By: Lauren Pawloski and Kaitlyn Knepper
I do believe something very magical can happen when you read a good book. -- J.K. Rowling
Are you looking to become more of a reader? Maybe you enjoy reading and just don’t have the time, maybe you struggle finding a book you like, or maybe you just have a hard time reading in general. No matter what your hang up with reading is, hopefully you can find some helpful tips and tricks in this article. We are both very avid readers and have lots of experience when it comes to getting out of a reading slump. This article contains both personal experience and some general information when it comes to becoming a book lover!
BookTok & Bookstagram
Following influencers on TikTok and Instagram is a great way to get into reading! BookTok and Bookstagram have been trending lately, updating followers on hot new books and reading trends. There are tons of different influencers that cover books ranging from Romantasy to Sci-Fi to Non-Fiction. These content creators often review popular book series, try new reading challenges, and recommend books to niche audiences. Some of our favorite books that we’ve read have come from recommendations off of social media. If you are looking for a good place to start, here are some influencers we’d recommend to check out!
Haley Pham - TikTok @haleypham, Insta @haleypham
Jack Edwards - TikTok @jack_edwards, Insta @jackbenedwards
Lexi - TikTok @newlynova, Insta @newlynovabooks
Eden - TikTok @edensarchives, Insta @edensarchivess
Cody & James - TikTok @bigspoonlittlespoon312, Insta @bigspoonlittlespoon312
Abby - TikTok @abbysbooks, Insta @abbysbooks
Read with Friends
Another good way to get into books is reading with friends! You can start a book club with a group of friends and lay out exactly how much you’re going to read before you get together and talk about the book; this is a great way to set goals and achieve them. It is so much fun to share your feelings and thoughts on the same content. You can also buddy read a book with a friend or two if the whole book club ordeal isn’t your thing. This way there is still someone reading the same book at the same time who you can talk about it with but without the stress of reading at a certain pace or setting times to meet in a group. My personal favorite way to read with friends is just getting together to read our own separate books. It can be good motivation just being with company who are also reading since seeing them make progress will inspire you to do the same.
Goodreads
Goodreads is a great tool for motivating yourself to read, especially on days you’re not feeling up to it. You can set yearly reading goals for yourself which offers you satisfaction when you finish a book and stay on schedule. There are also smaller reading challenges in the app, like reading a top book of 2024 or a book from a certain genre, that are less intimidating to take on and still offer you a fun little sense of achievement. Our favorite part of Goodreads is making progress updates on the books we’re currently reading. A lot of the time when we don’t feel like reading just finishing a few chapters to watch the progress bar on Goodreads move makes it worth it. You can feel accomplished without having to complete an entire book because you can see how far you have gotten in a shorter amount of time. It is also a great way to stay connected with your friends since you can see each other's progress, share ratings and reviews, and see what books they want to read next. Goodreads has so much to offer between personal goal-setting and great recommendations.
Routine Reading
For more routine oriented people, routine reading is an awesome way to pick up a book! Setting small, attainable goals is a great way to go from reading a chapter a day to finishing a book in a week. It can be hard to fit time for reading into busy schedules, especially for those of us drowning in numerous activities and extracurriculars. A good place to start routine reading is right before you go to bed at night. Instead of falling asleep while scrolling TikTok, put your phone down and pick up a book. Reading for 20 minutes or reading one chapter before going to bed is a great way to not only get into reading, but to also relax and unwind from a long day. Research has suggested that reading before bed can lead to better quality of sleep, longer sleep duration, and can even help relieve insomnia. Routine reading, be it at night, during lunch, or the first thing you do when you wake up, is a great way to get into reading.
Read the Book - Watch the Movie
If you’re having a hard time getting into the books themselves, reading books that have a movie adaptation is a great place to start. You can read a book that you’ve already seen the movie to which makes the storyline familiar and easy to comprehend, or you can read a book to a new movie adaptation so you can keep the goal in mind of seeing the movie after finishing the book. You can also explore the differences between the book and movie — and realize books are always better. Some of our favorite books that have movie adaptations include:
Five Feet Apart by Rachael Lippincott
The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Divergent by Veronica Roth
The Giver by Lois Lowry
Of course the entire Harry Potter series (you are never too old to read them.)
Kindle/Audiobooks
Physical books don’t work for everybody, and that can be a major barrier for those that are trying to get into reading. An often forgotten, but great strategy to get into reading is using a Kindle or audiobooks! Kindles are great for a variety of reasons. Personally, I got a Kindle because my bookshelf is way past its capacity and my mom was tired of me coming home with new books. Kindles hold hundreds of books and take up less space than a normal chapter book. They are super convenient to carry around and they can be super fun to decorate with different stickers and cases. If you are really getting into reading, investing in a Kindle and Kindle Unlimited is a great option! Audiobooks are another great strategy for people who don’t ordinarily care for reading. Some people don’t like reading for a variety of reasons, ranging from eye strain to disabilities that make reading words difficult. Audiobooks are also great for people who tend to be auditory learners versus visual learners. If you’ve always struggled with reading, try an audiobook! It might make a huge difference.
Playlists
This strategy is for a select few, but if it works for you, it does wonders! If you are someone who needs complete and total silence to focus on reading, we definitely wouldn’t recommend this; however, if you are someone who can focus on reading with some background noise, listening to playlists while reading is a great strategy to get into reading! We personally love listening to music while reading. Although we might not be necessarily “listening” to the music, having the background noise helps us enter into a zone where we’re totally focused on what we’re reading. If you’re not sure if listening to music is for you, try it and find out for yourself! If listening to music with lyrics is too distracting, try listening to classical or ambient music. There’s a million different reading playlists to choose from if you look up playlist for reading. Here are some of our favorites that we often listen to:
Find a Fun/Cozy Location
A big part of enjoying reading can be found in the location in which you are reading. Finding a new and fun location to read can be super beneficial to getting into reading. Sometimes, finding a designated location to read can help your brain disassociate from everything else and focus on the task at hand. Some of our favorite places to read range from coffee shops like Cody Road to a blanket at Scott County Park to even our own beds with all the blankets and pillows we can find. Even though every middle aged woman says it, there is truly nothing like cozying up with a good book! If you are struggling to get into reading, finding a new fun and cozy location is a great strategy to try!
Sweet Treat Excuse
Arguably the best part of reading is it is the perfect reason to get yourself a sweet treat. Whether its a reward for how much you have read or you are getting a sweet treat because you are planning on reading, you can always tie the two together. My personal favorite excuse is that if I’m going to go sit at Cody Road to read then I have to get an energy drink. Or if I’m going to go buy books at Target (best place to get your books by the way, nothing beats Target’s price matching) then I’m required to also get Starbucks. You can also decide a certain page or chapter amount that you have to finish and then get a sweet treat as a little reward. In the summer, my friends and I love to spend a couple hours reading at Scott County Park and then go to Peachwave after. Reading can be made way more enjoyable if you have something tasty to snack on while you dive into a good book.
Don’t Finish Books You Don’t Enjoy
Our biggest piece of advice for starting to read and truly enjoying it is do not force yourself to finish books that you aren’t liking. While we think each book should get its fair chance, say 80-100 pages, if you don’t like it by then, DON’T KEEP READING IT. Forcing yourself to finish books makes you dread reading; it goes back to being a chore instead of something you enjoy, and is guaranteed to put you in a reading slump. There is no shame in putting a book down that you don’t like, especially when you are trying to figure out what books you actually love. This will save yourself time to read books that actually make you happy and protect your peace by not reading books that you hate.
Whether you decide to follow a new influencer or start your own reading routine, this list has something helpful for everyone. These tips have helped us learn to love reading, so we hope our perspective inspires the same passion in you. Page-turning fun awaits!
Comments