Were you previously an avid bookworm, but now you’re struggling to read and wondering how to get back into reading? You’re not alone!
I consider myself a book lover and bona fide bookworm, being both a voracious reader as a child and also continuing that love well into my adulthood. I even studied literature for both my undergrad and master’s degrees, and now I write about books on the internet and run a book-themed shop as my full-time job. But despite all of these “reading credentials,” I too have been through periods in my life where it feels like I’d rather do anything BUT read. So I know your pain!
So if you feel like you miss reading and miss the bookworm you used to be (or you want to start getting the benefits of reading again), then it’s time to find the book lover inside of you once more. Here are 17 easy tips for how to get back into reading books again and rekindle your love of reading!
1. Re-read an Old Favorite Book
When you’re wondering how to get back to reading again, my first suggestion is to try re-reading a book that you read before and loved.
Remember a book that had you engrossed and made you love reading all the more? Or remember a book that you read again and again because you loved it so much? Now’s the time to pull that old favorite out and get reading!
As you re-read an old book that you loved, it’s likely you’ll start to remember why you loved reading in the first place. And when you start to remember why you loved reading, you’re more likely to enjoy reading books again in the future.
2. Read a New Book From Your Old Favorite Genres
Another idea you could try for getting back into reading would be to read a new book from your old favorite genres.
When you read before, did you love sci-fi books? If so, check what sci-fi books are new on the market (or new to you) and try giving one a read! Love romance books? Try a new romance read!
Most former bookworms have at least one genre they were obsessed with at one point, and whatever that genre was for you could be a great kickstart to your reading life now! And since you’ll be reading something new in that genre, you’ll get the best of both worlds: variety and excitement of a new book, but also familiarity and comfort of an old beloved genre.
3. Try a New Genre
Trying a whole new genre could also be a great option when you want to get into reading again.
Perhaps there were genres that you never read before as a bookworm, but they sound kind of interesting to you now. We all grow and mature in our lives and as readers, so it’s normal for our tastes to change over time…so perhaps trying a new genre of books could be a good option for you!
Trying something new is a great way to give our brains variety, as brains often love variety and newness. So if you’re struggling to keep focused on reading, then giving your brain a whole bunch of variety by trying something completely new could be the solution for you!
4. Try a New Format
Similarly, trying a new format for reading could also be a great choice to help you start reading again, especially if you’ve only used one format for reading in the past.
By format, I mean print books, ebooks, and audiobooks. Do you have a go-to method you used for reading? Were you a die hard print book fan? If so, then maybe you want to give one of the other options a try!
Audiobooks can be a particularly good method to help you get back into reading, as they have less up front investment (having to sit and actually read) and you can do other things while you listen. If you want to try audiobooks, you can also get a free Audible trial for 30 days which is an awesome way to see if audiobooks are helpful for you!
Wondering what Audible is and how it works? Here’s everything you need to know about Audible!
5. Don’t Be Afraid to DNF
Sometimes as readers we feel like if we start a book we have to finish it, but when you’re trying to get back to reading it’s important that you feel free to DNF any book you don’t like.
Marking a book as DNF (aka Did Not Finish) and moving on doesn’t mean you’re a failure. It just means that wasn’t the book for you. And it’s important in the stage of trying to get into reading again that you actually enjoy the process, which means you shouldn’t be forcing yourself to read and be miserable for no reason.
Are there times that you should push through and read books even if you don’t like them? Yes, and here’s how you can know whether to keep reading or stop reading in most cases.
But for our case now? DNF ALL the books. All of them. Every book you aren’t enjoying.
You can come back to them later if you think it’s worth it, but if you’re not enjoying it then set the book down and move on to another book that you actually might like and that actually might get you back to enjoying reading again.
6. Read a Book That Was Adapted Into a Movie or TV Show
Another helpful tip for how to get into reading again is to read a book that has been adapted into a movie or tv show.
This tip can work in two ways. First, maybe you’ve already seen the movie version and enjoyed it. This is good because you know you like the story, so it might be easier to get through reading the book!
Second, perhaps you haven’t read the book or seen the movie/tv show, but you’ve been hearing about the movie and are excited to see it. In this case, you can motivate yourself to read the book by setting seeing the movie as a reward for when you finish the book.
Whichever way you choose to use this tip, books adapted into movies can be a great “in” to get you back into reading!
7. Read Short Stories or Short Books
If you’re like many of us, the short-form, dopamine-building hits of social media and modern media perhaps have your attention span waning. If that’s the case or if a full-sized book feels overwhelming to commit to, then maybe you want to try reading short stories or short books first!
There are lots of short stories and short books out there, so you can likely pretty easily find something to pique your interest. These short classics could be good options to try if you’re looking for somewhere to start, but there’s plenty of other options available too!
8. Read Children’s Books (as an Adult!)
Something else you could try, especially if you loved reading as a kid, it to read children’s books as an adult.
This are similar to the idea of reading something short, as often children’s books can be shorter and easier reads than books made specifically for adults. It can also feel like a less heavy read and more of an escape from reality, so if that’s what you need right now then give this a try!
This is one of the things that really helped me get back into reading after my master’s program. It was nice to have something fun to look forward to, rather than feeling like I was doing more mandatory reading. I recommend trying books like Fortunately, the Milk and The Name of This Book is Secret if you want fun, silly, and yet thoroughly-enjoyable-for-adults reads that will bring a smile to your face.
9. Try Graphic Novels
Sometimes the sheer number of words on a page can be daunting, especially when one hasn’t been reading for a while. In cases like these, graphic novels can be a good way to ease back into the reading life!
Graphic novels are also great if you want a reading medium that can hold your attention more, as it’s fun to see the illustrations that go along with the book. And this is also great if you’re a fan of comic strips and want a combination of reading and comic book to get you back to enjoying books again!
10. Read a Book Recommended by Your Favorite Author(s) or Blogger(s)
If you have favorite authors (or book bloggers who read books similar to you), then checking for their recommended books and reading one of those could be another helpful way to start reading again.
When you already know you like the content an author puts out or the books a blogger likes to read, that means you’re more likely to like the books they recommend as well as you know you already have something in common with them. This is just one of the many ways to find good books to read that you know you will love!
11. Don’t Feel Obligated to Read What Everyone Else is Reading
Another important thing to remember when trying to love reading again is that you shouldn’t feel obligated to read what everyone else is reading.
I can’t tell you the number of times a book is touted as the next bestseller and goes viral and everyone’s reading it…and then when I read it I wonder why on earth everyone is loving it. Of course, there have been times too where a book is really popular and I love it too, but the point is that everyone’s reading tastes are different and what you like might not be what is popular right now.
Just because everyone is reading it and recommending it doesn’t mean you have to read it or like it. Feel free to give it a try if it sounds interesting, but otherwise don’t feel like you have to give into peer pressure. Just focus on what you like and what sounds interesting to you!
12. Browse Your Local Library or Bookstore
Have you spent time in your local library or a bookstore recently? If not, then this is definitely something you should do on your journey to get back into reading!
Being surrounded by books in a library or bookstore is a great way to find new reads and to revive your love of reading, as it makes the book-finding experience so much more personal than browsing an endless list of books on Amazon.
Feel free to wander all the aisles and peruse all the books. Pick up books that have captivating titles or eye-catching covers. Maybe even read a few pages and see how you feel. Find something that sounds interesting? Take it home with you and give it a try!
13. Keep a List of the Books That Pique Your Interest
When you find books that sound interesting (by browsing in person or online or getting recommendations from friends), you should be sure to keep a written list of any books that pique your interest.
Maybe on your browse around a bookstore you find three titles that look interesting, but you want to start with just one. Are you certain you can remember the other two titles for later or for if the first book doesn’t work out? That’s where a TBR list comes in handy!
If you don’t have a TBR list yet, here’s how to get started with making one. This is such a helpful way to put you on the path to getting back into reading.
Why? Two reasons. First, you have a list of interesting titles to choose your next read from…which means it will be easier to pick up another book after you finish the first one, or easier to pick out a new book when you DNF a book.
Second, your TBR list can also help motivate you to read more when you see all the titles on it and remember that spark of interest you felt that made you add them in the first place! If you haven’t been reading much recently, that could be because you haven’t felt joy in reading in a while…and feeling that spark of interest and joy from your TBR could be the perfect jolt you need to help you remember why you want to read again!
14. Join a Book Club
Something else you could try would be to make reading social by joining a book club.
There are so many benefits to being part of a book club, but in the getting back to reading stage it can be especially helpful because you have a community of readers around you and people to get excited about books with.
Additionally, book clubs can also act as an external motivator to help you stay on track with your reading. After all, you don’t want to be the only one who hasn’t done the book club reading at your next meeting!
15. Start a Bookstagram
Like the social aspect of reading? If so, you might also find you enjoy reading more when you bring that social aspect to social media by starting a Bookstagram!
Bookstagram is basically creating an account for your book journey on Instagram and sharing books you’re reading, reviews of books, and anything else book-related you like on your personal/book-themed account.
Some people get really into it and create beautiful Bookstagram layouts, while others like to keep it more basic. But no matter how easy or elaborate you want your account to be, it can be a fun way to interact with book lovers across the world, share about the things you’re reading, and get reading recommendations from other bookworms. This can help you enjoy reading again and the book culture that comes along with it!
16. Join a Reading Challenge
Are you the competitive type? Or the type that really loves lists? If so, then joining a reading challenge can be a good motivator for reading again.
Reading challenges take all sorts of forms, and can easily be tailored to your individual preferences. Usually, you’re given either a list of titles to read in some theme (like 100 Classics) or are given prompts to help you choose your books (like the Alphabet Reading Challenge).
Joining a reading challenge gives you a goal to reach, which might help you feel motivated to read! And they also often take the guesswork out of having to choose what to read next, as you’re given either guidelines or actual titles, so that means less work and worry for you…which can be so helpful if part of the reason you’re not reading is because you’re feeling paralyzed by indecision.
17. Set a Reading Goal
Speaking of challenges giving you a goal, setting reading goals can also be a good way to get yourself reading again and building good reading habits.
There are lots of benefits to reading goals and lots of reading goals and book-related goals to choose from, but the simple act of choosing a goal to aim for can help give your reading a purpose. And having a purpose might be the impetus you need to get started reading again!
Because once you’ve set your goals, of course you have to actually reach your reading goals. And as you reach your reading goals, you’re going to get dopamine for a job well done…which will definitely help you in your quest to enjoy reading again!
18. Keep a Reading Journal
Another possible motivating factor to help you continue reading is to keep a reading journal.
There are lots of different options for reading journals or trackers, so this can be as involved or as basic as you would like. But essentially, it’s a place to track what you are reading and the progress you’re making.
This is especially helpful when paired with setting reading goals, as you can easily see the progress you’re making toward your goal and feel that sense of motivation to keep going the rest of the way!
There are lots of other benefits to keeping reading journals too, but this is the main one for our purposes in getting back into reading. When you see progress, you make progress. And a reading journal is just the place to help you do that!
19. Set Aside Time to Read Each Day
If you’re finding you’re still not feeling the desire to read, then it might be time to just push through and make yourself do it by setting aside time to read each day.
When you’ve built bad reading habits (or the habit of not reading at all), then sometimes you have to put in the effort to correct course. It’s not always fun at first, but it is worth it.
And this also doesn’t have to be a huge commitment. Pushing through the discomfort of reading again could look like setting yourself a goal of reading as little as 5 or 10 minutes a day!
After all, just starting is half the battle. It may feel hard or like drudgery at first, but it’s likely that once you start reading regularly each day you’ll soon find yourself captivated and interested in your book. (Remember, if you don’t start feeling this after a little time, DNF it and find another book!)
20. Take Your Time
When you’re wanting to know how to get back into the habit of reading and kick the reading slump, the final recommendation is to just take your time.
Don’t feel rushed! You’re not behind schedule, and you’re not falling behind.
If you’ve tried all the suggestions above but still don’t feel the joy in reading, maybe you’re just burnt out and need a little more time to feel un-burnt out. That’s perfectly ok!
You don’t need to rush back to reading. You don’t need to rush and speedread through books. You just need to recapture your love of reading on your own time. And it’s ok if it takes time. Take your time, and come back to these suggestions when you’re ready to try again!