Hacker News with Generative AI: Reading

Good readers have distinct brain anatomy, research reveals (psypost.org)
The number of people who read for fun appears to be steadily dropping. Fifty percent of UK adults say they don’t read regularly (up from 42% in 2015) and almost one in four young people aged 16-24 say they’ve never been readers, according to research by The Reading Agency.
Reading, Neuroscience, Brain, Research, Behavior
14 points by isaacfrond 21 hours ago | 8 comments
Ask HN: How are you reading (nonfiction) books/pdfs in 2025? (ycombinator.com)
Everytime I start reading a book, I feel like uploading it in NotebookLM/ChatGPT to get QA; but these don't let me read in their app, and its not easy to get digital copies of books. I also want to ask questions adjacent to what I'm reading easily; I wonder if there are great apps/hacks people have for this.
Reading, Technology, Artificial Intelligence, Books, Question Answering
10 points by kanodiaashu 8 days ago | 26 comments
Books I Loved Reading in 2024 (wyounas.com)
I was able to read several books this year. Here are some books I loved reading in 2024.
Books, Reading, 2024
416 points by simplegeek 17 days ago | 175 comments
Readest: An immersive eBook reader for deep reading (github.com/readest)
Readest is an open-source ebook reader designed for immersive and deep reading experiences. Built as a modern rewrite of Foliate, it leverages Next.js 15 and Tauri v2 to offer a seamless cross-platform experience on macOS, Windows, Linux and Web, with support for mobile platforms coming soon.
Software, Open Source, E-books, Reading
5 points by chrox 19 days ago | 1 comments
Deciding to read a book a week was the best new year resolution I ever made (theguardian.com)
Deciding to read a book a week was the best new year resolution I ever made
Reading, Personal Growth, Books
4 points by pseudolus 22 days ago | 0 comments
Ask HN: What are the best books you read in 2024? (ycombinator.com)
Books, Reading, Recommendations
11 points by arcticf0x 24 days ago | 4 comments
Ask HN: What is the best thing you read in 2024? (ycombinator.com)
Is there a book, paper, report or article etc. that really stood out?
Books, Articles, Recommendations, Reading
134 points by hubraumhugo 24 days ago | 129 comments
Why Books Donʼt Work (andymatuschak.org)
Books are easy to take for granted. Not any specific book, I mean: the form of a book. Paper or pixels—it hardly matters. Words in lines on pages in chapters. And at least for non-fiction books, one implied assumption at the foundation: people absorb knowledge by reading sentences. This last idea so invisibly defines the medium that it’s hard not to take for granted, which is a shame because, as we’ll see, it’s quite mistaken.
Reading, Non-Fiction, Books, Knowledge Acquisition, Learning
3 points by _kb 30 days ago | 0 comments
In praise of the hundred page idea (tracydurnell.com)
I prefer a lightweight nonfiction book to a detailed tome. I’m a dilettante of many interests, so my attention for any given topic is more likely to sustain 100 pages than 600. The sweet spot is longer than a longread internet article, but that doesn’t demand a months-long commitment: a 2-3 hour text.
Nonfiction, Books, Writing, Reading, Attention Span
165 points by surprisetalk 30 days ago | 62 comments
The One Hundred Pages Strategy (thelampmagazine.com)
Almost nothing I have written in the last few years has given rise to more correspondence than a throwaway column about reading, in which I alluded to what I call the “hundred pages strategy.”
Reading, Strategy, Writing
54 points by keiferski 31 days ago | 13 comments
People who are good at reading have different brains: study (theconversation.com)
The number of people who read for fun appears to be steadily dropping. Fifty percent of UK adults say they don’t read regularly (up from 42% in 2015) and almost one in four young people aged 16-24 say they’ve never been readers, according to research by The Reading Agency.
Reading, Neuroscience, Brain Science, Psychology
158 points by pseudolus 35 days ago | 162 comments
The One Hundred Pages Strategy (thelampmagazine.com)
Almost nothing I have written in the last few years has given rise to more correspondence than a throwaway column about reading, in which I alluded to what I call the “hundred pages strategy.”
Reading, Writing, Strategy, Personal Development
3 points by samclemens 38 days ago | 1 comments
How Gen Z Came to See Books as a Waste of Time (theatlantic.com)
An alarming phenomenon has sprung up over the past few years: Many students are arriving at college unprepared to read entire books.
Education, Generational Differences, Reading, Literature
5 points by marban 45 days ago | 2 comments
You must read at least one book to ride (mataroa.blog)
Two things are true.
Reading, Books, Transportation, New Zealand
245 points by Kinrany 48 days ago | 149 comments
Ask HN: What were the best books you read this year? (ycombinator.com)
I'm looking for inspiration for the Christmas holidays.
Books, Recommendations, Christmas, Reading
117 points by christudor 50 days ago | 151 comments
In Praise of Print: Reading Is Essential in an Era of Epistemological Collapse (lithub.com)
When the witty and wry English fantasy novelist Terry Pratchett interviewed Bill Gates for GQ in 1995, only 39% of Americans had access to a home computer. According to the Pew Research Center, the number who were connected to the internet was a paltry 14%. At the dawn of the internet age, when optimistic bromides about the information superhighway to the 21st century were replete in politics and culture, the author of the “Discworld” series was less sanguine.
Reading, Books, Technology, Culture, History
364 points by bertman 51 days ago | 332 comments
Empty Your Cup – An approach for reading technical books (miguelangelmartin.me)
Technical Books, Reading, Learning
3 points by miguelbemartin 56 days ago | 0 comments
Read This Out Loud (bbc.com)
Most adults retreat into a personal, quiet world inside their heads when they are reading, but we may be missing out on some vital benefits when we do this.
Reading, Cognitive Benefits, Psychology, Communication
6 points by isomorph 58 days ago | 5 comments
Report finds 'shocking and dispiriting' fall in children reading for pleasure (theguardian.com)
Children’s reading enjoyment has fallen to its lowest level in almost two decades, with just one in three young people saying that they enjoy reading in their free time, according to a new survey.
Education, Reading, Children, Surveys
15 points by pseudolus 74 days ago | 7 comments
Read More Books (notboring.co)
Welcome to the 232 newly Not Boring people who have joined us since last week! If you haven’t subscribed, join 234,408 smart, curious folks by subscribing here:
Reading, Books, Newsletters, Personal Growth
7 points by alexzeitler 74 days ago | 0 comments
There's a Very Good Reason College Students Don't Read Anymore (nytimes.com)
Nationwide, college professors report steep declines in students’ willingness and ability to read on their own.
Education, Reading, College
8 points by bookofjoe 84 days ago | 5 comments
Show HN: Nextread.ai – AI-powered book recommendations with a twist (nextread.ai)
Find a book you've read, and we'll suggest what to read next! Start by searching for a book or author:
Book Recommendations, Reading, AI
10 points by ailibrarian 89 days ago | 18 comments
"How to Read a Paper" by S. Keshav (2007) (dl.acm.org)
Researchers spend a great deal of time reading research papers. However, this skill is rarely taught, leading to much wasted effort.
Research, Academia, Papers, Reading, Education
8 points by sandwichsphinx 91 days ago | 1 comments
Ask HN: What book had a big impact on you as a child or teenager? (ycombinator.com)
I grew up in a house full of books that shaped my interests. I have two young children and I'm building up a library for them. I'm curious to know what books stood out in your childhoods?
Books, Childhood, Reading, Influence, Parenting
77 points by pjacotg 103 days ago | 154 comments
Ask HN: How do you remember what you have read in a book? (ycombinator.com)
How do you remember what you have read in a book and how do you act on that?
Reading, Memory, Books, Learning, Actionable Knowledge
22 points by sodiumtech 107 days ago | 39 comments
The Elite College Students Who Can't Read Books (theatlantic.com)
To read a book in college, it helps to have read a book in high school.
Education, College, Reading, Literacy
55 points by BerislavLopac 109 days ago | 45 comments
Libraries will only exist as long as we borrow from them. It's your civic duty (theguardian.com)
In a world as noisy as ours, we need the quiet space of libraries for solace and safety. They are community hubs that serve whoever walks through the door but they also foster hope – in the power of words and in the people who write and read them.
Libraries, Community, Civic Duty, Social Impact, Reading
41 points by rntn 113 days ago | 12 comments
Reading texts on paper versus computer screen: Effects on reading comprehension [pdf] (2012) (clikmedia.ca)
Reading, Research, Technology, Education, Science
200 points by sturza 115 days ago | 113 comments
Advice on Reading Homer in Translation (talesoftimesforgotten.com)
The Iliad and the Odyssey are often regarded as being among the greatest works of world literature and many people have an interest in reading them—but how does one go about starting? Which translations are the best? In what manner should one read them?
Literature, Classics, Translation, Reading
71 points by Khaine 123 days ago | 52 comments
In Favor of Reading Aloud (raptitude.com)
When I read Jane Eyre, I stalled for a full year between the opening part at the boarding school and the rest of the book.
Reading, Literature, Books, Jane Eyre
19 points by ironyman 128 days ago | 16 comments