How a non-reader started to love reading again
how I read 71 books last year when I used to hate reading
Introduction
In 2023, I read 73 books when just 2 years ago I could barely finish one. You may think that falling back in love with reading is no easy task - and you’d be right. Its not something you can force, but its not something that you can wait to come to you either. This article covers tips and tricks for how I fell in love with reading again and how you can do it too.
A little backstory
For 7 long years (from the beginning of high school to 1 year after college) I found it rare that a book held my attention enough that I could finish it. Was my problem related to anxiety? Stress? Time management? I didn’t know. But there was one resounding voice in my mind when it came to books - I missed that feeling of the all encompassing joy that came with reading when I was a kid. I wanted to fall in love with reading again.
In 2021, I was determined to rediscover my love, and I’m happy to say that I did. In 2014, I would’ve called myself an avid reader but the number of books I read (21/year) for fun pales in comparison to what I cover today (73/year). Not only did I start reading again - I’m reading 2-3 times as much as I did when I was a child (and longer books at that).
Part 1: Change Your Mindset
Skip the Classics
A lot of people put this rule on themselves that they have to read only “serious” books like Crime and Punishment or Jane Eyre. While these are great books, they’re hard to get sucked into.
So my first piece of advice to you is this - skip the classics and read books that are fun, modern, and relevant to your tastes as the person you are today.
Read What You Love
The 7 books I read (at the start of rediscovering my love for reading) in 2021.
I recommend starting with something that feels like a “guilty pleasure.” Maybe its a graphic novel, a romance, a mystery, or epic fantasy. Start your reading journey back up with something that is a page turner. Something with a plot that makes you want to find out what happens next so you don’t put it down.
I personally kick-started by reading journey back up with the South Korean webnovel series - Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint (ORV) after I found (and really loved) reading the webcomic. Of the 7 books I read at the end of 2021, ORV was 6 of them.
Read what you love until you love to read.
Naval Ravikant
Note: Need a recommendation? Try Google searching “Top 10 [X genre] books” and fill in the “X genre” with a genre that you loved when you were a kid or a new topic that you’re interested in now. Loved Harry Potter? Go for fantasy. Twilight? Romance. Nancy Jones? Mystery. You get the drill.
Be Willing to Quit a Book
Life is too short to read books you don’t find meaningful or interesting. If you aren’t excited about the book in some way, move on and stop reading it part-way through. Not every book is for every reader. There’s too much content out there for you to waste your time punishing yourself to read something you don’t enjoy.
Part 2: Make it Easy
Always have a book on you
Step one of making reading easy is by always having a book on you. It doesn’t have to be a physical book (I know they can be bulky), opt for having an audiobook or e-book on your phone. That way when you have some down time (in a waiting room or at the bus stop) or are doing a hands free activity (chores, commuting), you can reach for your book instead of doom scrolling on the internet.
Make Reading your default boredom cure
We’re all busy people and finding the opportunity to sit down and read intentionally can be a challenge. Instead, tackle reading bit by bit by making it your default “waiting mode” and boredom habit. So, anytime you get the urge to doom scroll on your phone, select your reading app (Apple Books, Libby, Audible, etc..) instead. You’ll be surprised how fast you can get through a book by just reading in your spare pockets of time throughout your daily life.
Use your Local Digital Library
You can download e-books and audiobooks for free through your local library’s digital borrowing. Most if not all libraries in the United States used Libby as their app of choice for readers to access their digital library catalogue. All you need to get started is a library card.
Libby automatically syncs your book and audiobook positions across your devices including your phone, PC, and e-reading device. It is the library, so you might have to be put on a waitlist for a popular book.
If money is tight (or even if it isn’t), libraries are stellar resources, with easy systems in place to borrow not just physical books but ebooks and audiobooks.
Tip: If you’re someone who likes to take notes or save highlights of books that you read, you can “check-out” Libby books to the Amazon Kindle app and read it there for free. In the Kindle app you can create and export book highlights which you can access at later dates, even when the book is returned to the library.
Get an E-reader
From Left to Right: Boox Note Air, Moan Inkpalm 5, Kobo Libra H2O. Via Reddit
I’ve been using my e-reader (the Hisense A9) pretty much every day for the past 2 years and its been one of the, if not the, best purchase of my adult life. At night time I will have my e-reader on my bedside table while my phone is charging all the way across the room. This means that when I get in to bed at night, I’m not tempted to go on my phone, and instead I give myself the opportunity to read before falling asleep.
There are so many e-reader options out there nowadays you’ll be spoiled for choice if you decide to get one. I personally recommend getting an e-reader that has an audio jack or bluetooth settings so you can also download and listen to audiobooks on the go.
If you’re looking for a budget option you can find a second-hand Kindle on amazon retailing for around $60 USD.
Audiobooks
Audiobooks are, a convenient, accessible, and hands-free alternative to old-fashioned reading. You can listen to the latest bestseller while commuting, cleaning up the house, exercising, drawing, or walking the dog.
I recommend using your local digital library (Libby) to start listening, but you can also listen to audiobooks through apps like, Chirp, Scribd, or Audible for an average of $15-20 a pop if purchasing audiobooks is more of your thing.
Part 3: Make it Fun
Goodreads
My Goodreads homepage. 2023
Goodreads is social cataloging website (owned by Amazon as of 2021) that allows users to track the books they have read, want to read, and view lists that their friends have created. You can add book ratings, reviews, and get recommendations for your next reads based on what you’ve enjoyed in the past.
If you’re a social media butterfly, Goodreads also has groups which you can join to find book suggestions, surveys, polls, blogs, and discussions.
Set your Reading Goal Bar Low (and track what you read)
My 2023 reading goal.
Every year, Goodreads has a reading challenge where you can set the number of books you want to read that year. If you’re just starting back up your reading journey - I recommend making your goal less than 1 book per month (10 books / year). That way, you can feel really good about yourself if you do exceed your goal, and so you don’t feel shame if you don’t.
Read more than one book at once
As of writing this article - here’s what I’m reading right now.
Sometimes you’re just not in the mood for a certain type of book. Reading multiple books can help you combat that. When you get tired of one book or genre, you can pick up a completely different one. I’m typically reading anywhere from 3 to 5 books at a time.
Set the mood
For some, it can help to set the mood before you start reading. Get a cup of tea or coffee, play some ambient music, and cozy up under a blanket. Make your environment a welcoming place for a good book.
You can even take the extra step of matching your music with your book. Reading Western fantasy? Try a medieval bar tavern playlist. Traveling through space and time while learning the history of everything? Maybe a universe ambient soundtrack will be more your speed.
Explore your tastes
As the final tip of this article, be open to trying new books and genres. You have likely changed as a person since you last enjoyed reading, and that could mean that your reading tastes have changed too! Be willing to try something new or unexpected.
Conclusion
I hope you’ve enjoyed this article on how to fall in love with reading again! Before you go, let me give you one final piece of parting advice: the number of books you read does not matter. What matters is that you have fun and enjoy the act in and of itself.
Thanks for sticking with this article until the end and happy reading!
Love,
Nicole