All of this resonates with me! I know I need to start new books in the early morning hours, because that’s when I’m the most focused. Recently I started annotating, and I noticed I was pressuring myself to keep it up throughout the book. A question I’ve been applying to my reading life this year is “who is this for?” It’s led me to stop giving starred ratings, gave up posting on my bookstagram, and has led to slower reading. I think I need to apply it to annotating (or not!) Am I actually thinking someday someone will look and judge my uneven annotating?? Who is this for?? ME. My reading life is for me. 😊
Definitely what others have said but I also find it helpful, at an undermined time in the book...you just know when, to reread the first chapter. I feel like I reread the first chapter of Jane Austen books often.
These ideas are so helpful! I’m struggling currently trying to get into Don Quixote with the Conquer a Classic crew and I think implementing some of these will help me reframe.
Really loved this whole post. Some great ideas! I also sort of thought I was “failing” at annotating because mine always tend to peter out…it was so good to read this. Amazing how hard how our brains can be on us, isn’t it? Mine even tries to convince me sometimes that audiobooks don’t count, and I don’t even believe that!
I'm realizing that I also do better if I'm able to start a book with a bigger chunk of time. Sometimes it takes 50+ pages to really get a feel for a book and you need that time with it!
I read a lot as a teenager through law school. Then it dropped off a bit, and I found it more difficult to focus for long periods of time. So I began reading for a few hours before bedtime every evening. I read:
(1) books printed on paper, as they help with focus
(2) I do not take notes, nor highlight or tab. I prefer to allow the book to wash over me. I will take a photo of an occasional quote I'd like to remember.
(3) I write about some of the books I read here. That helps me retain the book in memory, and the deep dive into the book by analyzing it writing deepens the experience of the book for me.
Sara! I saved this post because it is so good. I'm inspired by your reading habits (always) and I think you're setting yourself up for a beautiful year of reading.
So many good tips, Sara! As always, you're inspiring me and pushing me to become a more intentional and deeper reader in my own reading life. I love it ◡̈
Love these tips! I do some of them myself. Re. starting audiobooks, I can't remember where I got the idea from, but I find it helpful to relisten to the 1st chapter or 1st 30 mins to 1 hour. I may even do my 1st listen at night, and then when I relisten in the morning I'm not only more awake and paying attention, but I feel a bit more situated in the story.
Love this advice! I am trying to read the first 50 pages of a new book in one sitting if possible to really submerge myself in it. I also tend to annotate early and peter out which I think is fine. That’s why I love my reading journal because I can use it as a brain dump for questions, themes, characters etc that I want to track or recall later.
Love that! I'm experimenting with a Commonplace Book this year. I can get too caught up in what goes wear with journals, so I'm trying out putting everything in one place. I like it!
I agree with a lot of this. One way for me to make sure the book makes a deeper impact on me is to start off slowly and really make sure to visualise everything with as much details as possible going by the author's descriptions which I read carefully. Not just like a movie, but almost a VR set up. If I want to be super extra I research the setting if it's unfamiliar. I go on street view, etc. I also noticed when I visualise houses or flats the characters live in I often default to a few houses I've lived in or known somehow. So I try to move away from that and check out houses on in the internet (like zoopla, rightmove, otodom - depending where the book is set), so that all the characters from all the books I've read don't live in the same house.
Sara- you're a superstar. I rarely comment but recently realized I save your posts more than any others in this area. Please, please, keep doing what you're doing in your writing, analysis, teaching and motherhood. I'm a subscriber but will look into how I can support you more.
I love this, it’s something I’ve been thinking about a lot recently too. A big one for me is starting a new book early in the day and trying to commit to reading the first big chunk in one go (10% if I can), as you said, it really sets the tone well and cements the early set up
Loved reading your strategies Sara. I'm considering what some mine would be, I think I also do better if I start books during the day. At night when I'm tired I tend to get very impatient if I start sampling and then I usually just give up.
All of this resonates with me! I know I need to start new books in the early morning hours, because that’s when I’m the most focused. Recently I started annotating, and I noticed I was pressuring myself to keep it up throughout the book. A question I’ve been applying to my reading life this year is “who is this for?” It’s led me to stop giving starred ratings, gave up posting on my bookstagram, and has led to slower reading. I think I need to apply it to annotating (or not!) Am I actually thinking someday someone will look and judge my uneven annotating?? Who is this for?? ME. My reading life is for me. 😊
Wow I LOVE that!! What a fantastic guiding question to make sure you're reading how you want and need to!
Definitely what others have said but I also find it helpful, at an undermined time in the book...you just know when, to reread the first chapter. I feel like I reread the first chapter of Jane Austen books often.
Love that!
These ideas are so helpful! I’m struggling currently trying to get into Don Quixote with the Conquer a Classic crew and I think implementing some of these will help me reframe.
Yea that's a tough one!! I hope something in here helps!!
Really loved this whole post. Some great ideas! I also sort of thought I was “failing” at annotating because mine always tend to peter out…it was so good to read this. Amazing how hard how our brains can be on us, isn’t it? Mine even tries to convince me sometimes that audiobooks don’t count, and I don’t even believe that!
Thank you! And yes, we are so hard on ourselves!
I'm realizing that I also do better if I'm able to start a book with a bigger chunk of time. Sometimes it takes 50+ pages to really get a feel for a book and you need that time with it!
Yes! I completely agree.
I read a lot as a teenager through law school. Then it dropped off a bit, and I found it more difficult to focus for long periods of time. So I began reading for a few hours before bedtime every evening. I read:
(1) books printed on paper, as they help with focus
(2) I do not take notes, nor highlight or tab. I prefer to allow the book to wash over me. I will take a photo of an occasional quote I'd like to remember.
(3) I write about some of the books I read here. That helps me retain the book in memory, and the deep dive into the book by analyzing it writing deepens the experience of the book for me.
I love this! I agree that reviewing and writing about books here helps me get more out of them AND remember them better.
Sara! I saved this post because it is so good. I'm inspired by your reading habits (always) and I think you're setting yourself up for a beautiful year of reading.
I'm honored! I hope so and I hope something in here improves your reading life too!
It will absolutely improve my reading life! Thank you!
So many good tips, Sara! As always, you're inspiring me and pushing me to become a more intentional and deeper reader in my own reading life. I love it ◡̈
Thank you, Michelle!!
Love these tips! I do some of them myself. Re. starting audiobooks, I can't remember where I got the idea from, but I find it helpful to relisten to the 1st chapter or 1st 30 mins to 1 hour. I may even do my 1st listen at night, and then when I relisten in the morning I'm not only more awake and paying attention, but I feel a bit more situated in the story.
That's smart!
Love this advice! I am trying to read the first 50 pages of a new book in one sitting if possible to really submerge myself in it. I also tend to annotate early and peter out which I think is fine. That’s why I love my reading journal because I can use it as a brain dump for questions, themes, characters etc that I want to track or recall later.
Love that! I'm experimenting with a Commonplace Book this year. I can get too caught up in what goes wear with journals, so I'm trying out putting everything in one place. I like it!
I am going to give these ideas a try! Thank you for sharing.
I didn’t realize until you said it that I, too, need a chunk of time to begin a book and get a handle on it. That’s an important realization for me!
I'm so happy I could help!! It makes a huge difference for me.
I agree with a lot of this. One way for me to make sure the book makes a deeper impact on me is to start off slowly and really make sure to visualise everything with as much details as possible going by the author's descriptions which I read carefully. Not just like a movie, but almost a VR set up. If I want to be super extra I research the setting if it's unfamiliar. I go on street view, etc. I also noticed when I visualise houses or flats the characters live in I often default to a few houses I've lived in or known somehow. So I try to move away from that and check out houses on in the internet (like zoopla, rightmove, otodom - depending where the book is set), so that all the characters from all the books I've read don't live in the same house.
Sara- you're a superstar. I rarely comment but recently realized I save your posts more than any others in this area. Please, please, keep doing what you're doing in your writing, analysis, teaching and motherhood. I'm a subscriber but will look into how I can support you more.
I love this article, thanks for sharing! I really want to know which book that dedication page is from? Thanks!
I love this, it’s something I’ve been thinking about a lot recently too. A big one for me is starting a new book early in the day and trying to commit to reading the first big chunk in one go (10% if I can), as you said, it really sets the tone well and cements the early set up
Loved reading your strategies Sara. I'm considering what some mine would be, I think I also do better if I start books during the day. At night when I'm tired I tend to get very impatient if I start sampling and then I usually just give up.