I used to get stuck reading non-fiction at night, taking weeks to plough through a book. I switched to reading novels in bed, and non-fiction in the morning. One simple change transformed not only the number of books I read but my enjoyment of them. There is a time and a place for books!
Hey Austin, thank you so much for this post! I just discovered you, and I've been devouring all of your past posts. I have a question about how you recall information using your journaling method. I understand that you have a capture system, logbook, and diary, but how do you organize the information so that you can recall it later?
Together with the joy of discovery (in libraries ou bookstores), we should give ourselves permission to have more books than we can read. It's ok to have loads of unread books in shelves, you never know when you'll pick one up and it will make sense. As for concurrent reading, I love to put a lot of poetry in between. Poetry books are perfect for a quick fix, just open them on a random page.
Thank you so much! I got to this post from your recent "A portal to lost loot" blog. Just lovely. I checked several of your tips, and took note of others. Great stuff in the commentaries as well.
lovely - and reminds me of my love of the "Readers' Bill of Rights" by Daniel Pennac. He has written entire books on reading ("Better than Life") but this list is the thing I return to again and again. https://www.crcpl.org/you-have-the-right-to-a-good-book/
I recently gave away ten boxes of books. They had been sitting in the garage for five years and not once did I feel compelled to go search for any one of them in those ten boxes. We're short on space, so... Only now do I realize the difference between searching and browsing.Being able to browse a bookshelf of books you deemed worthy to purchase at one point can bring a lot of pleasure — and worthwhile ideas. Then again, as I said, we don't have much space...
I am still kicking myself for not moseying up to Austin (I'm in San Antonio) for Indie Bookstore Day. Wanted to snag a physical copy of this article and also meet ya! Oh well, I did go to Nowhere Bookshop and it was wonderful as well! Thanks for sharing this!
Any tips on how to read the book efficiently? I just recently started doing marginalia and highlighting the bits that I find interesting but sometimes it is easy to get the whole page highlighted LOL
I guess it takes time to learn how to highlight the book efficiently. One tip I read somewhere was to write “the why” you are reading that book in the first page then do all the marginalia and highlights accordingly.
Also audiobooks or podcast don’t work for me unless I can take notes. I can’t take notes while driving, for example.. I considered buying the apple watch to be able to do quick recording as notes. Does it work for anyone?
I'm thinking about this ears vs. eyes debate: i.e. listening to a book vs. reading one. Ah! Two pleasures: aural--listening to a great story (and stories are meant to be told); visual--admiring the scaffolding of a great sentence. Nancy Harris McLelland Welcome to the GrrEighties coming soon.
Umm audiobooks seem to having a moment. Hearing isn’t my best sense—I wear hearing aids not completely deaf—but may have to give audio a try. After all I listen to music streamed through my hearing aids!
I’ve used “It’s not for me” on many occasions not just for books! It’s a much gentler way to engage and it doesn’t shut down the conversation. It’s also a way to still be delighted by something! I watched a bunch of Couchella concerts on YouTube with this mind-set. Delightful!
I stayed home on independent bookstore day and read some of the books I previously bought from my independent bookstore, so I am happy to get this post. Stacks and stacks of books is right. Lately my reading is mostly on the weekends and I write in a Field Notes because there are stacks and stacks of them as well.....
Has anyone thought of doing the apparently Scandinavian idea of sending ‘birthday books’ instead of birthday cards? I’ve tried this this year and my family seem a bit unimpressed! (Could just be them though, tbh...)
Gifting books is tricky! I think it's great to gift books, but what's NOT great is to give somebody a book and then ask them, "DID YOU READ THE BOOK YET?" haha :)
Great list. I like to have a few books lying around the house in different places, easily digestible. Walking around the house now I see the Young Pueblo poetry book, The Daily Stoic, The War of Art and The Good Immigrant. Can easily sit anywhere and read when it grabs me.
Love it! Although ... I have never been able to not finish a book I don't like. It somehow feels dishonourable to the writer not to persevere to the end. One of the most torturous reading experiences I have ever had was Hermann Melville's 'Moby Dick.' And yet, this text has continued to resonate with me long after the actual reading of it finished in a way that the books that I fly through quite happily do not.
I used to get stuck reading non-fiction at night, taking weeks to plough through a book. I switched to reading novels in bed, and non-fiction in the morning. One simple change transformed not only the number of books I read but my enjoyment of them. There is a time and a place for books!
Hey Austin, thank you so much for this post! I just discovered you, and I've been devouring all of your past posts. I have a question about how you recall information using your journaling method. I understand that you have a capture system, logbook, and diary, but how do you organize the information so that you can recall it later?
Together with the joy of discovery (in libraries ou bookstores), we should give ourselves permission to have more books than we can read. It's ok to have loads of unread books in shelves, you never know when you'll pick one up and it will make sense. As for concurrent reading, I love to put a lot of poetry in between. Poetry books are perfect for a quick fix, just open them on a random page.
Thank you so much! I got to this post from your recent "A portal to lost loot" blog. Just lovely. I checked several of your tips, and took note of others. Great stuff in the commentaries as well.
Oh! And Billy Collins has an awesome poem on marginalia: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poetrymagazine/browse?contentId=39493
Love this... absolution for so many of my behaviors! I sent to the English Dept of the High School O work in!
lovely - and reminds me of my love of the "Readers' Bill of Rights" by Daniel Pennac. He has written entire books on reading ("Better than Life") but this list is the thing I return to again and again. https://www.crcpl.org/you-have-the-right-to-a-good-book/
I recently gave away ten boxes of books. They had been sitting in the garage for five years and not once did I feel compelled to go search for any one of them in those ten boxes. We're short on space, so... Only now do I realize the difference between searching and browsing.Being able to browse a bookshelf of books you deemed worthy to purchase at one point can bring a lot of pleasure — and worthwhile ideas. Then again, as I said, we don't have much space...
I love this! Would you please consider another printing and selling it on your site? I’m deep into your audiobook and taking copious notes👍🏻
I am still kicking myself for not moseying up to Austin (I'm in San Antonio) for Indie Bookstore Day. Wanted to snag a physical copy of this article and also meet ya! Oh well, I did go to Nowhere Bookshop and it was wonderful as well! Thanks for sharing this!
Any tips on how to read the book efficiently? I just recently started doing marginalia and highlighting the bits that I find interesting but sometimes it is easy to get the whole page highlighted LOL
I guess it takes time to learn how to highlight the book efficiently. One tip I read somewhere was to write “the why” you are reading that book in the first page then do all the marginalia and highlights accordingly.
Also audiobooks or podcast don’t work for me unless I can take notes. I can’t take notes while driving, for example.. I considered buying the apple watch to be able to do quick recording as notes. Does it work for anyone?
I'm thinking about this ears vs. eyes debate: i.e. listening to a book vs. reading one. Ah! Two pleasures: aural--listening to a great story (and stories are meant to be told); visual--admiring the scaffolding of a great sentence. Nancy Harris McLelland Welcome to the GrrEighties coming soon.
Umm audiobooks seem to having a moment. Hearing isn’t my best sense—I wear hearing aids not completely deaf—but may have to give audio a try. After all I listen to music streamed through my hearing aids!
I’ve used “It’s not for me” on many occasions not just for books! It’s a much gentler way to engage and it doesn’t shut down the conversation. It’s also a way to still be delighted by something! I watched a bunch of Couchella concerts on YouTube with this mind-set. Delightful!
I stayed home on independent bookstore day and read some of the books I previously bought from my independent bookstore, so I am happy to get this post. Stacks and stacks of books is right. Lately my reading is mostly on the weekends and I write in a Field Notes because there are stacks and stacks of them as well.....
Has anyone thought of doing the apparently Scandinavian idea of sending ‘birthday books’ instead of birthday cards? I’ve tried this this year and my family seem a bit unimpressed! (Could just be them though, tbh...)
Gifting books is tricky! I think it's great to gift books, but what's NOT great is to give somebody a book and then ask them, "DID YOU READ THE BOOK YET?" haha :)
No don't ask! I just get comments when I give them!
Oh I’d never ever ask!
Oh I do this already! My family always knows they’re getting books from me. I’ve encouraged a lot of reluctant readers!
Great list. I like to have a few books lying around the house in different places, easily digestible. Walking around the house now I see the Young Pueblo poetry book, The Daily Stoic, The War of Art and The Good Immigrant. Can easily sit anywhere and read when it grabs me.
Visual triggers! Good deal.
Love it! Although ... I have never been able to not finish a book I don't like. It somehow feels dishonourable to the writer not to persevere to the end. One of the most torturous reading experiences I have ever had was Hermann Melville's 'Moby Dick.' And yet, this text has continued to resonate with me long after the actual reading of it finished in a way that the books that I fly through quite happily do not.
Moby-Dick is awesome. Definitely had to push through, though, and I'm very glad to have read it.