If you were one of those people who spent their childhoods devouring a book a day, yet find yourself struggling to get to the end of this sentence: you’re not alone. Whether it’s time spent reading for pleasure slowly being eroded by uni readings and eventually the simultaneously hectic and mundane happenings of adulthood, or simply a result of the seemingly limitless streaming television and endless social media scrolling thrust upon us in the digital age, many adults have found themselves reading substantially less than they did in their youth. A study undertaken by the Pew Research Centre in 2021 found that almost a quarter (23%) of adults in the United States had not read any books in the past year. However, pretty much everyone can benefit from reading. And not just online articles or long-form content. We’re talking actual books.
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While other forms of media – like podcasts and television – may work to convey information, reading is an active cognitive process that actually affects your neurological processes. Over time, reading can rewire your brain’s anatomy, improving the ability to retain information, remember details, think through complex problems, and conceive alternate pathways. Additionally, engaging in fiction reading is an exercise in empathy, improving your ability to perceive other viewpoints and boosting your overall emotional intelligence.
However, these benefits apply to deep reading, not skim reading. A term coined by Sven Birkerts in The Gutenberg Elegies, Birkerts defines deep reading as: “Reading, because we control it, is adaptable to our needs and rhythms. We are free to indulge our subjective associative impulse; the term I coin for this is deep reading: the slow and meditative possession of a book. We don’t just read the words, we dream our lives in their vicinity.” Basically, the type of all-encompassing experience that occurs when you curl up with a good book and get lost in another world for a few hours (or a few days). A stark contrast to the way we often expeditiously scroll through online articles.
In the interest of getting lost in a good book (and reaping some cognitive benefits along the way), here’s how to get back into reading.
1. Prioritise paper
While many people encourage reading on your phone, kindle, or iPad as a means to “fit more reading into the day,” introducing the element of technology into your reading ritual is a surefire way to get distracted. To avoid beginning with good intentions and somehow ending up on an endless instagram scroll, stick to physical paper books.
2. Length matters
To solidify (or resolidify) reading as a habit, it’s essential to opt for books or at the very least, long-form articles or profiles. These types of formats are the ones that encourage deep reading and in turn, improve cognition.
3. Keep it pleasurable
One of the fastest ways to fall out of love with reading is to force yourself to read something you don’t enjoy. If you’ve persevered for a few chapters and are struggling to get through a book; perhaps it’s not you, it’s the book. Or maybe it’s just not the right time for the two of you to meet. Regardless, there’s no shame in putting a book you’re not loving down (and picking another up, obviously).
4. Try a young adult novel
This isn’t a time to get Proustian or Dickensian. When you’re endeavouring to get back into reading books after a long lapse, opt for books that reel you in quickly. Young adult novels are designed to quickly capture the interest of a reader, making them easy to get into as opposed to the classics which often take a few chapters to build momentum. While you certainly don’t have to stick with the genre after a book or two, young adult novels are a great way to rediscover the joys of reading; though typically marketed as young adult novels, series like Harry Potter and A Series of Unfortunate Events work for children and adults alike. Alternatively, genres like romance or thrillers also make for quick hook reads.
5. Read the first three chapters at once
Certain books like The Bell Jar, Pride and Prejudice, Moby Dick, 1984, and The Goldfinch have killer opening lines, hooking you in almost instantaneously. Others, not so much. It often takes a few chapters to really get into a book, so make an effort to read the first few as soon as you begin a new one. That way, the next time you pick it up, you’ll be closer to the juicy part, making it easier to keep your attention piqued.
6. Carry it with you
One of the best ways to read more is to actually have your reading material available. Keeping a book (or two) on hand throughout the day ensures valuable lapses of time can be spent reading rather than doomscrolling.
Words by Theo Rosen
