5 Tips on Reading Meaningfully

Last year, I made a decision I don't hate, but I also don't love.

In other words, I can't make up my mind whether I regret it or not.

I signed up for the Goodreads 2021 Reading Challenge.

My book goal? Read 100 books in 2021.

And in some ways, as I barely read anything last year, it helped shove me out of my comfort zone and read all sorts of books—and review them for Goodreads and my mailing list.

But on the flip side, I found myself reading books for the sake of adding them to the list. Not fully digesting them or examining them closely. Just reading them for the sake of getting them finished.

And that isn't how things should be.

In this blog post, you'll find some tips on avoiding reading for the numbers—of having a meaningful reading experience without sacrificing time for quality.

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- 1. Start a reading journal -

When I read, I usually tend to have random thoughts about the characters or storyline pop up in my head. Basically, a reading journal serves as a place to write them all down.

I like this method because it's raw and unfiltered. Rather than writing a book review when you reach the end, you'll have a few pages packed full of random reactions, speculations, thoughts—and if you're like me, needless messages in all caps to the characters.

It can be simple—grab a notebook and start jotting down your thoughts. Copy down favorite quotes. In doing so, you're using a different part of your brain to absorb the words and plot, letting them sink into the deep recesses of your brain. (Wow, that sounded creepy. :P)

- 2. Pause, summarize, pause, summarize -

This is a technique I learned from Jaquelle Ferris, my writing mentor from The Young Writer's Workshop.

Basically, it works like this: read a bite-sized portion of your reading material. Then pause and summarize it to yourself. You could even write it down, if that helps. :) Doing so will help you digest any difficult-to-understand material or hit the pause button on an action-packed scene. In fiction, it might also help you notice the hints the author drops throughout the story that are later woven skillfully into the ending.

- 3. Write a book review -

I realized only a couple of months ago that there are so many benefits to writing reviews. Not only do you help the author—regardless of whether your review is good or not—but it also helps you summarize your thoughts on the book when it's still fresh in your memory.

On my Goodreads account, I try to review every book I read. Doing so helps my brain form a habit, and over time, I start to realize that the more I review, the more I automatically start summarizing what I like about the book as soon as I'm done with it.

Your reviews don't even have to be shared publically. Before I had Goodreads, I used a blank Google Doc and jotted down all my thoughts (and rants) after I read each book. This is also where your book journaling comes in handy—if you want to spotlight favorite quotes from the book, or show your raw, unfiltered thoughts throughout the journey—it's all right there.

- 4. Read a physical copy -

Okay, confession time. I'm pretty much terrible at reading books in ebook form, so this may be slightly biased.

But personally, ebooks never match up to physical copies. There's something so beautiful about holding a printed, physical copy of a book in your hands. Personally, I think seeing words in print actually helps me concentrate more on what I'm reading, whereas ebooks can be distracting (and hurt my eyes while they're at it).

So while I don't know the science behind physical copies vs. ebook copies of books, that's definitely something to take into account.

- 5. Concentrate on one aspect of the book -

The more you concentrate on a story, the more it'll be meaningful to you. As a writer, I constantly focus on different aspects of the storyline in evaluation for my review: High stakes? Unique characters? Intriguing plot?

Concentrating on one aspect of the book—or maybe two or three—can help give you an up-close look into the author's way of storytelling. Think of it as studying what you read. But having that one thing to tether your focus to can really help your concentration focus, and in turn, leave you with more to remember when you finish.

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- Have you ever "read for the numbers?" What are some of your favorite ways to combat this? I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments below! -

Thank you so much for reading! Stay tuned for more fun blog posts in the near future. ;)