| Keyword |
Description |
| Habit |
A repeated behavior that becomes part of daily life, such as reading a little every day |
| Subscription |
A payment or service model where you regularly receive products or content, like one e-book per month |
| Catalog |
The organized list of all books available in the app, in this case about 3,000 Spanish-language titles |
A new Brazilian reading app called Skeelo has launched in Mexico to help more people get into the habit of reading regularly. The app gives users one free e-book per month, working like a simple book club instead of an endless library that nobody uses. Its creators want to show that Mexicans do read and that technology can make books easier to access for everyone. They believe that focusing on one good book each month is more realistic for most people than offering tens of thousands of titles.
Skeelo started in Brazil in 2019 and already has about 2.7 million users there. In Mexico, the app is partnering with major telecom companies like Izzi and Sky so customers can receive one e-book every month at no extra cost. The book appears on a virtual shelf in the app, letting users build up a personal digital library over time. The company argues that books add value to telecom subscriptions because they are seen as something educational and culturally important.
The app arrives at a time when reading levels in Mexico are worrying. In 2025, people aged 12 and older who read averaged about 3.2 books a year, up from 2.4 in earlier years, but many still do not read at all. According to a national reading survey, the percentage of Mexicans who read has dropped by more than 12% since 2016, and many non-readers say they were never encouraged to visit libraries or bookstores, and that their parents do not read. Internationally, Mexico ranked near the bottom in a UNESCO reading index, with only about 2% of the population having a lifelong reading habit.
Skeelo’s founders disagree with the idea of a “Netflix of books,” arguing that if people only read a couple of books a year, giving them 50,000 titles will not change much. Instead, they want to help users read 12 books a year, six times more than the earlier average. The company plans to invest 200 million pesos in Mexico in 2026, including money to buy copyrights and to expand its Spanish-language catalog to 3,000 titles. They also point out that books are already the third most-consumed type of content on smartphones, even though they are often ignored in digital strategies.
Bridging words
These words sound similar in English and Spanish: Why not practice them now?
| English |
Spanish |
| Technology |
Tecnología |
| Catalog |
Catálogo |
| Subscription |
Suscripción |
Time to discuss
- Is one free book per month enough to help people read more?
- Do you think apps can replace libraries for young readers?
- Should telecom companies include books in their services?
Let's write
Answer the following questions in one paragraph:
- Describe how a reading app like Skeelo could change your own reading habits.
- Explain whether you prefer physical books or e-books and why, using examples from your life.
