Is reading books a waste of time? And furthermore, a form of brainwashing?

No, and possibly, if the reader allows the ideas encountered in a book to control what the reader takes away, rather than the other way around.
True reading is an active task, where the reader engages with the material, thinking about the opinions and/or ideas expressed and ultimately deciding whether to accept or deny those opinions and/or ideas.
A passive reader, who simply takes in but does not analyze and sort the information, may indeed experience a form of brainwashing...though I had not considered it that way before.

HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA

That was funny. You are going to get information from someone, somewhere, somehow. It's inevitable. If it's all brainwashing then I supposed you could go live on an island somewhere to prevent being polluted by anyone's ideas.

... yes and no ... depends on which book ... in general, reading books is good, but a bad choice of reading material can be a waste of time and/or a form of brainwashing ...

I don't think it is, but on the brainwashing part, I think it depends on what you're reading.

yes it is a waste of time if it's forced. you learn anything. and are less likely to pay attention. and no not brain washing.. unless someone tells you what to read and is trying to get you to see something they see too without you wanting to go past the first page. you can't brainwash unless you're reading a bad book you disagree with and yet you're captivated by it. then something might be wrong there.

I don't think reading is a waste of time at all. It's a way of learning and expanding your mind. Of course it could be used for brain washing, depending on what you're reading. But then again, so could anything else in this world.