In praise of reading, part II: tips (and also tricks)

Yesterday I shared a few thoughts about re-discovering the joy of books.

Today’s post is for my fellow lapsers – folks who were once book-peeps but fell out of the habit. That was me last December. I hadn’t read a book in ages. But in 2019 I got my reading groove back.

In case you’re looking to starting reading books again, here are a few tricks and tips that helped me and might help you.

He stoops to conquer: More than anything, one tactical decision made a huge difference this year. I went small, focusing on books in the 100-350 page range. As a reader reborn, there was something just right about the pocket-sized experience. And there are a gazillion mini-masterpieces to choose from. For example:

• Interpreter of Maladies (198 pp): Powerful short stories, by Jhumpa Lahiri
• News of the World (220 pp): My favorite book in ages (it’s a western somehow), by Paulette Light
• The Last Castle (115 pp): Pure imagination Sci-Fi, by Jack Vance
• Without You There Is No Us (320 pp): Great journalism featuring a remarkable view of the sons of the ruling class in North Korea, by Suki Kim
• Letters to a Young Poet (81 pp): Rainer Maria Rilke’s classic, 81 pages worth reading and re-reading

(Side note: four out of five of these faves were gifts and/or recommendations. When you start talking about reading, great book ideas come from everyone and everywhere.)

Shorter reads meant more positive reinforcement – more wins. Hopping from book to book let me jump across centuries, cultures, switching from novels to non-fiction to poetry. The next book always felt like a new adventure, without a Karamozovian commitment.

Bit by bit (aka bird by bird): In high school and college, reading was an hour or three immersed. Nowadays I also have 10-page reads over breakfast. 20 pages on the ferry ride to the city. They’re all fun. They all count.

Half the game is finding the times that work for you. As a teenager, I was a 2am reader. Nowadays, I am a 2am sleeper. Morning is great though, and I often find myself scampering off to a coffee shop for an early read to start the day.

Tool master: goodreads can be a great way to track your progress. I also (sorry!) post way too many pictures on instagram and facebook of espresso drinks carefully posed with the book of the day. And of course, there’s lots of support online. I stumbled on a YouTube class on the American novel taught by Professor Amy Hungerford at Yale that helped me grok one particularly challenging book, and I’ll be reading On the Road and tackling a (short) collection of (short) stories by John Barth in 2020, partly so I can watch her class again once I’m done.

The medium is the message: I dig physical books, I just do. And my shelves at home have become another motivator – one shelf for what I want to read and another for what I’ve read this year. Moving a book down to the read shelf is another fun way to ring the bell.

I also read pen in hand, scribbling and underlining without remorse. And taking after my grandmother’s habit, I’ve started signing and dating favorite books because we are living in a material world, and that’s how that song goes.

Book ends: I’m just not great at remembering long-term the way some books end. Maybe it’s because I’m racing to get to the finish line. Maybe I should slow down a little. Maybe that’s a topic for another post.

Yennways, to help retain a little more, and to sort of celebrate the year, in December I bought a wee notebook and called it Book Ends. For a few weeks I’ve been revisiting the last few pages of my 2019 list, jotting down a couple of paragraphs for each to remind myself how they landed.

I’ve been surprised how much of the book comes back just by re-reading that last half -a-chapter. It’s little like tugging on a thread and the whole sheep is suddenly baa’ing back into view.

Last thoughts

First off, thanks so much for reading these posts! Books have been a huge part of my 2019. It’s been a great treat to talk books with many of you, and I’ve really enjoyed the comments here and on Part I.

As for the road ahead, I hope you have a wonderful reading year. I hope you feel no pressure to read a specific book, no matter how awesome it likely is. (I’m talking to you A Gentleman in Moscow. Your time will come!)

Above all, if you’re a lapser like me, and you’re looking to get back in the game, my advice is to find a small book, a lovely book, a book you’ve always wanted to read. Pick a time and a place free from care. Set yourself a modest goal. And flip to the first page.