When I read an article a few weeks back stating that, on average, people reportedly read 30% more thanks to electronic reading devices like the Kindle, I was speechless.

Not in the shocked I-can’t-believe-that-nonsense kind of way I feel when my BFF sends me Yahoo’s Weird News of the day clippings, but shocked in the “So that explains it!” brainwave of recognition.

It’s true.

Since switching more than 50% of my reading to my Kindle (I do still love me a hardback), I am reading more. Although for the past few years I’ve read around 115-120 books a year, this year I’d finished 75 by early June and aim to hit 150 by New Year’s Eve.

I’ve always loved reading, though, so did a little old $79 reading device really change my behavior?

Yes.

And here’s why.

Three Reasons My Kindle Encourages Me to Read More

1. My Kindle is Always With Me.

The lightweight nature of a Kindle means that I bring it everywhere, in a way that was not always true of books. Even though I’m the girl that moved to far-off countries for 6 months and packed a suitcase of no less than 50 books, or the girl that chose hostels the world over on the sole basis of the quality of their book-swapping shelf, I still used to find myself without books at rare, horrid moments. With a Kindle, those moments are less.

2. I Read Many Books at Once.

For someone who reads 5 books at one time (i.e. me), having a Kindle is a dream come true. I can go to a cafe, on a plane, or to the dentist and bring all my potential reading material with me, easily switching back and forth. Most importantly, when I get bored with one book and might otherwise turn to a magazine on the dentist’s coffee table or in the backseat of the airline seat in front of me, I just switch Kindle books.

3. I Can Immediately Buy (and Read!) Any Book I Want.

It amazes me to think how differently my 9-month trip around the world, or my years living in rural Africa or in a number of countries random countries would’ve been if I had been able to order new, shiny books right when they came out.

This is a complete and total game changer for someone not living in the USA with instant access to overnight shipping on Amazon or a Barnes and Noble up the block.

Furthermore, the few experiences I’ve had not being able to download a new book on Kindle (while travelling in Southeast Asia last year I couldn’t download Kindle books in 2 of the 7 countries I was in — turns out there are a very small number of international limitations) has made me amazed that I ever lived without it.

(Obviously, the downside of this is that my spending on books has significantly increased in the past 18 months, but I’ll set that aside as this isn’t a post about personal finance…)

All in Kindle, my Kindle has rocked my world.

So, what about you. Do you read more with your Kindle (or Nook…or ipad…)? Why or why not?