I loved reading as a child. I would hide under tables, in cupboards or in rooms no one would think to look just to get away with a nice book that I would not (actually could not!) put down. There was something so satisfying and exciting about my escape into the world of literary fantasy. Reading tales of Enid Blyton’s Enchanted Forest (yes Enid is now cancelled, I know!) or Jacqueline Wilson’s Tracy Beaker stories were just a few of my literary childhood joys. Then I grew up. Apparently, anyway. And I stopped reading. Or more accurately, I stopped reading regularly and when I did read, it was mindless fluff to pass the time. Attempting to read more intellectually stimulating stuff just seemed so challenging to stay focused. Finding the time to read a good book was another challenge because I want to give it my proper attention and not have to stop and start. Inevitably, I found myself reverting to my trash in defeat. But I refuse to stay defeated. Over the last year, I have been making a few strides here and there to get back into the joy (and art!) of a good read. I have found myself rediscovering that joy of not being able to put a book down to the extent I was actually reading it on an escalator! And the feeling of finishing each book is so satisfying, I am excited at the prospect of the next one. So here are my tips for trying to get back into reading:
1. Start with short stories. They are basically mini books within one large book which helps you find time for each little “book”. If they’re good, you feel just as satisfied at the end of each one as if you read a novel. For me I am loving short stories because I can read one each night and start a new one the next day without feeling like I have to recap what I read the day before. A good way to transition into more lengthy and bulky reads.
2. Schedule reading time – whether first thing in the morning or last thing at night. Be intentional about your reading. The same way, you rush home to catch the latest episode of whatever Netflix show you’re watching, try to create time and space for the book you’ve been wanting to read. Just before you go to sleep at night is a really good time to get your read on, because it helps your body relax and get ready for sleep time.
3. Listen to your books. I remember listening to books as a child at school but I didn’t really like it for some reason so I wasn’t particularly keen to try it again as an adult. But then, I randomly got the chance to listen to the audio book of Michael Wolff’s Fire & Fury. Not only was I gripped from start to finish, the convenience of the audiobook astounded me. I could literally be doing almost anything I wanted and listen to the book undisturbed. Shower? ✔ Cook? ✔ Dress up? ✔ Drive? Ok so I didn’t try this one but I can’t see why I couldn’t listen to the book driving. You get the picture. Get listening to your books if you are struggling to find time to just sit down with a book (or Kindle) in hand. Your reading life will never be the same.
4. Don’t waste time on books that you struggle to get into. I don’t know about you but there has been many a book that I started and could not finish. Maybe the book just isn’t that good. Maybe it’s not interesting to you. Maybe it’s not the right time for you to read a book like that. There are a plethora of reasons for why you cannot get into a book and it’s easy to start to doubt your intellectual capacity for reading if everyone loves something that you are struggling to progress past the first chapter. At least that’s what started happening to me and it was really beginning to get me down and become a source of anxiety. But seriously it’s not that deep. Just move on and try another one. Speaking of which…
5. Re-read old favourites. If like me, you find it hard to get into a book, even if it’s one that a bestseller and award-winner, then go back over some of your old faves. I just finished re-reading Candide by Voltaire and what a trip! Throughout the book, I laughed, gasped, covered my eyes, put it down to take a breath and afterwards just sat down and thought about my life and my belief system. It took me 3 days to finish reading it (I read it in a day the first time!) and I just enjoyed so much reading it and knowing there was nothing wrong with me; I just needed to find the right book to engage me.
Some people set their target at reading 50 books this year. I originally set mine at reading 2 books a month in my FORTY by FORTY list. Fam, let me live. I am not going to beat myself up over how many books I read. The fun is in the reading and the quality of the reading, not the quantity. So ease up on yourself, breathe and turn the page. Literally.
Books I have read in 2019 to date
- Becoming by Michelle Obama
- Africa’s Tarnished Name by Chinua Achebe
- Three Japanese short stories by Akutagawa and others
- Voltaire – Candide
- Stay with Me by Ayobami Adebayo
- My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite
- The Bible (ongoing)
