Last to last year, I picked up reading seriously and read a few books, but last year, I started my first job, so that habit broke.
I am again trying to get into the habit of reading. However, I am not able to recall anything that I have read in those books last to last year.
A little context: most of the books I read were self-help books and fiction, and at the time of reading them, I was really into them and understood most of what the writer was conveying, Or at least I thought I did, but 1-1.5 years later, I can’t remember any of that.
by hood-navneet
5 Comments
Make a document and rate and write a short synopsis for each book. Alternatively make a goodreads account and log/rate your books there.
I recommend that you close your eyes or look away every paragraph or chapter, then try to come up with as many bits of information as possible that was mentioned or provided in it. Another choice is to summarize internally at the end of a chapter what exactly the lessons were that the author is attempting to convey/the course taken by the story and the characters in it. Both of the aforementioned approaches engage your brain and force you to think about the text consumed, letting your mind navigate and find a pathway of its own through the mess of info. It is perfectly normal to not remember the specifics of interesting news articles after one and a half years, so why would there be much difference whether the text is bound in a book, or under a headline?
The more mental effort you put into recalling it, the better it will stick. My two cents. Good luck on your reading journey.
IMO, I think it’s perfectly normal and fine to not retain information from books you read over a year ago. I can only recall information from books I’ve read that long ago if I took notes and annotated them, and even then I can’t remember everything.
But to help you retain information, I would suggest becoming a more active reader (this is what I do to recall information from books I want to remember). Get a notebook or some sheets of paper, and jot down information as you read. If you own the book, get some highlighters and sticky tabs (if you’re ok with writing in the book) and note any information you want. Then later you can go through your notes again and recall information you can’t remember.
Great textbook on the subject: Make It Stick: The Science of Successful Learning by Peter C. Brown, Henry L. Roediger III, and Mark A. McDaniel. It provides practical and evidence-based strategies to help you retain information better. Highly recommend it!
Start reading earlier, like 25 years ago.