14 Ways to Cultivate a Lifetime Reading Habit
“To acquire the habit of reading is to construct for yourself a refuge from almost all the miseries of life.” — W. Somerset Maugham
Somewhere after “lose weight”, “stop procrastinating”, and “fall in love”, “read more” is one of the top goals that many people set for themselves. And rightly so: A good book can be hugely satisfying, can teach you about things beyond your daily horizons, and can create characters so vivid you feel as if you really know them.
If reading is a habit you’d like to get into, there are a number of ways to cultivate it.
First, realize that reading is highly enjoyable, if you have a good book. If you have a lousy book (or an extremely difficult one) and you are forcing yourself through it, it will seem like a chore. If this happens for several days in a row, consider abandoning the book and finding one that you’ll really love.
Other than that, try these tips to cultivate a lifetime reading habit:
- Set times. You should have a few set times during every day when you’ll read for at least 5-10 minutes. These are times that you will read no matter what — triggers that happen each day. For example, make it a habit to read during breakfast and lunch (and even dinner if you eat alone). And if you also read every time you’re sitting on the can, and when you go to bed, you now have four times a day when you read for 10 minutes each — or 40 minutes a day. That’s a great start, and by itself would be an excellent daily reading habit. But there’s more you can do.
- Always carry a book. Wherever you go, take a book with you. When I leave the house, I always make sure to have my drivers license, my keys and my book, at a minimum. The book stays with me in the car, and I take it into the office and to appointments and pretty much everywhere I go, unless I know I definitely won’t be reading (like at a movie). If there is a time when you have to wait (like at a doctor’s office or at the DMV), whip out your book and read. Great way to pass the time.
- Make a list. Keep a list of all the great books you want to read. You can keep this in your journal, in a pocket notebook, on your personal home page, on your personal wiki, wherever. Be sure to add to it whenever you hear about a good book, online or in person. Keep a running list, and cross out the ones you read. Tech trick: create a Gmail account for your book list, and email the address every time you hear about a good book. Now your inbox will be your reading list. When you’ve read a book, file it under “Done”. If you want, you can even reply to the message (to the same address) with notes about the book, and those will be in the same conversation thread, so now your Gmail account is your reading log too.
- Find a quiet place. Find a place in your home where you can sit in a comfortable chair (don’t lay down unless you’re going to sleep) and curl up with a good book without interruptions. There should be no television or computer near the chair to minimize distractions, and no music or noisy family members/roommates. If you don’t have a place like this, create one.
- Reduce television/Internet. If you really want to read more, try cutting back on TV or Internet consumption. This may be difficult for many people. Still, every minute you reduce of Internet/TV, you could use for reading. This could create hours of book reading time.
- Read to your kid. If you have children, you must, must read to them. Creating the reading habit in your kids is the best way to ensure they’ll be readers when they grow up … and it will help them to be successful in life as well. Find some great children’s books, and read to them. At the same time, you’re developing the reading habit in yourself … and spending some quality time with your child as well.
- Keep a log. Similar to the reading list, this log should have not only the title and author of the books you read, but the dates you start and finish them if possible. Even better, put a note next to each with your thoughts about the book. It is extremely satisfying to go back over the log after a couple of months to see all the great books you’ve read.
- Go to used book shops. My favorite place to go is a discount book store where I drop off all my old books (I usually take a couple of boxes of books) and get a big discount on used books I find in the store. I typically spend only a couple of dollars for a dozen or more books, so although I read a lot, books aren’t a major expense. And it is very fun to browse through the new books people have donated. Make your trip to a used book store a regular thing.
- Have a library day. Even cheaper than a used book shop is a library, of course. Make it a weekly trip.
- Read fun and compelling books. Find books that really grip you and keep you going. Even if they aren’t literary masterpieces, they make you want to read — and that’s the goal here. After you have cultivated the reading habit, you can move on to more difficult stuff, but for now, go for the fun, gripping stuff. Stephen King, John Grisham, Tom Clancy, Robert Ludlum, Nora Roberts, Sue Grafton, Dan Brown … all those popular authors are popular for a reason — they tell great stories. Other stuff you might like: Vonnegut, William Gibson, Douglas Adams, Nick Hornby, Trevanian, Ann Patchett, Terry Pratchett, Terry McMillan, F. Scott Fitzgerald. All excellent storytellers.
- Make it pleasurable. Make your reading time your favorite time of day. Have some good tea or coffee while you read, or another kind of treat. Get into a comfortable chair with a good blanket. Read during sunrise or sunset, or at the beach.
- Blog it. One of the best ways to form a habit is to put it on your blog. If you don’t have one, create one. It’s free. Have your family go there and give you book suggestions and comment on the ones you’re reading. It keeps you accountable for your goals.
- Set a high goal. Tell yourself that you want to read 50 books this year (or some other number like that). Then set about trying to accomplish it. Just be sure you’re still enjoying the reading though — don’t make it a rushed chore.
- Have a reading hour or reading day. If you turn off the TV or Internet in the evening, you could have a set hour (perhaps just after dinner) when you and maybe all the members of your family read each night. Or you could do a reading day, when you (and again, your other family members if you can get them to join you) read for practically the whole day. It’s super fun.
Have any tips for creating the reading habit? Or any favorite books or authors to share? Let us know in the comments!
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Comments
Abby says on June 25th, 2007 at 4:53 pm
Great post but a little short on the library recommendation. On nice weather evenings when there’s nothing else going on, my husband and I will take the mile and a half walk to the town library.
I usually cruise around the new books for awhile, but he settles right down with a magazine.
When we get bored (or thrown out), we amble home occasionally with a borrowed new book or dvd.
What could be more pleasant?
Leo Babauta says on June 25th, 2007 at 5:16 pm
Hi Abby … thanks for expanding on the library bit. I should have written more, but I figured everyone knows the advantages and pleasures of a library, so I didn’t want to overstate the obvious. I love your simple and pleasurable library routine!
Bloggrrl says on June 25th, 2007 at 7:26 pm
I am one of the people who needs to set a goal of reading less. I think I need to watch more tv, then I’d be able to join in a lot more conversations, which if you think about it, is kinda sad.
Great post.
catherine says on June 25th, 2007 at 9:23 pm
I really like the goodreads site – I get to see what other people are reading, keep track of what I’ve read, make a list of all the things I mean to read one day… it’s a great site.
Jeff says on June 25th, 2007 at 9:24 pm
Re: Make a List: Instead of the Gmail account trick, I list all the books I want to read on a wish list on amazon.com. Whenever I buy one (or get one as a gift!), it comes off the wish list. That way, I always have a reference of what books I’ve had an interest in, and other people have the chance to buy them for me!
Starleads says on June 26th, 2007 at 1:47 am
There s already so much to read on the blogs, Rss, sites, ebooks. How can you get down to read some more ?
Grant says on June 26th, 2007 at 2:10 am
I love the Gmail hint. I also have upward of 90 eBooks on my Palm hand held device. Very handy for snatching a few extra minutes reading throughout the day – light too and as it has a mobile phone inbuilt I carry it wherever I go.
amanda says on June 26th, 2007 at 3:46 am
Great post. I’ve found that keeping lists has REALLY encouraged me to read more. I pretty much carry a moleskine with me wherever I go, so I keep a section dedicated to books I hear about or see that I’d like to read. Another section is dedicated to listing the books I’ve read, with a few sentences of what I thought of it. When I read a book on my “to read” list, I check it off with the date completed. It’s very satisfying to look over my list of books read, and looking at my comments on them is like revisiting them in a nice, brief way. Plus writing my thoughts on them helps me process the book more completely. Anyway, your gmail suggestion is a great e-solution to my system!
rajab says on June 26th, 2007 at 4:47 am
tht was a good one.. CHEERS!!
kevin liuze says on June 26th, 2007 at 9:46 am
Dear Leo Babauta:
I want to translate your great article to chinese, in order to more people know it and share it , thx.
Paul Huff says on June 26th, 2007 at 10:02 am
I don’t think most people know about this site, but there’s a Web 2.0-ish site that’s sort of the Last.fm of books called Goodreads (goodreads.com). My wife, an avid reader, found it a couple of weeks ago and has been liking it a lot.
Karol says on June 26th, 2007 at 10:20 am
One thing I did to encourage myself to read books I might not otherwise select was to join a monthly book group. It’s so interesting to hear what other people though and our discussions really give me a different perspective on the book. I know it takes time if your schedule is busy but it’s only a couple hours a month. Thanks for a great article.
Vijay Teach Me says on June 26th, 2007 at 10:27 am
Hi,
I like the following points.
set a time
always carry a book
read to your kid
reduce television/internet definitely works for me
Vijay
Jeff Scurry says on June 26th, 2007 at 11:17 pm
I absolutely agree that one should have a book at all times. The amount of reading I do while waiting is significant.
Great post. Thank Copyblogger for bringing me over.
Balfour says on June 27th, 2007 at 8:11 am
On the library point: some of us live in cities with very bad libraries, such as DC. I’ve lived in great library places where you never have to buy books, but this isn’t one of them. I’m a regular at a couple of great used book stores in my neighborhood. I bring in books I’ve finished to one of these to trade in for credit on more books. The other one only takes books as donations–it raises money for literacy–and always has lots of great books at very minimal prices. Hog heaven!
I keep lists of books on the Amazon wish list feature, which I also find is a great way to put a “hold” on buying something. I can keep track of things I might want to read, but also cull items later that it turns out aren’t that important and avoid impulse buying. I have a very long wish list because I don’t hold back throwing something on there if it interests me. It’s a waiting area to cool down book-buying furor. And that way I don’t pay full price and can usually get books used.
I also keep a booklist in my PalmPilot. I esp. like to collect all the books that come in a series before I start reading the series, to make sure I have them all. It’s very satisfying to see the titles for the series accumulate and then dig in.
Matthew Cornell says on June 27th, 2007 at 5:14 pm
Fantastic tips – thanks very much. I also recommend Steve Leveen’s book “The Little Guide to Your Well-Read Life.” I describe his system for reading here, FYI:
A reading workflow based on Leveen’s “Little Guide”
http://ideamatt.blogspot.com/2.....veens.html
Aliza says on June 28th, 2007 at 9:08 pm
I too put books I am interested in on my Amazon wishlist. That way when I need a treat I just go to my wishlist, look for one of my choices that’s used and under $5 and I’m all set! Sometimes I use that same list and get books from the library. I am very selective about the books I buy these days, so I will buy the ones I absolutely must have (used and at a very low price) and get the rest from the library.
Samer N. says on June 29th, 2007 at 8:32 am
You may also track the books you are reading ( or want to read ) by using the Books application on FaceBook.com . It pulls all the data from amazon and has support for multiple languages!
Cheers,
Samer.
Sara says on July 1st, 2007 at 11:47 am
One thing I do on my written list of books I have heard about is to list who recommended the book. That way if I get several I like that they have told me about I can learn to seek out their thoughts. Also then if I get several I don’t like from that person, I can learn to not take that person’s advice on books.
Rob says on July 1st, 2007 at 12:53 pm
These are all great ideas. Four months ago I compiled a list of “must read” books after collecting several of the “top 100″ lists I found on the Web. There are so many classics I never got around to reading, and now I’m eating them up.
I wish there was a kind of literary nutritional guide for books — something that gave me an idea of reading difficulty, cultural relevance, and writing style. I don’t want to limit myself to just a few styles – but I would find such a guide useful for scheduling my reading list – so I can mix things up a little. Has anyone heard of such a thing?
Warren says on July 1st, 2007 at 6:41 pm
Some additional techniques, encouragement and list sources for professional reading are available at
Discovering a Key Strategy for Personal & Career Development
Nobody says on July 1st, 2007 at 10:08 pm
Music is a good thing if outside noises are distracting, such as if you have a roommate who always has the television on. However, I recommend non-vocal music such as electronic or classical (not even opera!) because even a foreign language can be distracting! However, music alone is not such a distraction.
Michel says on August 12th, 2007 at 9:10 am
The article is good, but misses of thing: why is it so important to read more?
It seems people think that reading is inherently good, even if the books you read are not.
Carrie says on August 30th, 2007 at 9:55 pm
“Books help us to find meaning, if not answers, to our eternal questions: Who am I? Where am I going?” –Wm. H. Armstrong
I also like DailyLit – http://www.dailylit.com/ – they send out-of-copyright books, a piece a day, to your email inbox or RSS reader. It’s a great way to work your way through those books you always meant to read.
Poornima says on October 10th, 2007 at 2:38 am
Hi
I also read a wide range of books.I think book reading is a very good habit.
It not only improves your vocabulary but also your imagination .
My favourite books include
Terminal,MindBend,Toxin,Fatal Cure,Sphinx,Chromosome 6 (Robin Cook)
Deception Point,Angels And Demons (Dan Brown)
AynRand books-We The Living,The Fountain Head,Atlas Shrugged
Koteswara says on December 23rd, 2008 at 9:51 am
It is a nice article with great tips. I especially liked the initial quote of Somerset Maugham. Reading is to mind as exercise is to body sums up the significance of reading, of course good literature, as a healthy habit. This is the era of lifelong learning and only the perpetual learners will thrive and succeed in the longrun. Reading plays a key role in that lifelong and continuous learning. Great job. Thanq, KT
aby says on May 24th, 2009 at 2:18 pm
Greate…i an starting the habit now…soi just searched to get some tips…u helped me
Ashish says on November 21st, 2009 at 5:05 pm
Well I dont think that one should read or do anything else while eating .