Start reading more

And balancing non-fiction and fiction

At school, we’re forced to read particular books. Some good, some terrible, but rarely books just for you and just to enjoy. That’s a shame! Because what more does it teach you than having to suffer through a book?

There is a book for everyone
- my mom

Books are to be enjoyed. You should only read books that you enjoy reading. Be that for the prose, the content, or the learnings. Not all books are easy to get through, but there is a large difference between a book that gives you a struggle and a book you genuinely dislike.

Give it 50 pages or so. If after 50 pages you dread picking up the book, just let it be. Start another book. Something that you’re likely going to enjoy. Your excitement for reading in general is going to be affected by every single book you pickup. There is not enough time in life to read bad books. And probably most books are simply not for you.

A book

How to read more (than nothing)

I promise you that life gets just a little better if you read a little more. Here are some ways you can do that:

• Make it a ritual: Rather than having to do the mental effort of deciding to read, create a ritual that you always follow. For me it’s bedtime. I go to bed a bit earlier than necessary and spend time in bed reading. Always. Every single day. There’s a good book on this actually: Atomic Habits.

• Get an e-reader: I’m pretty sure any e-reader is good at this point. I’ve used Kindle’s for a long time and I found them all to be good. In particular I like that it’s easy to buy books both from my computer or phone, as well as from the kindle itself. There are many advantages to reading on an e-reader: a backlight so you can read at night without other lights (or disturbing your snoring partner), nearly infinite storage for books, and the fact that they are always very light and portable. I also really like the “look up the meaning of this word” feature that my Kindle has. I read in three different languages and find myself using it regularly.

• Buy more books than you can read: You don’t need to read all the books you buy. Buy books that sound interesting and be happy you have access to them. That’s okay. No guilt necessary for not reading a book you bought. Every book you buy increases the chance you have a book that you feel like reading. So give yourself a big chance by buying lots of books. Price and quality in books are not correlated, so buying lots of cheap books is actually super smart.

• Visit a library: Libraries are free, amazing places to be. Go there, ask for a book.

An e-reader

Not all reading is the same

That said, not all books are the same, and not all reading is the same. If you only ever read easy-to-read fiction that’s OK, but you’re likely not gaining much from the effort or leisure of reading. You’re taking a stroll through what is barely considered literature. Yet, there certainly is a place for that, and it’s a really great way to relax before going to sleep.

I chase challenge, and so with reading I balance my leisurely reading of the works of Asimov, Sanderson and currently Iain M. Banks, with books that challenge or teach me things. When I’m particularly tired, I go for the easy books, but most days I just read whatever the current books is - be that easy or to learn.

Books that teach things are quite simple to find if you’re very interested in all the things, but I do have recommendations:

1. Read about things you hear about but don’t know about. A good example is whatever current war is happening. Find a book on the history of one of the involved parties up to the present. Yes, I hear you, real fun. But it does help you gain perspective. In particular you will find that reality is always a lot more messy and nuanced than the current narrative in the media.

2. Biographies. These tend to be long (but not always), but are always written to be interesting to the reader. A good biography makes you wonder how you would do things, and helps you reflect on your own life and what you could do. My take-away is that for all greatness hard work is a requirement.

3. Ask a friend about their most niche non-fiction book they’ve enjoyed and just read that. This might be about knitting, the design of a racecar, or a history of the DOOM video game. Everything is interesting - and often books about things you don’t know can open your eyes to another world entirely.

App tip

Margins is an incredible book tracker. I highly recommend it if you want to track the books you’ve read and those that you want to read.