4 Easy Reading Habits I Used To Deepen My Love of Books
Are you someone who sees a random book that looks interesting, reads it, and then puts it on a shelf never to be seen again? There’s so much more you could be getting out of your books. Reading can be so enriching when you pair it with small, intentional habits. Some easy reading habits (like marking or tracking resonating phrases/paragraphs, keeping a list of books to read, and simple journaling) allow you to enjoy what you read by better absorbing it.
Pre-Reading Habit
You are more likely to want to pick up a new book if you already know which books you want to read. I like to keep a simple “To Read List” on the notes app on my phone. Anytime I’m scrolling social media and see a book that I am interested in reading, I jot down the title and author (and sometimes what about the book interested me). Since doing this, I have never found myself without something to read.
Every so often, I’ll look for books on that list—normally on thriftbooks.
Why I Do It
I’ve found three main benefits to keeping a “To Read” list:
- prevents impulsive, regrettable, or forgettable book choices
- prevents me from having nothing to read
- keeps me motivated to read new books
Mark What Resonates
On many of the books I own, you will find Post-it notes and page flags sticking out all over. You will find pencil underlining the words that I found most important or inspiring. Though this may not look the nicest (I try to keep the post-its on the side of the pages so when I put the books away, they aren’t visible along the top), it helps me keep track of the parts that I found the most intriguing or quotes I liked. I often revisit old books and look through the parts I marked. It’s never disappointing.
I also find I retain what I read more when I’m actively marking and highlighting parts.
If you’re someone who does book reviews, this is also super handy in remembering anything you want to later discuss.
Why I Do It
The main reasons I mark what resonates while reading are:
- to easily find for reference in the future
- to better retain information
After the Read
After I finish a book, I like to track it in my reading journal. Every book I track differently—mostly based on my mood—but assuming I’m including everything I’d like to, I track:
- book title and author
- date started and date finished
- rating (out of five)
- short summary
- favorite quotes
I still switch between digital and physical journals for this, as I can’t seem to settle on which I prefer. There are many pros and cons to both, but either will do to keep track of your reads.
If you’re looking for a digital reading tracker, I have one available here.
Why I Do It
Keeping track of the books I read has been so much fun. Though I am someone who loves planning and tracking, I still think it’s beneficial for every bookworm. Especially if you do book reviews!
A New Home
I’m someone who loves to keep books, but I love physical books, and they can start to take up a lot of space after a while. That’s why I try to only keep my favorite books, and will donate any that I don’t feel I loved enough to keep. If you prefer ebooks or audiobooks, this obviously isn’t a problem.
I love looking at all of the books that mean the most to me. I have all these different memories tied to them, and many I return to more than once.
So, I finally set the book in its new home—moving from my ‘to read’ section to my bookshelf.
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