Enjoying Books
There are interesting books for every type of reader, even readers who have historically shown a hesitancy to read books.
What I read: “A reading guide for grownups who don’t read” by Constance Grady. Published August 6, 2023.
From the time my father put my first book in my hands, I’ve been enamored with books of all types. When people ask me if there’s one thing that’s added to my life the most, I typically answer books. I read almost every day of my life and have since I was a young child.
Because of my own love of books, I’m always surprised when someone tells me they don’t read them. That’s not a judgment on anyone’s character because they don’t read books. But still, I’m always privately wondering why anyone would not revel in the wisdom and entertainment between the covers of a book. Whether reading printed paper books or e-books (my preferred reading mechanism nowadays), it’s an activity I will always champion.
Books have made my life considerably better. I think they have tremendous power to inform, inspire, and entertain.
So, I was drawn in when I saw Constance Grady’s article about how to get people interested in books. The article starts out with a question Grady occasionally encounters. I’ve also run across some version of this question online and in conversations with people who know I’m a voracious book reader.
I haven’t read a book since high school. I’m thinking of trying one. Where do I start?
For a host of reasons, there are plenty of people who are fully capable of reading books but who choose not to. Reasons vary. Maybe they never got into the habit at all. Perhaps they equated books with their schooling and never considered reading outside of that which was required. Maybe someone grew up in the digital age and books got supplanted by video games and social media. (Note that I’m not against gaming or online life at all.)
Regardless of why someone doesn’t read books, I’m always on the lookout for tips to help encourage people to give books a try. Grady talked to librarians (my personal heroes) about strategies they use to encourage people to read books.
The first suggestion is to find out what might have put someone off reading books in the first place. Was it reading in school? Perhaps the forced nature of reading in school squelched the fun out of the reading process.
My advice to people wanting to kickstart a book reading habit is to grab any book of any type that looks like they might enjoy the story, information, or insight. I also consider graphic novels books and that’s been great way to encourage people to read. It can often lead to reading other types of books.
If the thing you didn’t like about reading in school is simply that it was required, you might get a kick out of reading something that feels especially rebellious to start things off.
The next suggestion is to do a deep dive into what a person already finds interesting.
“What I found out is that if you find a book about something that interests you, that will mean you’ll read more.”
If someone loves a certain television series, maybe there’s a book related to it that might be of interest. And these days many series and movies are based on books. I have friends who watch a few seasons of a series and then find the books the series is based on and read those.
Ask someone what podcasts they listen to, what topics in the news pique their interest, what hobbies they have, and what grabs their attention when they’re scrolling on social media. That can point to related books that could hold the reader’s interest.
The last suggestion is one I offer all the time to people. Start small. I read a lot of novellas, short nonfiction, and longer short stories in book form. There’s nothing that will halt a reader’s new excursion into reading faster than an extremely lengthy book. Reading a shorter one might give them a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction that will propel them to read more.
Reading is a habit like other habits. When trying to develop good habits, start small and act on the habit regularly and consistently. That’s a lot easier to make happen for books when the content it shorter.
Within the last suggestion is one that I struggle with personally and that’s listening to audiobooks. I have many friends who swear by them. Some of them only “read” using audiobooks. I’ve never been able to get into them, but their popularity is so big that it’s made me wonder if I’m missing out on another good way to consume book content. Maybe I’ll give them a try.
Regardless of what approach you take to get back into reading, the most important thing you can do is ask for help.
“I firmly believe that there is a perfect book for every reader,” says Pullen. “But there are so many books right now it can be overwhelming. That’s what booksellers and librarians are for: to help you wade through the sea of so much that is published in order to find something that will speak to you.”
I agree. I too believe there is the perfect book for every reader. As the article suggests, if you or someone you know is looking to start or rekindle reading books, librarians are your friends. They’re in that business for a reason. They love books. They’ll likely have some great suggestions for books you’ll like too.
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For audiobooks, it's often about the narrator. A good one enhances the book, but a bad one can ruin it entirely, even if it's a book I liked to read. Cornell Collins beautifully narrated several series by a few favorite authors, KJ Charles and Ariana Nash in particular. Kirt Graves' narration the Wolf Song series by TJ Klune enhanced the story for me. Some passages that I breezed through in reading held a much stronger meaning after hearing his interpretation of the text. Try the "samples" to get a feel for the narrator's tone and style. Happy reading and listening to you!