I never would read a book on stand. You can't read a book and watch the woods. That being said, I have found that an iPod with music and even better yet, loaded with a few books on tape (CD) work great as you can listen and look at the same time.
As we all know you cant kill them from the house so I sit as long as I can til I'm so bored I can't stand it. Then I put in some ear buds. Turn the iPod volume all the way down and then play a song and just barely turn on the volume. I can still hear the woods even on quiet days. On rainy or windy days it doesn't matter.
Try it!