E-books encourage more reading

This story from the Philadelphia Inquirer might qualify as one of Jack Shafer's "bogus trend stories of the week" because it's entirely based on anecdotes from a handful of interview subjects, but it reminds me of a good point about e-books and e-book readers.

The book lovers in the story describe their relationships with their Kindle/iPad/what-have-you, and how they are using them to read more books than ever. What struck me when I started reading e-books was how often it gave me the opportunity to read a book where I wouldn't have otherwise, like waiting in lines, on a crowded bus, watching my kids (okay, don't tell my wife that). For me, reading is about momentum; the more often I dip into a book, even for a few pages, the more I want to keep going and finish it. The e-books let me do that. I don't have a Kindle or iPad though, I read with the Kindle app on my iPhone. This may have a lot to do with it because it was easier to read one-handed and fend off toddlers around my kneecaps.  I also didn't have to remember to pack a separate device with me, it was always in my pocket.

So more anecdotal evidence to back up an already flimsy newspaper article. But there may be something to it.