Is there any received reading wisdom or rules that you’ve learned to shed as you’ve got older? For example: reading more/fast is better. It’s bad not to finish books. Etc
Or alternatively, any tongue-in-cheek rules that you’ve also adopted yourself to maximise your reading enjoyment?
One of mine is: if I want to read only the 5 star reviews in order to preserve the joy of a book I adored and skip any that don’t agree with me, then I will. Balance be damned 😁
by Ok-Friend-5304
22 Comments
I’ve taught myself that to dnf is ok. I was like the Mrs
Kim of never dnf… “You buy, you read”😂 now I’ve learned that if I don’t enjoy the book it’s ok to stop it. Life is too short for bad books! But it took me a while to get there!
Edit: edited a typo
I have a 50 pages/20% rule: if I’m not into that book within that amount, then the book is for a different audience. I send it back to the library and wish it good luck finding the right reader.
Definitely allowing myself to DNF is huge.
There’s no shame in DNFing a book. Not all books are made for you to read.
Your 5 star read is someone else’s DNF.
Life’s too short to argue with people if a book is worth it. If someone gushes about a book you hate, it’s not your conversation.
I allow myself to DNF books. I couldn’t do it before.
I use the 50 Page Rule. If a book doesn’t grab me in the first 50 pages I put it down.
There is also the 100 Corollary. You subtract a page for every year over 50 you are that way when you get to 100 you can judge a book by its cover.
I’ve never heard any of these rules, so I’ve always just allowed myself to read what I want to read
If I’m not feeling it, I’m stopping. Life is too short for bad books. Maybe I’ll come back when I’m more mature. This has changed my opinions on so many books. Perspective and life experience changes a lot.
Being a snob isn’t impressing anyone. I used to read “worthy” books exclusively and be a bit pursed lipped if someone was reading something a bit pulpy. Now, I still don’t read a lot of the hyped up books but i won’t stand in judgement of someone who does.
Also and finally: genre doesn’t matter. Just pick it up and read it.
reading at least something, every night, no matter what
I don’t have to finish a book I don’t like. I am a grown up and I am allowed to read in the bath. (Still feels weird.)
This is mainly because I’m a writer, but if I’ve read a really good book, I look at 1-star reviews on Goodreads in order to teach my anxious brain that even if a novel is a masterpiece, there’s still going to be a few people out there who hate it.
I just read the covers now and imagine what is written inside. Why are all these books so depressing?
I do not need to buy a physical copy of every single book I plan to read. Borrowing from a library/ renting a digital copy/ purchasing a heavily discounted digital copy is fine. If I end up liking the book a lot, I can buy a physical copy to add to my collection later.
I was once against audiobooks, but later discovered that I enjoy autobiographies narrated by the subject themselves. I credit Jenifer Lewis and “The Mother of Black Hollywood” for that.
When I found the love for reading I used to do a TBR pile what I wanted to read that particular month. Now I just read whatever I want or feel like
Push through classics, drop the other ones I can’t get through after pages 70-100.
Fantasy and sci-fi books before bed, academic/linguistics books for the rest of the day.
I have learned that it’s okay to make notes and even doggy ears in my own books.
Rules I follow:
Allowing DNFs, audiobooks count as reading, and short reads/novellas count towards your reading goals.
books are not hallowed objects to be kept pristine. i am a dog-earing spine-cracking book abuser.
At 50 pages I pause and ask myself what I like about the book, and do I care? If I don’t have good answers, I stop reading and move on to something else. Life is too short for mediocrity.
On the flip side, if I am enjoying a new author, I look up their other works and put the start of a series and/or their most popular work on my ‘to read’ list.
If I don’t enjoy a book, I DNF it. Life is short, and I don’t want to spend my time on smth I don’t like.
And also unless a book has like an average of 2 stars, I’m not going to care about reviews
I don’t have to finish it.
100 pages in, if it hasn’t caught me by then, buh bye!
If I’m not looking forward to reading the book after I hit the 20% mark, I drop it.