16 Ways to Make Reading More Fun
Reading can be fun if you know how to make it so.
1: Select genres and topics that interest you
Do not pick up a book just because it is popular, trendy, or a classic. Select books that interest you — no matter how untrendy the material is. Read for your own pleasure, not anyone else’s.
2: Read the stories that inspired your favorite media
Pick up the books that inspired your favorite movies or shows. Make it a game of spotting the similarities and differences between the two. You can also pick up stories that were inspired by specific movies or shows.
3: Listen to audiobooks
Sitting down with a book does not have to interfere with daily chores and tasks. Audiobooks are an easy way to make reading effortless whilst also entertaining you with engaging narrators.
4: Read out loud
Make reading into a sort of live event. Read the words out loud to yourself or your friends. Add unique or funny voices to characters to give the story a new meaning.
5: Create media from the material
Draw what you have read. Film what you have read. Make whatever you want out of something you have read to engage with stories you enjoy.
6: Read book reviews or summaries
Increase anticipation and interest by learning about the book prior to reading it. Find out which books sound interesting to you. Alternatively, use book reviews as a motivator to finish the book you are currently reading.
7: Participate in discussions
Have discussions with yourself or others. Make the material more fun by interacting with the text. Even a dull or otherwise poorly written book can become more fun if the discussion around it is interesting.
8: Attend a book club
Book clubs are great ways to stay committed to a book over a longer period of time. Furthermore, they create more in-depth discussions around the material whilst providing new and valuable insights to the discussion.
9: Buddy read
Share the reading experience with a friend or partner. Motivate each other to continue reading. Have frequent discussions about chapters, characters, and potential twists and theories.
10: Keep a reading journal
Use a journal to jot down your thoughts on the material. Write what you liked and disliked or write what you have learned. Engage with the story by writing about it further.
11: Dedicate a specific space to reading
Create a reading nook — or simply find a place to only read. Make it a place to relax but also learn. Do not bring your phone or other distractors to this spot.
12: Pair reading with snacks
Food is the best supplement to entertainment. Select a couple of befitting snacks to eat while you are reading.
13: Put on background music
Silence is often the first source of boredom. Make reading more entertaining by adding non-distracting music. Listen to some ambient or atmospheric melodies while flipping the pages of your book.
14: Read outdoors
Make reading an experience. Bring your book outside and read in the park or at a café — or anywhere, really. Create a unique memory of your time with the story by experiencing it outdoors.
15: Read more than one book at once
Reading can quickly turn boring when you only have one book to turn to. Have a wide set of current reads. This way, as avid reader Elizabeth Filips claims, whatever mood you are in, you always have something you feel like reading.
16: Make reading a get-to-do instead of a must-do
Make reading a consistent habit but also more of an opportunity than an obligation. After all, reading out of obligation instead of entertainment kills that part of you that does it for fun. So, read because you get to.
And have fun with it along the way.
