19 Feb 2013
Belle
3 ways to get more from your reading
Since my Dad read photography manuals to me as a kid, reading has been a favorite pastime of mine. As I get older, my reading material changes but my love for reading doesn’t. It’s still a fantastic way to escape from reality, learn new things and explore the many facets of humanity.
In the lead-up to my Big Move overseas, I’ve adjusted my reading habits to get as much as I can from what I read in the next three months. These are the three most helpful changes I’ve made.
1. Read one at a time
I’m prone to being part-way through at least five books at any given time. I’ve been halfway through Les Misérables for about three years. Unfortunately this means I don’t fully appreciate or understand the books I’m reading, since I jump around so much.
Focusing on one book at a time lets me fully immerse myself in the story or subject, get to know the characters, understand the jargon and really get something out of it that I’ll remember later. It’s also easier to pick up where I left off when my brain doesn’t have so much to sift through to remember what I’ve already read.
2. Stop finishing books
Probably the biggest difference for me was letting go of the guilty feeling I get when I don’t finish a book. This is part of the reason I have multiple books open at once: if I’m not enjoying one, I’ll put it aside and pretend I’m coming back to it later.
With limited time before I move overseas and a closet full of books waiting to be read, I had to be harsh about this. If I’m not enjoying a book, I don’t have time to force myself to finish it, or to carry it around pretending I’m going to read it. Instead, I let it go and move on to something new.
It’s actually liberating—I’m getting better at not being sorry for leaving a book behind. Sometimes, a book just doesn’t gel with you, and that’s okay.
3. Re-read the best ones
By ‘best’ I mean the books that speak to you. The ones that change your life. The ones you quote from and tell your friends about.
Re-reading is the best way I’ve found of really solidifying those ideas and stories that I love so much. It’s not only gratifying to remember why you enjoyed a book so much the first time, but like watching a film or play again and again, you take away something new each time.
- Belle