Tell me why I should be a reader (and how to become one)

[Wantobeareader]

Name changed for this as I am a bit ashamed.
Used to read fairly regularly in my 20s but “thanks” to internet, social media, having DC and being generally quite tired at night, I fell off the habit.
I have read 4 or 5 books over the past 10 years, which is quite shameful, I know.
Truth is, I have always found reading fairly enjoyable but it isn’t a passion of mine and I sometimes struggle to really get into a book and often find myself reading a few pages ans abandoning them.
I suppose I don’t fully see the point of it anymore but would love to build the habit. I feel like I need concrete reasons to persuade me to read more, can you list a few and convince me, please? 😃
How does one become an avid reader? Can you become one in your 40s?

I joined a book club about 1.5 years ago, it's great to meet & chat with people who have nothing to do with my regular life about a common interest.

It's less screen time it's relaxing it uses your brain while you think about what's going to happen rather than tv which just presents it to you

I found as I got older (I'm mid 30s) my tastes have narrowed and I'm less tolerant of stories with my personal red flags.

There's nothing wrong with not being a reader btw. Dh never reads anything but online articles and forums. No one should judge you for it.

Saying that, if you DO want to get into it. Can you identify what you enjoyed in previous books? Genre, character archetype, mystery, flowery prose Vs immediate action etc.

I struggle to read anything but fantasy now, a genre we've been really spoiled by recently. Even then I told my eyes at the tropes (dragons, fire balls) unless exquisitely written.

Perhaps a good route in for you would be to revisit some stories you enjoyed before or even your childhood? Perhaps reading more younger fiction would be more accessible? Harry potter, narnia? I read watership down every few years because it was read to me as a child.

There's nothing shameful or wrong about not being a reader. If you don't enjoy it don't do it.

I don't think there should be any judgement around reading. I have know some perfectly lovely/bright/interesting non-readers. Reading has been a part of my life from a young age, so I cannot imagine not having a book or two on the go. I love how reading can transport you to a places, times or even dimensions! It is great for giving you a perspective on other people maybe from totallly different backgrounds - considering things from their point of view/climbing into their skin to walk around in it.

@Happierwithouthim makes a good point about joining book clubs. It would help you see what people get out of books and it's social. My friend was in the same boat as you so she started a book club a few years ago, she's still not an avid reader, but reads a handful of books a year, now knows what genre she enjoys and made friends. Mind you you have to find the right fit if that's possible - I tried out three hoping to pick one, but ended up sticking with two very different book clubs just because the groups were so lovely. The third group took reading and books very seriously (anything funny or light was frowned upon) which was not for me.

I think starting with what you know is a good shout by @Luckydog7. Also what do you like watching on film or TV? You will probably have similar tastes in books. MN is good at giving suggestions. But don't start with anything heavy or a huge tome as that will probably completely put you off!

I just find it so hard to focus these days, even ready 2 pages feels like a chore :(
I like Agatha Christie type of books and have enjoyed books like the handmaids tail, 1984 etc

You don't have to be a reader. I like reading, but wouldn't bother doing it if I didn't enjoy it. I also have to like a book to finish it. Life is far too short for reading crap books!

Dh has never once read a book for pleasure. He got an A / A* in English lit at gcse etc so it isn't that he can't get to grips with it, but he just doesn't care about books! He's more maths/science-y

I find reading incredibly relaxing - if I don’t start my day with reading for 15-30 mins I feel all out of sorts. I suppose it’s kind of like a meditation for me. I just love the printed word.
i find setting targets motivating and writing down the books I’ve read so I can see how many at the end of the year. The more I read the more articulate I become I think and also the more my brain seems to be motivated to make new connections and ideas. Always been a bookworm basically

I have got out of the 'habit " of reading in the last 5 years or more and I know it's because I'm too distracted by screens. Phone, TV, not so much ipads and computers as much now. Smart phones have made it so easy to be distracted with checking Facebook etc whereas in the past you had to at least turn on the computer etc.
It takes me ages to read a book now unless I'm on a relaxing holiday which I've not been for a while!
I've made a point for a while of trying to read a "classic" or well known book.
I've read Lord of the Flies, Animal Farm, The Handmaid's Tale etc. Have read The Grapes of Wrath and Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy which I found hard going but preserved.
Have read a few of the popular ones like The Rosie Project, Where the Crawdad's Sing, Eleanor Oliphant is completely fine which were quite good.
I really enjoyed the first two Richard Osman books about the Thursday Murder Club, funny and engaging, need to read the next two.
I think there is always a book out there for someone!
DH doesn't read much at all but I got him a novel by Bob Mortimer which he read quickly and really liked it.

Reading is a habit.
Start with something easy and enjoyable! No need for Atwood or Orwell yet! How about something like Dolly Alderton or a sloppy romance. Get back in the habit - say 10 mins before bed. Find something which hooks you first and then you'll find you want to read at other times too.
Once you've got a bit more of an established routine then perhaps go for something a bit more hard hitting.
Good luck and have fun!

Soppy!! Not sloppy

What about listening to audiobooks if you find sitting down with a book a chore? That way you can potter about the house/ do chores/ take a walk while you’re at it.

Why do you need to be convinced to resume a long-lapsed activity you once mildly enjoyed but say you no longer see the point of, though?

I became an avid reader in childhood because it was an escape from difficult circumstances. It’s entrenched 45 years on. My career is based on reading. Given an entirely free day, I could read four or five novels one after the other. But it’s because it’s pure pleasure, not because I feel I should.

I meant to say perserved not preserved!

I didn't read much for years but have completed my target of 50 books a year for a good number of years now. Mostly due to audible so I can listen with dead time-walking, driving, cooking, cleaning etc. I'm also in a book club & it has me reading some I wouldn't normally which can be good.

It is satisfying to finish a book & a great way to form connections with others if they're readers. One of my best days was running a charity 2nd hand book stall at a Christmas market with an English lit interest. Great chats vs with the customers

I’m mid / late 50s and was an avid reader until my mid 20s but had probably only read 3/4 books since my 30s . Last year I got a kindle and started reading what I would describe as ‘cosy crime ‘ , very easy reading but I’m enjoying it . Since Sept I’ve read about 30 books . So my advice is pick a genre that interests you .

I'd start with Agatha Christie and other mysteries. Then perhaps branch out - have a look at your local library. Librarians can sometimes come up with good suggestions along the lines of "If you like this, you might also like ..."

If you find it difficult to focus how about short stories? Margaret Atwood has written some short story collections but I haven't read them as I find her work a bit hit and miss (I also liked The Handmaid's Tale). The chapters in the Olive Kitteridge books are self contained little stories that don't directly link with each other although obviously they are all connected as she is somehow involved in them all).

If you are finding a book a chore to read though, I would give up and try another.

I've found my love of reading again though getting a kindle, which I was always sniffy about before. I can make the text the size that's most comfortable and read in bed in yhr dark easily. Sometimes i read while im cooking. The main thing for me is that I find with a physical book I feel like I need to dedicate time to it to sit and get settled and not be disturbed. Whereas with Kindle I just pick it up and read whenever. I also use the borrowbox app on the tablet to.read library books. I'm.not.sure I'll actually go back to a proper.printrd book!

Reading and cooking @HardHeartedHarbingerofHaggis ? Hats off to you!

Reading for fun should be exactly that. If you're not enjoying it why bother?

But if you do want to get more into it-

You could join a book club so there's a social aspect and you broaden your horizons.

Or stick to favourite authors you enjoy.

Find a time in the day that works best for you. So if you're tired just before bed read at 8pm. Or on a Sunday afternoon.

Have a go at The Twyford Code by Janice Hallett - I too struggle to focus these days for various reasons but the way this book is written made it very easy to get into.

www.amazon.co.uk/Twyford-Code-Janice-Hallett/dp/1788165314

I am trying to get back into reading too (my phone seems to have wrecked my concentration span, and have had some mh issues that haven't helped) but there's no shame whatsoever in not reading books if you don't enjoy it.

I don't think you need to judge yourself or be judged if you aren't a reader BUT if you want to be one make it easy for yourself.

Choose books/genres you know you like, re-read old favourites, nothing wrong with only reading a couple of pages at a time. What about short stories? Non fiction? Agatha Christie did some short stories, easily found on kindle too (often free) I also love Jeffrey Archers short stories.

This is all coming from an English grad who has also struggled at times.

Waxes and wanes for me

If you want to start reading you need to build up your reading endurance so reread stuff you know you like, Agatha Christie is the obvious choice here for you. Or you could try listening to audio books, that might be an easier way in. Or short stories or poems. Set aside 10 minutes a day to read, every day to get back in the habit. And don't feel bad about giving up on a book. Ialways read a decent chunk beforeI buy a book, you can read a sample on Amazon if buying electronically or just pick up and read some in the bookshop. Or get library books so you don't have to worry about wasting money.

As to why to read? Here's 10 reasons but for me it's about escaping my own voice in my head and experiencing another world. And it's fun. A good book is like a good TV series, it makes you experience things you wouldn't otherwise experience.

Agree with the comments above. It’s a habit and a focus you need to relearn. I was a lapsed reader after being a total bookworm and an English Lit grad.

Find something light and readable and put your phone on the other side of the room for 15 mins. I’m an e-reader fan as I can read at night without disturbing my husband.

Fascinating how it is mainly a habit it seems and something you can actually “build” over time.
For those asking why I want to be a reader, I suppose it’s because I know it’s good for you in many ways and I feel there is a whole world out there I’d like to be part of and maybe I am missing out. I just feel like my mind has become even lazier with smartphones and now when I have some free time in the evenings I’d rather scroll pinterest than read a book. I also tend to buy quite a few and rarely read them and then I get into a loop of guilt because I see some books waiting for me on my bedside table but I’s rather read something else and just give up.

Book clubs sound lovely but with work and DC it’d be hard for me to find the time