Read it on paper this summer

“La Lecture’’ (“Reading”), (oil on canvas) by Berthe Morisot (1888)

Adapted from Robert Whitcomb’s “Digital Diary,’’ in GoLocal24.com.

Summer is the prime season for reading books for pleasure. And physical books are the best way to read long works. You can better focus and reflect as you turn pages with your fingers than by looking at and clicking at backlit screens. And science suggests that you remember more of what you read in a physical book than from a screen, though the latter is fine for shorter pieces, especially if  you can discipline yourself from being distracted by the colorful and sometimes blinking features that accompany many Web pages

The mild revival of small, independent bookstores in recent years shows a healthy desire to escape from digital distractions, which can be anxiety-provoking.

So happy summer reading,  be it fiction (which boosts our imaginative powers and empathy) or nonfiction. Lose yourself in books, maybe while sitting under a tree.

Here’s some science promoting reading on paper. And here’s some more.