Reading is not only a joy but also a privilege. So many people around the world are unable to read and so cannot access easily the wonderful world of fiction that we take for granted. Yet, with many of us up to our eyeballs in work deadlines and struggling to find quality time to read, are we getting any value out of our reading experience at all?

Do you allow yourself time to concentrate on your reading without interruptions?

Many of us buy books that catch our eyes and then open them, start the first chapters and soon quickly forget about them for a while. Busy lives can lead to us putting off reading time as we balance family life, work and tiredness. It happens to us all, even with the best intentions. I’ve opened many a brilliant book and then shelved it as deadlines have swallowed up my time and energy.

Are you always in a rush when you read?

I often find that even when I do make time to read it’s hard to concentrate because my mind is on my work or distractions around the home are pulling my attention away from the storyline of the book that I should be engaging with. Reading can become like a race, especially when you have limited time and want to cover as much ground as you can in a very short period.

This blog post has ideas for squeezing in reading time: https://jamieadstories.blog/2021/05/27/5-ways-to-squeeze-in-a-good-reading-session/

Do you miss plot points because you rush your reading?

Feeling pressured to squeeze a chapter in while you can might cause you to miss out on certain events in the story. You may end up missing subtle cues and not completely following the secondary characters which means you could well lose track of their involvement in the storyline altogether. Again, this is something that happens to me and I often find that I need to reread a chapter in order to properly follow what’s been happening.

How can reading be given the attention it deserves?

As a result of my reading suffering due to distractions and me not properly valuing my reading time, I have started to ensure that I plan in undisturbed times to really enable me to concentrate on the fantastic novels that I’m reading.

I love books and know now that I need to show them the respect that they deserve. As a result of claiming my reading time and giving it value, I have found that my reading has more quality to it and I have been able to really relax into a book and get to know it properly.

I do wonder how many of you really value your book time. I know that it can be hard to switch off from the hassle of our daily grind, but when we do, it definitely pays off.

If you enjoyed this article, please comment below and tell me your thoughts on the subject.