My NY resolution was to try to read more

[InterstellarDrifter]

But here I am. On mumsnet and other social media. Yet to pick up a book.
What's wrong with me?
Who else is struggling with this?

I think the only way is to schedule the time to read. Switch off your phone or leave it in another room.

It might sound obvious, but it wasn't to me: like any skill or practice you get better the more you do it. I started by banning my phone from the bedroom and reading before I went to sleep. At frst I would take ages to get through a book reading a few pages at a time, but now after a year I'm zooming through hefty books and genuinely loving it. I even get up on weekend mornings and read for an hour before anyone else appears. Your focus has been damaged by your phone use. You can get it back.

I even bought a book. It’s on Kindle for 3 weeks already, still unopened.

This is me too. I used to read a lot when I was younger and loved it, then life got busy. It's quieter now but I feel like I don't know where to start and then end up mindlessly scrolling social media. I haven't even picked a book yet

I read two pages then ended up back on my phone. I'm an utter failure. I ate biscuits too 😭

Same, I deleted all of my social media accounts before Christmas aside from MN WhatsApp and YouTube.

I'm very proud to say I've just finished a book I got for Christmas already

I have to keep the iPad and phone elsewhere and only look at MN now at bedtime.

There is no point in reading a book if you don't enjoy it. I read loads of books, but also belong to a reading group, which I joined to broaden my literature horizons. If I don't enjoy the month's choice or find it tedious I have no problem just reading a few pages and abandoning it - neither do the others.
My best friend, who I have known for decades, has only ever voluntarily read one novel as far as I know. It was "Fifty Shades of Grey". 😁
Nb. If you don't know where to start, how about re-reading a book you read before which you really enjoyed?

@bluesatin

Your tip of reading a book I've already read and enjoyed, could be a good way of easing back in. I'm going to have a dig around on the bookcase tomorrow and try that. Thank you

It's not the actual books that are the problem. There are lots of books I want to read and I bought them because they sounded good. I have a huge pile.
I read so much before dcs.
I've read a few books over the past few years but this time, it feels really hard.
I never reread books. Even if I loved a book, I can't read it again. Too many new books to discover.

It's too late to focus now but I'm going to read a book with my coffee tomorrow morning instead of scrolling on my phone.
Maybe trying to read in the evening when I'm tired and want to switch off isn't the best time for me to restart.

I’ve started to read again too. I was surprised to remember how much I enjoyed it and how relaxed it makes me feel. It’s been easy to bury myself into a story.

I hear joining a book club can help....
But I have not read a book since my first child was born so I'm not much help!!!

I'm in a book club and sometimes it feels like bloody homework reading other people's choices. To get round this I put a post-it note every 50 pages, or as near to a natural break in the novel, and this helps me through. I do this because abandoning a book someone else has chosen is just rude when it comes to the discussion - better to explain yourself as to why it wasn't much/any good.

For books I've chosen for myself I wouldn't hesitate to bin them off after a few chapters.

OP, if you don't re-read books, then pick a book by an author you've enjoyed or on a similar subject.