A Small Guide to Start Reading or Get Back to Books

"It's strange because sometimes, I read a book, and I think I am the people in the book."

- Stephen Chbosky, The Perks of Being a Wallflower.

I have always liked reading. As a kid, I read a lot more than I do today. It seldom surprises me that my craze for Harry Potter made me finish The Cursed Child in two and a half hours. Of course, I saw scolded a lot later for being a temporary hermit, away from the world and deep into Hogwarts, as I read that book in the bathroom those two hours. Reading for me is an escape from reality and its plagues. Being a kid who shifted from cities to cities every two to three years and with no long-lasting friends, Wiglaf from The Dragon Slayers' Academy was my only friend. It was also my first read I well remember. Although I read only the first book, the thirst to complete the series is perpetual. 

Reading is an activity of great significance in anybody's life. It can make you travel places, attend events you never thought you can even get tickets for, be involved in someone's life by being a passive reader or observer and much more. It truly transforms people. It can give one warmth that even the entire world can't. It works magic. But many people struggle to take this journey of beautiful stories. And it is alright to feel apprehended about not being a reader. Maybe you have always wanted to read books and even tried some but never found the One. Others might have read earlier but lost their path in recent years. I am one of them. If you are someone who wants to start enjoying books, reading this article is your first step. So congratulate yourself for accomplishing it and let's begin!

Step 1:  Start with books no more than 100-120 pages.

Starting to read for the first time or revisiting books can become a tiresome activity if one picks up a 400 or 500 pages long book. The width of the book will itself scare you away and the font will do enough to never make you return. Even if you really want to read Pride and Prejudice, its width of 367 pages as a Penguin Classic will buy you off even before you reach page five. Trust me, it bought me off.

It is better to start with 100 to 120 pages long, light genre books. They won't ask for a lot of mental workout and give you relaxation. It will take lesser time to complete as compared to heavy books. The satisfaction of completing the book will also encourage you to pick another book and frame momentum. 

Step 2:  Decide your book by reading the first 10 pages of 5 different genres.

Deciding the first book can be tricky when you have so many options. All genres seem thrilling as different people review them. Some might say motivational books are the ones to go, while others might suggest crime and thriller as cutting edge. Your first book is your choice. Reading is an open-end experience. There are no mistakes in reading. It is absolutely okay to leave a book mid-reading if it doesn't appeal to you. But for your first book, try to analyse your choices and interests. Take five books of different genres. Get E-books or read online as buying hard copies of five books at the very beginning might not be logical to all. E-books will do just fine. You can take five genres like romance, thriller, poetry, classic, and mystery. You can form any combinations. Read the first 10 pages of each book. 10 pages of a particular book must be read in a single day and shouldn't be prolonged further. After reading these 50 pages, rewind back, recall what you read in every book and understand which book really grabbed you. And finally, continue that book. In this process, you must remain unbiased to the author and the book irrespective of the reviews.

Step 3:  Choose the book based on your emotional state.

Your current emotional state influences your reading a lot. Although we may read to calm ourselves, sometimes the imbalance in our emotional equilibrium is such that it ceases to calm the reader. Generally, people who read on a daily basis develop a habitual fighting mode that automatically neutralizes all their problems and makes them only focus on reading. So, even after a hectic day at work, one might find mental peace to read for an hour. When you begin reading, choose a book that coordinates with the feeling you are longing for. For instance, if you are feeling low due to financial stress, don't read a finance-related book. Look for what kind of company you want at the moment. Maybe you want a romantic getaway, so grab a romance novel. It is important to understand that reading a book should not be interrupted by your negative emotional state. Reading is supposed to help you relax and calm down, apart from imparting knowledge.

Step 4:  Don't start with books.

For some people, books might be a difficult starting point. People might not get interested just by the look of a book or feel low on self-esteem and give up before even starting. It is okay. Start with comic books, editorials in newspapers, magazine articles, essays or even fan fiction on Wattpad and other sites. Even reading a fire extinguisher or refrigerator manual counts. But remember to challenge yourself to longer readings and try to get closer to books. The idea is to develop a comfort zone, practise the activity and eventually challenge yourself to reach the ultimate goal by getting out of the comfort zone with the same practising module.

Step 5:  Write with the author.

Pick the title, cover design, genre, characters, and plot and summary of the book you are about to read. You may take the book plot and summary from the book's Google description or reviews. Be unbiased regardless of the reviews. Now frame a story yourself. Develop a story you think the writer would have written in the book or that you want to read considering the above factors from the book. You may write a story of about 100 to 200 words. If more, go ahead. The goal here is to connect you with the book and the author and develop your imaginative skills. You may frame your story and then start reading the book. The meaning behind the cover design and the title will get deeper and you will feel more engrossed and connected to the story. It will also form a critical image of the author.

Step 6:  Play games. Read fanfiction. But don't watch the movie. 

If you are reading books that have a series of other books following it like Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, Percy Jackson, Twilight, and so on, try to read fanfiction of their stories. If you like to play games and read books or you are trying to develop the habit of reading, you can do so through games. For series like above, you can play Choose Your Own Adventure games or book-themed games. It will maintain your excitement and interest in the series and make you think of possible happenings in the next book. Moreover, do not watch movies before reading the books. Many more books are being turned into movies nowadays and even though you may think like 'let's just watch the movie first, the book can be read later', the book rarely comes in hand. The book is forgotten but the movie stays. Try to avoid that. The human brain gets more attracted to audiovisual presentations but books hold a lot more important points that make the story even more stunning. Try to read the book first and watch the movie later.

Step 7:  Start with Children's books or Short Stories.

Many people feel restless with novels or literarily big books. It is better to start with children's books or short stories then. Children's books can make you nostalgic about your childhood days and bring favourable and positive memories that may help to stimulate concentration and interest in the book. Short stories, on the other hand, may prevent you from feeling 'when will this book end'. They will give you small satisfactions and it will eventually encourage you to complete bigger stories and books. The familiarity with the characters and their naive personalities can be a calming agent for people with anxiety.

Step 8:  Read with appropriate music.

It is scientifically proven that listening to music while studying or working can motivate you, improve your mood, and stimulate the brain with better management of fatigue and stress. The same goes for reading. While some people prefer library silence, the young generation likes to experience music with reading. Reading with genre or environment appropriate music can help you read better and faster. For a classic like Wuthering Heights or Frankenstein, one may play dark academia music or orchestral music or plain violin or piano. Whereas, for reading Manga comics or light comedy books or business/money related books, Japanese lo-fi music may sound good. Try to listen to instrumental music rather than lyrical as the lyrics might obstruct your reading and you may start to lip-sync the lyrics. Similarly, French and Spanish songs can also be listened to give a different environment and also prevent you from lip-syncing (unless you know French or Spanish or that particular song).

Step 9: Maintaining reading speed.

An important doubt that clouds a beginner reader is the reading pace. Should I read faster or slower? How many pages a day or in how many days should I complete a book? 

If you consider Step 1 and read a book of 100-120 pages, as a beginner, four days should be enough for you to complete the book as an adult, young adult or teenager. 25 pages a day is the right goal for a day with a reading time of 90-120 mins. You may also increase or decrease your speed based on your vocabulary, as searching for words take extra time. Moreover, the absorption rate at the beginning is incredibly low so absorbing and understanding the text may seem difficult. You may adjust your speed to your need but it should get better with time.

Step 10:  Share what you read.

The best way to retain what you read and understand your own experience throughout the book is to share it with other people. You may write Google reviews, Goodreads reviews, personal reviews, essays or even letters to the author showing your confidence or distrust in the book. It will sharpen your critical analysis of literary pieces and help you gain confidence upon completion of the book. It is important to tell your view on the book to the world, as it matters.

Lastly, persistence, open-mindedness, and acceptance of new things are equally important while reading a book. And, of course, you must enjoy the literary work with all your heart. It must give you warmth and a sense of belongingness with serenity. Well, then folks, Happy Reading!

Pick a book because it is time to begin your journey to the Island of Books and join fellow readers.

Bon voyage!

Book Recommendations (100-120 pages books) - 

• Three Men in a Boat
• The Canterville Ghost
• Goosebumps
• The Dragon Slayer's Academy
• Books by Sudha Murty
• Books by Ruskin Bond
• The Metamorphosis
• I Remain in Darkness
• Stories by Premchand
• Utopia
• The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
• The Call of the Wind
• A Modest Proposal
• Animal Farm
• The Little Prince
• The Communist Manifesto
• A Christmas Carol
• Siddhartha
• The Old Man and the Sea
• The Art of War
• The Yellow Wallpaper
• We Should All Be Feminists
• Very Good Lives
• The Awakening
• X-Men, Avengers, Spider-Man, DC comics
• Archies comics
• Letters to a Young Poet
• Difficult Women: A Memoir of Three
• Women and Power: A Manifesto
• The origin of others
• The Ethics of Ambiguity
• Why I Write
• The Descent of Man

Article by - Vasudha Sharma

Written on - May 11th, 2021