I’m more than pleased whenever I get feedback from some people who’ve read my book reviews telling me that they want to read these books. This suggests to me that there are people who may not be averse to reading books but they just don’t know what to read or how to start. Because of this, many have put off reading books.
In this post I shall address seven common reasons people give why they don’t read books. I’ll try to clear up the myths and perceived obstacles attached to reading and provide some tips to overcome them.
Reason #1: I’ve no time to read
This has got to be the most common reason. We’re all busy! Who can deny that? We’re busy at work. And when we come home, there are seemingly endless household chores to get done and kids to take care of. Sometimes we don’t even have enough time to sleep, let alone read.
But think about this for a moment: you only have 24 hours a day. You cannot find more time to read. Instead, you can make time for it. For example, in your daily commute by train or bus, you can spend the time to read one or two chapters of a book instead of checking your social media feeds. Then, during your lunch break, you can use the time after your meal to do the same before getting back to your work. Finally, at the end of a hard day, you can catch up with your reading as a way to relax besides watching TV or Netflix. Reading is a sure way to help you wind down and chill out. Sounds stressful? Not if you set your heart to it. You’d be surprised how much you could read by using these times between your regular schedules.
No matter how busy you may think you are, you must find time for reading, or surrender yourself to self-chosen ignorance.
- Confucius
Reason #2: Reading takes too much effort
Reading isn’t going to be easy if you’ve not read a book in years. Your eyes get tired easily and you find the pace slow. This is due to lack of practice. That’s why some people find reading takes much effort.
This need not be. If you treat reading not as an academic exercise but as a form of entertainment that you enjoy, then half the battle is won. You can have an unforgettable experience just by reading a book.
You may want to start with a book that’s easy to read and light (no classics for now) in any genre, according to your taste. Some people start by reading children’s books. To me that’s totally fine. The stories they tell can be most delightful and can create a child-like awe in you as you read.
Nothing is worth reading that does not require an alert mind.
- Charles Dudley Warner
Reason #3: I don’t know what to read
With such a bewildering choice of books in the bookstores, choosing one from the pile can be a bit disconcerting for some. There is a simple remedy for this: read what gets you excited or fired up. The next time you visit a bookstore or a community library, simply head to the aisle or shelf that displays the kind of books you are keen to read. They’ve categories such as Mystery, Romance, Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Young Adult Fiction, Biography, Children, etc. Browse through them, read the blurbs at the back of the book to get a good sense of what the plot of the story is. One or two should get your attention.
One of the surest ways, I find, to raise your interest in reading is to find out what other readers are reading and their recommendations on the books read. You can do this by joining an online book club, a chat group or even a social book review platform called Goodreads. This platform has tons of book reviews and recommendations, and a host of features to help readers enjoy reading books.
If you only read the books that everyone else is reading, you can only think what everyone else is thinking.
- Haruki Murakami
Reason #4: I’d rather watch the movie than reading the book
Some people prefer to watch the movie or TV adaptation of the book. It offers a quick option to the story, What’s more you get to enjoy a multi-sensory experience of sounds, scenes, and music – something a book will not give you.
I don’t know about you, but having read some books and watched their screen versions, I can honestly say the original story is better because the screen version doesn’t tell the same story. For the sake of brevity, some events and characters in the story inevitably get snipped out.
Reading the book itself makes you consciously engage your cognitive skills and stimulates your creativity. You’ll find the reading experience much more enjoyable and rewarding.
I’m not saying you shouldn’t watch the TV or movie version. Do watch it if you want to but only after you’ve read the book on which it is based so that you know the real story.
I must say I find television very educational. The minute somebody turns it on, I go into the library and read a good book.
- Groucho Marx
Reason #5: I just don’t see the benefit of reading
Surprisingly some people still say that just to justify their lack of reading. If that’s true, then how did they get through years of schooling and university without books? Would they have learned effectively without them? Certainly not! Reading did in fact benefit them with the knowledge they got from books.
Apart from broadening our minds, there are indeed some significant benefits in reading. I’ll discuss these in a future post.
Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body.
- Joseph Addison
Reason #6: I could never get into the habit of reading
Bad habits are easy to pick up, but so are good ones.. Reading is a virtuous habit we can easily cultivate, just like other good habits. The challenge for many would be how and where to start. I’ll share some tips how you can acquire this good habit in a future post.
To acquire the habit of reading is to construct for yourself a refuge from almost all the miseries of life.
- Somerset Maugham
Reason #7: Books are expensive
True. Indeed they’re getting more expensive year by year. But nowadays there are good alternatives to buying and owning printed books, such as online book websites where e-books, both new and old, are either available for download free or at reasonable prices. So, cost should not be a dealbreaker.
But of course there’s a time-honoured place where you can have access to all types of books for free or at little cost: your community library. You just choose and borrow them to read in the comfort of your home.
If you are one of those who prefer printed paper books (because you like the smell of books, right?), owning books you love need not break the bank. You can buy inexpensive books in the bargain section of your favourite bookshop and your local used (second-hand) bookshop. Another popular source are discount bookstore chains that sell surplus books, such as Malaysia’s BookXcess, where popular books are sold at steep discounts.
When I have a little money, I buy books; and if I have any left, I buy food and clothes.
- Erasmus
I shall leave you with this inspirational quote that I believe aptly sums up the importance of books in our life:
Books are the plane, and the train, and the road. They are the destination, and the journey. They are home.
- Anna Quindlen
If you are one of those who don’t read books but is keen to make reading a lifetime habit, I hope that this post has been helpful. I’d love to hear how you get on with it.