Tips for people who want to get into reading again, but don't know where to begin.
Reading is one of the most beneficial habits you can keep up. It is both entertaining and stimulating for your brain, and is a way to take in new information, expand your vocabulary, reduce stress, improve brain connectivity, foster concentration and prevent cognitive decline associated with aging.
However, reading can be, for some, one of the most difficult habits to keep up: it is often something we feel we "should" do, but never sit down and actually do. In this day and age, there are about a thousand things that seem more exciting than reading a book. Why read when you can simply watch a show? Play an immersive video game? Scroll through an endless number of videos on social media, swiping from topic to topic at the instant you start to get bored?
Reading is one of the only ways of entertainment in which we MUST concentrate in order to actually "intake" it. You can't "zone out" while reading or simply "look" passively if you want to understand what's going on; instead, you must immerse yourself. This is why reading is so good at increasing your ability to concentrate.
But when all these other activities seem more exciting, how does one prioritize reading?
As someone who managed to read 118 books in 2021, here are my tips for people who want to get into reading again, but don't know where to begin.
Start with what made you love reading in the first place.
By this, I mean reread old favourites. What was your favourite book growing up? Perhaps it was the Harry Potter series - if so, start there. Or maybe it was a classic YA novel, like The Perks of Being a Wallflower or The Fault In Our Stars.
Whatever your favourite was, start with someone that fascinated you with reading as a child. Even if it is not as a good now, you will love it for the nostalgia.
Plus, middle-grade/young adult books are written in ways that are designed to be extra engaging and not too difficult to comprehend, so if you haven't read in a while this is the best place to start.
Set a timer or daily page count goal.
Every day set a goal for how long you want to read, and stick to it. This can be by page count ("I am going to read 10 pages a day of this book"), by chapter ("I will read one chapter a day") or time ("I am going to sit down and read for fifteen minutes every day").
Keep your goal short enough that it doesn't seem like a huge commitment. You might find that once you get started you will find it hard to stop right away (if it is a good enough book!)
Listen to audiobooks.
Maybe you're super busy, and can never find the time to read. Well, now you have no excuse. Reading can be just like listening to a podcast, and can be done while in the car, getting ready, making dinner, and more.
There are some really amazing audiobooks out, including ones that feature a full cast. Check out the audiobook version of American Gods by Neil Gaiman or Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo.
Read different genres.
If you've tried reading classics before and you can't get into it right away, don't be embarrassed to try a guilty pleasure genre like romance.
Or if you haven't read any horror novels before, such as Stephen King, try that out.
Experiment with different genres. You never know what you will enjoy.
SOME OF MY FAVOURITE ROMANCES
SOME OF MY FAVOURITE HORROR NOVELS
Try nonfiction.
Another idea is to try non-fiction books on topics that interest you. So think: what fascinates you? Tales of natural disasters? The science of sleep? Psychopaths? Murder? There's plenty of interesting non-fiction books to compel you, no matter what it is you're interested in.
Read graphic novels.
Honestly, the debate about whether graphic novels are "real" reading or not doesn't matter to me, and it shouldn't matter to you, either. In my opinion, graphic novels can be just as rewarding! Try some different graphic novels if you're looking for a place to start off in your reading journey.
Find someone to discuss books with.
Whether it's an actual book club, or just your friend that really likes to read, finding someone who will discuss your favourite books with you (and give you amazing book recommendations) is one way to keep you motivated.
If all else fails... read one of my guaranteed page-turners.
If finding motivation for reading is especially difficult, take a look at this article for my best guaranteed page-turners that I COULD NOT PUT DOWN no matter how hard I tried. You will thank me.
Excellent Article Read Science Fiction!