Tag: readers

5 Ways to Get Back Into Reading

Guest Post: By NotSoModernGirl

I am so excited to feature my very first guest post on the blog today. Eleanor (NotSoModernGirl) has kindly agreed to share her thoughts about returning to reading after some time away from books. As usual, her ideas are relevant and useful. I’d like to thank Eleanor for putting together such a wonderful post. Here it is:

 

I’ve always read books ever since I was little, but after going to University- and having to read so much for my degree- I fell out of love with reading for pleasure. I would always have a book on the go, but I rarely finished it- and if I did it would take me months.

 

Ever since finishing University, I’ve tried to get back into reading. However, with lockdown and the uncertain world situation, I turned to Netflix to distract me- and it’s only since things started to get less intense in the world that I’ve started to pick up books again as a welcome hobby.

 

Now I love reading almost as much as I did before. Yes, my attention span isn’t what it used to be, and I still take a while to finish a book, but I’m so happy I managed to get back into reading, and I’m finally finishing all the books I start- and enjoying them!

 

In this post, I’m discussing 5 ways to get back into reading for pleasure. It might take a couple of weeks or a couple of months, but there are definitely a few ways to improve your reading habits and get back into a hobby you once used to love.

1.   Read a bit at a time

 

You shouldn’t force yourself to read a lot in one sitting, because it’s not going to happen and you’ll feel disappointed in yourself.

 

Push yourself to read a little bit at a time, such as before bed or in the mornings. You might only read 5 pages, but that’s the best way to stay consistent, and actually enjoy reading as a hobby rather than as a chore or something you do for your degree.

2.   Choose a book- not your phone

 

It’s so easy to pick up your phone when you have 5 minutes of downtime, but try to choose a book instead. Make sure to have your book close to hand, and any time you would be mindlessly scrolling on your phone- read instead.

 

It’s a hard habit to get into- and I’m still working on it- but it’s a great way to give your mind a rest from bright screens, and get some valuable reading time.

3.   Mix it up

If you can’t decide what to read, try something a bit different. You don’t need to read the same genre as you always used to, and there are so many book blogs and recommendations out there to find the perfect read for you.

 

Choose books that are different from each other to keep yourself interested, and try out different types of books, such as non-fiction reads.

 

I loved reading ‘Circe’ by Madeline Miller during lockdown, as it was unlike anything I’d read before. I also found that choosing non-fiction reads got me interested in reading again, and this is a great way to try out different books and find out what you like now, after a brief period without reading.

4.   Take your book everywhere

 

This is an idea I’ve started recently, and it’s really paid off!

 

If you take your book with you in your bag, you always have it whenever you have some down time. If you have a break at work or you’re waiting for the bus, pull out your book and read for 20 minutes.

 

This is a great way to pass the time, and when you have your book on you then you have no excuse not to read!

5.   Choose books that interest you

 

There’s no point reading books that don’t interest you. Don’t read an old classic if it’s not something that makes you excited to get back to reading, and don’t read a popular book because you feel like you should. If you want to read a Romance novel, go for it. Or if you want to give Sci-Fi a go, then do that.

 

You should be reading whatever gets you interested, and you’re not going to get back into reading by choosing books that don’t inspire or interest you. You need a book that pulls you back to it, and finding that perfect, fast-paced book is the most important part of getting back into reading as a fun activity.

 

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Thank you so much to Jamie for letting me post on his blog today!

 

I really hope my tips help you fall back in love with reading, or encourage you to pick up a book instead of your phone next time you’re taking a break from work.

 

It can be hard to get back into reading for pleasure after a short or long break, but it is such a rewarding and fun hobby- so it’s definitely worth pushing yourself.

 

 

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This guest post was written by Eleanor. She is a freelance content writer from the UK, and she loves writing lifestyle posts for her blog and other websites.

 

Check out her blog, or connect with her on Twitter to find out more.

 

Why Is Reading Blogs Beneficial?

I almost called this article, ‘Why is reading blogs powerful?’ But I changed my mind as powerful can sometimes suggest something negative and I wanted the post to be wholly positive. However, blogs are powerful entities which can influence people markedly. I would hope that blogs have had nothing but positive influences over me and I definitely have loved reading such a variety of them, especially in the past year.

As a reader and writer I have no doubt that any kind of reading is good for you in terms of expanding your vocabulary and improving your language flexibility. Of course, there are some blogs that are slightly one-sided and these may drag you down a rabbit hole of negativity, but I avoid those.

I chose this picture merely because I wanted some Norwegian countryside in my blog. I hope to produce more travel blog posts sometime soon.

Keeping It Positive

For me, I originally started reading blogs as a result of Twitter threads for writers. So yes, I was late to the party. Until then, I had only read a few blog articles and didn’t quite understand their functions. Nowadays I read probably ten blogs a day and absolutely love them.

What Are Their Benefits Of Reading Blogs (for me)?

1) They have taught me so much about subjects that I previously knew very little about. Learning more about the environment has been eye-opening for me, as a geographer who is already very interested in this topic. Similarly, I have found out facts about health and nutrition, as well as mental health and particular industries.

2) I have begun to understand how blogging itself works. Learning from more experienced writers has been wonderful, especially knowing how they started out and what drove their blogging process. I also have enjoyed finding out about ways to improve SEO and integrate into the very friendly community of blog writers.

3) I have read such brilliant poems and short stories which I would never have otherwise come across. Some poets are very talented and their work is only available on their personal blogs.

4) Blogs often draw attention to goods. Yes, they are businesses and I embrace that. I would rather see a recommendation for a product from a blogger than just read meaningless endorsements on selling websites. We all know that product reviews can be misleading on selling sites, so blog reviews from trusted bloggers are far better.

5) My eyes have been opened to new destinations through travel blogs. Rachel Foy for example, often visits places in Britain that I never thought of visiting up until now. Confidently Kayleigh also gives me plenty of ideas, such as recently with her Salford museum post.

6) Most of all, I have loved reading book reviews and this has influenced my reading heavily. The Happy Reader (from 🇨🇦 Canada) is one such blog that has given me book suggestions to follow up with. Learning about new books is one of the major benefits of reading blogs.

Why are blogs useful?

So now hopefully you will understand why blogs have become more than just a hobby to me. Blogging is brilliant and the community is embracing. Reading blogs is beneficial in so many fabulous ways.

For an article about starting a blog click here. If you enjoyed this article about the benefits of reading blogs, please consider following my blog as I want to eventually become a full time blogger.

Why Libraries Matter

I am reblogging this post because it highlights just how important and useful libraries are. They are under threat right now and we have to try and save them. Check out this post by the Orang-utan librarian.

I’ve been meaning to write this post for ages, but found it hard to start, because of course libraries matter, ISN’T THAT OBVIOUS?! Yet, a lot of the…

Why Libraries Matter