My one New Year’s resolution for 2023 was to read more books. As a new mom with a full-time job, I thought I might as well have been planning a trip to the moon. I’ve always loved reading, but the days of devouring books like I did in school are few and far between. For many of us, the responsibilities of everyday life have taken the place of reading an entire book in a day, as we did as kids.
A constant list of to-dos doesn’t stop me from adding book after book to my To Be Read list. But as I watch the list grow, I often feel a pang of worry that I won’t get through it. Just like being too busy, a reading slump can take the wind out of your literary sails.
BookTok is a portion of TikTok dedicated to books.
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But you can get back into reading, and the journey is entirely your own. Whether you need to organize your books, make a reading plan or find better book recommendations, there are online tools to help meet your needs. Here are a few tips to get you turning pages once again.
Check out BookTok
If you’re looking to climb out of a reading slump or get more recommendations, the internet is always a great place to start. BookTok, the corner of TikTok that’s about reading and books, will introduce you to other avid readers. Search “BookTok” in TikTok and you’ll be flooded with recommendations and reviews, and roundups by genre or plot trope. You’ll also encounter content creators just sharing the joy of reading.
If you need somewhere to start, check out creators @bumblebeezus, @mynameismarines and @zai_rambles.
No desire to join TikTok? No worries. You can also find the same type of content on YouTube, Instagram and Pinterest. I’ve gotten dozens of recommendations from social media sites, and I have more than a dozen tabs open in my mobile browser from sites like Book Riot or Buzzfeed Books.
Start a reading journal
I can easily lose an hour scrolling through posts on Tumblr, Pinterest and TikTok about reading journals. The journals serve as a creative space loaded with stickers, doodles and tiny printed book covers, and they also provide a method of tracking and keeping to your reading goals.
If you want to start from scratch, just find a notebook and a pen. Or you can go the extra creative mile and invest in some stickers, markers, washi tape and colorful pens. Your journal can be as detailed or basic as you want. I have a pretty simple book journal that I found at Barnes and Noble. I use it to track the basics — how many books I’ve read, how long it took me to read a given title, the book’s format, my rating and general thoughts. And, of course, I spice things up with stickers and doodles. I’ve also used a digital reading journal purchased for about $20 on Etsy. You can also snag a BookTok themed journal with premade pages on Amazon.
Use a book-tracking app
Here’s what a list can look like on Goodreads.
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If you aren’t keen to keep up with a physical journal, there are plenty of book-tracking apps that can live on your phone, tablet or computer. I’ve been a dedicated Goodreads user for several years. The app lets you organize your books into lists, or shelves — like Want to Read, Currently Reading, Read — but you can also make your own shelf or tag to track whatever you want. You can leave reviews, take a reading challenge, get book recommendations and talk to other readers. Some authors are active on Goodreads, so you might even get a response from your favorite writer.
Goodreads is by no means the only book-tracking app. Other options include apps like StoryGraph and Bookly.
Download or make a book-tracking spreadsheet
If you want something in between a journal and an app, you can download or build your own book-tracker in Excel or Google Sheets. Both programs have dozens of features to track your reading down to the finest detail.
I’ve created my own basic spreadsheet, which was a lot of work. If you’re not familiar with spreadsheets — or you’re a fan of instant gratification like me — you can purchase a premade spreadsheet and download it to your device.
I purchased a book-tracking spreadsheet on Etsy for about $2.50, and it’s become one of my favorite tracking methods. The creator, ToadstoolsTerrariums, has space for wish lists, genres, ratings, notes and general thoughts. ToadstoolTerrariums’ pie graph feature — which shows a colorful breakdown of your genres and ratings — is what really sets it apart from others.
Try a reading challenge
Reading challenges require no notebooks, apps or spreadsheets (unless you want them to). Like book journals and spreadsheets, however, your reading challenge can be as detailed or simple as you want. Google “reading challenges” and dive into a plethora of creative options. I’ve challenged myself to read 30 books this year, and I’m tracking my progress via the Goodreads app.
You can also attempt the PopSugar reading challenge, read 100 classics, read only award-winners, authors of color or female authors — or you could simply decide to read one book per month.
Want to talk to other readers about your favorite books? The Fable app is a great place to go.
Shelby Brown/CNET
Join a book club (IRL or online)
Tracking books is one thing. But for me, talking about them with other readers is the real joy. For a long time, book clubs conjured images of living rooms and finger-sandwiches in the suburbs (and the older I get, the more attractive that sounds). But a book club can be anything you want: a gathering of all your friends, a quick text, or sending a meme, or just reading a book in tandem with someone else. You can even create and join book clubs through apps like Fable, forums on Reddit and Discord, and websites like Reedsy and Bookclubs.com.
For more, check out 10 ways to download and read books online for free, how to get library books with an app, and the best free books to read on Kindle and Apple Books.
Reading Slump? 6 Tips to Help You Get Through Your ‘To Be Read’ List – CNET
Source: Media Star Philippines
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