How to get back into reading

[Anonymous]

I prefer books with short chapters so I can read for only a few minutes or as much as I want. Reading a book should be fun, not a chore.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I haven't read much since having kids and having to juggle a busy job, chores, etc. I find it much easier to zone out watching TV or look at my phone when I have some free time. I also find that it takes time to really get into a book, and I might have quit before I get to the point where I'm actually excited to read it or can't put it down. What are your tips for setting aside time to read for someone whose time is limited? Do you try to always read at certain times in the day (e.g. before bed)? How long do you read for? I just want to make it a good habit. Just getting through a book every month or 2 would be great.

I’m a semi-competitive person so reading challenges helped me resume daily reading after a rough stretch of single parenting and working 60-70 hour weeks broke a life-long habit of reading before bed. First, I did the Goodreads yearly book challenge and increased my challenge number by 5 books a year. Then I started doing the local library’s adult summer reading challenge.

I found it was easier for me to wake up early and read for 20 minutes than to stay up reading. I also started reading on my phone.

[Anonymous]

For me the biggest helps are

1. Getting a kindle and the app on my phone so I can seamlessly pick up wherever I left off wherever I am. So I've I stopped on page 35 last night and I'm in line at the post office I pull out my phone and read a few pages. This keeps me in the world of the book constantly.

2. Don't be afraid to stop reading if you don't like a book. This is supposed to be for pleasure, not a chore. If the pressure is off to finish it I'm much more likely to start a book to begin with. There's no medal for finishing a bad book!

[Anonymous]

Just set a timer for 10 mins

[Anonymous]

1 I alternate between audiobooks and digital/paper books with the same book. It really helps me continue on.

2 if I need to get back into reading I might try something pulpy rather than dense history etc. then it is easier to switch genres on the next book.

3 I stick with paper books to be away from screens but it is hard. I try to reward myself by reading outside etc. maybe a kindle would be easier.

[Anonymous]

After a reading slump I got into reading rom-coms/chicklit kind of books. Thats what got me back into reading. Authors like Abby Jimenez and Emily Henry write fantastic characters and good plots. They’re easy to read, but still well-written. A lot of these books do follow the same formula, which does get old, but now that I’m back into reading, I intersperse them with different type of novels. I suggest finding easy to read books even if they aren’t a genre you used to enjoy and see how it goes. Also, audibooks are great. You can listen on your commute, while walking the dog, while doing chores. You can speed it up or slow it down.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:After a reading slump I got into reading rom-coms/chicklit kind of books. Thats what got me back into reading. Authors like Abby Jimenez and Emily Henry write fantastic characters and good plots. They’re easy to read, but still well-written. A lot of these books do follow the same formula, which does get old, but now that I’m back into reading, I intersperse them with different type of novels. I suggest finding easy to read books even if they aren’t a genre you used to enjoy and see how it goes. Also, audibooks are great. You can listen on your commute, while walking the dog, while doing chores. You can speed it up or slow it down.

These are great suggestions. Read something you like that will hold your attention.

I agree on the audiobooks. They really expand how many books I can read because the available time to sit with a paper book is much smaller than the time I can spend with an audiobook. They also make the commute or the chore go by faster or more enjoyably.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:For me the biggest helps are

1. Getting a kindle and the app on my phone so I can seamlessly pick up wherever I left off wherever I am. So I've I stopped on page 35 last night and I'm in line at the post office I pull out my phone and read a few pages. This keeps me in the world of the book constantly.

2. Don't be afraid to stop reading if you don't like a book. This is supposed to be for pleasure, not a chore. If the pressure is off to finish it I'm much more likely to start a book to begin with. There's no medal for finishing a bad book!

Totally agree! There are so many threads here where people talk about not enjoying the books they're reading. Sample a few genres until to find something that clicks!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:After a reading slump I got into reading rom-coms/chicklit kind of books. Thats what got me back into reading. Authors like Abby Jimenez and Emily Henry write fantastic characters and good plots. They’re easy to read, but still well-written. A lot of these books do follow the same formula, which does get old, but now that I’m back into reading, I intersperse them with different type of novels. I suggest finding easy to read books even if they aren’t a genre you used to enjoy and see how it goes. Also, audibooks are great. You can listen on your commute, while walking the dog, while doing chores. You can speed it up or slow it down.

These are great suggestions. Read something you like that will hold your attention.

I agree on the audiobooks. They really expand how many books I can read because the available time to sit with a paper book is much smaller than the time I can spend with an audiobook. They also make the commute or the chore go by faster or more enjoyably.

Yes, this is big for me too. But I find that if I try to do audio-only for a book (unless it's very light, like some memoirs), my comprehension is a lot lower. The more dense the book, whether fiction or non-fiction, the more I need to have a paper version or at least e-reader. But audio can really extend my book-consuming time and allow me to get through them faster. It's helpful that there are a lot of audiobooks on Spotify.

[Anonymous]

Pick a favorite novel from when you were young -- even a young adult/kids' novel. Make it easy and fast at first. Just get yourself sitting down, opening a spine, and turning pages. Overcoming that hurdle is the biggest one of all - everything is easier after that.

[Anonymous]

Some ideas from my busy with kids years:

1) Subscribe to the New Yorker
2) Take books on car trips and vacations
3) Read fanfiction if you have any fandoms

[Anonymous]

OP how old are your kids?

When mine got to an age that they weren't as interested in books being read to them, I started reading in bed with my oldest at bed time.

It started with me reading all the Harry Potter books after he was finished with them, and there was an added bonus of being able to talk to him about Harry Potter, who he was obsessed with for a time.