I've never been a book reader. In school, I wasn't good acamedically and that was more of a reason for my father to be tough on me and discourage me from reading anything apart from textbooks. The result was – I hated it even more, maybe as resistance or due to the pressure put on me.
But I've grown into a person who likes to read about the world – in the form of longform news articles or just mostly good piece of journalism. I also got into reading academic stuff.
But here's the thing – I do want to get into the habit of reading books. I feel that's a whole world I've been missing being part of. What would be a good starting point? What kind of books should I pick up?
I read Tuesdays with Morrie last year, and absolutely loved it. I finished it in a good time! I also picked up Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow. I read it halfway through but since its a big book (according to me), i never ended up finishing it 🙁
I also have a 9-5 job so that drains a lot of my energy. But I want to get into books all the more now to get time off screen and to teleport into another world. Any tips? 🙂
by Break_d_wall
6 Comments
Mitch Albom’s The Little Liar is sooooo good!
Set a goal of a chapter per night and go from there.
I’ve always been an avid reader but I’ll tell you what has helped me be more consistent. I tell myself I will read at least one page a day. That way it’s not overwhelming and you can put in minimal energy on days where you are wore out. I find myself typically reading more than that one page because once I start, I don’t want to stop. But there are still days where I put it down after one page. I make progress in my book that way but it’s still low commitment.
Audio books are great too! And you can listen to them with your library card through Libby.
Just read anything that interests you. Comic books, magazine articles, teen/young adult novels, and short stories are all good starts. I’ve always liked to read but it’s genuinely hard to focus for long periods of time if I don’t read consistently.
Habits fork with consistency so read something actually fun, with a physical copy of the material being preferred.
Some suggested books:
– Harry Potter
– Fahrenheit 451
– Jurassic Park, Andromeda Strain, and Sphere by Michael Critchton (fast paced)
– Old Man’s War by Scalzi (shoot ‘em up space drama)
– Maze Runner
Find the genre that you love, and if you don’t find yourself enjoying a book don’t force yourself to finish it. If you do that you are more likely to go into a reading slump and not want to pick up a book again. But if you find the genre you love you will find yourself excited to read!
This may or may not fit your bill. But… First of all let me say the only way to pick a book is to find what you’re interested in. For me it’s coal mines and martyrdom lol. From the book The Origin of the Brunists which hits both to Fathers and Crows which is heavy book on martyrdom. Interestingly It’s about the irony of martyrdom, which so often seems to be the case. We’ll hit these two marks in a decently written book and I’m in.
Of course I read all kinds of stuff. Look up your subject and then look for highly rated books on that subject. Well written books about things you care about are a sure recipe for success.
Anyway about developing a reading habit.
Repost
Read everyday or almost everyday, shit happens. Set a number of pages to read each day. Read and reread if necessary until you have a firm grasp of each page. When you reach your goal increase your page number.
Start at no less than ten pages and work up to between twenty five and fifty. The reason this many pages is important is because it takes a few pages to get into a flow. If you struggle through five pages and stop you’ve quit before you’ve got your stride. Especially when starting. It might take 25 or even 50 pages to get a good flow going. Once you get the rhythm the comprehension becomes easier and speed increases. Reading is a skill and just like any skill the more you practice the better you’ll get.
Switching from author to author takes a few pages. When you finish a book you’re flying along and then when you start a new book there’s a learning curve. Go slow enough to ‘get it’. It will pick up as you get into the book and find the author’s voice.
Secondly spend a bit of time researching books. This will allow you to choose well. Choosing books well will keep your interest.
The ability to concentrate for thirty minutes an hour or ninety minutes or two hours or more is an accomplishment, a skill that will take some effort to achieve. It’s a skill that’s becoming rare.
The phone has value, no doubt, although, sometimes, depending on how it’s used, it causes a lot of anxiety for a lot of people but books in my mind are vastly superior and rarely are anything but rewarding. In a world gone crazy, books can be a safe, sane waypoint.
I keep my phone on right beside me in case I need to look a word, concept, a historical event etc that knowing about will enhance the story.
If you can’t handle that turn the time sucker off.
Typically I read only fiction. I also listen to audiobooks sometimes but typically it’s almost always listen to non-fiction.
If I am reading something difficult sometimes I listen to a professional reader (5 minutes free on Audible). This will help me hear the author’s cadence and that can be super valuable.
Cheers.