How to Become a Reader (For People Who Never Liked Reading)

Free AI web copilot to create summaries, insights and extended knowledge, download it at here

1762

Abstract

good time.</p><p id="c10e">Consider some of your favorite shows, movies, games, and even songs. <b>What do you like about them? What genre do they tend to fall into?</b> It’s not always the case that you will enjoy reading exactly the same stuff you enjoy watching or listening to, but it’s a good place to start. It can also give you some indicators of what to avoid. If you love sitcoms and comedies, you probably don’t want the first book you pick up to be a dark and gritty crime novel.</p><h1 id="15e2">Put aside your biases.</h1><p id="285f">There’s a <a href="https://bookriot.com/is-our-concept-of-a-well-read-elitist/">certain elitism</a> that exists when it comes to reading; readers and non-readers alike can feel it. No one likes hearing:</p><blockquote id="8bc0"><p>“You haven’t read [insert Great American Novel here]? You <b>have</b> to. It’s a <b>classic</b>.”</p></blockquote><p id="e85b">Reading doesn’t have to be about filling a bookshelf with the most critically acclaimed literary works of art ever made. (Especially when that “critical acclaim” has such a long history of <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/books/2017/nov/11/black-and-minority-ethnic-books-authors-on-decolonising-the-canon-university-english-literature-syllabus">excluding diverse authors and works</a>.) Try contemporary, romance, thrillers, mysteries, fantasy, sci-fi, or anything with a cool-looking cover. Don’t be afraid to pick up some popular fiction, and don’t fall into the trap of thinking “popular” means low-brow.</p><p id="5e70">If literary fiction and classic lit <i>do </i>appeal to you, by all means delve into some Hemingway or something. <b>Just don’t choose books based on what you think other people will respect. </b>You’ll be wasting your time.</p>

Options

<h1 id="a926">Don’t force yourself.</h1><p id="c703">You are under no obligations to finish a book that you aren’t enjoying. This is not for any class, and you can stop at any time. For people whose only relationship to books has been accompanied by the feeling of unwanted responsibility, it can be hard to pick up a book until you master the art of knowing when to put it down.</p><p id="2266"><b>If the thought of reading gives you the same feeling as taking out the trash or washing the dishes, you need a new book.</b> This trial and error period is the hardest because you can go through a lot of things before you find something that excites you.</p><p id="735e">The hard truth is that everyone likes different material, and there is no single book I can recommend that is 100% guaranteed to turn you into a reader. But if you give yourself time and patience, it’s incredibly likely that something will click. Even trying out a few books, whether you finish them or not, is a marked improvement over an empty bookshelf and unused library card.</p><h1 id="faf9">More on reading:</h1><div id="99bf" class="link-block"> <a href="https://readmedium.com/how-reading-fiction-can-make-you-a-better-ally-b6706f906d95"> <div> <div> <h2>How Reading Fiction Can Make You A Better Ally</h2> <div><h3>Fiction plays a unique role in empathy building that changes real-world behavior.</h3></div> <div><p>medium.com</p></div> </div> <div> <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/1*Gef7TJLC7qES0ZU_J74TbQ.jpeg)"></div> </div> </div> </a> </div></article></body>

How To Become A Reader (For People Who Never Liked Reading)

I have always believed that books are a lot like music. There are very few people out there who dislike music in its entirety — they just prefer specific genres. Unfortunately when it comes to books, the only genre a lot of people were ever exposed to was the infamous canon of “elite” literary fiction on most schools’ reading lists. Reading those books exclusively is like listening to only one genre of music…that you hate.

I don’t blame anyone who lost their enthusiasm for books in an English classroom. But if you’re someone who is looking to get it back, try some of these tips to reawaken your inner bookworm.

Consider the other media you enjoy.

Humans have been sharing and listening to stories for as long as we’ve had language. It’s why we watch TV and movies, go to plays and musicals, and play certain video games. A good narrative translates to a good time.

Consider some of your favorite shows, movies, games, and even songs. What do you like about them? What genre do they tend to fall into? It’s not always the case that you will enjoy reading exactly the same stuff you enjoy watching or listening to, but it’s a good place to start. It can also give you some indicators of what to avoid. If you love sitcoms and comedies, you probably don’t want the first book you pick up to be a dark and gritty crime novel.

Put aside your biases.

There’s a certain elitism that exists when it comes to reading; readers and non-readers alike can feel it. No one likes hearing:

“You haven’t read [insert Great American Novel here]? You have to. It’s a classic.”

Reading doesn’t have to be about filling a bookshelf with the most critically acclaimed literary works of art ever made. (Especially when that “critical acclaim” has such a long history of excluding diverse authors and works.) Try contemporary, romance, thrillers, mysteries, fantasy, sci-fi, or anything with a cool-looking cover. Don’t be afraid to pick up some popular fiction, and don’t fall into the trap of thinking “popular” means low-brow.

If literary fiction and classic lit do appeal to you, by all means delve into some Hemingway or something. Just don’t choose books based on what you think other people will respect. You’ll be wasting your time.

Don’t force yourself.

You are under no obligations to finish a book that you aren’t enjoying. This is not for any class, and you can stop at any time. For people whose only relationship to books has been accompanied by the feeling of unwanted responsibility, it can be hard to pick up a book until you master the art of knowing when to put it down.

If the thought of reading gives you the same feeling as taking out the trash or washing the dishes, you need a new book. This trial and error period is the hardest because you can go through a lot of things before you find something that excites you.

The hard truth is that everyone likes different material, and there is no single book I can recommend that is 100% guaranteed to turn you into a reader. But if you give yourself time and patience, it’s incredibly likely that something will click. Even trying out a few books, whether you finish them or not, is a marked improvement over an empty bookshelf and unused library card.