Rediscovering your Reading Rhythm with Jenny
Reading can require a lot of focus, especially for longer or heavier books. Sometimes, this concentration can be hard to come by – we’ve all been there. Here are a few of my tips for getting back into reading when you’ve been struggling to find the motivation, and some book recommendations to get you started.
Start with short books
It’s a good feeling to be able to sit and read a book in an afternoon, and sometimes it’s just what is needed in order to rediscover the motivation to get reading again. For this reason, I enjoy reading a short book when my concentration levels aren’t that high. It’s really satisfying to start and finish a book in one sitting and a visibly smaller book can seem less overwhelming if you’re struggling to read something bigger. Recently, one of my favourite short books has been Rainer Maria Rilke’s Letters to a Young Poet. These letters provide sensitive and thoughtful reflections on solitude and coming to know oneself – values which seem especially important during this pandemic.
Try some poetry
Following on from the first tip, poetry can sometimes feel much more manageable than a whole novel; poetry anthologies allow you to dip in and out as you please, and you will certainly discover something new and beautiful on the way. At the moment, I’m really enjoying The Poetry Pharmacy and The Poetry Pharmacy Returns, which seek to ‘prescribe’ poems to help cope with any emotion you may be feeling. They contain a real mix of poetry, from medieval to modern, and you’re sure to find something you love.
Read a feel-good book
It’s not always necessary to read a classic, or a book with a challenging subject matter. When you’re looking to get back into the habit of reading, a light-hearted or uplifting book can be a really great starting point. Beth Morrey’s Saving Missy is certainly uplifting; it follows seventy-nine-year-old Missy Carmichael and is a reminder to us all that it is never too late to pursue our dreams.
Return to a childhood favourite
Everyone has those books that they read over and over again as a child, and sometimes these books are just what is needed to get us out of a reading rut. There is something comforting in returning to a book you’ve read many times before and knowing exactly what is going to happen. A couple of my favourite books to go back to are A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett, as well as any book from Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events (but especially the first book, The Bad Beginning!).
Join a reading challenge or a book club
Reading challenges, guided reading initiatives and book clubs are great ways to keep you feeling accountable for your reading. Perhaps you could arrange to read and discuss a book together with a friend; having goals and challenges that you set with someone else can be really motivating. What’s more, if it’s a challenging book, having discussions with someone else about what you have read can really help in understanding the book. At Books on the Hill, we host two book clubs every month, and these are also a great way of not only meeting other book lovers, but also discovering new books to read. See our latest book clubs here.