We read because we are curious about something. Because we want to learn more, because we want to grow. Because we saw an interesting list of books to read next.
But with thousands of things demanding your attention, it can be hard to find a quiet place to sit down and read — even if you are rereading your favorite cozy book or a gripping thriller for the first time. Building a reading habit can help you sharpen your focus and hit those reading goals you set. Here's how I do it:
1. Always Have a Book with You
You can't build a better reading habit if you don't have a book with you. If you want to become a better reader, you need to make it easy for yourself to read a book whenever you aren't doing anything.
It's a lot easier these days because you can download books through your phone or e-reader and take them wherever you go. You don't have to worry about lugging around suitcases full of books (although you're free to do that if you want), and you can just take it out for a read when you're by the beach, on a plane, commuting to and from work, waiting for your food to arrive, etc.
The list of opportunities to read is endless — it's just that we're busy doing something else.
If you're the type to get distracted by social media and start doomscrolling instead (even if you take out your phone with every purpose of reading), switch to physical books. Keep pocket books in your bag, some heavier, thicker tomes on your bedside table or desk — all within easy reach.
The point is to make your environment reading-friendly, no matter where you are.
I have a couple of physical books on my bedside table and desk, while the rest of my current reads are on my phone. When there is a lull in what I'm doing or when I'm tired, I reach for the books. When I'm out doing errands and the line at the grocery is too long, I pull out my phone and start reading. Of course, it wasn't always that way. But being surrounded by books, having books readily available, made it easier to fall into the habit of reading.
2. Journal Your Way Through a Book
I've found that my reading has deepened since I started journaling my thoughts or observations on particular passages while reading.
Sometimes, when a character says or does something that stands out, I write it down. If there's a quote that resonates, I copy it.
When I reread Little Women this time around, I wanted to focus on Amy and Laurie's relationship and how it came about, and if there was really no hope for Jo and Laurie to end up together.
I ended up with a lot of notes and comments about the March sisters — observing their relationships with each other and the people around them, noting their interactions and the things said and not said. I paid extra care to the interactions between Jo and Laurie that hinted at how things would never have worked out for them, and wrote them down in my notebook. I did the same with Amy and Laurie — looked for clues that could have pointed the reader to a "something there that wasn't there before" (to quote Mrs. Potts from Beauty and the Beast).
Sometimes, when I read, I like to find foils within a story (e.g., Sam vs. Gollum or Theoden vs. Denethor) and find similar characters from other books. Sometimes, I try to think about what a certain character would get if they took the MBTI test.
When you write in the margins (maybe not literally), you learn to think beyond the book, to prod your imagination in various directions that can become a fun — and sometimes, wild — ride.
3. Read What Resonates with You; Let Go of What Doesn't
"If a book is tedious to you, don't read it; that book was not written for you." — Jorge Luis Borges
This is perhaps the hardest for me to do. I'm the type to usually finish everything I read. I hate leaving things open and without conclusion, hate leaving things unfinished. Except, perhaps, for Moby Dick, which I tried to read when I was younger. I got through the first few chapters but lost it completely when Herman Melville started describing the different kinds of whales.
Since then, as if to make up for not finishing that, I tried to finish every book I started reading. From cover to cover, no matter how long it took.
A few months ago, I picked up a book that was making waves because of its movie and TV series adaptations. I read the book, thinking that it would resonate with me. That there would be something there that would draw me in the way it had for others.
It didn't. There wasn't. At least, not for me. I didn't care for the characters — I thought them flat and uninteresting, whereas others wouldn't stop singing their praises.
Recently, I read a fantasy / magical realism kind of book that reads like a jazz song with dancing words and long-winding paragraphs. It was interesting, yes, but it didn't draw me in the same way other fantasy and magical realism books have.
Maybe both books weren't written for me.
The thing is, when you force yourself to read a book that lost you a long time ago, you'll start resenting books in general and begin hating reading altogether. Life's too short to read what you don't like.
4. Choose Books That Make You Better
If the saying goes "you are what you eat", it's the same for books — you are what you read.
Some writers will say reading and writing don't have to come hand-in-hand, but I disagree. Becoming a better writer is about practicing, yes, but it is also about reading good writing. And one of the ways to do that, according to acclaimed writer Shani Raja, is to read books — particularly classics — because they teach you how different words can sound and feel and exist right next to each other to create sentences or paragraphs that resonate.
Recently, I've been reading books about writing, classics, travel memoirs (because I want to write one someday), and literary and historical fiction novels (again, it's because I'd love to write my own someday).
It isn't limited to writing. There are countless books on other matters, too, and it's always nice to gain extra knowledge about different topics. A few years ago, I read a book about having a minimalist wardrobe, and that helped me trim down my wardrobe, especially the clothes I don't wear. You never know where your reading journey may take you.
5. Be Realistic About Your Reading Goals
I faced a reading slump of sorts a couple of years ago when I read fewer than ten books and probably even fewer than five. At first, I had a lofty goal — read 25 books a year. Then it dropped down to 20, then 10. And then I realized it wasn't going to work until I broke it down further every day.
If you're having a hard time hitting your reading goals by thinking of it in its entirety, don't force it. The key to reading better is actually not reading more. It's being consistent with the little things. Set, instead, micro-goals, such as reading a page or chapter a day or sitting and reading for at least five minutes, until you get used to the habit of reading and find yourself reading more.
I've always wanted to read the Russian classics, but the long-winding discourse on philosophy and religion always threw me off a bit. So I've decided not to throw myself into long reading periods — just a chapter a day of War and Peace will do. It will take the entire year, but at least I'll have finished it at a pace that works for me.
There's no need to push or pressure yourself to do more when it comes to reading. After all, it isn't a race. It's what you do for entertainment, for pleasure. Because you want to learn new things, because you want to see different perspectives, because you want to become a better writer, because life's too short to spend your downtime doomscrolling through your phone. Or simply because — you love to read.