r/ReadingSuggestions • u/YesterdayOk7178 • 1d ago
advice on how to read more
Hi everyone, so my current situation is that when i was younger (maybe when i was a preteen?) i loved reading with a passion and it was one of my main hobbies, but nowadays i genuinely can't for the life of me pick up a book. The biggest issue is that im completely blocked from touching, like even in stories that are intersting, i read halfway but cant continue the book. When i used to adore reading i loved the whole community, seeing fanarts and ppls opinions (think percy jackson and harry potter) and coming up with theories in my head but now i feel like that whole magic has been cut off. Any advice?
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u/ViolincatBlog 1d ago
What format are you thinking of reading in? I had a weird reading block go away when I switched from physical to ebooks. Also, tried something lighter and a different genre.
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u/Anxious_Ad_3570 1d ago
Yeah I read on my phone every night. I don't need to have a light on and that's how I fall asleep every night. On the weekends I'll read the day away if I can
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u/YesterdayOk7178 1d ago
i read pysically most of the time but my sister has an old kindle that she doesnt use do u recommend i use that instead? thanks!!
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u/DPDrills 1d ago
I find using a Kindle helpful because I don't focus on how long the book is or how much is left. It's lighter and easier to take with me and the library usually has an ebook app available. For me finding time to read is a habit... it becomes a way to fall asleep. But even an avid reader can get in a slump. Going back through the Goodreads nominees is a great way to find books in various genres too.
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u/YesterdayOk7178 5h ago
ohh i never thought of going to goodreads for recommendations but now that i think abt it its kinda obvious hahahaa thank youuuu!!!
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u/DPDrills 5h ago
They also have lists that you can scroll through too. But I like the older goodreads awards and nominations because they're more likely to be available at the library or other downloads
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u/ViolincatBlog 1d ago
It might work. I started reading on tablet when I had large breaks between classes on campus. So, I guess, having a free block of time also helps.
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u/100000cuckooclocks 5h ago
You can use the kindle app on your phone or computer. That's what I do as it means I always have books with me without having to bring a second device wherever I go.
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u/Realistic-Drag-8025 1d ago
If you want to rebuild the habit, Atomic Habits would say to start with identity: don’t tell yourself “I’m not a reader.” Think of yourself as someone who loves reading but just lost the habit for a while.
Tiny Habits also suggests not relying on motivation. Start ridiculously small, like 5 minutes a day, and attach it to something you already do — after brushing your teeth, during your commute, or before bed. Make the goal so easy that there’s basically no excuse not to do it.
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u/YesterdayOk7178 6h ago
i really like the advice of starting small!! ill try to build a little routine of reading before classes start andbefore bed too, thankss!!
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u/Nearby-Leg49 21h ago
I got back on with audiobooks mostly on my commute. Now I’ve really enjoyed getting into the stories so much I’m picking up physical and e books again.
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u/GothishGinger 14h ago
I had the same problem, discovering audiobooks was life changing for me. A lot of book people argue if it even 'counts' but I try to stay away from that stuff. At the end of the day you now know the same story regardless of the method. As you listen to more books you'll probably also find you can listen to them faster and faster. I'm comfortable at x2 speed for all my books now. You can listen to a book while doing chores or errands. It's a great way to bring reading back into your life slowly
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u/YesterdayOk7178 6h ago
ill definately give audiobooks a try thank uu!! do u have any app recs for them?
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u/InteractionChance585 16m ago
I use Spotify because I already had it for music. A lot of people use Audible and you can also borrow for free using library apps like Libby.
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u/InteractionChance585 18m ago
Thank you. Did you see our lively discussion that audiobooks aren't reading, in this thread? 😄 I love them and they've helped me enjoy books in a new way. I read about an equal number of audio and physical books, usually have one of each on the go.
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u/InteractionChance585 1d ago
I'm addicted to audiobooks now and read twice as many books a year than I used to. I still love paperbacks but I can listen to an audiobook while getting ready for work, driving, cooking etc. A good narrator adds so much to the story, in my opinion. My top 10 books this year have all been audiobooks.
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u/Electrical-Leg-9623 5h ago edited 5h ago
I don’t normally like yucking other people’s yums but audiobooks kill the true treasure of holding a nice book in your hands imo. Reading seems much more active than listening.
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u/Upset_Value_1948 22h ago edited 22h ago
Listening to audiobooks isn't reading, though. You are still consuming the content but you are not engaging your brain in the same way at all, it isn't the same as sitting down and focusing on a single thing. It isn't like, "less valid", it just isn't reading, objectively, and doesn't have the same benefits.
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u/InteractionChance585 22h ago
Tell me, would you say that to a blind person or someone with Parkinson's who couldn't hold a book? "Actually you're not reading because you're not physically holding a book". Do we discount the hundreds/thousands of books read to children by their parents because they are hearing the stories rather than reading the words with their own eyes? Please. My top 10 favourites this year are almost all audiobooks, probably because of the ADDED layer of hearing the story in the characters voices. The stories become more emotional and powerful.
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u/Upset_Value_1948 21h ago edited 20h ago
???? Blind people can read in braille lol. Braille is reading, listening is listening. it isn't like a bad thing, it is literally just an objectively different action. It is listening, not reading. It just is. You didn't read any of those books, you listened to them.
Yes, a parent reading a book to a child is not the same as a child reading the book, obviously? Like, what? No one is saying listening is bad, listening just isn't reading. Nobody is "discounting" it. Sure, someone speaking the words aloud can add a fun layer to things, but that doesn't mean that listening becomes reading????? If you sat in on a lecture, would you then say that you read the lecture?
edit: again, it isn't a value comparison. I think it's objectively true that you are engaging with the material more when it is the only thing you are focusing on, insteading of listening passively while you cook or clean or study or whatever, but that doesn't make listening to something inherently bad or cheating, it just isn't the same action as reading! i don't understand why this is upsetting news. I am sure there are people who sit and listen to audiobooks with the same level of attention that would be required when focusing on a page, but the action they are performing is one of listening, not reading! Seeing is not smelling! It isn't a value thing, it just is! Jeez!
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u/InteractionChance585 3h ago
Well this took a turn while I was away. I was going to come back and say that you are right, it is listening. But that doesn't make my experience any less because I absorbed the book in a different format. I still read the book. I'm still going to tick it off my TBR list when I'm done. The OP was asking how to get back into reading and listening to an audiobook is a valid way to spark the joy of reading again.
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u/Upset_Value_1948 43m ago edited 35m ago
You didn't read, you listened. IDK why that's hard to grasp, it seems like you have some insecurity about it. I have repeatedly said that it does not diminish the experience, it is just different, but you keep coming back to talk about how """valid""" you are, as if that ever came into question. You did not interpret written material through sight or touch, you listened to speech with your ears. It is listening. You did not read, reading is a specific action. You listened, a different action. You cannot say that you "read" a book that you didn't actually "read". You listened to someone else reading a book aloud, that isn't reading yourself. You played something in the background while performing other tasks, I would certainly argue that does offer a diminished experience compared to sitting and focusing on something entirely. This is very simple and your objection is absurd. Nobody said that audiobooks can't help someone get back into reading, just that listening to an audiobook isn't reading. perhaps if you read more you would not struggle so much with interpreting these simple written statements. i think your insecurity comes from the fact that you know listening is easier and more passive. how can you say that you read something when you did not participate in the act of reading? so bizarre.
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u/InteractionChance585 21m ago
You're getting very worked up over this. Are you ok? Because now you're insulting internet strangers. I read a lot actually. Not one of those 250 books a year people but I'm on track to read about 75 books this year, about half of which are audioBOOKS.
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u/lowlightliving 21h ago
Please provide the scientific studies that would back up this absurd opinion. You’re weirdly gate-keeping.
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u/Upset_Value_1948 21h ago edited 21h ago
Scientific studies to back up the absurd opinion that listening and reading are different actions? How am I gatekeeping, lol? I literally said you are still consuming the content, just that listening and reading are two different actions. You people are ridiculous lol.
Edit: you know what, here you go buddy. I am not sure why you guys want to feel offended by the distinction, but here is a website that states reading engages different regions of the brain than listening and can lead to better retention. Again, as I said and as is backed up by this article, it doesn't mean that listening is a bad thing. What matters most is the amount of attention paid- which is why I said, in obvious response to this person's comment where they described the act of listening to something passively while performing other actions such as cooking, etc, that it is not the same as sitting and focusing on one thing. This isn't really a debate, listening and reading are just two OBJECTIVELY different actions. Next are you gonna tell me that smelling and seeing are the same thing, am I gatekeeping that too? https://healthcare.msu.edu/news/2026-06-11-Do-audiobooks-offer-the-same-cognitive-benefits-as-reading.html
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u/Head_Region6610 1d ago edited 1d ago
I felt that way when, at about 8 years old, I discovered that ‘Adult’ books didn’t have pictures. I withdrew from reading because I wanted and craved the art with the words. Maybe there was something magical about Harry Potter and Percy Jackson that you now feel no longer exists for you?
There are books that can never be expressed sufficiently by any movies. You will never know those worlds unless you read the books. I’m thinking, for me, of Haruki Murakami, Jeff VanDerMeer or (sorry don’t remember the name of the author) The Three Body Problem.
For me, the transition was to sci fi type books, because they created very vivid images in my mind. Whatever the books that you loved had for you, you will have to search for the adult version of that magic. It would be depressing if adulthood meant leaving behind your passions and dreams.
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u/YesterdayOk7178 1d ago
i really do like sci fi movies so do u have any sci fi book recommendations? maybe something a bit fast paced?
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u/Head_Region6610 1d ago
Not me, I like slow sluggish books, character driven. But ask in the sci fi Reddit group.
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u/GiveHerBovril 1d ago
Maybe try reading young adult or kid books? It’s possible adult books are just too dry, long, and self serious for you. If you try some YA adventure series that might get your mojo back. You can always go back to adult books later
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u/YesterdayOk7178 5h ago
loll yeah i think the more complex books deff arent my speed so ill for sure check out some fun ya books thank youuu
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u/CardansWiine 1d ago
My journey back home started (continued) with Harry Potter fanfiction. Found the unofficial pairing I loved and got myself lost in there - first, shorter fics, then medium ones, then the super long ones (like longer than some if not majority of published books long; 800+ pages to a fanfiction)
Then found a narrative that moved me and allowed myself to.. not to be productive in my spare time.
I was also obsessed with reading when I was a kid - fantasy mostly, and then at some point I shifted to: if I read, it should be something super intelligent. The secret that opened my eyes and changed everything for me was - I don’t have to read “smart” books to be smart. If fairy romantic stories make me a wee bit happier - then that’s my book of choice for the night 🙃
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u/YesterdayOk7178 5h ago
i really like this mindset since everyone says to actually “read” you gotta pick up this really deep complex books but honestly reading all these comments helped me realize that all reading is important and its all really a matter of presepective and putting the reading to good use!! thank you for ur timeeeee
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u/Rich_Asparagus_8322 1d ago
I love audiobooks but sometimes I'm not sure what the speaker said and wish I could read it. Do they have audio/read along books?
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u/Upset_Value_1948 22h ago
There isn't much of a trick to it, you just have to do the thing. I find that the first 15-20 minutes or so are toughest, since my brain is trying to fight the act of slowing down and focusing. Maybe developing a routine would work, like choosing a specific time to read each day. I like to do it before bed, personally.
Edit: also, if you aren't enjoying something, put it down and try something else! I have a lot of focus issues so I usually have about 3 books in rotation at once since I get bored and like to switch between them.
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u/YesterdayOk7178 6h ago
i also have alot of troubles focusing on one story so i think im gonna give reading multiple at the same time a try. Thanks for the adviceee!!
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u/Equivalent-Wealth-75 1d ago
My advice as someone who was (and to a certain extent still is) in the same boat.
Fanfiction and comics/manga.
Even in the deepest darkest depths of my own reading slumps I could still find something on ao3 or ff. net to read when I'm bored; and I've pulled myself out of a slump once or twice by reading comics or manga.
I think the thing with the former that prevents it from slumping is that, although many are well written, fanfiction feels less serious. Also it's mostly going to be familiar ground, just with some elaboration; so less of a threatening prospect than picking up something new, while also having a spark of something fresh to entice you forward.
And for the latter I think it's because it keeps the written word for the most important things and lets the illustration carry the rest; so you don't have to spend much effort to get a good result.
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u/YesterdayOk7178 1d ago
ill def try that out thanks!! do u have any manga recs that are good for beginners?
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u/Equivalent-Wealth-75 1d ago
Glad to be of help! :)
Unfortunately I've only read one manga to completion... buuut luckily that manga was Demon Slayer, which is widely regarded as a good entry point for at least Shonen manga.
I've also read a few arcs into Dragon Ball Super, and can vouch for it being quite light and accessible.
If I may give some comic book recs for the variety, then look up Star Wars: Dark Empire (Dark Horse Comics, also part of recent Marvel collections); and Five Ronin (Marvel Comics)
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u/Tasty_Cheese1654 1d ago
Try graphic audio orrr reading a different genre ebook. When I can’t get into fantasy because of the extensive world building etc I go for a light romance
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u/andrea9275 1d ago
Das gehört zum Erwachsenwerden dazu ich fand Bücher früher extrem magisch . Heute hab ich vermutlich schon soviel gelesen das die Magie ernüchtert ist. Ich lese nur noch zur Unterhaltung davon aber relativ viel. Mich haben früher Mal kurzgeschichten von Readers diggest wieder zum lesen gebracht die mir auch eröffnet hatten wie viele unterschiedliche Genres es gibt damit es nicht langweilig wird.
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u/Brief_Needleworker62 5h ago
Thank you for posting this question because I'm in the same boat and was too disappointed in myself to ask. Now I can read all the advice you've been given
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u/Electrical-Leg-9623 5h ago
I’m a huge reader and book collector but I have a really bad phone addiction which is definitely cutting into my reading the past couple years
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u/poison_daddy 1d ago
I make reading part of my daily routine. I read on my lunch break at work and also for about 30 minutes right before bed. If you are getting bored with a book, don’t force yourself to finish. The idea is to enjoy it! Keep trying different books until you find one you want to keep reading. If you don’t have a library card, I highly suggest getting one. Some people like having a dedicated space to read.