While you may know how to read, you may not know how to read. Okay, we’re not helping. Have you ever sat down with a book that everybody has been raving about and you get 30 pages in and you’ve only thought about what you need to get at the grocery store and the fact you have a meeting tomorrow that you totally forgot about? This is super normal and all you have to do is learn to become a better reader which we’re here to help you with that because books are magical and we stand by that. Let’s get started!
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First, you gotta choose the right book. For years we’ve heard, said, and fully believe the sentiment that if you don’t like reading then you simply haven’t found your genre yet. To find the right books for you, you first have to ask yourself why you want to read. Is it for enjoyment or do you want to gain knowledge? Are you looking for a book to mentally take you away? Have all of your friends been talking about a certain title and you’re suffering from some major FOMO?
Set aside time for reading. Remember being a kid and for thirty minutes a day the classroom would go quiet, you got to get comfortable, and your sole job was to read your book? Try recreating this as an adult. The best part? As an adult, you can buy reading snacks and no one can stop you. So brew some hot tea or a hot cup of coffee, grab a cookie (or three), snuggle up with your favorite blanket, and commit to reading for X amount of time. Maybe you start with just 15 minutes a day, and that’s okay. Once you’re hooked we have a feeling 15 minutes will start looking a lot like 2+ hours.
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Just slow down. We all come across words we don’t know, we all space for a paragraph or even a page or two, and we all have to reread passages. The trick is to keep a dictionary or your phone nearby to look words up and keep in mind that there’s no reason to rush.
Keep your book on hand at all times. Waiting in line at the coffee shop? Need a little breaky break from work? Waiting on the bus? Pull your book out. Plus, a break from technology is always nice.
Get social with it. It helps to have a group of people that are into reading around you, even if ‘around you’ means virtually. Join a book club in person or online for book recommendations and to talk about current, future, and past reads.