These past few months I’ve come back to reading novels for the first time, really, since I was a kid. I just read them an alternative to scrolling, though, so I don’t really pay much attention. When I sit down to watch a film, I try to make sure my mind is clear, my environment is undistracting, and I try to watch observantly and engage on multiple levels. Not always easy to maintain that level of attention even for a 1.5-3h movie, to try to do so for a novel seems unreasonable. I’ve felt mostly indifferent about the novels I’ve been reading during this streak. I had one moment where I felt moved but I can’t really speak eloquently as to why or how. I have too many goals that matter infinitely more to me to make becoming a more refined conscientious fiction reader a goal, but I’m curious by-the-by how other (more experienced?) people approaach their reading.
I find that reading actual paper books, or even on something closer to paper, like an e-ink screen, greatly helps my ability to focus on a book. Also, I usually read when/where I’d be able to focus on it.
Books aren’t a 1 to 1 replacement for scrolling, because most “scrolling” content is bite sized and easily digestible, where books are usually written for people able to focus on them a bit more.