When I was younger, I was a huge reader. I was checking out stacks of books from the library, reading several at a time, staying up all night to binge read, and trying to make every single reading goal my teachers gave me. If I had free time, I was reading, and my parents eventually got me a Kindle because my bookshelf was overflowing, and it was a lot to carry around several individual books at a time.
However, once I got to high school, I started to read for fun less and less. I was busy doing required readings for class, and I was in countless clubs. I didn’t feel like I really had the time to read, and even when I did, I wanted to sleep, watch tv, or go out with friends and do other stuff I didn’t have time to do normally.
Once I got to college, and BookTok started blowing up, I slowly started to start reading again. A college schedule feels a lot more flexible than a high school one, and I was finally putting in the effort to pick up some books again. It took a while (and a lot of unfinished, half-read books), but I’m back to reading a lot again, and here’s how.
The first thing I did was reread books that I knew I loved in the past. And I know some people don’t like to reread, and if that’s you, then you can skip this part. But reading something that I already know I’ll enjoy was a big factor in pushing me to read more. I started with the Percy Jackson series (my all-time favorite, I literally talk about it all the time) because there are multiple books to get my reading journey up and going again. This is most efficient if you reread something that you read a good while ago or forgot about so it feels fresher. I love the feeling I get when I get to experience a book all over again with a new perspective. It makes me eager to read other books again so I can see if my outlook on them has changed, too.
Another thing I did was start by reading books in a genre I already liked a lot. I love mysteries and thrillers a lot, so I searched for books in those genres to get comfortable again. I found it a lot easier to get back on track by staying in my little bubble. It was a good way to stick with what I know, but also try new things at the same time. The favorites I read were: A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson and Survive the Night by Riley Sager.
Next, I took to book recommendations and looked for things completely outside of what I normally liked to read. I asked friends, looked at BookTok, and searched in sections of Barnes & Noble that I usually didn’t go to. I wanted to step outside my comfort zone and get into genres and styles I didn’t really tap into before. I knew I’d get tired of staying in the same box and reading things in the same genre, so I wanted to try new things in hopes I’d fall in love with something fresh. I will say I didn’t finish a lot of new books I tried (just because something is popular online doesn’t mean it’s good or that you’ll like it!), but I did find several gems that I had a great time reading. That’s one reason why I like TikTok so much, eventually, the algorithm fits your likes and interests, so the videos you’re shown are catered to you, so you get better suggestions. My favorites so far from recommendations have been Love and Other Words by Christina Lauren and The Dating Plan by Sara Dasai.
The biggest part I had to remember was to make it fun again. I had to stop making it feel like a chore and something that I genuinely looked forward to. I get cozy, play some music in the background and crack my book open. I downloaded Goodreads so I could keep track of everything I’ve read and want to read in the future, and so I can see what my friends are reading too. I even started a reading challenge so I can push myself to read more, but I don’t take it too hard if I don’t make it (in 2022, I was 2 books short of my goal, unfortunately). I think of the challenge as something fun, and once the year is over, I get to see how many pages I read in total and which books were my highest and lowest rated, and other cool stats — think Spotify Wrapped, but for books. Do whatever you need to do to make reading enjoyable!
It’s also important to make sure that how you’re reading is enjoyable too. If you like physical copies, don’t force yourself to read eBooks, and vice versa. There’s also the audiobook version of things if you want to be able to get through a book while doing other things like cooking, cleaning, or driving. I don’t mind any version of a book; I read on my phone, on my iPad, physical copies, and on desperate, rare occasions, I’ll use the Kindle app on my computer and read on that too.
If you haven’t already, I recommend downloading the app, Libby. You will need to sign up for a library card if you don’t have one already, but after you sign up, it connects you to a digital library. I signed up using the card I got for the library in my hometown, so those are the books that I have access to on the app. They have eBooks and audiobooks, along with a wide range of books. You can join the waitlist for books if they’re already checked out, and when they’re available, they’ll be sent to your device. You can hold up to 10 books at a time, and borrow up to 10 books too. It’s super helpful if you can’t make it to the actual library, and if you don’t have the funds to spend on actually buying books.
It’s not necessary to follow the exact same steps I did to find your love of reading again. Everyone’s reading journey is different and there are several different ways to get back into it, but I wanted to share what I did in case you were a little lost or needed an extra push. I know several people who were avid readers as kids and then fell off a bit (gifted kid burnout is very real!). Do whatever works for you; as I said, reading is supposed to be fun and enjoyable. If you’re not feeling something, don’t force yourself to continue, and don’t be afraid to switch things up until you get into some habits that you like and find books you enjoy.
Happy reading!