The Reading Life #2

Getting Started With A Book

I’m not a natural reader. Many people find that surprising, but I’m not.

As a child, my dad carted my brother, Richard, and me to the local library in Moss Pointe, MS a few times a week. I thought he was interested in our learning, but upon reflection he was interested in his. It wasn’t until adulthood that I realized he deposited us in the children’s section (with what I then thought was a very cute librarian), so he could get his own school work done. At any rate, Richard and I would check-out a few titles and have books to read for the week.

In the summer, after lunch each day, before we could return to playing outside with our friends, my dad would make Richard and me sit down to read for 1-hour. Most of those books were from the Choose Your Own Adventure catalogue, but that’s not what really matters.

What matters is the time.

What my dad did over those summers was build into me a simply habit: reading for a set amount of time. If you want to read more and read better, it is a very simple habit to start. Pick up a book, set a timer for 15, 30, 45, or 60 minutes and read. When the alarm sounds, you’re done.

At first, don’t worry about the length or density of a book, just read for a set amount of time. This will help you build a discipline for reading, even for people who consider themselves “non-readers.” In time and over time, you will be able to increase your capacity for reading longer with greater comprehension.