I’m 26 and I really liked reading right after I graduated college. I’d finish books in a day to a week, and there were some novels that were so gripping for me, I’d stay up super late reading them.
Now, if I read a book, it’s something required of me for a work book club or I’m listening to an audiobook in my car.
I’ve started at least four books and I’ve finished none of them. A book always catches my interest, I pick it up, and then I put it down and never come back.
I’m super embarrassed about this because I’m a teacher and I feel like I’m a bad role model for my students who also don’t make themselves read. I wish I had a day where I could lock my phone away and not get it back until I make progress in the books I’ve collected but haven’t read.
If anyone had any reading suggestions, please let me know.
by tryinsohard123
15 Comments
It’s really just a question of will. You take that book and turn off your phone. It’s that simple.
Been there, and it’s brutal when your brain just won’t cooperate with something you used to love. Maybe try graphic novels or really short story collections first – like getting back into shape but for your attention span. The guilt cycle of picking up books and abandoning them just makes it worse, so don’t beat yourself up about being a “bad role model” when you’re literally trying to get back into it.
Start reading really short books and then build up from there. The shortest book I read semi-recently was ‘Killing Time’ by Alan Bennett, which I liked, so I’ll recommend that.
I wouldn’t worry too much about it. I think there are always going to be ebbs and flows in our live about how much we read. Some of it probably depends on what’s going on in your life — if you’re reading stuff for work constantly, maybe you don’t feel like reading for fun. I remember during COVID I could barely finish a new book and there was a recent year I read like ONE book. Now I’ve read/listened to 40 in 2026. Maybe go back to a book you already know/love to break out of your rut if you feel concerned about it?
Listening to an audiobook is still reading/absorbing a book though!
I’ve been having a hard time pushing through books lately too, even for authors that I usually enjoy. I feel like lately, unless the plot is super interesting and attention-grabbing, I’m content to just read in doses. I just don’t have the energy that I used to. I figure that I’ll just hoard my books for now, and hopefully I’ll have more time in retirement (if that ever happens).
I too have had ebbs and flows. Just got back into really reading for fun in the last 8 months. Have finished over 20 books, one was a 1300 pager. I stared by just reading one chapter before bed. It was an obtainable goal and got me off doomscrolling before bed.
Honestly, sometimes you have to do difficult things. Read a book every day. If you only read five pages a day so be it. You got into a habit of not reading. Pick a short book that looks good and finish it regardless.
Try some novellas, I highly recommend anything by Claire Keegan, but particularly Foster or Small Things Like These
Do you spend a lot of time on short video content on social media? This really wires your brain to stop doing tasks that require more time for dopamine and kills attention span. Try a few days or a week or two off of that type of content. You can get something for your phone to block it if you need. This will help in other areas besides just reading
I got into this rut and broke it just by being strict on myself on not starting any new books until I finished the one I was on.
Replace social media with reading. Replace TV with reading. No Reddit until you read. Read before bed every night. Go Pavlovian and give yourself a treat every time you finish a chapter.
It also helps to actually enjoy what you are reading. What types of books are you into? Find something that actually makes you want to find out the end of the story.
Speed reading! Skip to the end and the good scenes, try to get the general plot, come back to read the rest as you please. I’ve been reading that way since I was little. It also lets you test if a book is well written if some skipped information is genuinely missing, or if you could remove parts and the plot would not suffer at all.
You can’t make yourself read for enjoyment so why the pressure? It’s not a contest so don’t turn something you do for enjoyment into a task. Also, it’s a challenging period to remain focused. There’s so much going on and it’s hard to not think about these things.
If you can read it for a reason, like a book club, or the audio book your fine.
I’d run a test of reading on your phone. Turn on do not disturb so you get no notifications, read an ebook. Sometimes the physical weight and seeing the pages you have to go is harder.
If not, set up the reading in a way the phone is harder to get to. All but kill the battery, put it on the charger and read. Stay in bed at 10 am reading before getting up for it. Put it inside and read on the balcony.
There is a possibility the work book club has killed your passion for reading. I know it would kill mine.