Having just completed a longer non-fiction book that took me a while to finish, it feels like a good time to talk about how I read these days, which in some ways is different than how I have read for most of my life.
How
Format is the biggest difference between how I read now versus how I used to read. In March 2021, I bought my first e-reader and since then that’s been the main way that I read books, rather than the paper formats I was very committed to before then. I’ll write about what I like about my particular e-reader and what I see as the pros and cons of e-readers vs. paper books separately, but right now, I will limit myself to saying that I now much prefer reading on my device to reading paper books. That said, I do believe that for me, the various advantages of reading books on a digital device helped and supported my return to regular book reading, along with many other factors. But that might not be true for you and I definitely do not want to suggest or argue that re-building your book-reading habit requires switching to an e-reader.
When
I like to read at least a paragraph first thing in the morning, just after I wake up and have become alert – ideally before I reach for my phone. This is the tiny habit I used to rebuild my book-reading habit. I like this time to read for a few reasons. It sets a nice, book-ish, non-reactive tone to the day – more so than checking my email or social media first thing in the morning does. It provides an immediate small sense of accomplishment that helps to create positive momentum for the day. Book reading is something I want to do every day, and as soon as I’ve done that – even the tiny habit version – I can check something off my list. And all this is aside from what is often the main reward, which is the pleasure of reading itself. So all in all, a very good way to start the day.
Deciding to read first thing in the morning, rather than leaving it till the end of the day when I was tired and didn’t have the motivation or mental energy to break out of the habit of watching some kind of streaming video service was a new thing for me and a key step in rebuilding my reading habit. It’s one that I’d recommend that others take, or at least consider, because I know it’s not just me who runs out of energy, motivation and willpower by the end of the day.
However, depending on your schedule and lifestyle, there are some downsides to reading at this time of day too. I’m a morning person and do best when I exercise early in the day. I also find my motivation, creativity and energy are highest at this time of the day, so I sometimes feel frustrated or resentful towards whatever tasks come between me and getting things on my to-do list accomplished. This means I often feel pulled in multiple directions while reading in the morning, which prevents me from really settling in and enjoying whatever book I’ve got on the go – and it can be frustrating to have to put a book away after only a few pages. Nevertheless, for all the reasons I mentioned, I still think it’s a very good time to read, if only for a short time.
My favourite time to read these days is in the evening before I’m too tired and when I have managed to organize my day to allow for a relatively early bedtime – meaning an early time to go to bed and read, rather than to sleep. Reading before going to sleep is not a new thing for me, but I do enjoy it even more now that I have an e-reader that switches to warm orange light in the evenings, so as not to over-expose me to the blue light that contributes to wakefulness. Since the screen itself provides ample light for reading, I particularly like to turn off the nightstand lamp and snuggle down to read in the dark. I just find it super cozy. This also has the advantage of not disturbing anyone else you might be sharing a bed with who is already sleeping. I also like that my e-reader is light and easier to hold than many books, certainly hardcover ones and this is nice for night-time and bed-time reading too.
These are my two main times to read, but I do take my e-reader with me if I’m going on errands and expect to be taking transit or waiting anywhere. I also like to set aside chunks of daytime on weekends for reading and squeeze a few pages on breaks or while eating on regular work days. I guess that covers the “where” part of how I read these days too – it is almost always when I’m at home, especially because that’s where I work from.
What
As for who and what I read, I have and will deal with that in separate posts about books I’ve enjoyed – but I do read both fiction and non-fiction. Regardless of subject matter or genre though, what I read is mainly library books, rather than books I own. And this means that I have to devote time to maintaining and managing my various to-read/could-read lists and my holds queue at the public library. I have enough to say about all that to merit a separate post or two…