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There’s nothing like the magic of getting lost in a good book. Who doesn’t love being dazzled by a fantastical world, riveted by a twisty murder mystery plot, or emotionally destroyed by an epic ending from the comfort of their couch? But if it’s been months or years since you’ve devoured a book, you might be wondering where that spark went—and if you can ever get it back.
First off, there’s no shame in losing your bibliophilic gusto at some point. Thanks to the little dopamine dispensers glued to our palms and endless TV shows competing for our attention, it’s a common problem these days. “Even librarians go through periods of not reading or not reading as much,” Veronica Koven-Matasy, reader services supervisor at Boston Public Library, tells SELF.
The good news is, reading for pleasure is a habit you can reboot with a bit of practice, Courtney Hattan, PhD, assistant professor in the science of reading at the University of North Carolina School of Education, tells SELF. And experts know how to make it as fun and easy as possible. Here are their best tips on how to reignite your passion for reading.
Our experts all gave us the same number one tip: “Pick something that you're excited about reading,” Rebecca Joines Schinsky, chief of staff at Book Riot and co-host of The Book Riot Podcast, tells SELF.
Sounds obvious—but a lot of us have judgy ideas about what books we “should” be reading, Schinsky says. Maybe instead of reaching for a campy thriller, you’re slogging through a cool indie novel that’ll make you look interesting on the train or a highbrow nonfiction title you hope will spark respectable dinner party conversation. “That sense of expectation or obligation can really run counter to the pleasure that reading brings us,” Schinsky says.
But here's the thing: Nobody worth your time should be judging your reading choices. Steinbeck isn’t morally superior to faerie smut. And the more engaging you personally find the read, the easier it will be to rekindle that zest. “That will lead you to the next book that you enjoy reading—and the next one,” Koven-Matasy says. “That's how you're going to build a habit.”
If you’re not even sure what you’d actually like reading, Koven-Matasy recommends venturing into a fresh genre. Who knows? Maybe you have an untapped passion for crime capers or magical realism.
You can also look to your taste in movies and TV for inspiration. “If you like romance movies, try a romance novel. If you like action movies, try a thriller,” Koven-Matasy says. Or brainstorm around your travels and interests: Before a recent trip to Chile, for example, Dr. Hattan dove into novels by Chilean authors. Meanwhile, her Formula One-fan husband is into novels about fictional racecar drivers.
Another strategy: Return to a genre you adored as a kid or teenager to hopefully recapture some of that childlike enchantment. (YA fantasy, anybody?) Or look for a modern take on an old favorite. “We're in a golden age of retellings,” Koven-Matasy says.
“I really gotta stress, try reading a short book first,” says Koven-Matasy. You wouldn’t stroll into the gym for the first time in six months and go straight for the 200-pound barbell. So if you haven’t worked your reading muscles in a minute, maaaybe don’t start with War and Peace. Slim novellas, fluffy beach reads, and graphic novels require less heavy lifting, and “you still get the satisfaction and the catharsis of the book ending,” Koven-Matasy says.
If your attention span feels ridiculously short these days, books broken up into smaller chunks are ideal. Think: fast-paced novels, short story collections, and essay collections. They’re easier to dip in and out of than tomes with dauntingly long stretches of text, Schinsky says, and knocking out those chapters can build a sense of momentum.
Quick chapters also make it easier to fit in little doses of reading here and there. “If you've got 10 minutes in the waiting room at the doctor's office, you can read one of the short chapters instead of scrolling TikTok,” Schinsky says.
Plus, brief collections are great for sampling a bunch of stuff and finding a new writer you love. “It’s like a flight of books, where you’re just tasting what each has to offer before you settle in with one,” Schinsky says. She recommends MacMillan’s yearly Best American series, which compile everything from food writing to mystery and suspense.
Nothing makes reading more unappetizing than forcing yourself to finish a book you just can’t get into. But true bookworms quit books so often that there’s lingo for it in the book world: DNF, for Do Not Finish or Did Not Finish. “Give yourself permission to like DNF with reckless abandon,” Schinsky says. “There is no reason in our limited lifetime to force yourself to slog through a book you're not enjoying.”
Of course, some books do take a minute to hook you. If you want, create a rule about how much time you’re going to put into a book before deciding to ditch, Schinsky suggests, like 50 pages or 10 percent in.
We tend to think of reading as a solo hobby, but it’s also a very social one, Dr. Hattan says. Connecting with people about the books we’re reading helps us get more out of them and provides an extra kick of motivation.
Classic book clubs are awesome. But if that feels like too much of a commitment, there are other ways to get that community feeling: BookTok, reading out loud to your partner, or turning a friend into a reading buddy. You can each go at your own pace and exchange messages or voice notes as you go. “It’s nice to just be able to shoot off a text and be like, ‘Oh my God, that thing that happens in chapter 10. Are you there yet?’” Schinsky says.
“When you're trying to get back into the habit, you want to set it up to be as enjoyable as possible,” Schinsky says. So make reading a treat and romanticize that shit: Create a cozy reading nook, make a cup of tea, light a candle, draw a bath, pour a glass of red, or take yourself on a reading date to the coffee shop or art museum. “It starts to feel like something that you can look forward to,” Schinsky says.
Consider which medium supports you better right now, Koven-Matasy says. If you’re constantly on the go and don’t like lugging a heavy book around, reading on your phone or tablet might be best. On the other hand, many people find physical books better for focusing. “We all associate screens with so many distractions,” Koven-Matasy explains. “Like, let me check my email really quickly, let me check my Facebook notifications.” Some people find a dedicated e-reader is a nice in-between, Koven-Matasy adds.
Speaking of screens: If you find the impulse to check your feed hard to resist, Schinsky recommends putting your phone out of reach when you crack open a book—in a drawer or another room, and in Do Not Disturb mode if possible. It’s much easier to get lost in another world when the infinite scroll isn’t competing for your attention. (Here are more ideas for unhooking from your phone.)
Some argue that absorbing a story via your headphones doesn't “count” as much as skimming through the written words. But let’s settle the debate once and for all: “If you needed the authority of a librarian to tell you that listening to an audiobook counts as reading: Yes, it is reading,” Koven-Matasy says. “It's just as valid,” Schinsky adds. Not only do audiobooks make texts accessible to people who have certain disabilities, but research also shows that listening to them involves the same brain regions and cognitive processes as reading.
Not to mention, the convenience factor is hard to beat. “You can listen to an audiobook while you're folding laundry or doing the dishes or driving,” Koven-Matasy says. And the narration can be amazingly immersive. “Especially if you're a person who tends to see the movie of a novel in your head when you read, you might really enjoy listening to an audiobook that has a full cast performance,” Schinsky adds.
A library card grants you access to oodles of books, e-books, and audiobooks, whether you go IRL or take advantage of a free app like Libby, Hoopla, and CloudLibrary. Besides being budget-friendly, borrowing books instead of spending $25 a pop makes it easier to explore new authors and genres—and DNF guilt-free. “I find that really mentally freeing,” Koven-Matasy says.
Visiting your library in-person also grants you access to librarians, who are basically book wizards trained to sift through the overwhelming number of options and match you with the perfect read. “It can help to have an authoritative person just tell you, ‘I think you should try these three books,’” Koven-Matasy says. If you liked one book with a unique narration style or elaborate world-building, for instance, a librarian can recommend five more like it. Because once you get on a reading roll again, it might be hard to stop.
Original article appeared on SELF
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