How to develop a habit of reading: Tips and Tricks

Submitted by REalWaffel8806 t3_123j02v in books

  1. Start small: Start with just 10-15 minutes of reading a day. It's better to read a little bit every day than to try and read for hours on end.
  2. Set a reading goal: Set a realistic reading goal for yourself. It can be a number of books you want to read in a year, or a number of pages you want to read each day.
  3. Make reading a part of your routine: Find a time of day that works best for you and make reading a part of your daily routine. Whether it's before bed, during lunch, or in the morning, stick to the same time every day.
  4. Find a genre you enjoy: If you're not enjoying what you're reading, it's going to be hard to develop a habit of reading. Experiment with different genres until you find one you enjoy.
  5. Keep track of what you read: Keeping a reading log or journal can help you stay motivated and keep track of your progress.
  6. Join a book club: Joining a book club can be a great way to stay accountable and discuss books with others.
  7. Eliminate distractions: Put away your phone and other distractions when you're reading. It's easy to get sidetracked by notifications and social media.
  8. Make it fun: Reading doesn't have to be a chore. Make it fun by creating a cozy reading nook, listening to audiobooks, or trying out a reading challenge.

Developing a habit of reading takes time and effort, but it's worth it. Reading can improve your vocabulary, reduce stress, and increase empathy. Give these tips and tricks a try and let me know how they work for you in the comments below. Happy reading!

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Comments

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senoritaraquelita t1_jdv2n9g wrote

Another tip is don’t be afraid of checking Sparknotes if it helps you to fully analyze and appreciate more complex books.

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HeavyBlastoise t1_jdv8hov wrote

Agreed! Ive always had difficulty understanding classic short stories (often thought "thats it? Thats all?" When i reached the end) and sparknotes had been a great help in appreciating the work.

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MonsoonFlood t1_jdytcmi wrote

Yes. My only caution to readers using this approach is to be aware that SparkNotes chapter summaries contain pretty big spoilers sometimes. If you hate spoilers then read the SparkNotes chapter summaries after you finish reading the book.

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the_Bear99 t1_jdxoygm wrote

I mean I'm an English major and I wouldn't have been able to understand and appreciate Dante's Divine Trilogy if it weren't for brief explanations of what I just read. So this is a great point !

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Bonk4licious t1_jdvub30 wrote

agree, that's the only way I was able to start understanding stuff like author subtext, theming, the stuff that "isn't written" per se.

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Lettuphant t1_jduv5he wrote

I have ADHD and fell of the reading train. Recently I got an e-reader again and suddenly I'm reading up a storm; even books I own. I've got a physical copy of Dracula right next to me I've never got into, but now it's on a little toy I can click through it's going in easy.

I guess my tip is, make it easy for you. Whether it's audiobooks or an ereader, you don't get points for doing it like other people.

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1210bull t1_jdvggml wrote

Yes! I do physical, audio, and ebooks, but I definitely read ebooks fastest, and enjoy them more. I like audio books for when I'm doing laundry or driving though

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Koovin t1_jdwhes3 wrote

I'm with you. A physical book is nice, but other modes are sooo much more convenient. I'm an audiobook guy because I find I can focus on the story more when I can keep my hands busy while listening.

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TooManyPoisons t1_jdvg1zc wrote

This was 100% written by ChatGPT. Not saying it's bad advice, but the style is very identifiable.

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Chigzy t1_jdw9v8d wrote

Had a similar feeling, checked the comments straight after, something doesn’t feel right about it.

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Bookanista t1_jdwdd3g wrote

It feels like a regurgitation of every article ever written about how to develop a reading habit.

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Eire_Banshee t1_jdyrb5k wrote

Because that's pretty much what chatGPT does. It can't offer actual insight. It just regurgitates the average information for any given topic.

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Chigzy t1_jdwensd wrote

Hah, now you mention it, it does. From the few I have read anyway.

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Secty t1_jdw0x1s wrote

I’ve never used ChatGPT. How can you tell?

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Bookanista t1_jdwcixy wrote

Because humans don’t usually write Reddit posts like generic Wikipedia listicles.

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fletch262 t1_jdy0cyw wrote

Yes they do (the problem is the ending paragraph and how it diverts from Wiki-article consistently, but corpos would write this)

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KerryKennedy-author t1_jduxud2 wrote

such great tips and this is what I always say too pretty much to readers or people who want to read etc. I also find it helps not to compare your reading rate to anyone else's as everyone reads at a different pace.

Just read what is comfortable for you and if you like a book that you find other's haven't, then that is absolutely fine too.

Whatever you read I hope you enjoy it.

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empty_other t1_jdv8awb wrote

A tip to find books you enjoy: Start with short-story collections for your favorite genre. If you find a story that is enjoyable to read, lookup the author for more books.

This has given me a lot more success than following the "top X books to read in (genre)" lists.

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chickzilla t1_jdxku0u wrote

Levar Burton Reads helped me find several sci fi books that I've enjoyed. I usually stay away from the genre because it is so hit or miss, but after hearing him read some of the short stories, I looked into the authors and also enjoyed their full novels. Most notably, Octavia E. Butler

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ddpherm t1_jdv7u0m wrote

Definitely the most important is to read what you enjoy. If you are reading a book you don’t like, get rid of it. Life is too short to read bad books, don’t force yourself to finish one of you don’t like it.

Also, find a series you enjoy because then you always have another book lined up to look forward to.

Those are what keeps me reading lots

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1210bull t1_jdvgp5p wrote

It took me a REALLY long time to work up the courage to DNF books. I still don't do it often, but it feels nice to just say "I don't like this. It's not worth my time."

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SeaAnything8 t1_je8nm1v wrote

When I buy a book and don’t like it, the DNF shame gets combined with buyers remorse. But now I DNF books all the time because I borrow them from the library. Life’s too short to read bad books. Put it back and borrow a new one.

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julieannie t1_jdy1ucu wrote

Right there with you. I’ve finished 10 books so far this month, I’m in the process of 3 1/2 books (one did not work as audio so I’m attempting to swap to ereader) but I also DNF 5 books this month.

That sounds a bit mad when I write it out but one was a medical history that used really outdated terms despite being mostly recent and made me doubt I could trust the conclusions, one was a series that no longer was working for me, one was a topic I realized I had more expertise in than the author (one of my niche obsessions in history), and two were probably lovely but I realized I wasn’t the right audience. By quitting them, it freed me up to read the other books and oh I felt such joy at every one I finished. Coming off of that feeling just encourages me to keep reading rather than dwelling on the DNFs as a failure.

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Chigzy t1_jdwcbis wrote

> find a series you enjoy because then you always have another book lined up to look forward to.

Ehh, I’m not sure I agree on this. There’s series that are kinda boring to begin then improve later on.

The Witcher is like this for me. Especially as I’m reading The Tower of Swallows right now, the earlier few books weren’t that enjoyable for me.

And while I haven’t read Wheel of Time yet, I see comments regarding some books that people don’t enjoy but keep reading anyway.

Quick Edit: A “bad” book is a book someone is unfamiliar with in my opinion, it could be better than at face value.

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ddpherm t1_jdwln7a wrote

Obviously everyone’s definition of a bad book will differ, I was just generalizing.

And for your comment on the series statement, again, this is obviously a generalization. Not every series perfect.

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mercyshotz t1_jdvgo6a wrote

heres another one: question why you want to read. for the clout? or for the internal validation?

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fletch262 t1_jdy0xtc wrote

Yeah idk why someone downvoted this, reading isn’t anything particularly great as compared to another hobby but I would say it’s one of the best side ones

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Toopad t1_jdv5lr8 wrote

In general questioning assumption about what makes good reading. implicit rules and such.
Like, check if you think giving up on books, skipping paragraphs, reading several books at the same time, getting spoiled
I think all of those are frowned upon sometimes when they actually can help you stick with the habit.

There's also this book you can check out if you want to get more out of your reading (how to read a book, Goodreads). It might be a bit elitist but there's a few tools that are interesting to think about.

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tommy_the_bat t1_jdv775n wrote

Not sure I agree with this, especially 2 and 6. Mainly because I feel like it goes against 8. To me anything I have to 'hold myself accountable' to isn't necessarily fun. Same goes for reading goals. I feel like it sets yourself up for failure and makes reading a chore.

We constantly get posts on the sub about people saying "Help! I can't reach my 30-books-a-year goal! What can I do?" Like just read when you want to.

These tips and tricks make it sound like a workout routine, which is absolutely isn't.

Honestly the ones I think are good are 1, 4, 5 and 8. Reading is an entirely organic thing and I feel like the reason so many people are put off by reading is because of expectations put on people during school.

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blindcyclopswohoo t1_jdwxdla wrote

This is it, you have to cultivate a good relationship with reading. A relationship that is ruined by school for so many.

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MackFenzie t1_jdvegfk wrote

Find a way to have a book with you at all times. Ebooks on my phone was one great solution for me - instead of endlessly scrolling social media, I could read my book. I have a book upstairs, downstairs, and in my purse, so that if I’m about to sit down and laze, I can just easily grab a book instead of scrolling while I sit, since I noticed I’d often go, “ugh, my book is upstairs, I’m not going all the way up there, oh well, tv/social media it is.”

Basically, figure out how to make reading easier for your brain and your schedule. And if you’re not enjoying a book, dump the book! Especially when you’re getting into the habit, be picky with only stuff you’re actually having fun reading. Otherwise it’ll be a chore and your brain will not want to do it.

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MountainMoonCat224 t1_jdvf74e wrote

Personally, I think if it weren't my favorite book，So any method used will not work.So it's best to prioritize books that you like to watch，No matter what type of book it is.

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N8ThaGr8 t1_jdvoxvn wrote

For number 5 I would highly recommend goodreads

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RPG_maker t1_jduscm8 wrote

This really helped me

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hainspoint t1_jdvn847 wrote

I can’t stress how important is to read the genre you like.

I was really big on fantasy in my teenage years but fell off reading. I decided to get back into fantasy by following some recommendations and started reading Licanius trilogy by James Islington. After two chonkers of books filled with names generated by a cat walking across the keyboard and chapters of exposition dump I almost felt like reading is not for me.

Then I decided to give The Road by Cormac McCarthy a shot and now it looks like I’m only reading modern dramatic fiction. I’m 4 books ahead of my yearly schedule.

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Gawdam_lush t1_jdyd79g wrote

I think it’s better to start with a short book that you know you can read in a couple of days.

here are some good short books

  • of mice and men
  • convenience store woman
  • the metamorphosis
  • the little prince
  • frankenstein
  • do androids dream of electric sheep

finishing that first book can be a great motivator. So reading a book you know you can easily finish is good.

also, short stories are a good start

  • yellow wallpaper
  • minority report
  • all of the stories in “me talk pretty one day”
  • no one belongs here more than you
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Jody-Husky t1_jdvnagf wrote

If you have a kindle, I would suggest reading through the daily kindle deals emails. I’ve found some great series and authors that way with buying a older book for $1-3. Then I go a pay full price for their other books. It’s also helped me be able to abandon a book I didn’t like. I was usually powering through books I didn’t really care for because I spent $15-20 and just didn’t want to waste it.

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Geggamojjan t1_jdvvb3t wrote

It is very hard to get into reading these days as technology takes over more of our free time and it also not so popular any more to read. For me things in life like reading comes in stages. im 37 now and recently discovered the world of audiobooks, and in the last 6 months i listened to far over 100 books. It hasnt been a chose or the least dificult to get into as now is a period in my life that reading is very enjoyable.

2 years ago this would have had to force myself to do this that I now cannot get enough of.

Istarted with Stephen King books. I finnished by reading his new Fairy tale book and that opened up the world of fantasy books for me that I before didnt think I would like after many times trying to read JRR Tolkien and getting bored out of my mind. Maybe in a year or two I will read all of Tolkiens books. Who knows :)

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pandawww t1_jdw7xob wrote

It also helps to keep a list of books that you want to read (or requests at the library) so you know you have to finish your current book to start another book that you're looking forward to.

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FoxIslander t1_jdwayae wrote

I've gotten myself into the habit of reading every night in bed before I sleep...to the point where I can't sleep well unless I read first. The only downside to this is that if I'm reading a really good book I may be up till 2-3am.

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JustSp4m t1_jdwf6m3 wrote

The best tip I heard, similare to #1: Set a very small goal of pages you want to read - like maybe just 1 Page a day.

So that you have to take the book and start reading, most times you will probably read more, but it gets you to the habit of reading every day.

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Kjbartolotta t1_jdwkifn wrote

Great list. Used to be a big reader & various IRL factors destroyed my attention span. This is helpful realistic advice & thank you.

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History_fangirl t1_jdwm86z wrote

Use the focus function on your phone to help limit distractions. iOS has one for reading 🥰

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Open-Simple-9773 t1_jdwngun wrote

i can never find a book club to join bcuz there are no bookstores or libraries near me 😭

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pop133 t1_jdwy1ee wrote

Bookly is great for this, we also have a huge discord community of readers, we do fun readathons, and so much more just to help you form a reading habit

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Bleychego t1_jdx1rgz wrote

Any tips to stop falling asleep after only reading a couple of pages? I tried reading my viking magazine tried reading 2 pages but i had to fight to not fall asleep it was hard so i put it down. Even if its interesting. But it its a manga I don’t feel drowsy or whatever. I want to be able to read books but it seems hard to

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lingenfr t1_jdx2c2c wrote

For me, reading digital books has been a great help. I can grab 5-10 minutes here and there without having to drag a physical book along. The other thing I suggest is not to get in a genre rut. Mix it up. I primarily read non-fiction, but every now and then I through in some good fiction. I use bookbub and that encourages me to try some titles that I might not have been willing to shell out $10-15 for. I imagine I have averaged 25 books a year for the last 20 years.

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iwishyouwereanant t1_jdx377y wrote

something that really helped for me was to always take a book everywhere you go. that way i get 15 minutes of reading done on the train, so it’s already half an hour a day. sometimes you have to wait somewhere for a while and instead of scrolling on your phone you can read

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sprucecreek2007 t1_jdxbd5o wrote

Thanks. I’m trying to get back into it after university made me hate it.

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1littlg8 t1_jdxr7o6 wrote

I read on my break at work (31 mins) all the time. Works like a charm when it comes to books.

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Typical-Trust6330 t1_jdzap7h wrote

I started reading a book 📕 3 years ago and I can’t still finish it.

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six-ft-ditch t1_jdzbczx wrote

Any tips for online book clubs for book discussions?

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kashzyros t1_jdylkrv wrote

Out of topic but

Should i read a book before watching the movie? I really have this urge to read "killers of the flower moon" before it gets released around October I guess?

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Pinglenook t1_jdz6k79 wrote

I think this question deserves it's own thread.

Personally, I read the book before watching the movie, or read the book and never watch the movie, or watch the movie but never read the book, but what I don't like is reading the book after watchig the movie. Usually when I read a book it feels like the things are happening to me, but when I watch a movie I feels like the things are happening to someone else and I'm just there on the sideline. When reading the book after watching the movie I can't get into it the way I'm used to.

But I've seen many people say that when they read a book it also feels like they're watching a movie, and in that case I think the order wouldn't matter.

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MarianeAicimoun t1_jdwvs0t wrote

FANFICTION!!! FANFICTION is the key. ( If you don't like reading w I suppose you like watching movies instead?)0 So when you get attached to a character or an actor, use that motivation to ' gossip ' about them to read fanfics about them. And boom you'll be under " binge reading spell '' in no time. Welcome to the club. ( Now you will never be able to stop reading waaahhaahahahahaha 😈🔥)

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chickzilla t1_jdxl962 wrote

I wish there was a StoryGraph type app for fanfiction. Input number of words, author, fandom, etc... I would've used the hell out of that at one point in my life.

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MarianeAicimoun t1_jdz2rc2 wrote

THERE IS EXACTLY THAT!! AO3 ARCHIVES OF OUR OWN !!!

Its literally a website for fanfiction and fanfiction writers. People go there to read and write fanfictions about hundreds of Fandoms (all types of media works.) Plus, it had a detailed and very convenient RESEARCH MODE! Like you can literally tell AO3 what you want to include and exclude from the works you're looking for about the Fandom you like and even the characters you like. I mean that's what you're looking for man. It's the missing link between you and ''reading''

Warning ⚠️: it is highly addictive 😂

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chickzilla t1_je0dhh4 wrote

Yeah I've been on AO3. That's not what I'm talking about. I've a few published fan fictions out in the world myself.

That's not what I'm talking about. I'm talking about a way to log what you're reading on FF sites. Like GoodReads or Storygraph. I know that the sites themselves have ways of marking favorites, leaving reviews, etc... but I want to be able to have a list, make a challenge for myself, things like that. Without having to use a spreadsheet.
This is how I feel about podcasts as well. I keep neglecting podcasts and fan fiction because there's no way to keep track of what I've been through unless I go through a LOT of extra work myself. Whereas on GR or SG it is just a matter of a few clicks to update my progress whenever I finish or DNF or want to review something.

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_InTheDesert t1_jduu5f7 wrote

We know how to read thanks.

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Nithuir t1_jduueix wrote

By some of the posts in this sub, it makes you wonder.

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mitkah16 t1_jduxzol wrote

Agree.

Maybe this post should be part of the Wiki :)

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