I don’t really need a book suggestion. I’m a 21 year old guy and I was an avid reader during my teenage years, so much so that I couldn’t go to sleep without having read for an hour. Then, something happened and I quit reading entirely. Lately, I’ve been wanting to start reading again, but whenever I do, I can’t seem to stick to it. What would your advice be for me on how to start reading again?
by BenchEquivalent2460
6 Comments
Whatever had you stop reading (work, family, whatever), is it still a factor? You won’t read again unless you make dedicated time. Keep a book in the bathroom and read it whenever you are there. Eventually, I find I end up reading the book, then take it back to the couch or bed.
Starting off with something really short (novella or short story) and really easy/engaging helped me get back into it. I think a big part of getting back in the habit for me was the slightly addicting feeling of satisfaction after finishing something, and starting small really helped with that!
I have found that if I don’t read for a while, my attention span tends to be shorter. So when I start reading again, at first I have to really try hard in order to keep reading, but very soon this trains my attention span longer again so I can read a lot with no issue. If this is a problem you have, I recommend trying to eliminate distraction when you settle down to read, and even if you don’t feel like reading, try hard to reach certain goals, like “I’ll read to at least page 100 before deciding if I want to finish this book” or “I’ll read to at least the end of the chapter before stopping for today.”
Finding a book that truly enthralls you is also important.
Reread a book you liked when you were younger. There is probably a lot you don’t remember from the story, you know you will like the story, and it might bring back some of the feelings from back when you loved reading. Sometimes if I have been reading a bunch of eh books I will reread a past favorite and it reinvigorates me. It’s like brain comfort food. Then for new books, shorter ones or short story compilations are good to start; you will feel accomplished and you will get back in the reading groove. I wish you luck on your reading journey!
I suggest you find the right moment. As a teenager, you probably had plenty of downtime to spend reading. As an adult, the time is scarce and you can’t just have a Tuesday afternoon reading marathon.
In my case, I read first thing when I wake up, and last thing at night. I actually need to read to fall sleep. If you take public transport, you can read at the stop or at the bus. If you have trouble getting into it, don’t read off your phone, get a physical book or an e-reader instead.
Two other things that have helped me over the year to rekindle my love for reading are visiting libraries, and visiting bookstores. I used to live two blocks from a super cool local library and spent several hours per week just reading there.
Find a book that actually has enough going on to keep your mind into the book. The book that I wrote is non stop action just the way people like it