Reading a book is make meaning out of the death of a tree.
I love to read books. I always do it.
I must confess that this beautiful habit came late in my life, though it came to stay. Reading books, unfortunately, is not something everyone does; some people think that it is boring, or maybe they simply pass because they do not have time or they do not know what to read, or simply don't know the great benefits it brings. A bunch of knowledge, great authors and thinkers' reflections, philosophies, anecdotes, learning and so on... The benefit is infinite, like imagination.
Maybe you wanted to start this activity, but you don't know how. In that case, if you still keep reading this, I have good news for you: you have arrived at the right place.
That's why I brought some advice that you should take into account when embarking on this endless adventure. I hope it serves as a guide so that this new practice forms, from now on, part of your daily life like getting up in the mornings, brushing your teeth or breathing.
¿How do I start reading a book?
1. Think of a genre you like. There are countless genres and topics in the world of literature, so it is necessary to determine what you want to read before you start selecting your first books. The reading is extensive; starting from the genre of fantasy, suspense, terror, philosophy, humor and science fiction, to those books of autobiography, history and scientific essays: We must define a safe ground from which we can begin to work. However, do not rush. Not every book is ideal to start, regardless of the genre. What to do then?
2. Start with short and light books. It is very common for the first-time reader to start very excited and with very high expectations to read a book whose film adaptation was awesome (for instance The Lord of the Rings), but when he is going to read the literary material, the reality is different; he does not advance from the first pages and gets lost among the author's extensive and descriptive narrative, then he gets frustrated and bored and he leaves it. As you may know, not all books are easy to read: some are more dense than others, and some usually require great mental effort, so skip the idea of starting your literary journey from Iliad or The Lord of the Rings. However, I recommend you start from the bestsellers of your favorite literary genre, which are usually the best option to read. Do you like science fiction? Isaac Asimov is for you, with excellent novels like I Robot and Bicentennial Man, or even his well-known and valued Foundation saga. It is up to you to investigate what are the best options within the theme you have chosen.
3. Make a list of books you are interested in. Investigate and look for wich books are the best options within your chosen literary genre, as explained above. Read their synopses, know their authors and what their works are about. Then, create a list of the novels that most caught your attention. You have to remember that one of the things that makes reading more enjoyable is being able to read things that you have selected yourself and that are perfectly suited to your tastes and demands. As a personal memory I remember that when I was little, there was nothing I hated more than the book that I had been forced to read at school, simply because its content had nothing that caught my attention; and the more I read it the more I abhors it, but I had to do it to get good marks. This is how it works in general, if you have something that doesn't match with you or that you read by commitment, you simply do not enjoy it. That said, go and get the books on your list.
4. Set a constant reading rate. I don't recommend you to read without taking time to assimilate it; Likewise, I don't recommend you to read today and wait to the next week to read again, because you would lose the thread of the narrative. You have to establish a coherent reading rhythm. The most advisable thing is that you read daily; although it may be complicated, because our daily occupations would prevent us from having a little time to read. However, just reading one or two chapters of the book a day is a good start. It is an excellent practice to read before going to sleep, during break times, when traveling on the bus or train, while waiting for your turn at the bank or doctor, or even while waiting in line to pay at the supermarket. Take your book with you everywhere and you will always get a time to read.
5. Share your progress. If you are lucky to have friends who also share that love for reading, you will surely have a great time talking about your favorite books. This is something that motivates a lot to continue walking the divine path of literature. For a reader, nothing is more rewarding in a conversation than when the time comes to talk about books. Take the opportunity and talk about the book you are reading, ask about other books, recommendations, etc. Maybe you have the opportunity to have your partner lend you a good novel that he's liked ... but return it, please!
I open the door to a bunch of possibilities, like a new universe that suddenly appears before you as a huge nova in the middle of the cosmos, and that brings with it thousands and thousands of worlds waiting to be explored. In this way I can only give you encouragement so that you don't falter in this task, because it is one of those things that I call "investment for the soul". It is never too late to start reading books, and if today these words have come to you it is because your moment to do so has arrived.
¡Thanks for reading!
All images in this post belongs to me.