im 17, i want to start reading for my near studies at university but i can’t stay focus on a book and finish it. I think this all comes from the lockdown we had during Covid 19. I was always on social media, especially Tiktok, which is the worst for concentration and the brain in general.
i’ve deleted almost all social media that wear down my concentration, but still i can’t focus on a book.
I love romance stories, and psychology : if you have any advices of “easy” books to read to begin. Sorry for my bad english.
by strugglingfairy08
8 Comments
I’d start with shorter stories to get you in the mood/habit and score a “quick win”. {{The Cybernetic Tea Shop by Meredith Katz}} is a romance that fits the bill.
“Dear Kate–Dear Dad” is an easy read and moves along quickly. Guy who wrote it gives his stuff away digitally for free. Even an audiobook version on Spotify (that’s what I used).
Here’s the link… https://www.denalimajesto.com/dear-katedear-dad
{{The Travelling Cat Chronicles by Hiro Arikawa}}
A rather short but nevertheless engaging book. It doesn’t include romance par se yet still has love, companionship and the importance of little happy moments in life as its main theme. Just give it a try and you might like it.
Have you tried audiobooks? Good to listen to while cleaning/cooking/knitting/whatever. I have ADHD and it helps me focus to have something physical and mundane to do when I’m trying to listen to something. You can listen to audiobooks through Libby, which is a library app.
For romances, you could try something for your age group- some good YA romances are *Serpent and Dove* (high fantasy enemies to lovers, marriage of convenience), *Beautiful Creatures* (southern gothic witches) *Threads that Bind* (soulmates, high fantasy), *Warcross* (sci-fi). [HERE’s](https://www.goodreads.com/genres/young-adult-romance) the goodreads page of YA romances.
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. Deleting social media is a good step to take, but do whatever else you can 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.”
Shorter books I have liked:
* A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers. The reading level isn’t too difficult and the author has a signature cozy style. No romance.
* [And Then There Were N-1](https://escapepod.org/2018/11/01/escape-pod-652-and-then-there-were-n-one-part-1/) by Sarah Pinsker, available free at the link. Sarah Pinsker has a fast paced action-y style that you may find easy to get into.
* [Firstborn](https://www.tor.com/2008/12/17/firstborn/) by Brandon Sanderson, available free at the link.
* Red Rising by Pierce Brown. The longest thing on this list. It is first in a series of action-packed sci fi novels that seem popular among those who don’t read very much. There is romance.
* [The Man who Mistook His Wife for a Hat](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/63697.The_Man_Who_Mistook_His_Wife_for_a_Hat_and_Other_Clinical_Tales), nonfiction about psychology. It’s told in the form of short descriptions of unique cases, so you may find it easier to read.
*Pale Fire*
*In Search of Lost Time*
*The Tin Drum*
*Ulysses*
*Under the Volcano*
you can try Elif Batuman – *The Idiot* and *Either/Or* (its sequel), it’s a coming-of-age story about a girl of immigrant parents in the US, it has some romance, awkward relationships but also self-reflection and also it’s pretty funny and easy to read.
I suggest a short story collection so your attention isn’t so stretched.
For fun: White Cat, Black Dog by Kelly Link
For serious: The Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri
ETA: My teenage stepdaughter who’s on social media all the time recently plowed through The Martian by Andy Weir and The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas. I get the impression they are not high-difficulty books but are good at keeping a reader’s attention, based on her comments.