chmod +r /books

A Book-Hater’s Guide to Becoming a Reader

[5] How I Learned to Enjoy Reading After Hating It.

Photo by Ed Robertson on Unsplash

Tips for Reading Books from Someone Who Hated It: A Thread

1. I’m a book reader now, but I only started this habit after entering the professional world. Why did I hate reading? I struggle with attention deficit issues, which make it hard for me to process writing well.
2. Here’s an easy test: read a few pages of a book, then at the end of a page, try to recap what you just read in a simple way. If you find it tough to review, you might have the same problem I did.
3. To tackle this, start with light novels. They force you to follow a full story. When reading a novel, you have to understand the plot, characters, and events — it’s unavoidable.
4. If you get lost after a few pages — confused about the plot, unsure of what’s happening, or forgetting who’s who — you’ll naturally flip back to earlier pages to figure it out.
5. Once you’re used to novels that demand you track the story, characters, and events, that’s your stepping stone to heavier books.
6. Next, I recommend biographies. They’re like novels — you still need to follow the story, characters, and events — but they’re trickier because they often have more characters than novels. You’re pushed harder to remember who’s who and their role in the main person’s life.
7. Pick biographies by well-known authors. I’ve read some where the weird writing style or delivery — like suddenly switching a character’s name mid-book to their younger self’s nickname — made it tough to follow.
8. My benchmark for a good biography? If you feel the atmosphere the character’s living in while reading, it’s a winner. A great writer can paint that picture through their words.
9. Once you’re comfortable with biographies, move to self-help books. Choose ones relevant to your current situation. For example, if you’re stressed by people’s opinions, try a book on Stoicism.
10. By this point, you should be ready for any genre. I haven’t tackled number-heavy books like accounting or investing yet — those might need extras like a note-taking app or paper and pencil.
11. There are practical tricks like bookmarks or highlighters for key lines, but honestly, I haven’t used them. My goal right now is just to feel okay with reading.
12. Oh, and avoid books written decades or centuries ago in their original form. From my experience, the writing style feels outdated and harder to digest. Take Max Havelaar — I struggled because the storytelling jumped all over the place.
13. Borrow books from the library. Simple reason: tons of options to find what suits you. Plus, the loan deadline adds a little pressure to push yourself to read.
14. End of the thread. Hope this helps anyone out there trying to fall in love with reading!

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