10 Tips to Read any Book Effectively

The reading of all good books is like conversation with the finest (people) of the past centuries!

René Descartes

I seldom pondered the topic until a friend posed this question- Yaar, how can I read any book effectively and easily? According to me, if you feel engrossed in the book or if you’re able to relate to it, you’re automatically doing an effective reading. Nonetheless, as per my experience, I’ll try listing some points that can help you do the same and cultivate the habit of reading. If you also purchase the books and they keep eating dust on the shelves, this post is for you.

1. Select the book according to your current mood but do not limit yourself to that genre only. For instance, if you feel that you need any motivation, you can switch to self-help. You can read popular fiction- thriller, crime-fiction, romance or campus novels to revitalise your mood. You can try non-fiction as well like reading biographies, autobiographies, travelogues, memoirs etc to take life lessons.
2. If you wanna cultivate reading habits, start with shorter forms such as short stories or Novella. Gradually, you can switch to Novel and Drama. Newbie People start with a voluminous novel only to struggle to finish it. The mere length of the book prohibits them from attempting to read it. Many of my friends say that they either fail to start the book or leave it after reading a few pages. The first reason is that the text/genre doesn’t interest them much. Second, they get disturbed by notifications- be it any call or message. They soon shift to phones. And when they realise that they are reading a book, it’s already late. Even when they start again, they keep switching between the phone and the book. You should realise that your mind is occupied somewhere else. Thus, even after reading a couple of pages, you are unable to grasp anything. To avoid this, keep your cell phone away while reading.
3. Always keep a pencil/highlighter/pen while reading. Preferably a notebook too. Underline/highlight those lines which you feel are important. Write your thoughts in the space alongside the margins. People also use sticky notes for this purpose. This way, you can work and engage with the book creatively. It’ll have twin benefits. It’ll keep you engrossed, besides, the reading outcome will be more. Since you’re not going to open the book anytime soon after reading it once, you can write quotes, ideas, thoughts etc, in the notebook for quick revision. Moreover, you can use these in creative writing and can quote in exams. Check out the picture below.

1. You can’t read any book in one go unless you’re doing it on purpose. The best way to finish it is to carry it wherever you go and read a few pages whenever you get the time. For instance, if you’re sitting in a cafe waiting for someone, you can flip the pages of your book. You can complete a significant portion of the book if you find any vacant slot during classroom hours. Reading some pages before going to bed improves your sleep quality as well. These are only a few examples. You can find many such pitstops in your schedule. Utilise those.
2. There are some books which demand active engagement from readers more than the others. They’ve exercises/tasks in between. It also asks you to reflect upon whatever you read and make it part of your life while practising it. Self-help books are one among them. You need not swallow a major portion at once. Rather, go slowly. Do whatever it asks. If it benefits you then well and good, otherwise, move forward.
3. You should develop critical thinking. Not everything written in the book is correct or applicable to everyone. Question whatever you feel is inappropriate and try to reason it with your conscience. Talk to the book. Find out more about the author and the context. See whether any historical event cited is true or not.
4. The reading space is also important. Try exploring different places like cafes, parks, riverside, mountains, beaches or any natural place you like. You can find several spots on your campus and in your home.
5. Read any book in chronology. You shouldn’t jump directly to the text while skipping the preface, content and acknowledgement. They imbibe you with the perspective with which the book is written. They also guide you about how to read the book.
6. Keep interactive bookmarks to mark your progress.
7. Last but not least, reward yourself for every book you read. Like a small treat or travel. Talk to other people about it. If you wanna share your thoughts, find people who have read the same book or else, write your thoughts and share them on your social media handles.

I understand that you can’t be productive throughout the day but you can design it in a way that you do less inconsequential and more significant things. If you manage to read even 10 pages a day, you can finish 300 pages book in a month. Your reading speed will eventually improve. At the same time, I feel that mobile phones and books are inversely proportional to each other. You curtail the time in one, and the time in the other automatically increases. A proper balance is necessary. To the question of online reading, I would say that if it’s convenient for you and the notifications don’t sweep you, you can go for it. However, hard copy gives another kind of thrill.

Hope it helps. Check out my book reviews section for hand picked collections.

Put the book you’re about to read/currently reading in the comment section.

In the next post, I’ll come up with a list of important books you can start with and should be part of your reading list.

©Shashank