Reading has always been a highly-enjoyable hobby for me, and it has been since I was very young. So much so, I have numerous Bookworm Awards that I acquired through school and my degree itself is in creative writing and the study of the English language, therefore, words have always been interesting to me and putting them together has been something I have always loved doing. I'm a Copywriter by trade, so words even stem into my professional work.
I have always been an advocate for reading and I know a considerable number of people who love doing it just as much as I do. But a lot of my friends get frustrated that they can't finish a book very quickly or they find themselves having to reread pages because it just didn't go in the first time. As such, I thought I'd give you a few hints and tips for reading a book as efficiently as possible, especially if you find yourself struggling to relax and take it all in at the moment.
Choose the right book for you
If you don't choose a book that you know you'll find interesting or captivating or enjoyable, then you might as well not even bother trying to read it in the first place. You need to make sure you're picking books that fit in with the genres you find most captivating and then go from there. I always look at reader reviews before buying my books, but I don't always look for the ones with the most stars or the best reviews.
Writing styles and story plots can often be subjective, so what one reader might find great, another reader might think is rubbish. For example, I think the Harry Potter books are highly overrated, whereas others believe they're the best books that have ever been written. But everyone is perfectly entitled to read and enjoy whatever it is they want - that's the whole point of reading, that's why there are so many genres available to us, too.
Take it all in
There's no real point in rereading pages that didn't sink in the first time, if this is the case then it could be that you're finding it to be a little boring. If you want to take the page in, then take it slow, read each word, sentence, paragraph as it comes and focus on what the text is conveying the first time.
Don't skim through the pages because it might be that miss an important detail. If you don't have the time to read, then make some! Take half-an-hour to an hour out of your evening or a couple of hours over the course of a weekend and you'll soon find yourself devouring those books that have been sat on your bookshelf this whole time.
Be a little more critical
Think more into things when you're reading, think about the words on the page and what it is the author is wanting to convey to you, the reader. I'm not saying to analyse every small detail, but ask yourself some questions about what it is you're reading. Here a few questions you could ask yourself whilst in the process:
- What are the key, important parts of the story so far?
- Who, exactly, is the main character?
- How does this story make me feel?
- What would my version of the story be like if I were given the chance to rewrite it?
- Are there any parts of the story that I dislike?
- Are there any parts of the story I love?
- What does the author want to gain from this story? Are they trying to raise awareness of something? Are they wanting to highly societal issues? Are they trying to spark a thought process in me?
Read a little more socially
This is a bit more difficult during Covid times, but look into joining book clubs or other groups who collectively read the same bits and bobs. Some groups exist where each member brings a different book to the table, ensuring books are recommended and passed around the group to keep the bookworm fire burning.
See if there are any virtual or online groups that offer this and once we're allowed to mix with other people again, look at joining a real life group to keep your reading motivation alive. It may even inspire you to try different genres or to read some non-fiction instead of fiction - the possibilities are endless.
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I hope you enjoyed this blog post! Let me know how you manage to read as efficiently as possible by leaving your tips in the comment section below. I will see you again really soon with a brand new blog post for you.
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if you continue this in future. Many people will be benefited from your writing.
Cheers!
Love this! I've really started to put more time into reading this past year which has been great! I think the thing I always struggle with the most is that I'm a very enthusiastic person by nature and I always struggle with having so many thoughts after finishing a book and never having anyone to share them with so I really think I need to join a book club!
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