love notes 07: how to fall deeper in love with reading
tips on how to love reading more, what i read this week, weekly recommendations and more
While I have always loved books and storytelling, the relationship I have with reading is one that has constantly ebbed and flowed throughout my life.
At times the love is simple — I know it’s there, a tender touch like a soft breeze, but not always at the forefront of my mind. Other times it’s feverish and I fall into it’s arms, desperate to forget about the real world around me. It’s all I can think about. There are times when this love is influenced by outside voices — “read more of this, read less of that” — and sometimes it actually is the influencing voice that helps me connect or understand other people. Sometimes, rarely, I need to remove myself from it’s embrace completely, to disconnect from humanity even in the written form. As you can see the relationship I have with reading has been complicated and complex — but always, always there.
These past few years I’ve been focusing on nurturing my love of reading, and I have found myself falling deeper and deeper in love with it. I’m reading more often, I get more excited over books, and reading never feels like a chore.
So, here’s my advice if you want to fall deeper in love with reading:
Read as many different types of books as possible: I was falling into a severe rut with reading a few years ago. I really felt like I was reading the same type of book, with the same type of characters, with the same type of plot twists, over and over and over again. But when I reflected on what I was consuming, I realised that I was only gravitating towards young adult fantasy books with an enemies to lovers romance. That’s it. So of course I was falling into a rut!
So I challenged myself. I started with The Secret History by Donna Tartt, fell madly in love, and then fell down a rabbit hole of dark academia books. I then moved to more obscure reads, like Bunny by Mona Awad and Eileen by Ottessa Moshfegh. And then to romance books. And then classics. The more I branched out of my comfort zone the more I found myself excited to pick up a new book. And it was this excitement that deepened my love of reading.
Choose the books that you want to read: It’s so easy to read the books you think you should read — especially when there are some loud voices online who act like some kind of bookish authority. I find myself falling into this trap with classic books in particular. I’m interested in reading them, but not all of them. But why would I put myself through reading a book, no matter how much someone is telling me I should read it, when it wouldn’t bring me any enjoyment?
If you feel compelled to read a book, then read it. If you don’t want to read a book, then don’t read it. It’s that simple. Don’t let somebody else’s opinion dictate your reading. The only way for you to truly fall in love with reading is to actually love what you’re reading.
Begin tracking the books you read: How many times do you finish a book and don’t actually retain the story you just read? I’ve found that tracking all the books I read helps me to remember more effectively, which makes the experience way more enjoyable. You can write a review or collect your favourite quotes — whatever works for you! — and look back on them whenever you please. You’ll never forget a book again!
I’m currently using Goodreads to track the books I’m reading, but I’ve been considering starting a physical reading journal to write down my innermost thoughts and emotions, as well as jot down my favourite quotes, in a more creative and artistic way.
Romanticise your reading experience: You’ve probably seen the aesthetic videos on YouTube or BookTok — the ones with the soft piano music, complicated coffee orders and cosy decor. It makes the reading experience seem more like a performance, one that needs the most perfect stage to be effective. These captured moments feel unattainable and in a lot of ways they are. But I think we can take some inspiration from them.
I love waking up early and making a coffee, turning on the bedside lamp and reading until the sun comes up. And in the afternoons, when the kids are napping, I love dressing up in my oversized sweatshirt, snuggling underneath a blanket on the couch, sipping on some kind of caffeinated beverage and devouring even more pages in silence. That’s how I love to romanticise my reading time. You might have a completely different idea of what romanticising the reading experience looks like for you, and that’s okay. The idea behind this is to find something that makes you fall in love with the process more.
Share your reading with others: The number one thing that makes my love of reading grow is sharing my love with others. Almost every night I animatedly tell my husband about the book I’m currently reading. I’m always pushing my favourite reads onto my mum so she can read them and then we can discuss our favourite parts. I created my Substack newsletter because I wanted another outlet to share my love of reading and write love letters to my favourite books.
I believe that the undying love we have for things should be shared — especially when it comes to books. If you don’t have somebody in your life to talk about books with, join an online community or a local book club. Not only will you have somewhere to chat about the books you love, you’ll also be connecting deeply with other readers too.
I can’t imagine a world where I don’t love reading and losing myself in stories. But I also know I need to nurture my love for reading so it doesn’t suddenly begin to feel like a chore.
What is your relationship like with reading? Do you have any other suggestions to fall more madly in love with it? Tell me in the comments below!
part i: what i read this week
I finally finished reading Beartown by Fredrik Backman, and let me tell you this book was the most incredible surprise. The first 180 pages were so hard for me to read — mostly due to the emphasis on hockey and the undying love/obsession fans have of the sport — but once I reached the ending I can’t imagine this book starting any other way. The story was beautifully written and handled perfectly, the large cast of characters felt so real and I felt like I could find this small town on a map and become consumed by the forest.
I also started and finished A Room of One’s Own by Virginia Woolf. I’ve been wanting to read this for years and I finally got my hands on a copy. I loved every page and had to forcefully stop myself from highlighting every sentence.
And finally I have some article recommendations that I found particularly interesting and inspiring this week:
Book Bans Are Surging in Florida. So Lauren Groff Opened a Bookstore.
Sister of the Traveling Stories: on the Literature of Fictional Sisters
15 Swoon-Worthy Romance Novels Featuring Plus-Size Main Characters
Invisible Women: on the Victorian Custom of Cutting Mothers Out of Portraits
The Book You Should Read Next, Based on Your Favourite Taylor Swift Era
part ii: what i wrote this week
I didn’t have a lot of time to write this week — one of my kids spent an entire day in the hospital and then we spent the rest of the week resting at home. But I did manage to sneak in some time with my second draft, which helped me to mentally reset after such a mentally draining week.
I spent a handful of moments reworking chapter seven and made some big changes that make the chapter more impactful. There’s more description and a deeper emphasis on the friendship between two characters, which makes future events in the book have more emotional weight. (I was rereading the chapter before pressing publish on this post and I have to say I’m amazed by how much this chapter has improved despite my limited time this week.)
For my fellow writers out there, how are you going with your writing? I’d love to know what you’re working on so we can encourage each other!
part iii: what i watched this week
I feel like I’ve been all over the place this week — so what I’ve been watching is pretty much in the same vein.
I was planning on watching Almost Famous, but struggled to put on anything that wasn’t a rewatch. It was a mixture of wanting to feel comforted by old favourites, but also wanting to keep my tired mind active but not overstimulated. So I continued rewatching The Vampire Diaries and even rewatched a couple episodes of The Shield. However my husband and I did manage to watch two more episodes of Fallout — which I am surprisingly obsessed with.
And to finish this week, I watched Dakota Warren’s April Report video. She’s my favourite YouTuber since she recommends books and films that are a little more obscure. I also recommend checking out her videos on how to journal like a writer and books about the wonder and horror of girlhood too.
And that’s my week!
Fingers crossed that next week is better and that everyone in the house is over whatever sickness this was. Please. Surprisingly I managed to miss out on it again, but I hate seeing my family sick.
Don’t forget to let me know how you continue to fall in love with reading in the comments!
Until next time,
- Madeline
I love how your romanticise your reading time! It sounds so cosy and relaxing! ♥️ Can’t wait to hear your thoughts on A Room of One’s Own 😃
I started actively reading on January 1, 2020 with The Catcher in the Rye by Salinger and since then, I never stopped. Somehow, that book changed my life and now I cannot imagine my days without reading at least a few pages. Reading is one of the most precious hobbies that exist🌸