One thing you may or may not know about me is that, in addition to my passion for all things artsy craftsy, I am an avid reader and lover of books.
I recently started listening to the podcast Bad on Paper, which I am absolutely loving. One of the hosts, Grace, has her own blog called the Stripe, which I also checked out. I loved the way that she does a post each month highlighting everything she read that month and her reviews. So I’m actually going to take a page out of her book (pun intended) and start sharing my reads and reviews on here on a monthly basis! It’s nearing the end of February now, so my first Reads & Reviews post will cover what I’ve read in both January and February 2020, but after that, I’ll post monthly!
This idea came as what I see to be the next step in me sharing my rekindled love of reading. But before I got to sharing my monthly reads and reviews, I thought it might be helpful or interesting to share more about my lifelong journey with books and reading, as well as challenge you, my readers, to make some small changes to encourage reading growth in your own lives. I do this in hopes that, if you’re reading this and hoping to spark (or rekindle) your own relationship with books, you might find some ideas or inspiration to help you!
The Storied History of a Bookworm
Get it? Storied. Books.
SORRY (not sorry), the book puns are just too easy, I can’t not take advantage of them, right?
But I digress. Let’s first travel back in time to the early days of Bookworm Brea.
For as long as I can remember, books have played an important role in my life. One of my earliest memories is of time spent hopping up on my grandma’s lap in her comfy chair and having her read Jake Baked the Cake by B.G. Hennessy,The Berenstain Bears series, or (of course) one of many Dr. Seuss books to me for the millionth time. My mom took me to weekly “Story Hour” at our local library and says I was the earliest reader of my siblings, beginning at the age of four.
In grade school, I remember being enamored by several book series. One was the Junie B. Jones series by Barbara Park, which chronicled the mishaps and adventure of sassy young Junie. I had an obsessively organized bookshelf of pretty much every book in that series, and there were a lot of them.
I also loved the Magic Tree House series by Mary Pope Osbourne, the American Girl series by Valerie Tripp (Josefina was my favorite), and the Babysitters Club series. This is about the time I also discovered Shel Silverstein’s poem books. Shel partially inspired me to write some poems of my own, which my grandma then lovingly made into my own poem book (aka a binder of my poems on pages with different colorful borders, inserted into page protectors). I reallllly hope that poem book still exists somewhere in my family’s attic. I’m sure it would give a good laugh these days. I was also obsessed with the book Holes (and later the movie starring Shia LaBeouf too).
With middle school and high school came my Harry Potter and Nicholas Sparks phases and I most definitely was an early adopter of the Twilight series as well. I also read The Book Thief by Markus Zusak during this period, which, to this day, remains one of my favorite books and was certainly a catalyst for my love of WWII historical fiction in general.
I will say, growing up I was never a fan of “required” reading. I liked to be the one making the decisions about what I read and when, even if it’s a book I’m interested in (oh, hello stubborn teenage Brea!). This included all of the classics assigned to me in my high school Honors English classes. At that time, I was a big fan of Spark Notes or movie adaptations of the books to get by. Nowadays, I have a newfound appreciation for classics that I definitely did not have at the time and am slowly trying to check classics off my list in-between my endless list of modern “to-reads”.
Post-high school, I pretty much completely drifted away from leisurely reading during my years at college (as many do) due to a lack of time and onslaught of mandatory reading for my classes. In hindsight, I wish I would have still prioritized reading for enjoyment at least a little bit during this period. Reading has always had such a positive effect on my mental health, I think during those stressful times in college, more (leisurely) reading might have been just what I needed.
After college, I packed up and moved to DC to start my career. Once I was settled in my first, full-time job I finally (slowly) started getting my groove back and with each year I’ve leaned into reading more and more.
The Rekindling Begins… With Some Goal Setting
Somewhere along the line I was introduced to Goodreads (you can find my profile here - friend me if you’re on there too!) and have loved using that platform to keep track of all things books, including my lengthy to-read list and reviews of books I’ve read. The Goodreads platform can be a little clunky sometimes (I feel like I need to start a crowdfund to redo the app - I can’t be the only one!) but I love its annual Reading Challenge.
In 2018 as my first challenge to myself, I set a goal of 18 books for 2018. I needed to read a book and a half a month to reach my goal. I honestly had no idea if this was an overambitious or totally achievable goal or not since I hadn’t been really keeping track of how many books I was reading until then. And boy did I read some AMAZING books that year! You can see a complete list of all the books I read in 2018 here, along with my favorites (Also spoiler alert: I hit my goal!).
Then, going into 2019, I’ll be honest, I don’t know what happened… but it was like someone lit a reading fire under my @$$ and I read five more books than my target for a total of 24 books. I was all “I’m baaaack” to my fellow bookworm friends. You can also click here to see all of the books I read in 2019, along with reviews of my top three books.
After blowing my 2019 goal out of the water I decided that I needed to set an even more ambitious goal. I ditched the idea of my goal matching the year number (it would’ve been 20 for 2020) and decided to switch to my age (27) instead. The good news is, I’m off to a great start, netting six books in January alone.
But ENOUGH with all of the quantification. While I do appreciate the goals I’ve set for helping me stay motivated with my reading, they are certainly not what it’s all about. In fact, I have pondered how quantifying your reading affects your quality of reading. I never want to feel like I’m rushing through a book and not fully digesting it, simply for the sake of chalking one up towards a goal. I don’t feel that I’m doing that now, but it’s something I want to keep a check on.
There are a few things I’ve learned in my journey back to reading thus far that I wanted to share with you all, in the form of a few challenges, that I hope will bolster your current reading experience to even greater heights.
Challenge #1: Write a Review for Everything You Read
One way I’m keeping a check on focusing too much on quantity is by writing reviews for the books I read.
These aren’t New York Times level reviews or anything. I mainly just use them as an opportunity to synthesize what I read, and to see if any new revelations or broader ideas reveal themselves to me as I write. They aren’t as much for others as they are for myself, though I do post them on Goodreads where they are public so I try to organize them in a coherent way.
I’ve found that when you read a good number of books (especially if they tend to be the same genre) the details can become a little blurred in your mind. The reviews you write are also helpful in reminding you of some of those smaller details when you revisit the review later.
Also, if you’re posting your reviews on a place like Goodreads, others can comment on your review and share their thoughts on your thoughts, creating a community. More on that later.
Challenge #2: Search for Time in Your Schedule That Can be Filled (or Replaced) By Reading
When talking with others about my rekindled romance with books, the thing I think I hear the most is, “That’s awesome, I really wish I had the time to read more.”
To that, all I really have to say is if you are intentional and prioritize it, you will find that you have time to read.
Unless you’re one of those off-the-grid anomalies, odds are you are spending at least an hour per day in front of some sort of screen. No judge - I admittedly could taper my time spent scrolling through other people’s highlight reels on Instagram. But you may just need to make the decision that you’re going to pick up your book instead of reaching for the remote.
Alternatively, you can try carving out specific times in your day to read. That can mean that you get some pages in over lunch at your desk, or that you head to bed a half hour earlier to read and wind down before falling asleep. I’m a big fan of this option and it turns out it is a great way to help your brain shut down for a restful night of sleep. OR if you’re a morning person (good on you, I am certainly NOT), coffee + books is always a great combo.
I also try to always keep a book in the bag I carry, in case I’m presented with a good opportunity to read wherever I go. This happens more often than not as someone living in a city, where I can bring out my book on public transportation or in a waiting room. And if you’re a Kindle owner, this is a great option for you since Kindles are lightweight and portable.
Challenge #3: Create (or find) a Comfortable Space That Evokes a Desire To Read
I’ve also found that atmosphere can play a part in encouraging my reading. You can do this by creating a cozy spot in your home where you’ll look forward to curling up with a book.
For me and my partner, we have a papasan chair in our bedroom in front of a window where we always keep a fuzzy blanket. It’s become one of the preferred reading spots in the house (that’s if our cat, Jack, isn’t snuggled up on it first). I’d recommend putting on some light background music (I prefer coffeehouse jazz instrumentals so I don’t get distracted). Fuzzy pajamas, candles, and perhaps even a glass of red wine also tend to make excellent additions to this set up.
If you’re short on space in your apartment to create your zen reading space, consider seeking it out in your community. Coffee shops and local bookstores are great places to hole up and get lost in your current read. Reach out to your reading friends and solicit recommendations for cozy spots in your city.
Challenge #4: Embrace Multi-booking (Format-wise and Content-wise)
Another small change that has been a game changer for me in terms of my reading is becoming a multi-booker.
What’s a multi-booker, you ask?
A multi-booker is a person who simultaneously reads at least two books. Until not long ago, I was actually a fervent single-booker, focusing on only one book at a time. I felt like I would get confused jumping from one story to another and back. Using this method, obviously one typically gets through individual books a little bit faster. But I’m so glad I switched to multi-booking for a number of reasons.
For one, sometimes length of books would affect my willingness to carry them around with me and thus, I would only read them at home. Nobody wants to be lugging a 500 pager on the metro, amirite? So I would strategically pick and larger and a smaller book to read simultaneously so that the smaller one could be the one tossed in my bag to carry around with me, while the other could stay on my bedside shelf. Another option is to invest in a Kindle for this exact purpose, as they are lightweight and easy to carry around. I was gifted a Kindle a few years back and enjoy using it for this purpose, though I do still prefer reading paper books.
Another format to consider incorporating into your new multi-book plan is audio books. Audio books are perfect material for road trips or commutes and offer a totally different “reading” experience (since you’re actually listening, not reading).
There are certain types of books that I think lend themselves best to audio versions, and others where I definitely still prefer to read the hard copy. For example, I really enjoy listening to memoirs or funny books via audio because they are often narrated by the author and I feel that enhances the storytelling for me (listening to Michelle Obama read Becoming or Mindy Kaling read either of her books was an awesome experience). It feels closer to a podcast or an intimate conversation in those cases, which I love. One of my favorite books that I listened to last year was Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid. By and large, this is an excellent read, but I’m SO glad I decided to listen to it. There are many main characters in the book and they are all narrated by a different person, which created such a dynamic and alive listening experience.
A key takeaway I found regarding audio books is that environment matters. For me, I can’t listen to an audio book while I’m actively doing something else like working on my computer. I get too distracted and after a while will realize that I hadn’t actually been processing any of the information and I have to rewind and listen again. I decided that the best way for me to incorporate audio books was into my morning and afternoon commutes, where I subbed them in for when I would traditionally listen to podcasts or music.
The other benefit of multi-booking comes when you diversify the content of the multiple books you read at once. That’s because, let’s face it: depending on the type of book you’re reading, if the content is heavy or too light, you might not always be in the mood to pick it up, based on your day-to-day life and what’s going on around you. It might not be for everyone, but if I’m reading something a little emotionally heavier, I like to consecutively be reading something light or funny that I can grab when I want to read, but don’t want to pile on the feels to whatever else is going on in life.
Challenge #5: Find and Join a Book Community
The last recommendation I have for those looking to in (or back in) to reading is to find and join a book community.
Last year, I became a part of the Girls’ Night In bookclub in November which I absolutely LOVE. Honestly, not sure how I had not joined a book club before then (?!). Between the snacks, the *cozy vibes*, and the intellectual convos, it’s 110% my scene.
The deadlines that book clubs impose can motivate you to pick up your book so that you’re prepared for the discussion when your club meets. My book club has been such a great opportunity to meet like minded book nerds, and to have a safe space to explore a plethora of different topics that books brought to light.
One of the things that I find most amazing about books, is the ability for it to have different meanings for every person who picks it up. Every person in our club reads the same words, but comes away with totally different feelings and interpretations. It’s so interesting to come to the table each month with my own thoughts and to hear what others found interesting or problematic about the book. The members of our group come from all different cultures and backgrounds and, as such, approach each of our discussions with a completely different lens. I find it so intellectually stimulating to hear all of the different perspectives of my fellow members. It thoroughly enriches the entire reading experience for me.
I also enjoy attending author talks when I have a chance. If you’re like me and live in or near a city, I’d recommend subscribing to email newsletters for the larger bookstores around you, as they will often share the authors visiting each month.
And besides IRL book communities, there are so many online book communities out there including Goodreads, which I’ve mentioned before.
Furthermore, a huge part of my personal journey back to reading has been that I’ve had a partner on the journey. My boyfriend is also passionate about reading (though our preferred genres are often pretttttty different) and it’s not weird to find us in bed side-by-side, reading together on a night in. We mutually enjoy discussing current reads, liking each other’s reviews, and helping the other decide what to read next. I know this won’t be the case for everyone, but it has definitely been a positive force for me.
All in all, I think rekindling a reading hobby is sort of like working a muscle. At first, depending on the person, it might feel a little weird or awkward incorporating more reading into your routine. But I believe that the more you carve out the time, the more natural it becomes.
I realize that reading isn’t for everyone (actually - I kind of don’t believe this, as I think people who dislike reading just haven’t found the right thing or way to read). But if it’s something you once loved and miss or you’re just looking for a hobby that is going to pull you away from the electronic grip we’re in these days, I’d encourage you to take on at least a few of the challenges above. Your brain (and your trivia team) will thank you.