my entire adult life, I read 2-3 books a week (fast reader, little tv), I couldn't buy books at that pace and there are only a handful of books I would ever re-read, I hate re-reading. My library is fantastic, the interlibrary loan is fast, you can get new DVDs pretty quick, CDs, museum passes, magazines, an unbelievable amount of large print books in books I'd actually read. The only slow thing is the quality and waiting lists for e-books. My eldest is 18 and I stopped buying books and CDs way before him. I download books on CD and CDs to my iPod, illegal, oh well, if that's my worst crime, because I drove around all day for work and got paid to "read" while doing it. I bought children's books, kept the ones I want for my grandkids someday, joyfully gave the rest away. I occasionally buy a reference book on finance or how to use my Iphone. I buy a book almost every time for an Apple device and then get overwhelmed that it can do 600 pages worth of stuff so I never do learn what I really should know. The only time I buy e-books is if I'm traveling so I don't have to lug books.
A year ago, I started to get sick, and out of the blue totally stopped reading, no more emails that 14 interlibrary loan items are ready. I am not who I really am without reading. That right there should've made me go to the doctor but for what? To say, "I totally stopped reading." There's a medical condition for that? Turns out there is, lol. Anyway, a year later I said screw this, "I'm reading." When I first went back to my library, a bunch of librarians came around and hugged me (I'd been going there since kindergarten), one of them was so shocked that I just never came back, she thought I had died, lol! So I read again, the same parts over and over because I totally forget from day to day. And when it's done, do not ask me what it was about, just be happy that I read it, who cares if I've completely forgotten it? well, I care, but trying not to. Reading is the best thing you can do for free that isn't NC-17. Trust me, I never would've thought it, but I love a house with no old books that will never be re-read on shelves. I love a giant tote bag filled with library books. There is not one adult book I got rid of that I wish I had back, not a single one. I even gave my confirmation Bible to a patient who really needed one. I don't even regret that, lol!