Blog Post

Reading with ADHD

Jason BoogOct 27 2023

The Fable community is a warm and supportive group, and I'm always amazed by the collective wisdom of our members. When Fable reader Beanie wrote about their own reading journey with ADHD, we collected some great advice from our community. Millions of readers around the globe cope with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). According to the Attention Deficit Disorder Association, research has shown that about 6.7% of adults globally have been affected by ADHD.

Read the whole thread on the Fable For You feed!

Fable readers share advice

"I needed to gamify my reading to get back into it after 8 years of only reading for my studies. I do challenges, daily/monthly goals and tracking etc. Besides that I work with my ADD instead of against it - I follow my mood and always read more than 1 books at a time so I can change it up if my brain starts to feel bored."— Helena"I’m on ADHD medication but personally I like to read outside in silence. There are less distractions and I’m forced to sit up so it helps me to stay focused longer. I also set goals because I like reaching said goal."— Pachyfaeria"audiobooks on 2.5x speed + concentrating on the text at the same time AND reading like 6-7 books at a time because when i feel like reading but get bored of one i always can just switch to another 😇"— Valeria"Shorter chapters for the win, each time I reach a new one I get a little dopamine boost."— EmmieIf I’m reading a physical/e-book, I play either my favorite playlist or the playlist I made specifically for ADHD brains (I saw somewhere that songs ~154 BPM help ADHD brains focus better). Reading on dark mode on the Kindle with a larger font (and sometimes OpenDyslexic font) helps a ton also.— HushedEarth

Keep reading on Fable

The Fable app is built for social reading, with tools for sharing highlights, comments, insights, links, pictures, and videos as you set measurable reading goals. We also make it easy to launch your free book club, even if you are reading an audiobook. With our platform, you can host every aspect of an online discussion at a single destination to reach readers and build safe online communities regardless of location or time zone.

Start your own book club today!

You can also discover the best audiobook by exploring thousands of book lists on Fable, decoding your personal taste with our guided recommendations. It’s easy to make your own list as well!

Make a great book list.

Just finished reading an audiobook and have the urge to share your thoughts with the world? It’s time to write your review and highlight your favorite sentences! You can also import your Goodreads reviews to your Fable account!Rate and review your favorite books!

By Jason Boog

Jason Boog is a writer living in Los Angeles and part of the editorial team at Fable. OR Books published "The Deep End: The Literary Scene During the Great Depression and Today," his book about how different writers survived the Great Depression. Simon & Schuster’s Touchstone imprint published "Born Reading: Bringing Up Bookworms in a Digital Age," his handbook about how to raise kids who love to read. His work has appeared in The Believer, The Awl, Salon, NPR Books, The Los Angeles Review of Books, Peace Corps Writers, and other outlets. He was the West Coast correspondent for Publishers Weekly.