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5 Tips to Read More Books
Published about 1 month ago • 6 min read
How to Read More Books
Hello Reader,
Before we learn how to read more books, let’s chat about the ridiculousness of today’s image. I had ChatGPT create a picture based on my article below. The genius robots drew a woman in a chair. Notice how she and the side table are blocking the front door. Perhaps the best way to read more books (according to AI) is to lock yourself in your home and barricade the door. 🚪😂
Anyway, let’s get started.
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THE CHALLENGE: If you want to read more books, you must solve two problems. I’ve listed each problem below with several solutions.
♥️ PROBLEM 1: YOU’RE READING BOOKS YOU DON’T LOVE
If you read books that you enjoy MORE than Netflix, MORE than catching up on the latest football game, MORE than leveling up your character in the latest RPG game, and MORE than spending the afternoon shopping with your friends – ONLY THEN will you read more books this year.
However, if you read books you’re not passionate about, then you’re just giving yourself more work. And let’s be honest, who wants to pick up a book that feels like work? Not me.
🐛 PROBLEM 2: YOU HAVEN’T EMBRACED YOUR BOOKWORM
You want to read more books, but you haven’t made it a priority. Instead, reading (for you) is a reward or a way to relax. It’s something you do IF you get everything else done.
Here’s the kicker: You’ll never get everything done. Ooof. That means reading, which sounds like a good idea, stays on the back burner.
If you want to read more books, you must pull the bookworm lifestyle out of the closet, dust it off, and make it your identity.
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🎭 SOLUTION 1: START WITH YOUR INTERESTS
We need to get you into a book that aligns with your interests. How well do you know yourself? I’m not kidding. When I ask most people what they’re passionate about, they give me vague answers. They spend all their time helping others, cleaning the house, getting kids to karate, etc. When asked what they love to do, they have no idea.
Can you clearly describe what your passions are? What gets your curiosity boat churning? Are you obsessed with health, history, or foreign languages? How about romance, coffee, or elves?
Once you get honest with yourself about what you love, you can find fiction and non-fiction that support those interests.
🤷🏼♂️ SOLUTION 2: LISTEN WHILE YOU READ
I’m not talking about audiobooks here. I’m talking about you listening to you. Is your new book keeping your curiosity peaked? Just because other people say it’s a great book, that doesn’t make it great for you.
It’s fine if you’re 50 pages in and uninterested. That’s a sign.
Try This: Before you put the book down, read 10 pages slowly and pay attention. We’re often bored with books because we rush through them. However, if you’ve been reading well and the book still isn’t grabbing your heart, put it aside.
I give every book 50 pages before I judge it, but at that point, I have an honest conversation in my head. Do I want to invest 10–20+ hours in this book? Is there something here that can keep my interest better than Netflix? If not, I’ll set it aside and start a better book.
🙋🏽♀️ SOLUTION 3: READ WITH OTHERS
There’s power in book clubs. Last night, we finished Anna Karenina in my book club. It was a big hit, but let’s be honest, it’s 800+ pages of Russian literature. Whew!
A few people mentioned that reading it as a group brought the book to life. Discussing a great book with friends is a fantastic tool for reading more books. Also, knowing that you need to read 15 pages a day to keep up with the group will help you read more books.
☕️ SOLUTION 4: GET BETTER COFFEE
I’m using coffee as an example for overall mental clarity. It’s hard for me to read if I’m tired, sick, or mentally foggy.
I used to read first thing in the morning, but for the past 10 days, I’ve been walking on the treadmill in my basement for 45 minutes to get the body and mind moving. Then I make a great cup of coffee (thank you very much, Edgewater Bookstore) and begin my reading.
It’s easier to get into the book and stay there when I put effort into my mind and body. If I ignore my health, it’s easier to wander into the woods of distraction. I hate that place.
🧑🏫 SOLUTION 5: DON’T CONFUSE BORING WITH HARD
When I share these ideas with people, I usually get the same response: “So, I should only read fun fiction like Harry Potter or The Nightingale?” That’s not what I’m saying.
Reading hard books (at least for me) is a blast as long as the material aligns with my interests – see Solution #1. I find tons of value in working through a challenging book that pushes me to my limits.
That’s different from reading a book that puts me to sleep. Embrace the hard books; they’re worth the effort. Fun fiction is great, but it’s not the only way to have a good time.
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If you want to read more books, it’s time for you to change your identity. Don’t be a person with a reading goal this year. That sounds like a person who plans to read if they can find the time. Instead, be a reader. Always have your book with you, make sure it’s a book you’ll love more than Netflix, pour a great cup of coffee, and learn something interesting.
Until next time, read slowly – take notes – apply the ideas.
-Eddy
New This Week:
This Month's Book Recommendation
Deep Work by Cal Newport
Listen to the Podcast
Plato's Euthyphro Rocks. Here's Why! | EP 85
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How I Improve My Focus
What's New at Edgewater Bookstore
Discover my curated reading selection for January 2025
This Month's Book Recommendation
Deep Work by Cal Newport
This week's lesson from Deep Work is a BIG one. I've got it in my head that I need to make use of every second of the day. For me, time is precious, and I do everything I can to SQUEEZE my day for quality deep work time. But that's wrong.
📝On page 147, Newport references a study performed by University of Michigan psychologists Rachel Kaplan and Stephen Kaplan around the idea of attention fatigue. What they discovered is that concentration requires something called directed attention. It's a finite resource, and once you've used it up for the day, it's hard to refill.
For most of us, 1 to 3 hours of deep concentration is all we get. The rest of the day is spent in partial concentration, auto-pilot, etc. We don't have the mental stamina to be 100% focused all the time. It's exhausting. That means we need to get serious about how we want to invest that 1 to 3 hours of deep work each day!
Try this: tomorrow, pick a slot in your calendar and set it aside for deep work. Make the appointment 1 hour long. During that time, turn off all distractions, make sure you're well-rested and fed, and give your project or work everything you've got.
P.S. I'll have one more lesson from this incredible book in next week's newsletter. After that, we'll be in February, and I'll have a new book recommendation for you!
In this episode, I dive into Plato's Euthyphro and explore its famous dilemma: Are moral laws good because God commands them, or does God command them because they are good? Reflecting on my time as a Mormon, I apply this question to one seemingly simple rule: Why can’t Mormons drink coffee? Join me as I philosophize through faith, culture, and coffee.
I've been working hard to improve my focus. In this video, I talk about a few things that I'm doing to keep my mental day together and work on important things. If you found it helpful, please give it a like and subscribe.
Feel free to respond to this email. Let me know how I can make your experience in our reading community better, or if you have questions, I'm all ears.
As always, read slowly - take notes - apply the ideas.
-Eddy
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Subscribe to my newsletter for tips on close reading, detailed note-taking, and applying bookish wisdom to your life. I talk about fiction and non-fiction, interview literary experts, and host The Read Well Podcast. Subscribe today and build better reading habits.