How to be a “bookworm”

Chances are pretty good that if you visit a blog called “Reading, ‘Riting, and Randomness” more than once or twice, you may be a reading junkie and have no need of this advice. But via The Happiness Project, here are a few hints (the article lists 20 in all) for nurturing your own, or a loved one’s, reading habit, with running commentary:

  • Keep a reading list. Either in a notebook, on a wiki, or some other document on your computer, keep a simple list of books you want to read. Add to it every time you hear of a good book, or read a good review. This running list will keep you motivated keep reading more.
  • Keep a book log. Along those lines, also keep a log of all the books you read. If you want to be detailed, write the book title, author, the date you started and the date you completed it. Even more, you can write a short note about how you liked the book. If all of that’s too much trouble, just keep a list of the books you read and maybe the date you finished them. (That’s originally what this blog was for, but you may have noticed it’s heading in various directions now.)
  • Cut back on online reading. If you’re reading a lot of stuff online, you probably don’t have enough time to read books. If you cut your online reading by just 30 minutes (I’m not saying to ditch it completely), you’ll have time to read for half an hour a day. That adds up. (Currently, this probably is the biggest thing that’s cut into my book-reading time – well, that and the writing about the online and offline reading.)
  • Join a book club. Most areas have some sort of book club — look online, in your local newspaper, or at your local library for a book club near you. If you can’t find one, organize one with friends, family and neighbors who are interested in books. A book club will get you motivated to read, and help you find recommendations for great books, and perhaps an easy way to swap good books with people in your area. (I actually resisted book clubs for a long time, preferring to choose what I wanted to read when I wanted to read it, but I’m a convert now.)
  • Carry your book always. This is one of the most important tips if you want to read more books: anywhere you go, bring your book with you. If you leave the house, put your book in the car. That way, if you have any waiting time, you’ve got your book to keep you company. (I swear by this one – my purse always has to be big enough to hold a book.)
  • Always have books to read. You should never finish a book and not have another book lined up. I like to have at least 5 lined up, so I don’t have to worry about it. Have your lineup of books stacked to one side of your bookshelf, so you always know what’s on deck. (I swear by this one, too. I have a dread of running out of things to read, which is why I’m so often seen at Borders…)
  • Finish your book before starting another. One bad habit I broke a few years ago was starting one book, putting it down, and then starting another, thinking I’ll read them both at the same time. It doesn’t usually work. I often don’t come back to the first book, and usually don’t finish it. If you start a book and it’s a dud, go ahead and abandon it. But if it’s a keeper, try to finish it before moving on. (This one’s up for debate. It’s what works best for me personally, but some people can handle two-timing their books.)

Preaching to the choir, most likely, but considering that 27% of Americans didn’t read a book last year, I guess maybe there are some folks who could use a little guidance. But, as when developing – or breaking – any habit, it’s not going to take unless you really want to do it.

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4 comments

  1. “How to be a bookworm” is an odd concept to me. It’s like saying… um… “How to be 6 feet tall”. You either are one or you’re not.

    If one is a natural bookworm, doing these things is not the problem, but rather the reverse: one has to STOP doing these things occasionally, so as to have room for the other things in life!

    However, one can certainly aspire to read more (especially if one is in that notorious and shameful 27%!) in which case these are great pointers.

  2. MaryP – I’m not sure that one can become a bookworm either, without the natural inclination, but if it can be done, the article had some good suggestions about how to do it. Most of us that are bookworms probably do them already – as you say, it’s not doing them that presents the challenge.