What counts as real reading: do YA, children's books, audiobooks and e-readers count?
Hank has read and enjoyed books for young people since 2007; in 2010 he said print beats e-readers, and in 2019 he called reading and listening only somewhat different. Since 2011 John has said people should read in whatever format they prefer, and he recommends kids' books as a way into a subject. In 2025 he said his view of audiobooks had changed a lot: they are real reading, and for many people the best kind.
Axis: all reading counts; YA is real literature ... some reading is lesser
Positions by date: 10 records in 10 videos. The position was refined (2010, 2019, 2025), never reversed, in these records.
John
| date | how | position | video |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011-01-07 | first on record | John says he doesn't care how people read (e.g. on a Kindle), only whether they read. | CONCUSSED Question Friday 00:01:20 |
| 2011-10-19 | restate | John says he doesn't care how people read (books or e-readers), only whether they read. | Question Wed — THE COVER OF THE FAULT IN OUR STARS! 00:00:00 |
| 2021-09-28 | restate | In a comment John strongly recommends audiobooks to those who struggle with decoding text, saying he often reads by audiobook. | 11 Great Books You Probably Haven't Read |
| 2023-03-07 | restate | John says people want to read how they want to read, and he wants people to read in their preferred format. | What's the Deal with Paperback Publishing? 00:01:56 |
| 2023-11-28 | restate | John's life hack: when getting interested in a subject, read the kids' book, because it answers the questions grown-up history books assume you already know. | John's (Mostly Book) Holiday Gift Recommendations 00:01:57 |
| 2025-01-21 | refine | John says his stance on audiobooks has changed a lot in 20 years: they are definitely reading and, for many people, the best kind of reading. | Do Audiobooks Count As Reading? 00:01:36 |
| 2025-10-21 | restate | John says parts of publishing are growing, such as audiobooks and independent publishing, with over a million titles published independently this year (2025), a significant part of the e-book market. | Is Book Publishing Dying? An Author's Perspective 00:01:30 |
Hank
| date | how | position | video |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007-06-25 | first on record | Hank says he reads books for young people because he likes them, often dislikes adult books, and finds kids' books more fun though less believable. | June 25: Dum De Dum De Dum De Readn' a Book 00:00:35 |
| 2010-01-29 (said on 2010-01-30, implied) | refine | Hank, an e-reader user for five years, says print books will always be better than e-readers (physical handling, flipping back through them), though e-books have a place. | The iPad and Dolphin Murder 00:00:45 |
| 2019-11-15 | refine | Hank says the difference between reading and listening is not a judgement of better or worse: they are marginally, somewhat different. | Are audiobooks worse? 00:01:29 |
Dates are upload dates, which set the order. Where the speaker gives a different recording date in the video, it is added as "said on YYYY-MM-DD, implied" (derived from the date said in the video).