Many of us have New Year’s resolutions that involve reading more. But why is it so hard? How can you read more books and be a better person for it? In this article, we’ll show you how to read more books — not just one book per month, but how to maximize your book-reading potential in 2021 and beyond.
The importance of reading books
The best way to get better at anything is to read books about it. Whether or not you’re in school, reading books will help you learn about your field and will help you get better at whatever it is you’re passionate about. Reading books is one of the best ways to learn.
1. Go to the library.
The library is often one of the first places newbies find books. The librarians can be pretty amazing and are always happy to share their knowledge.
2. Check out the local bookstores.
They sell used books. They have self-help or business books. And hey, they will often have a discount code listed on their front, which makes them even better!
3. Visit online booksellers.
Bid on used and new books and save money. Try out discount shopping websites. Online booksellers sell used and new titles at discounted prices often. You don’t have to get excited with every title available — pick and choose what appeals to you (there’s no wrong genre here).
4. Get Kindle.
Discounted e-books are available on the Kindle eReaders. They work pretty well!
5. Streamline your reading routine.
Buy paper books and audiobooks. Read them even while you’re showering, so you never have to miss another page.
6. Read Stephen King.
Stephen King is one of the bestselling authors right now. He went from being homeless to writing suspense and mysteries. The dude churns out bestselling books more quickly than you can blink an eye.
7. Buy used books on eBay.
If you just haven’t bought a book for a while, one of the ways to save money is by buying books on eBay. It’s money in your pocket. eBay often has second-hand books and used CDs if you are still listening to music through CDs.
8. Audiobooks.
What I love about audiobooks is that I can read while doing other things like writing.
6 steps to reading a book every week
If you don’t have time to read a book, you don’t have time to succeed, So here are 6 steps to reading a book every week:
1. Make it a habit. For example, pick a certain time every week to read and do it simultaneously every week.
2. Read the book you want to read. Go to a local library or the local bookstore.
3. Research the book first. Read through any helpful blog you can find, especially those that will tell more about the book and its author.
4. Read the section on your book. Use the highlights, chapter summaries, and other helpful sections at the back of the book to learn more about it.
5. Review your highlights. Try to remember words or phrases that stood out to you while reading.
6. Repeat these steps every week until your goal is reached. You don’t need to buy a book to make reading a habit. Instead, it would help if you read more books.
According to one study, 10,000 hours is all it takes to become a genuinely knowledgeable and robust reader. If you can read for 10,000 hours, then you can read any book. Having more books in your reading repertoire will improve your chances of finding great ideas, making connections among them, and remembering those ideas over and over again.
You don’t need to read for hours to make reading a habit. Instead, you need to read one book a week.
Reading is one of the best ways to build knowledge, but many don’t do it consistently. I can be entertained by subtleties and complexities I’ve never encountered before when I read for enjoyment. The still-new thrill of discovering a new author gives me the energy to read more for knowledge, and the magnificence of a single deep read over an entire life gives me the shivers.
But many of us — myself included — try to read for straightforward pleasure. We read books that provide a quick summary. Our social media feeds are filled with articles like “Which selfies are the sexiest?” and “12 books you’re too old to read.” We don’t imagine learning deeper about subjects, real-time conversations, or details.
We don’t go back over passages in books we think we’ve already finished.
How to read a book every week
If you want to read more and learn more, here are some tips for how to read a book every week:
Read a lot. — If you’re not a big reader, the best way to start is to read a lot. (Even though I’m not the biggest reader, nor am I a fast reader. I would recommend reading at least 30 pages a day for about 10 days to start.) Many of us get hung up on reading one book at a time; we get overwhelmed when we read more than one book.
Starting a book is like trying to swim in a pool with two cuts of the same length. You can’t fit the two pieces together or swim effectively at all. Similarly, when you read a book, you’re reading two sections, so you need to cram a lot of the plot into the first two to three chapters. That, after that, the rest of the book is all about what happens next.
When you read more, you tend to lose the context of what came before. But once we’ve finished the book, we tend to remember the things that we learned. For example, we recognize that the character experienced hardship, which also led her to magical powers. We remember if the character was good or evil.
To write better, we need to read more. By reading more, it opens our minds to new ideas and possibility. It is by reading more that we nurture our writing muse.
About the Creator
Napoleon
Working to be a better storyteller everyday.
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