A “library cormorant” is a phrase cleverly coined by Samuel Taylor Coleridge. Omnivorous and voracious in my reading, I identify as one myself!
As a kid, I read and read and read! I was always all in for the Book-It monthly Pizza Hut personal pan pizza monthly contests, the Accelerated Reader program at school, you name it! I lived at the library, had a bookshelf bigger than my parents’, and I absolutely oved to read.
Then high school hit, followed immediately by college. When someone is telling you what you have to read and when, the love of reading is stifled. For me, it lost its luster. It wasn’t until my late 20s that I found it again and even further into my 30s when I started reading better.
Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body and prayer is to the soul. We become the books we read.
– Hal Elrod
I am always trying find ways to read more…
Inspired by others’ advice (some of which I credit below with references) along with my own personal experiences, I have made a list of tips for how to read:
Start Small
Picking up a 250 page book for the first time in years can feel overwhelming. Try a book of poetry, a short story compilation, or a novella / shorter book. Build some momentum. You’ll be in a groove by the time you pick up bigger and bigger books!
Count All Types of “Reading”
Hardback, paperback, audiobook, magazine article, etc. Kids books and comics count too! A book is a book! “Reading” is reading! It all counts! As soon as judgement is involved, reading loses its fun. Read anything you want to read however you want to read it!
Talk to Book People
Librarians, book store employees, teachers, authors, other reads… these are book people! Talk to them. Get their insight. Some of my favorite books have been recommended by book people. My new favorite thing to do in a used book store is to ask the person working, “Which book are you surprised is still here?” Having a book associated with a connection to a book person always gives it more meaning.
Always Carry a Book
“Carrying a book” around with you doesn’t have to mean lugging around a physical copy of a book. The average paperback is about 6″ x 9″ and weighs roughly 1lb. Download the Kindle, Hoopla, Overdrive, Libby, etc apps to your phone. These allow you to download ebooks and audiobooks…for FREE via your library. Always have a book right at your fingertips, ready to be read or listened to. During a commute, sitting in a waiting room, or taking a lunch break are perfect times to read!
And here are some more…
- Read more. This is similar to the Start Small advice above. The more you read, the more momentum you gain, the more you obtain, and the more you enjoy!
- Write while you read. Always have a pencil, pen, or highlighter on hand while reading. Highlighting parts that stuck out to you and writing in the margins (aka marginalia) help you think a step above just reading and thinking. Formalizing thoughts in a note makes them more than just a fleeting thought in your head that has the chance of getting lost as you keep reading. One of perks of an e-reader is that you can highlight sentences and write notes.
- Look up words you don’t know. Always have a dictionary near by. A real one. There is a lot of fun to be had within the pages of an “old school” dictionary. No dictionary? Use your phone to look it up; type “define: [word]” into Google for the actual definition. Another one of the perks to an e-reader is that the dictionary and Wikipedia are built right in!
- Play any mention of a song. The author sets the mood with music. Murakami, for example, is a jazz fanatic and fills his stories with jazz tunes and other great classic songs. He is so well known for this that you can find playlists people have made as a tribute to his musical mentions. Get yourself in the scene, and listen to music found when you read.
- Check all the footnotes. There’s additional information for a reason! I recommend finishing the paragraph so not distract yourself. Footnotes give you insight into the author’s thoughts, reference to another work, or further clarification about something in the book itself.
- Use a map. Same as the advice regarding music, get into the scene by knowing where you are. Get to know the geography, connect areas, look up places mentioned to see if they are real. If so, look at the street view, and see what the characters see.
- Try food, especially if you have never had it before. Reading Zami by Audre Lorde, I came across her mention of her mother’s souse. I’ve never had it! Reading The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini, I craved authentic Afghani kebab!
- Read the author’s bio. There’s more to it than the one paragraph summary on the last page. A person’s background can tell you a lot about why they write what they write. Find interviews with them on podcasts, videos of them reading their works, etc.
- Stop reading books you don’t enjoy. It’s that simple.
- Get on Goodreads. It’s like Facebook…but about books. Connect with friends, authors, strangers. See what people are reading or want to read and how they rate and review books. Find me there too!
Here are some others’ lists with tips for how to read more and read better: