Picture this: It’s 2010 and you just walked into Barnes & Noble. Your mom said you can pick out any book you want so you grab the newly released third Hunger Games book, “Mockingjay.”
You can’t wait to get home and start reading.
Now picture this: It’s April 2020 and you’ve just been sent home from college due to an unprecedented global pandemic. Everyone is watching “Tiger King” and baking banana bread.
You’ve finished every show on Netflix and you’re bored out of your mind. You haven’t read for pleasure in probably five years, but you decide to pick up a copy of “Where the Crawdads Sing” because it’s been inescapable on your social media feed.
You honestly don’t think you’ll finish it, but what else is there to do, right? Well, it turns out you finish the Delia Owens novel in 24 hours and it reignites your middle school self’s love for reading.
This was how I got back into reading during the lockdown and I’m here to give you some tips to help you do the same!
Use Your Local Library
As college students, we’re often on pretty strict budgets. Because of this, it can be hard to justify the price tag of the new book you think you might like but lucky for us, libraries exist!
Getting a public library card is super easy, free and they have tons of titles to choose from. Books definitely don’t have to break your bank.
Track Your Reading
One of the things that helps me stay motivated to read is tracking my progress.
For this, I like to use an app called Goodreads that works as a sort of virtual bookshelf to help you keep track and rate the books you’ve read, set reading goals and even give suggestions for new books based on your reading history. You can also follow your friends’ accounts to see what they’re currently reading.
Library exhibition features formative cookbook behind traditional Italian cooking
Find a Genre That Clicks for You
Everyone is different when it comes to what they like to read, and that’s okay! Your friend may be obsessed with murder mysteries, but you might skip their favorite James Patterson novel and go for a cheesy romance story.
Maybe you’re really into historical fiction set during WWII, YA fantasy or maybe music biographies. There are books that fall into pretty much every niche category you can think of, so you’re bound to find a genre that you love.
If You Don’t Like It, Don’t Read It
My absolute best advice when it comes to reading for fun is to always make sure it’s just that — fun! Often times the feeling of needing to finish every book you start can be overwhelming and discouraging.
Of course, you should always give books a chance but if you’ve read a few chapters and just don’t like it, there is no obligation to finish. The bottom line — reading for fun should be enjoyable and easy.
