Tips on Getting (Back) into Reading

Guys… it’s February the 1st. One month of the new year has gone by… finally! January felt so loooong! Anyways, it’s February… a.k.a. Black History Month, a.k.a. the month of my birth, a.k.a. Black Panther movie month. (Side bar: I really, really hope that Black Panther exceeds my expectations. I really want it to. Otherwise, I’ll be disappointed and the people of social media will chew it to bits, especially the black people. Okay back to the blog.) Even though I didn’t create any plans for my birthday (due to my annual failed attempts, situational mood-snatchers, and circumstances that always pop up out of nowhere), I do think this month will be a good one nonetheless.

Hopefully you all have created your goals for the year already and are beginning to execute a plan on how to get them done. I know I am! One of my goals this year was to read 27 books. (If you are curious of what my goals were, then click here!) I’ve currently finished one book (review post later) and I’m currently on two more books… at the same time! One of them is an Audible book.

Have you ever wanted to get back into reading? You do? Really?! Okay, first of all, Yay! Secondly, let me help you. Here are my tips on reading more:

1. Figure out what topics are you interested in reading. Once you figure that out, it shouldn’t be too hard in picking out a book that’s best for your taste. Do you like drama? Mystery? Romance? Motivation?
2. Set a reading goal… or goals. How many books do you want to read by the end of the year? How long during the day do you want to read? Set these goals, write them down, and place your goal(s) somewhere visible for you to notice regularly. Besides reading 27 books by the end of the year, I would also like to read more non-fiction books. Yes, you read that correctly: non… fiction… books. (It’s no secret to this blog that reading non-fiction books are almost like a chore for me. I like to highlight and allow the information to marinate. Simmer. Sometimes a bit too long.) However, I did find that reading books about the life of a celebrity are intriguing. I’ve read three so far. Maybe that’s the inner nosy person in me *shrugs*
3. Make time! You’re gonna have to make time to read something. What time of day will work best for you? Pick the best part of the day that you are relaxed while alert at the same time. Start off with 20 minutes out of your day and work your way up. Plus, then you are bound to go beyond 20 minutes if it’s a really interesting book 😉
4. Consider Audible books. Maybe you can’t make time to read. What about listening to a book? It wouldn’t hurt! You can listen to a read almost anywhere: the car, at home, while working out, doing homework, studying, etc.
5. Don’t take too long of a break in between books. Trust me. I’ve done this several times and I’ll end up not reading for five months. That’s too long! There’s a quote I learned in elementary school that I remember to this day: “Reading jogs your mind.” Reading is like a mental exercise: your intelligence, or your imagination, will become stronger! It’s okay to take a break, but keep your mind interested in reading at all times. Plus we read all the time! You’re doing it right now 😉
6. Enjoy what you are reading. Unless you’re in school, reading a book should never feel like you’re reading a textbook. Be sure to enjoy what you read. I prefer fiction books about things beyond the norm, something about mystery, drama, and/or suspense. Grab a tasty drink (hot tea, wine, hot chocolate), a snack, and indulge in a book that allows you to leave reality for a moment. One of those types of books that will have you willing to take a break on being responsible… or a book that will leave you stress-free… or a book that’ll give you that good “stress” (You know… the good stress that’ll have you saying, “Honey, dis tew much!”)

So about those two books I’m reading/listening to at the same time… here’s the first one:

Here’s the second one! I’m listening to Kevin Hart’s book on Audible while I work out, which has been great so far. ~Live Laugh Love~