Reading the recent thread called something like “Is it possible to read too much” (search isn’t working for me at all today), caused me to think about my own reading habits.
When I was younger, I used to read constantly. I loved reading, novels, non-fiction, anything. Now, unfortunately, I find myself reading less and less. I still read newspapers, magazines, the Internet, but not really books anymore. Has anyone experienced this? I would like to change this.
How can I get back to reading again? The thought of reading is very appealing to me, but I seem to never open a book these days. I work for a public library system, so I am surrounded by books, and find many of them appealing. I even bring them home to read them, but very few of them ever get touched once they reach my home. Why is that? How can I get the reading spark back?
After I graduated college, I had a hard time getting back into reading, as well. I just felt so burnt out for a while. What I ended up doing was going to my bedroom about 30 or so minutes earlier than I would normally do to go to bed and then just reading during that time. Eventually my schedule shifted and that is my new bedtime with built-in reading time.
It is normal to reach a point in life where you stop taking literature in, and start producing it… or something like that. Reference the end of “Howard’s End” and many of my older friends. It’s perfectly okay to have given up reading books in favor of newspapers and magazines.
I disagree, Sattua. You should never give up reading for personal enjoyment. I’ve found myself slipping away as well, and it annoys the hell outta me.
Try picking up a book by an author you already really like. That should be almost a guaranteed positive experience. Also, I love the short story. You can get back into reading without investing a ton of time.
Reading 0ne paragraph here, two there, three pages between X and Y, etc will get you right back into it. But the most important thing to do if you really want to read more is probably the most difficult thing to do:
Put your TV in the closet and only bring it out for renting movies
Put your TV on a wheeled cart and park it in the closet. Cancel your cable subscription, stop watching BS programming and just read.
You’ll thank me after a month. You’ll hate me until then.
If your patience for reading books is low, perhaps you start with a short story collection. You can finish (and therefore, enjoy) an entire story in a shorter time, and pick the next one up another time.
Sometimes, it’s hard to find something you are interested in enough to keep you in the book. If you start reading after not having been in the habit for a while, make sure that what you start with is something you’re interested in, and not one of those books you’ve been saving because “I really should read this”. Choose the next book by an author you’ve really liked. Or re-read one of your favorite books, that you know you’ll enjoy. Or get recommendations from people you trust for a really good book that matches your tastes.
And, as others have suggested, find a time/place that you are going to ready consistently. 30 minutes before bed. Over breakfast. Sunday afternoons. Whatever, but let that be your time to relax and read - and make sure it’s a relaxing time, and you’ll want to do it for reasons besides just reading.
Above all, don’t “force” yourself to read, or there’s no point; simply set up the circumstances where you have the time and the book and the setting, and can “allow” yourself the luxury to read.
Go someplace where you have nothing to do except to read. take a book with you that you are quite certain you will like and get into. After being bored out of your skull for half a day you will certainly start to read.
If you have the discipline not to turn on your TV or go on the 'net, you can do the same thing at home. That’s how I did it half a year ago. Good luck!
BTW, I wondered how old you are and what your life is like. If your life is very busy, your mind may be too full to get ‘into’ the story of a book. You should try to ‘clear’ your mind beforehand. I actually found that starting to read in the morning in the weekend, when not much has happened yet, is easier to get into reading.
In 1995, when I was 32, I was brain damaged in an automobile accident and lost my ability to read (concentration, memory, etc.). After about 3 years I learned to read well enough to function again. I went to school and read what was needed. This year, I found myself at a specialty school where there was no television to watch after the sessions were over for the day. After a while I began reading for fun, out of boredom, and it has caught on. Now I can read while I watch TV with my wife, a pastime I did that annoyed her before my brain injury. If you want to do it you can, there is nothing in a failure but a try.
I’ve always been a reader, but after I got through with an English MA, I was really turned off by literature. I went back to the stuff I used to read in high school: science fiction. I reread books I’d loved. I didn’t critique them because they were old friends. I’ve branched out into other types of genre fiction, such as mysteries and, gasp, romance, too. And every once in a while I read one of those books that somehow mysteriously got labelled literature, while something like The Hobbit didn’t. But it took a long time for me to build my tolerance up.
Basically, I’d say reread something you loved as a young person. Even if it’s a Judy Blum book or a Beverly Cleary. Just start at a place that’s fun and let yourself expand your repetoire as seems natural. If you push it, it’s work.
If it was me, I woudn’t worry about it. I tend to move in phases with just about everything. Currently, because of my train ride and time between classes, I’m reading everything I can get my greedy paws on. A few months ago, I’d go weeks without reading anything more than the news and the Dope. Just take it easy and the urge will come back.
I’m exactly the same way. I go through phases where I just want to read magazines and catalogues, and then something will trigger my interest in a series of books or an author and I’m at the library every week checking out a stack and reading it within a few days. When I think about it I’m the same way with tv/movies, food or whatever. Sometimes, I want to watch hard-hitting documentarys and classic Hitchcock movies. Sometimes I want to watch Roseanne reruns and Trading Spaces. Sometimes I want to prepare and eat a multi-course dinner every night, and sometimes I want to have frozen pizza and chipped beef on toast.
People are multi-faceted and junk like that. Learn to ride the wave or whatever. If you want to jump start your interest in reading though, just wander into a bookstore with time to kill and start picking things up. I can usually find dozens of books that spark my interest within the first few tables/racks of any given bookstore, chain or private!
In between perusing the boards and waiting for replies is also a good time to read–and if you don’t want to keep refocusing from book page to computer screen, you can find online books in almost any genre (though the variety is still smaller than a library). This helps if you’re on the 'net alot. And I agree, starting with an old favorite author or genre usually helps you get back into the swing of things.
Another good choice is to pick a good “young adult” book - some of them are absolutley amazing, and most move faster and have a faster hook than “adult” books. Holes (Louis Sachar) is what’s jumping to mind at the moment… but there are lots. Browse the table near the kid’s section at your bookstore of choice. Keep the book around, and when you get the “you know, I really should read” urge next, get started… and once you’re hooked, it’s hard to stop. ;^)
I too love reading, but find that from time to time I just can’t seem to “get into it”.
Usually those times end up being times when I’m a bit stressed, overtired, slightly blue, etc.
Just a thought, and of course I don’t know how YOU tend to behave under those circumstances, but it might help to check out how you feel, emotionally and/or mentally.
Thanks for the advice, everyone. To respond to some questions, I’m 28, my life is not particularly busy at this time, and I don’t think my non-book-reading is due to depression, fatigue, etc. I think it is likely more due to distractions (internet, TV, magazines, these boards …). I like the idea of clearing some space in my life specifically to read (although not before bed, if I get into a book, I will never sleep until it is done).
Also, I have just got some John Bellairs and Roald Dahl books (some favourite authors from childhood), and a book of essays (Naked by David Sedaris). Hopefully this will do the trick and get me into reading again. If not, though, I won’t be too worried, some others have suggested that the non-reading is likely just a phase, and will pass.
