‘How to get back into reading books again?’ is the most nagging question every bookworm faces at some point in his life. Reading books is something that I have always cherished since my childhood. The experience of holding a book in your hand, the smell of paper, the sound of pages turning and the touch of paper on fingertips is something that makes me lost in reverie.
I always found it very fascinating the places you can visit, the people you can meet and the things you can learn by reading books. Books can transport you into a magical world that you would have never imagined.
However, just like every book lover goes through a reading slump at least once in his lifetime, I too went through one during my college days. The overwhelming task of keeping up with my studies made it extremely difficult to get back to reading what I loved.
If you are going through a reading rut too, then the first thing I would like to tell you is ‘Don’t stress out‘. Even the most voracious readers go through a reading slump. You can get back into reading if you are ready to put some efforts into developing the right habits. I would love to share a few easy ways on how to get back into reading and rekindle your lost love for books.
Here are a few tips on how to get back into reading books again and rekindle your lost love for books
Recall your past reading experience
One of the best ways to get out of a reading rut is to recall your past reading experiences. Doing so will bring back all your memories of the time you spent reading books, making you realize why you love reading books in the first place.
To get back into the habit of reading, you need to realize why you fell out of reading habit? The reason I went through a reading slump was due to the overwhelming task of keeping up with my assignments and homework. ( To be honest, it was more about keeping up with all the TV shows on my watchlist)
Realizing the things that were affecting my reading time, I was able to plan my day so that I can take some time out of my schedule to enjoy my leisure time.
Read what you loved before
The best way to regain your interest in books is to read books that you loved reading before, be it fiction or non-fiction books. Reading books that you already love will make it easier for you to get back into reading habit. You won’t find it excruciating to go through the book as you already know you are going to enjoy the book.
If you loved reading the ‘Harry Potter series‘ or ‘The Lord of the Rings Trilogy‘, then revisit these classics. These books will hook your interest from the beginning bringing back your past experiences to life. Read what you love, you don’t have to force yourself into reading something that you don’t enjoy.
Make reading a habit
Set yourself a daily goal of reading at least one page a day. Reading a page a day will inculcate a habit of reading in you. Also reading a page a day only takes about 2-3 minutes for an average reader to complete.
You have to make sure you follow your daily goals religiously without any excuses. It’s going to be difficult at first, but with enough discipline, you will slowly start to progress as you increase your goals day by day. You can track your reading goals by signing up on Goodreads and LibraryThing to log every book you read by date.
Start with short novels
One way to get hooked on to reading books is to start reading something light-hearted or easy to read. You can start with Young Adult novels or novellas like ‘The Great Gatsby‘ or ‘The Old Man and The Sea‘. These books unfold in a way that they hook the reader’s interest right from the beginning, so you do not have to worry about getting through the initial chapters.
Here are a few novellas you can start reading-
- The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald
- The Sense of an Ending, by Julian Barnes
- The Old Man and the Sea, by Ernest Hemingway
- Animal Farm, by George Orwell
- The Metamorphosis, by Franz Kafka
- Jonathan Livingston Seagull, by Richard Bach
- The Little Prince, by Antoine de Saint
- A Clockwork Orange, by Anthony Burgess
- Fahrenheit, by Ray Bradbury
Keep a reading list
‘What should I read next?’ is a common dilemma most bookworms face when they have finished with a book. Having a reading list makes it easy for you to go to other intriguing books without having to beat around the bush for a while.
Having a wish list makes it easy to choose your next read without having to overthink your decision. You might not read every book on your reading list, but anytime a book sparks your interest on the list, grab that book.
I always add books to my Amazon wishlist even if I don’t buy books that often. This way, I do not have to worry about looking for the right book to read next. I browse through my wish list to look for something that grabs my interest and download it on my Kindle.
Also read: 10 Reasons Why You Should Buy a Kindle If You Love Reading
Listen to audiobooks
Listening to audiobooks is a fun way to kickstart your reading journey again. Audiobooks have come up as a convenient medium to enjoy your favourite books on the go in recent times. If you are busy or finding it difficult to read a book, no worries, plug in your earphones and listen to your favourite books on the go.
Now, with an Audible subscription for just a few dollars, you can access thousands of audiobooks some of them narrated by your favourite celebrities. With the rise in the use of audiobooks, many book publishers are striving hard to bring you the best reading experience you could get for your money.
Surround yourself with books
When I started my reading journey again, it was quite difficult for me to discipline myself to pick up a book to read every day. As I was struggling to get back into the habit of reading again, I picked up a book called ‘The Power of Habit‘ by Charles Duhigg, and I wasn’t disappointed.
I learnt that if you want to form a new habit, always give yourself a cue and reward yourself after to do the task. So I decided to always keep a book alongside while having tea in the morning. Just by having a book in front of my eyes proved to be a lot fruitful than I thought. I found myself reading more often than before, which slowly culminated into a daily habit which I now enjoy doing every day.
Don’t force yourself to read a book you’ve lost interest in
Reading must be a peaceful experience, it shouldn’t feel like a chore that you resent. It is ok to put down a book that you don’t like or have lost interest in. With loads of book recommendations from literary websites and booktubers, keeping up with your TBR (To be read ) list becomes an overwhelming task. You feel like you need to finish each and every book on your bookshelf to able to achieve the target you set for yourself.
If you are not enjoying what you are reading, then you will most probably fall out of your habit overall. You do not have to read everything that your friend or Bill Gates recommends. Everybody has a different taste in books, if you love reading fiction then read fiction, don’t read a book just for the sake of bragging about it to your friends.
Have a reading companion
Reading becomes more fun when you are doing it with your friends. Having your own reading circle encourages you to read books and keep up with your reading goals. You can keep track of one another’s progress and find some good book recommendations to read.
You can discuss your views about a book you have read and get the perspective of other people on the same book. It is fascinating to learn how different people interpret the same book that you have read.
I love talking about the ideas and insights I’ve gained from reading books with my friends. This way, I know about what others are reading, which also helps me in keeping up with my reading goals.
Avoid distractions
Perhaps the most important thing that most people tend to ignore is the problem of modern-day distractions. It happens so often that you are lost in a reading reverie and then suddenly you are distracted by a notification on your phone.
I know that the temptation to binge-watch TV shows on Netflix or stalk your crush on Instagram is high, but these are also the things which are keeping you from enjoying reading. When you sit to read, make sure you minimize these distractions as much as possible. Now, it might not be completely possible for everyone to turn off your phones while reading but you can at least put it on DND mode until you are busy reading. Also, make sure the environment where you sit to read books is comfortable and far from any distractions.
Also read: 10 Must-Read Books To Curb Mind Wandering and Improve Concentration
