I used to read alot devouring books on the bus to school/work (almost like the movement help my dyslexia 😂) but recently I have been struggling to get into books having not been able to get past the first few chapters. Do yous have tips or methods for when you’re in a bit of a reading funk?
Here are some links from the wise Khatzumoto, because I cannot explain it better myself:
http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/the-trick-to-reading-more-and-faster/
The only way you will read more books is by putting more books in front of your face. Put the stuff you actually want to read in front of your face, not the stuff that is recommendation or you feel some kind of obligation to. If the book you are reading is not interesting, skip it and find one that is.
I don’t love most of this advice. Most of the problems that I face in my day-to-day are related to the constant cacophony of noise that permeates my urban life. Not literal noise, but just the etcetera that draws my attention and focus away from whatever is right in front of me. So ever present is this constant distraction that I didn’t even realize it was a thing until I went camping in one of the remotest parts of the US for a week last year. With more time than anything else it suddenly became easy to read. But not just read, but think about what I was reading, to engage with the author in a meaningful way.
Changed my perspective. Most of the advice this lady is giving is to engage less, skim more, do it in small chunks so that you can’t string any thought process together that has any amount of complexity. That probably is some good advice if all you care about is reaching high page counts. But, frankly, this is just subordinating reading and thought to the same capitalist/market framework that subjects us to the tyranny of productivity. Without trying to sound too dramatic, reading slowly, in longer chunks, doing ones best to block out distractions, is an act of resistance.
I suppose what I’m getting at is that I don’t care to consume books, I want to engage with books (and by extension, their authors). That takes time, effort, and intentionality.
EDIT: As far as OPs original question, but advice would be to take it slow and build good habits over time. Don’t expect to start reading massive academic tomes right away. Start with simple page-turner novels and let yourself get carried away by the story. Then work your way into harder material (though if it isn’t interesting drop it). Guard carefully your attention! Your attention is worth a lot of money to many corporations, so keep it to yourself and focus it on things that you actually want to focus it on. Don’t piss it away with no good reason.
Audiobooks have helped me when I’m in a slump. I used to fly through books (print/ebook), but in the past few years my attention span has decreased significantly. Audiobooks are now my favorite format.
I try to pick up something that will be a quick, easy read that won’t take much brainpower or reread something I really enjoyed.
Totally agree - Terry Pratchett is my go-to quick/easy read. In fact, I just finished Wheel of Time last month, and I’m using Small Gods as my palate cleanser.
Yeah, simpler YA or middle-grade books are great for getting out of a reading slump. Great, easily digestible storylines.
This video completely changed my outlook on reading. Every time I’m in a reading slump I go back to it. You really should watch it, even if it is 40 minutes. https://www.yewtu.be/watch?v=lIW5jBrrsS0
Edit: I cannot stress how much this video has changed my reading habits. I’ve gone from 10 books a year to being on track to 25.
That was a great video! The read 30 minutes a day goal is what got me back into reading.
Finding a book of short stories by an author or in a genre you like might help. Something with low time commitment. If you don’t like a story, skip onto the next one.
I also second audiobooks though. Listened to more books lately than I have in quite awhile. It’s handy when you have some other things to do, just throw in some headphones.
Buy a Kobo or similar(preferably not Kindle, because Amazon…), if you don’t have one yet! It drastically improved my reading.
Agree with this! A quality ereader is a big game changer. I love physical books, but ebooks have quickly overtaken them for me in the last year simply because of how easy and convenient it is to carry around my Kobo. But there are some trade offs, no marginalia and flipping around between different pages/chapters can be troublesome (especially if you’re in a classroom or book club).
I just have periods I don’t read that much and just accept it. I often have a cycle of reading-gaming-watching series/movies. One phase lasts around 1-2 months for me. All just different ways to experience a story. So I don’t want to force one or the other (The latest Zelda for example dropped during a non-gaming phase. Still haven’t touched if even though I should love it :(). Reading for me is fun and if I don’t feel it I don’t force it.
Mostly after some non-reading time I see a book that looks really interesting and I just dive in. That often kicks off my reading phase and I devour multiple books during the next few weeks.
