My number one tip is don't be afraid to DNF. (DNF stands for Did Not Finish.) I used to be someone who wanted to finish every book I started and I always held out hope a book would get better, but I read so much more if I just give up on books I'm not enjoying. Now that I DNF things more quickly it keeps me from getting into reading slumps.
this post was submitted on 03 Jul 2023
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Audiobooks.
I swore them off for a decade and I regret it so much. I've been reading for fun for the first time since I started my undergrad, and it's been amazing.
Say all you want about the "nostalgia of holding a book", but a book in your ears is better than none at all.
I spend so much of my free time listening to audiobooks nowadays. And it feels like a bit more variety having audiobooks, physical books, and ebooks available depending on mood.
Audiobooks are a weird medium for me where I'm not really sure what to do with my body while listening to them. I get easily distracted if I try to do something else like cooking or knitting, and I get fidgety if I just sit and stare at a wall. My mind just wanders and I can't lose myself in the story like I can when eyeball reading. I listen to podcasts on my walk to work, no problem, but I need to focus 100% on books or I don't process them at all.
Yeah, it took me awhile to train my brain to focus on them. I have to do something that requires almost no thought to basically keep my hands busy without distracting me from focusing on the book.
I'm 1000% pro-audiobooks. I listen to them when I wash dishes, drive, or play certain video games.
Climb into bed and read until sleepy. That'll ensure at least a few pages!
I'm not voracious by any means but recently I have been enjoying combining a book with my other hobbies. Sitting outside tending the grill? Grab a few pages. Going on a weekend camping trip? Might as well bring a novel along. Change of pace / scenery from hectic daily life also seems important to this.
I think that's an excellent tip. That's how I got back into reading. Instead of trying to set aside an hour or two for reading I just started carrying a book around so I could read 10 pages here or there when I would have otherwise been looking at my phone or staring into space. It's a really easy way to read more without taking time away from other things. I get reading in when I'm standing in line or in a waiting room or waiting to meet up with a friend.
Obious tip: it helps to have more free time :) I find that when I'm between projects, I go through books really fast.
Other than that: pick a book you enjoy. If you are still struggling after 5% read, throw it out and find a book that interests you more.
Before Reddit pissed off the Apollo community, they pissed off me. As a result, I downloaded the books app for my phone and put it where my Apollo app was on my homescreen, then I downloaded a bunch of epubs and loaded the app with them. Reading on my phone isn't as good as a real book or an ereader, but it goes everywhere with me and therefore so do the books. Being on Reddit for so long, I pretty much have the muscle memory of opening Apollo when I am bored programmed into my lizard brain, so I end up opening the books app. Also, since I am not carrying physical books around, I find myself reading a bunch of books at the same time. I pretty much always am in the middle of a science book, a cooking book, a novel of some sort, and a book about playing pool.
Apple books on the ipad
Before I had kids I'd basically have to have a free day to be in the 'right mindset' to read. I needed to be relaxed, and free from nagging thoughts...
After having kids I'll read when and wherever I can, which means I spend most of my lunch break (30 mins) reading. Five days a week that gives me a few hours, and then if I'm super lucky I'll fit in an hour after the kids have gone bed.