Do You Still Read Books in 2025?

Hey everyone! With the internet, podcasts, and a million short videos competing for your attention, you might be wondering, "Do you still read books in 2025?" The short answer is yes.

Today I want to pull back the curtain and show you exactly how I manage my reading life in 2025. It's not about reading every book out there, it's about being super selective and getting the most value from the books I do read.

I'm going to walk you through my whole process: from discovering a potential read, to filtering it for the good stuff, to the actual consumption and tracking. Let's dive in!

Why Bother with Books in the Digital Age?

This is the first thing we have to tackle, right? We live in a world where almost everything is a Google search away. You've got blog articles, podcasts, YouTube, everything!

So, why slow down and read a book?

Here’s the thing: The content you get from the internet and the content you get from a book are usually very different. Most online content is trendy and immediate, like tips and tricks you can implement right away.

Books, especially non-fiction ones (which is what I focus on: business and personal improvement), tend to cover deep, evergreen concepts. We're talking about fundamental stuff like mindset, how humans think, communication psychology, and reacting to the world. These concepts don't change every week. They're useful now, and they'll be useful in ten years. A good non-fiction book is essentially a masterclass in an evergreen topic, and you just don't get that depth from a 30-second short video.

Book Discovery: Finding the Needle in the Haystack

Okay, so you've bought into the "books are great" idea. Now what? How do you pick one? It's easy to get overwhelmed! My process is pretty simple, and I've found it to be super efficient.

First, I Just Ask AI. We're in 2025, so use the tools you have! If I’m facing a problem, I'll go to Gemini and literally type in my problem, then ask it to recommend a book to help me solve it. It’s like having a personal librarian.

Another great method is to look for Curated Lists. I'll just Google things like "must-read books for solopreneurs" or "top 10 psychology books." This gives me a solid starting list of recommendations. I collect all these, but here’s my secret. I don't plan on reading all of them.

The Book Summary Filter: My Time-Saving Hack

This is where I save tons of time. I simply cannot read every book that interests me from a title or a recommendation, so I filter them out. The core concept in most non-fiction books is usually just one big idea, with the rest of the book being examples and details to make you understand that concept deeper. I use book summaries to find that single core concept.

My rule is simple: if the core concept from the summary doesn't grab me, I skip the whole book. I just saved myself hours! If the concept does interest me, then I know it's worth the time commitment for the deep dive. Using a summary for 5 to 10 minutes instead of reading an entire book to find out it's not for me? Huge time saver.

I prefer to listen to my summaries while walking or driving, and I've tried a few apps for this. I think the quality of the summaries and recordings in Blinkist is the best. The only downside for me is the cost, as you usually have to commit to an expensive annual plan. Headway is my current favorite. The quality is good enough, and the value is great, especially because I was able to snag a lifetime deal, which means I pay once and have access forever. That’s a game-changer! Finally, I've tried StoryShots, which is fine, but the library of available books isn't as extensive as the other two.

Where I Read: Going Digital

Once a book passes the summary test, I'm ready to read the full thing. I've mostly moved away from physical books and prefer reading on a device.

I used to have an Amazon Kindle Paperwhite, which was great, but I didn't like being locked into the Amazon store. So, I switched to the Onyx Boox Poke 4 Lite. It runs on Android, which means I can install any app from the app store, including my book summary apps. And most importantly, it can install Google Play Books, which is where I buy most of my books nowadays.

Book Tracking: Finding a Better Home

When you're reading a non-fiction book, you have to highlight key concepts, good sentences, and quotes you want to remember and take action on. A simple note-taking app won't cut it, so I searched for apps built for this purpose.

The most standard one is Goodreads, but honestly, the interface is a bit dated and slow. It just feels old.

I tried another app called Literal, and it looked a little nicer with more social features, but the mobile app was so slow I couldn't make myself use it regularly.

Finally, I discovered Fable, and this is my new home! It’s a book tracking and social app that lets you track TV shows and series, too. The app is snappy, the interface is great, and it feels modern. I'm just getting started with it, but so far, I'm hoping it'll be my long-term solution for tracking all my reading and the important takeaways. I'll keep you all posted on how it goes.

Your Turn!

So, that's my complete process for consuming books in 2025: I don't read randomly, I'm highly selective, I use summaries to filter, and I track my key takeaways. It's all about being intentional before you dive in.

What about you? How do you decide what to read next? What's your favorite book? Let me know in the comments!