Have you stopped reading? Here are ten ways to get back to books

Recently, an acquaintance, let us call her X, asked me how she could start a reading habit. Given that she is close to my age, I asked her what kinds of things she liked to read, thinking I might offer her some book suggestions. Consider my surprise when she confessed that she could not remember the last time she had read an entire book. “But I read a lot of news and stuff online,” she said in her own defence.

When I shared this with some other reader friends, they admitted to their own difficulties with reading as much as they used to, especially fiction. Some said there was enough drama going on around the world, so they did not feel a need to read fictionalised drama. Some, like X, said they read online and did not care about offline reading. And there were the odd few who said they “prefer to experience life than rather reading about it.”

The first kind is cognitively exhausted, clearly, and I will probably not be able to convince them to change. The second kind is the one I am hoping to address. As for the third kind, if they think their lives are so diverse and interesting as to give them all the wisdom and emotional skills to navigate our increasingly complex societies, then who am I to shatter their sweet illusions?

Let me start by suggesting that there is a big difference in the kind of reading my friend X does versus the kind of reading we do offline with a book. I’m not talking about paper versus digital but long-form (on screen or paper) versus shorter pieces online. Generally speaking, our cognitive processes are such that we read quicker and with less comprehension and retention when scrolling through short online articles and clicking on link after link. And I equate reading long-form works online to going to McDonald’s and ordering a salad or a side of fruit. Sure, it’s the healthier option and there is likely to be some nutrition, but it will not be as filling or as nourishing as we need.

So, while I also read a lot online (news, book reviews, author interviews, etc.), books remain my primary source of knowledge, thought, and intellectual fodder. Reading is about improving not only the quality of our lives but also the quality of the attention we pay to the things and people in our lives. It changes our way of engaging with and being in the world.

Here are some approaches I suggested to the above-mentioned acquaintance to begin cultivating a voluntary reading habit. Rather than forcing yourself to read (which, like going on a diet, is rarely sustainable), it is better to find a way into a regular reading practice organically.

Move from online articles to books

If you enjoy reading about specific topics online, look up the best books on those topics at your local library or bookstore. Remember to check the names of the writers of online articles you like as they might have books out too. You will probably get a deeper, more considered dive into those topics in book-length works. The best librarians and booksellers truly enjoy engaging with readers to recommend specific kinds of books, so do not hesitate to leverage their expertise and knowledge. If you do not live anywhere near a library or a bookstore, you might be able to join a library online and download book loans to read on an electronic device.

Move from movies to books

If you enjoy movies, look for ones based on book adaptations and then read the original. Avoid the trashy bestsellers that have become movie franchises, though. When something is that popular, it is likely because it has been pandering to the lowest common denominator. (Of course, there are exceptions as with everything in life.) One easy source is to go to the movie awards websites and look for the lists of movies awarded for “Best Adaptation.” Go as far back as you need and you are bound to find something to suit your tastes. Make a fun event of it by inviting a friend or family member to read the book and watch the movie with you.

Dip into travel literature

If travel is your thing, look for books about the next place you are planning to visit. Read these books before, during, and after your trip, and I guarantee they will make the whole experience richer and more satisfying. Often, travel books are about going off the beaten path, and they not only enlighten but also encourage us to also wander down roads unknown.

Find the perfect short stories

If book-length fiction is not quite your thing, begin with short stories. You can typically finish these in a single sitting of a maximum of one hour at a time. And they will whet your appetite for longer fiction works. There are many wonderful short stories available free online (a little tip: save an online story as a PDF, then convert to your e-reader format and save to read later if that works better for you). You can check out my monthly series where I feature several of them by theme. You can subscribe to or check your library for literary magazines per your tastes. Or you can look for award-winning short story collections as a starting point.

Read with friends

Join or start a book club if you like company when reading. I’m not personally a fan of community reading but I do enjoy the odd book discussion with readers from across the world on bookish websites. It’s fascinating to understand how differently we all interpret the same things and I always learn something new.

Invest in an e-reader

If strapped for time, invest in an e-reader or a good audiobook membership. That way, you can “read” while waiting in the grocery checkout line, during daily commutes, while taking a bath or doing chores. It is amazing how much time we lose in these daily activities, so reclaim some of this time and put it to good use.

Start a journal

Start a books journal where you write daily about what you have read. This is not as hokey as it sounds. It will help you structure your thoughts and reflections on the topics and themes you’ve read about, which is the whole point of reading after all. Write in a private journal or a public online blog, whichever works for you.

Track your goals

If goal achievement and quantified selfhood drive you, sign up on a site like Goodreads or LibraryThing to log every book you read by date. I’m not into setting book-reading goals, but I use one of those sites to keep track of my personal library.

Listen to book podcasts

Listen to some decent books-related podcasts, where they invite writers to discuss their books. I have, I confess, rushed to buy a certain book after hearing its writer speak with great passion and conviction about it. My favourite podcasts for short stories are The New Yorker Fiction, The New Yorker Writer’s Voice and NPR’s Selected Shorts. For interviews with authors, I listen to BBC World Book Club, CBC’s Writers and Company, BBC Radio 4 Bookclub and The Guardian Books. And for book discussions, Slate’s Audio Book Club and AAWW Book Event Recordings.

Attend the right literary festivals

If there are any book-related festivals nearby, try to go to at least one every year. Celebrating books with other readers is a special kind of joy. I don’t go as often as I used to but I always meet wonderful kindred spirits whenever I do.

Bonus tip (don’t keep at a book you’ve lost interest in)

As with anything in life, avoid too much of anything in your reading diet. Mix it up with genres and topics. There are many book recommendation websites out there, so do your research on what works best for you. My approach is to have four books on the go at any time – fiction, non-fiction prose, a poetry collection, and a writing craft book. This may not work for everyone, so use your own trial and error system.

And, for goodness sake, do not try to keep reading a book you have lost interest in – it is a sure way of killing any reading practice. There are so many books out there on every imaginable topic. Find another if the first 25 pages do no grab you. And, on that point of 25 pages – commit to a minimum of that amount daily.

Our world and our lives continue to become more complex and fast-paced. Our economies and professions are increasingly knowledge-driven versus labour-driven. Reading books is a personal investment that will continue to pay off in the long run because the best books go beyond entertainment, education, altering perspectives – in the end, they enable us to develop and strengthen our cognitive and emotional muscles to deal better with whatever comes our way.

For me, as Jhumpa Lahiri said in a recent Literary Hub interview: “But reading is fundamental. A book is a life jacket.”

This article first appeared on Indiatopia.