Hoping to get back into reading!

[Starship951]

On a whim, I bought "Where the Crawdads Sing". Something very appealing about it to me and I want to see the film.
I thought I'd read the book first though.
I'm finding it difficult to pick it up as I've been out of the reading habit for years. Phone and Netflix always wins.
If you've successfully gone back to reading for pleasure, please share your experience

When I lost the ability I started again by going to the library and borrowing out 'short reads'. Really good for getting me back into the swing.

Might be a bit too warm at the mo but I got back into reading by having a bath and only taking my kindle in there, leaving my phone in the bedroom.

It's not one of my favourite pastimes!

I read just before I go to bed, or sitting in the garden enjoying the sunshine. I often put music on in the background.

Crawdads is quite a long book. Try something shorter and simpler?

I restarted by going back to a favourite (Robin Hobb) I read every night for years to relax then just stopped and couldn't get going again. I like the tracker in the kindle app so I can keep a streak going.

I always have a book in my bag, all those times you sit and scroll through your phone, grab your book instead. Set a timer and read for 20 minutes before bed.

When I havent read for a while I pick up easy reads, Richard Osmans books were great for that, enjoyable but not emotionally or mentally challenging. Also I often raid DDs book collection, yes they are aimed for children but I've enjoyed both the Percy Jackson and Artemis Fowl series.

My motivation for reading the last 2 books wasnt because I wanted to read more. One author I follow on twitter and like her tweets so thought I would put my money where my mouth was. The subject interested me too. The second is by the presenter of a podcast that I listen to regularly. I fall asleep to it so thought I should repay her by buying her book.

As a result of the last 2 books Ive bought the satanic verses to show my support for Salman Rushdie.

I really lost my reading mojo after a death in the family which coincided with peri menopause and lack concentration, brain fog etc. I really had to work to get back into it and even now I have to work at it. A lot for me depends on how the book grabs me and if it doesn’t putting it to one side and choosing another. I started back with a very slim novel ( The Guest Cat) and worked up to chunkier reads. I made it a habit in a habit journal I kept at the time and ticked off every time I read. My mum would literally block out time in her schedule for reading for pleasure. This year I’ve signed up for a reading challenge (35 books) and because I was flying through expanded the challenge to include a wider variety of books. I stay interested in literature by listening to a number of podcasts although I have slipped a little over the summer holidays.

I'm in exactly you situation OP, but have fallen into the Audible trap - though admittedly this is probably better than scrolling on MN!

I currently have The Flame Trees Of Thika on my bedside table, where it has been for the past two months. When I read it I enjoy it, but it just doesn't cross my mind most of the time 🙄

I set myself a very low target of two pages. I'm still disturbed by my younger teen late in the evenings so I can't relax until very late.

I encourage my DS who dislikes reading by reading a single chapter a night. He is 13 and we have gotten through a bunch of books that way and sometimes he wants to read more.

It really is a habit.

I also recommend choosing books you want to read, not neccessarily books you think are worthy of being read if that makes sense. Even go back to old favorites that you loved- I recently re-read The Secret Garden and A Little Princess.

(I just finished the Twyford code and loved it).

Oh! And yes audio books. Big fan.

I haven't read fir a few years, I loved reading!

ive just finished reading 'where the crawdads sing' and loved it!!

keep going it takes a little time to get onto then I was then hooked!

@SummerLobelia my 13 year old hates reading - any suggestions?

sorry to de-rail OP

Me too. Read some light, fluffy novels while BF. And I like flicking through a nice coffee table book or cook book. But, now my son’s two, I’d like to get to proper reading. He loves reading too, so we’ll both make good use of the local library.

Yes! Just to add though that mine is a very young 13 year old and developmentally delayed so we are about the 10 year level.

We did the first 3 harry Potters. Plus David Walliams Gangsta Granny which he LOVED. We also just finished Libby and the Parisian adventure (jewel thefts plus Paris plus pastries- ticked all my boxes - although that was possibly a little young for him); and we are about to start 'Nura and the Immortal Palace'. I have also read Tom's Midnight Garden (and we had that on audio as well in the car). I also read a favourite of mine Judith Kerr's; 'When Hitler stole pink rabbit'.

He does not by choice pick books for himself- he sticks to his favourites like Diary of a Wimpy Kid so every couple of months we go to waterstones and have cake and coffee and the staff help us with a selection. It's become a bit of a thing we do. I like it.

Oh- and school reading wise he loved The War Horse and Stig of the Dump.

Agree with choosing YA or middle grade novels - you can find one in almost any genre!
Goodreads reading challenge keeps me going - I get great satisfaction entering another book and getting a 'you are 3 books ahead' message!

I really don't know. I used to also be a huge reader and got out of the habit. So a few years ago I signed up to GoodReads, set myself a goal of a book-a-week, set aside time for it, including at breakfast and at lunch, and I actually ended up reading 60 books that year.

The thing was... I really didn't enjoy most of them. I picked a huge range of books: classics, currently trending, some stuff that had been on my to-read pile for years, stuff recommended by friends or given as gifts, cheap easy reads, things that were more literary or artistic and...on the whole, meh. My GoodReads scores for the fiction were overwhelmingly two and three stars (non fiction scored higher).

I've tried again and again to re-start the habit, including with audiobooks this year and I can't. I can see through plots, I can see the twist coming, the characters don't compel me, the dialogue is fake, endings are unsatisfying. It feels like such a weird thing to admit, but I'm not interested in sitting and consuming fiction. A couple of hours a week of films/TV/books combined is more than enough.

Instead of reading, over the last couple of years I've filled the time with painting and learning languages and it's been so, so much more enriching to me. Maybe I'll pick up reading again, but right now I honestly don't care if I don't.

with youngsters and reading, maybe try graphic novels? Like a book but less hard-going.

I came in here to suggest the Goodreads app. I used to read constantly but stopped when I had kids, I went from reading a book every week or so to one a year if I was lucky. I downloaded Goodreads at the start of the year and set myself a challenge to read 20 books by the end of the year - just finished number 13 which puts me 1 book ahead.

Thinking I’ll start The Disaster Tourist tonight, it’s only 200 pages so a nice short one to get me to 2 books ahead.

Brilliant book. Takes a while to get into it.

I've actually got an Instagram dedicated to books if you're interested. You might find something you like!

Thank you all for the tips. I do understand that it doesn't seem like it's the ideal book to get me back into reading but something about that book sparked an interest, and I haven't felt like that in a while.
I still haven't managed to pick it up though as I've been so busy and have just sat down.
If I try to read it before bed, I'll just fall asleep. I probably need to find some time to prioritise reading, like others have.

Bookbub is another good website, and sends you regular emails with suggestions based on your preferences.

@KyaClark that sounds amazing though I have to admit that I don't really do social media. I'd be on my phone way too much. Mumsnet is my only sm account.

I hear you, I have started putting my phone down as soon as I come to bed and started reading instead and it’s made a big difference, I found it hard at first but now it’s a habit.

Do persevere with Crawdads, I finished it recently and thought it was excellent

(She says, on her bed on her phone…. I don’t always stick to it!)