Are unread books piling up on the nightstand? It might be time to rethink your approach to reading.
It can be tough to get back to regular reading when the rest of one's day is stretched thin with responsibility. In early 2014, Pew Research Center reported that nearly a quarter of Americans hadn't cracked open a book in the previous year -- and those who did read, on average, only five books.
For those who'd like to increase their book consumption in 2015, small changes to one's schedule can make a noticeable difference. Amazon's book editors shared their tips for getting out of a reading rut.
1. Apply the notion of "palate cleansing" to your reading life –- i.e. vary the books you read, in form and length and style. Just read a big, fat biography? Read a book of short poems next.
2. Figure out what movie you want to see and then read the book first.
3. Read what attracts you rather than what you think you should read.
4. Let yourself stop reading. If you aren’t interested after the first 50 pages, don’t waste your time on something you don't enjoy when you could be reading something you love.
5. Give yourself permission to put weekend chores on hold for an uninterrupted hour of reading time.
6. If an hour is too long, setting aside a half-hour can be easier and less daunting (and often turns into 45 minutes or more).
7. Leave a book in the bathroom. That’s probably saying enough.
8. If you’re an early riser, read in the morning before work. It’s remarkably quiet at that time.
9. Take note of what the person next to you in the doctor’s office, on the bus, in the checkout line is reading and ask them how they like it. If you can relate to their answer, try that book as your next read.
10. Turn a long commute into personal story time with an audio book.