Tag: tools

Walk through any bookstore, or even any library these days, and you’re likely to see more people scanning their smartphones than reading actual books. It would be all too easy to jump into a rant about shrinking attention spans, but it does seem like modern life leaves us all with less time to sit and absorb a chapter or two.

While we can’t do anything about the time crunch, we can recommend a few reading apps and tools. From speed-reading boot camps to services that condense those bestsellers into 15-minute chunks, there’s proof here that you don’t need to tackle your reading list alone.

Here are five of our favorite apps that can help you keep up with your annual reading goals without scrambling to find the time.

1. Reader Mode Pro

While most of these apps bring your books into the digital age, Reader Mode Pro makes the internet look more like a clean analog book. It’s an extension for your Chrome browser that removes distractions from your web pages and even lets you customize the text.

You can add notes or highlight text that you’d like to revisit, and there are a ton of features that will especially help dyslexic readers focus.

MSRP: $25

Sale Price: $9.99

2. ZapReader Speed-Reading

This app gives you all the tools you need to dramatically boost both your reading speed and comprehension. Dive into science-based lessons taught by real speed-reading experts. Then put that knowledge to use with software that trains your brain on eBooks of nearly any format.

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