Reading can be Fun
By Abigail Lashmar
New year! New Goals! New habits everyone is trying to put into practice. I know the
common resolutions have to do with exercise, eating habits etc. However, as a major
bookworm myself, I’m going to write this article with the attempt of convincing you to pick up
a book, regardless of whether it’s for fun for a required read for that dreaded english class. I
know the idea of reading often seems a bit boring, takes too much energy, requires too much
focus and so on. I have encountered these and many more obstacles throughout me finding
my joy of reading and I want to offer some suggestions on how to combat these so you as
well can find the joy of reading!
To start, environment is extremely important. For me, laying in my bed with a dim light
usually results in me having a very good nap! I generally like being in an area that has some
noise, but not too much. A comfortable chair and good lighting. Finding an environment
that’s comfortable for you can definitely impact your ability to enjoy the reading experience.
A tip if you are simply trying to find a book to read personally, and are not restricted by a
required read in class; I highly recommend researching different genres and story lines that
interest you! So many books i’ve read have exceptional reviews and I can’t personally enjoy
them. This is totally okay and I heavily recommend experimenting with many genres of
books before concluding you’re not a reader!
My final tip, and my most recommended one, is to experience with different formats of
reading. Things such as physical books, ebooks, audiobooks etc. Switching up which format
I’m reading a book generally helps keep me engaged with the story! Another way I take
advantage of this is by using multiple formats at once. I can often be found listening to an
audiobook while also following with a physical book. This keeps more of my senses engaged
(hearing the book, looking at the page, touching the physical copy of the book) and this
results in a better ability for me to focus.
These are just a few ideas that may increase your ability to not only get through a book
but also hopefully become more engaged with the story and actually enjoy it! Apps such as
goodreads or story graph also allow you to track your reading progress and set reading
goals and such, which usually motivates me to get through more books than I would
otherwise. I hope something in here resonated with you and may assist in completing the
next book you pick up! Happy reading everyone!
