How To Read More (A Simple System)

I can easily drop a book if it is not working for me, but another strategy for more difficult or big/hard books is to listen while I do my weekly long walks -
(A) the book gets me through the walk when I feel a bit lazy and helps me to walk further, and
(B) the walk helps me get through books.
For non-fiction or “difficult” books, I spend half an hour a day on the book and read with a pencil in hand for notations. I list any major insight for the morning’s reading in my diary to help cement the information.
I also read poetry every day - one or two poems a day gets you through a lot of poetry.
Admittedly, I am now retired and can truly indulge 📙😊📙😊📙😊

Some people don't count audio as reading, but I AGREE with this one.

On the money. I picked up The Handmaid’s Tale because its reputation is impossible to ignore, and I expected a novel this celebrated to justify the hype. It didn’t. Twenty chapters in, I was still waiting for anything to happen that would genuinely pull me in, but the story remained flat and disengaging. Instead of feeling absorbed, I felt stuck—pushing through page after page in the hope that it would eventually become as compelling as its reputation suggests. For me, I don't understand why the book is considered important,

My biggest trick is to carry a book with me everywhere I go. For example, when I use public transport I can read a book instead use phone and I already read a chapter at least. Those small moments are great to steal when you have busy schedule

👌❤

Love this. Please water plant.

I loved the scenes with your kids. Very funny and makes me miss mine that are grown and moved out. Thanks for all the good tips, too.

Thank you - I needed this. I just took a break from reading due to a book slog. Now I give myself permission to put it down and start 3 more. :)

I can listen to podcasts alright, but audiobooks are where I draw the line...my audio processing part of the brain can only process so much, so I'll stick with printed, be it analog or digital, words.

I just love your videos! You have a great sense of humor and your enthusiasm for reading is very encouraging. I'm retired and am so happy to have more time for reading - I recently finished "The Sound and the Fury," and I didn't think that was ever going to happen. My prescription for happy reading: A comfortable couch to stretch out on, your best pillow, and a Pepsi Zero Sugar on ice! Thank you for making it fun!

People dishing audio books, saying that it is not the same as a physical book, should remember that it is only a personal preference. As someone with ADHD, I find them at times a god send. Especially with books that have Point of Views for a cast of many characters, like 6 or more. I cannot stop myself in a physical book to just skip to chapters of characters I feel in love reading about their story. Say Arya in Game of Thrones. However, I cannot listen to the audio books while driving, or doing a hobby and able to keep track of it. My life is about keeping my hands busy. Plus, you may have not known there are also multiple narrations of books. Pick another narrator. There are stellar narrations out there. Spike from Buffy the Vampire Slayer only narrates Jim Butcher’s Dresden Files though. 😢

I believe wombats poo cubes. Just saying...

See, now I want to quit more AND read “Less.” 😅

(Also, Bowser keeps floating around. I’m intrigued.)

Yup, I prefer certain books for daytime reading, and others I tend to prefer for nighttime, before bed wind down type books.. audiobooks typically are relegated to driving, or maybe out running or walking. But yes many different titles on the go at once, and usually one or two (tactically stopped) for reintroduction later.

The biggest thing I did to reclaim my time for reading was that I quit social media, and made a habit of grabbing a book rather than my phone.

Great video as always. On the topic of Blood Meridian, it took me DNF'ing (Tactically Retreating) 3 times over the course of years before it finally clicked on try #4. Similar thing happened with War & Peace.

Anyone else picking up Norm Macdonald energy in this one? Love the channel. Team Book!

It took me years to finish Till We Have Faces, but it changed my life once I finally was able to take it in.

I have nothing against audiobooks but I’ve noticed I get distracted a lot easier and have more trouble recalling what happened than if I read it

I never used to read multiple books at a time, but after losing my attention span for reading (thanks covid), I was able to get back into reading, in part, because I switched between books based on where my mental energy lead me. I’m still not annotating fiction much but I might change my mind if it gets to be an issue.

Tip #6: Always keep a P.G. Wodehouse novel handy! ALWAYS! He remains one of the best comedic minds - ever! And - added plus! - he wrote a SHITLOAD of books... all the better to act as buffers when you need a break from tough or challenging or depressing or dense... or whatever-else reading material. Good ol' dependable P.G. has gotten me through some very demanding reads! Cheers, David

Very thoughtful and nicely presented recommendations, thank you!
I would like to get a idea where this end-of-book-triggers-something effect comes from. Any idea which keyword to insert when searching the internet?

perry the platypus what are you doing here?

Thank you for this. My long, short read is Jeff and Ann Vandermeer’s The Weird. For obvious reasons I paused at the H.P. Lovecraft story on February 1, 2026. I’m also on and off reading Peter Ackroyd’s Albion. I returned to both this weekend. I just finished Eden Undone by Abbott Kahler. NYPL had both Moonwalking with Einstein and The Optimum Bias. I’ll start Tali Sharot when I get up Saturday. Both should make for a constructive read following Claudio Aros’ The Magic of Mental Diagrams.

I tried audio books. Couldn't do it. My ability to listen is terrible. I love reading physical books.

I like reading one fiction and one non-fiction book, and recently tacked on a third book that is imparting something I can pick up and put down for long periods, like Greek verse and a grammar textbook. It's nice to be able to switch on those days I have several hours to read and don't want to stick to just one.

Great tips! I shall start immediately! 📚

omg re: the macbeth tangent, I WOULD HIGHLY RECOMMEND LISTENING TO AND READING IT AT THE SAME TIME. it gave me more appreciation to the work. it's version specific though, but listening to the arcangel recording (fully acted, directed and unabridged) and the pelican editions was probably one of my reading highlights last year. Othello was acted so well, so as Hamlet UGH I'LL NEVER STOP TALKING ABOUT IT

Thank you for this video! I really enjoyed the lighthearted tone of you (and your child!). Also, the last tip of reading shorter pieces really speaks to me. I have a huge stack of antologies and collected writings' that feel daunting to tackle, but just reading one or two once in a while is also a way to get to them :)

I thought my ways of reading(the ones that you have listed) are odd. Thank you for the reminder and validation.

Thanks teach

For me it clicked when i encountered thought that books can be two sided conversation. That my notes are discussion. I prefer YT to tv becouse of being able to comment and discuss. But now i want to comment on books and sudennly i remember them better and i am more into stories told

i personally found on the road to be monotonous and couldnt finish it, so i tried dharma bums becausw i thought it had a deeper meaning but its stilly pretty much the same dull, not really deep kinda deep stuff. i think keruac was a huge revolution in the 50s but nowadays, it seems pretty dull. hunter s thompson is wayy more my style

Stop reading Kerouac, and stop driving all the damn time, and stop MURDERING FOR OIL

Perry means business!

Ah, here you go Prof. i believe our short conversation sparked you this idea....lol! But still very helpful. Appreciate the guidelines.

I recently read Wuthering Heights and took it a chapter a night before bed. But before i started i would summarize to my partner the chapter from the night before like "Omg, you would not BELIEVE what happened at The Heights last night!..." it was very fun :)

Last summer I listened to half of The Grapes of Wrath on Audible and read the other half. I didn't notice any difference in my retention or enjoyment either way. Obviously, if you are going to listen to an audio book then you need to give it your full attention. But of course that also applies to reading.

"... pay attention when you're driving." 🤣🤣 had to add in that disclaimer.

My #1 key that has helped me read more: phone goes in a different room while reading.

Ok, some good ideas. But admit that audio books, while convenient at times, simply isn't the same experience at all. Not as good most of the time.