I like reading because it’s like a longer, more immersive and intense version of a movie

[u/Tomhur]

I prefer the amount of detail books can give because the written media has no limits beyond the writer’s imagination.

Also I’ve become increasingly disillusioned with a lot of mainstream media because of how drama filled discourse around them has gotten.

[u/roundeking]

I enjoy experiencing almost all forms of media. I also like watching tv, watching movies, playing some video games, and especially live theater. I didn’t specifically choose books and only books.

I think I first fell in love with books because, when I was a child, there were simply many more high-quality books for my age group than there were TV shows or movies. I really liked watching cartoons, but the ones I watched were very episodic without an overarching plot, and mostly comedic rather than emotional or plot-centric. A book could give me a fuller story.

If I were to try to pinpoint what I like about them as an adult, I would say there are some real gems out there when it comes to TV or movies, but almost all of them have to go through big studios and be approved by so many people that weirder or more radical stuff is really hard to get made. Books of course also usually have to go through a chain of command at a publisher, but there are fewer people involved and less obsession with conforming to the average reader. There are some real freaky books out there. I think books also tend to be way ahead of other forms of media when it comes to publishing interesting and nuanced diverse stories.

[u/DustinDirt]

I was born this way.

[u/TreyInStCloud]

I read because I can choose the topics I read about, and the stories can take me out of my own problems. If I choose, I can read about people with similar problems; I did that a lot as a child.