Upon graduating college, I realized that even after earning a degree in English, all my years in school had stolen my enjoyment of reading!
School and technology have taught us to skim texts for key details rather than slow down and enjoy the journey. And when we’re required to spend hours reading books that feel either uninteresting or purposeless to us, we are more likely to hesitate in spending free time reading.
I can’t blame school entirely, though. It’s hard to prioritize reading when there are so many other entertainment options out there. But nothing beats being immersed in a wonderful story.
If you’re like me and you miss leisure reading, then you’ve come to the right article! Here are five (plus one) key practices you can use that will hopefully spark your love of reading again.
Listen to AudioBooks
If you’ve found yourself skimming or losing focus while reading, then perhaps you’d enjoy listening to a story rather than reading it. Audiobooks allow us to slow down and pay attention. They are even more fun when the voice actor(s) get into character!
Audiobooks also have the perk of allowing us to multitask while listening. Just make sure you’re doing an activity that doesn’t require too much thought, or else you might realize you missed a significant detail in the story!
You can access audiobooks through paid subscriptions like Audible or Spotify, but my favorite way to listen is free through my local library app!
Reread a beloved classic
My all-time favorite story is The Lion, the Witch, and The Wardrobe. What’s yours? Have you reread it lately?
We often discount our classic favorites (whether they be ‘true’ classics or contemporary classics) because we deem them childish. However, children’s and young adult literature contain valuable lessons and compelling journeys. Writing to a younger audience often requires even stronger writing skills because authors have a stricter set of parameters to follow.
Sometimes, we just need to know we can finish a book, even a shorter one with more comprehensible language. Write down your top five favorite childhood/YA books and then read them again! You might be more encouraged than you realize.
start a book club
This one might seem daunting, especially if you’re struggling to even finish one book on your own. However, there is truly power in numbers. Sometimes, we just need one other person alongside us with a similar goal!
Your book club could consist of you and one other person, or you could gather a group of people to read with you. All you have to do is find someone who is willing to devote time to reading again. Then, pick a book you both would enjoy and find time to regularly discuss it.
This will not only keep you accountable, but it will also deepen your understanding of the book when you hear someone else’s perspective on it!
Move chapter by chapter
Perhaps the reason why you haven’t been able to read lately is because you don’t have enough time. That’s okay! We all have busier seasons of life, but even in those seasons we must find time to rest and restore.
If reading is restorative to you, consider blocking out time each day to simply read one chapter of a book. Or if the chapters in your novel are too long, then set a goal to read for a specific period of time each day, like twenty minutes. It’s okay if it takes you a long time to complete a book. All that matters is you are enjoying the process.
read in a new location
Reading allows us to enter new worlds and explore new possibilities. But perhaps escaping through the printed pages isn’t exhilarating enough for you. Maybe you need to find an interesting new location to read.
Here are a few ideas to get you started in your search for the perfect reading spot:
- A local park
- By the beach
- In a quiet coffee shop
- At the library
- In your backyard
- In a location that’s similar to a setting in your story
Extra tip: ask friends for reading recommendations!
For my birthday, one of my friends gave me a book list of her personal recommendations. Not only did this help me go in more openminded and trusting that with a fair shot, these would be interesting stories, but I ended up loving her selections!
If you are looking for some recommendations, here are a few of mine organized by genre:
Classic:
Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
YA:
So Not Happening by Jenny B. Jones
Once Upon a Wardrobe by Patti Callahan
Children’s:
The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis
The Mouse and the Motorcycle by Beverly Cleary
Poetry:
All Along You Were Blooming by Morgan Harper Nichols
Historical:
The Girl in the Blue Coat by Monica Hesse
Daughter of Rome by Tessa Afshar
Just Mercy by Brian Stevenson (nonfiction)
Mystery:
The Maid by Nita Prose
Allegorical:
The Great Divorce by C.S. Lewis
Hinds Feet on High Places by Hannah Hurnard
Writing Advice:
Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott
Christian Nonfiction:
Letters to the Church by Francis Chan
Now and Not Yet by Ruth Chou Simons
Breath as Prayer by Jennifer Tucker
Comment below your favorite book and what you love most about it!
The Will to Wake Up 