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Chapter 1: How can I overcome distractions to get back into reading?
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You're listening to Life Kit, from NPR. Hey, it's Marielle. I have this daydream where I go to the park and read under a tree. The sun is shining. The temperature is not too hot, but not chilly either. The ground beneath me is comfortable. I have snacks on hand. I'm hydrated. And I am captivated by the book in front of me. It doesn't usually pan out like this.
In reality, two minutes in, I'm sweating, my butt hurts from sitting on tree roots, I realize I forgot the snacks, and I can't focus. So I close the book, go home, turn on the TV. A lot of us make this mistake when it comes to reading. We think it should feel romantic, like this landmark event in our day.
You know, we have this imagination that like, oh, reading time is like this luxurious thing. I'm in my armchair sipping scotch.
Kevin Wynn is the author of the novels My Documents and New Waves. And in 2017, he wrote an article for GQ called How to Read a Whole Damn Book Every Week.
You have to make it a more regular habit than that. Because if you just wait for all those times when you're drinking scotch, hopefully you don't drink that much scotch. Hope you read more than you drink scotch. But yeah, if you wait for all those moments, you're never going to finish a book.
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Chapter 2: What tips can help me establish a regular reading habit?
What I had to do is what I'm going to tell your listener. For two weeks, I forced myself to read 20 minutes a day, only 20 minutes, as if I was just going to force myself to try to be that older version of a reader. And I will admit it took me two weeks. And then it was like coming home to my old reading self. Coming up, how to choose a book you can't put down.
On June 11th, the globe's biggest sporting event comes to North America, the FIFA World Cup. The Super Bowl, you might say, averages something over 100 million live viewers, but the World Cup final, I think like five times that much. The favorites, the underdogs, and the Americanization of the world's game. Listen now to the Sunday story from the Up First podcast on the NPR app.
All right, takeaway three. If you want to read more, you've got to pick the right books. Right for you and right for the moment. Kevin Wynn tries to match the books he reads to the amount of time he has available.
I'm usually reading a couple novels at a time, a nonfiction book, and then maybe a comic book. They just feel so different. And then, like, when I found myself with, like, you know, 20 to 40 minutes on a commute, that was enough time for me to get through a bit of the novel.
Because books have different textures and they demand different kinds of attention, it's smart to adjust accordingly. Like you might want to read something lighter when you're at the DMV. Different books demand different paces.
And some books can be read quite, you know, quickly. The fact is, Sid Hartick can be read a lot faster than Narcissus and Goldman or Glass Bead Game or poetry. Poetry requires a different pace, too.
Now, if you're trying to read a book and you've been struggling to get into it, ask yourself, do I even like this? Tracy Thomas is the host of the literary podcast The Stacks.
For my work, I have to read books and finish books that I do not always like. I can tell you usually within 10 to 20 pages if I will like a book.
But your reading hobby is not a job, and you don't have to finish that book.
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Chapter 3: Why is reading on paper more beneficial than on devices?
Takeaway one, read when you can, wherever you are. Takeaway two, you'll do your best deep reading on paper, not on a device. Takeaway three, if you want to read more, you've got to pick the right books. Try matching the books you read to the time you have available. And if you don't like a book, put it down. There are so many other options.
And takeaway four, to keep the momentum going, try setting some goals, maybe starting a reading journal. But if that feels overwhelming or like it's going to stop you from opening a book at all, skip it. Remember, the priority is simply to read more and experience the joy that comes with it. For more Life Kit, check out our other episodes.
We have one on how to make a small home feel bigger and another on whether you should buy gold right now. Also, we love hearing from you, so if you have episode ideas or feedback you want to share, email us at lifekit at npr.org. This episode of LifeKit was produced by Sylvie Douglas. Our digital editor is Malika Garib, and our visuals editor is CJ Rikalan.
Megan Cain is our senior supervising editor, and Beth Donovan is our executive producer. Our production team also includes Andy Tegel, Claire Marie Schneider, and Margaret Serino. Engineering support comes from Sina Lefredo. Act checking by Tyler Jones. Special thanks to Barclay Walsh. I'm Mariel Segarra. Thanks for listening.
On June 11th, the globe's biggest sporting event comes to North America, the FIFA World Cup. The Super Bowl, you might say, averages something over 100 million live viewers, but the World Cup final, I think like five times that much. The favorites, the underdogs, and the Americanization of the world's game. Listen now to the Sunday story from the Up First podcast on the NPR app.
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