Reading books when I was a child and reading books today has not changed as much as I originally thought. Of course I read books with a more mature premise, and with a more complex vocabulary. However, I feel that the length of books that I read plateaued at about the age of 10. There are several very long children's books, such as Harry Potter (at least books 3 through 7). As far as length is concerned, these books would reach the length of a typical adult novel. As for genre, I also feel that my tastes have remained similar to those of my childhood. I do branch out more today, but I still prefer Science Fiction and Fantasy. The Animorphs series was a childhood favorite, and I recently re-read some of them. I was pleasantly surprised to find myself just as entertained as I was 15 years ago.Finally, while electronic reading has become available, I find that I do not read ebooks very much at all. I tend to reserve reading on an electronic device for shorter things, such as news stories, journal articles, and blogs. For books, almost exclusively read physically.
What will reading be like in the mysterious year of 2036? I believe that we will read just as much as we do today. Reading is an enjoyable activity, as well as a practical one. Reading may change formats, and the way we read may be completely different, but people will always read. In the past, illiteracy and lack of access/time to books has hindered reading. Today, literacy rates (in the U.S.) are very high, and it is rare for someone to lack the access or time to read. I imagine that this will continue in the future, so reading will not decrease. As for how we read, I think that will change drastically. While I see physical books remaining popular for a very long time, I believe that ebooks will continue to grow in popularity (My personal taste does not line up with this trend, making me old-fashioned. However, if others wish to read electronically, that is wonderful). I also think that serialized stories will become more and more popular. If a book is electronic, it can be released in a serialized format without the constraints of physical serialization. Authors may release grand epics piece by piece, and readers will enjoy a new part of the story ever few months, instead of waiting years for the next book in a series.
Interactive reading will likely become more present in the future, especially in children's literature and non-fiction. Children's books already strive for interactivity, through pop up books, flaps to reveal pictures in board books, and so on. I imagine that electronic interactivity will be very popular in children's books. Non-fiction provides many opportunities for interaction, such as links to other resources, embedded videos, and more. As for adult fiction, I think interactivity will be perceived similarly to how 3D movies are viewed today. For some, 3D movies are a great enhancement to the experience, but many others find it distracting and gimmicky. I believe interactivity in adult fiction will be viewed the same way. There may be some minor interactivity, such as an option to share the book on Facebook, or rate it on Goodreads or Amazon, but beyond that, I believe interactivity will be a niche market in adult fiction.
