- Start with the books that interest you the most (maybe you should actually start with something that is not a recommendation from someone else because that's a lot of pressure! You could go to a bookstore and find a book that makes you excited to read to get you into the habit of reading again.)
- Take it one book at a time. The pile is daunting, so just find the next book that you are excited to read and read that one. We will never be able to read all of the books we want to, but that shouldn't stop us from reading some of them.
- If you hate the book, stop reading it. Again, we will never be able to read all of the books we want to, so don't waste time on books you don't like.
- While you're reading, have a pen or a notebook and look for things that make you feel or think something new, or things you want to share or talk about with your friend. Take notes or underline them. This sounds like it would be more work, but I find that it actually gets my brain into a more active state which makes it easier to focus and makes me feel excited and curious about what I'm reading.
- You can also try making it into a ritual. Light a candle when you read, or play some soothing music in the background or make yourself a little pillow fort or a specific cozy beverage to drink while you read. Or you could read in a bubble bath or something else that makes you happy. Then you will be reading with intention. And it's fun and cute! If possible, put your phone in a drawer or on do not disturb, for obvious reasons.
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Start small. I got back into reading this year by reading a lot of novellas and short story collections. No more than 200 pages long. It really felt like I was having to rewire my brain because Iād been out of practice with reading. Find a book that intrigues you (if you want to read graphic novels read graphic novels! youāll get to your friendās recs in time) and carry it with you everywhere you go. Then (and I know this sounds ridiculous) you just have to actively choose to read the book. I have to be like āok weāre putting the phone away now and we are going to read 10 pagesā sometimes I read more and sometimes I hit my quota and ditch the book for the day. I made a goodreads and you can set a reading goal challenge (which Iām now behind on) and thatās kinda fun.
Oct 20, 2024
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re read your favorite book from when you were a kid
read true crime or celebrity biographies or romance novels
as the other rec said, read short books! I did this for a year and it helped me so much to get back into the practice of reading
go to the library and check out three or four booksā donāt buy them so you donāt feel guilty if you cant get through one
go outside with a book when itās sunny, itās harder to see your phone screen in the sun, and reading outside is both a big flex and a great joy
I have a personal rule about screens in bed outside of specific times which helps me read instead of scrolling if I want to lie down for a bit
It does take a little bit of practice to get it reincorporated back into your routine but itās easier if you love it !
Apr 24, 2024
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not an avid reader (~3-4 books / year, trying to get that number up) but the things that have really invigorated my reading when it feels like a chore to get started:
- reading books that arenāt challenging to start off. all about love and the will to change by bell hooks were the first books i was able to successfully finish in like, years bc her writing style is very colloquial despite the subject matter being very dense. similarly, finding a fun fantasy book (or other genre fiction) to get back in the practice of turning pages and āwanting to find out what comes nextā is gonna be paramount to being able to do that for books that are gonna require a little more give from you down the line (havenāt read a physical book in over six months so personally going to start legends and lattes soon to try and trick my brain into not thinking books are time-consuming and scary)
- audiobooks; for me at least reading requires too much visual processing + āsitting stillā time that i canāt multi-task and read, so i have to schedule when iām gonna try and do it (unlike tv where you can have it on in the background as you do dishes or working from home or something and can look up periodically) - taking a chunk of podcast + music time and replacing it with audiobooks has been a game changer bc i now read at the gym, at the office, and in transit <30 min long bc i have to track what station iām at or see where iām going
Mar 28, 2024
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āWanna be friends?ā is an underutilized tactic in adulthood. Kindergarteners know whatās up.
Jul 9, 2024
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This is a type of walk I do almost every day. Walk in one direction until you hit a stoplight. Then immediately turn and walk in the new direction until you hit a stoplight and repeat until you get back home.
Mar 18, 2024
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Iām that open minded bitch
Aug 10, 2024