Reading Advice

Roosh V posted a bunch of pointers on reading better, and it mirrored very generally some ideas I had in mind already. So I will use his hard work as lazy leverage for my own post, which you are reading right now.

1. Devote a shelf to unread books

Most modern households have a bookshelf, and within that bookshelf is a haphazard organization of books both read and unread all mixed together. When it’s time for you to read a new book, you have to visually sort through the collection with your eyes and pick an unread book that catches your eye. It’s better to have a shelf (or shelves) with only unread books so that you can be smarter with your selections.

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Owing to what I had already and what I had bought recently for a bookcase setup, I ended up with an entire small bookcase to hold my to-read stack. I could’ve kept a shelf or two on the main library bookshelves for that, but it felt better to have a separate structure altogether for what I had on deck for reading. Once or twice the past year, a book snuck in there that I already read, but it was so long ago that a re-read didn’t matter.

3. Put your phone in airplane mode while you read

It’s not enough to only silence your phone. You’ll be tempted while reading to reach for your phone to “check” something, whether a text message from someone or to do “research” on a passage you just read. You must disable your mobile and internet connections entirely (you may even have to switch off your internet router). Otherwise, your concentration will be puny and you’ll read much less, if at all. The smartphone is Satan’s most useful invention. While it can be harnessed for good, it usually isn’t.

I never thought of this; I don’t think I’ve ever put any of my phones in airplane mode. If I’m at home, my standard OP is to put on a playlist or certain artist on Spotify (Salt of the Sound is good for reading) on my phone, then out it out of reach. I don’t quite get distracted by things unrelated to what I am reading, but sometimes I will look up a word or phrase that I want to understand, or find out something about the author. Though, I’ve never had an issue if I don’t look up those things right away.

8. Fight brain fatigue by reading multiple books at the same time

I find it hard to read more than 20 pages of a book per session. My brain gets tired of the author, similar to how I can only be in someone’s company for a certain amount of time before I need to depart from them. To avoid this fatigue, I discovered that I can read more pages per day if I read multiple books simultaneously. I’ve taken this to the limit: as of this writing, I’m reading nine books at the same time. Four of those books are daily spiritual readings, with only a couple pages per book daily. One is a Bible commentary. One is a dense spiritual book. Then there is a novel, a regular Orthodox book, and a non-fiction book. If I were only reading one book, I would max out at 40 pages a day, but by reading multiple books, I can push above 80 pages, not get tired of the reading, and retain much of the information.

If you do read multiple books simultaneously, try to select books on different topics so that they don’t access the same part of your brain. If I want to read two spiritual books at the same time, I don’t read two theological books or two books of spiritual counsel, because I’ll just get confused. Instead, I read one theological book and one book of spiritual counsel. I can read them back to back and not get fatigued or muddled. This is another benefit of having a shelf of unread books: you can stagger your selections on different topics to optimize your reading. If I see on my unread shelf that I have too many books on the same topic, my next purchase will be books about different topics.

You can use this technique with reading multiple novels, where it’s better if the novels are not of the same genre. I wouldn’t read two dystopian novels at the same time, for example, because you may subconsciously project the plot of one novel onto another.

I could never bring myself to read more than one book at a time. I’m too monomaniacal and linear of a reader to consider juggling multiple stories or ideas in one day. We moderns already do this by default, because there are real-life stories going on all around you if you are around family or work a job, and world events will reach you even if you don’t watch the news or doomscroll. Information overload = story overload.

9. If it’s hard to concentrate, read aloud

By reading silently, you’re only activating the visual center of your brain and the part that decodes words, but by reading aloud, even if it’s at a whisper, you’re doubling the activation by also stimulating the vocalization and auditory parts of the brain. I believe that reading, speaking, and hearing words causes the brain to essentially process them in four areas, increasing the chance that you will “catch” the words in some way. Consider that most humans who have lived learned new information using at least their ears in addition to their eyes.

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I back this, because it works for me. In my situation—married with kids—I offer to read out load what I am reading to whoever is in the room. Usually they roll their eyes and say no, but not always. In the times they are into it, I find I read slower but I absorb all of it. The alternative is going into my basement office or outside and reading out loud, but honestly that sounds too weird even for me.

12. Write down character names and descriptions as you encounter them (fiction)

I stumbled upon a game-changer when reading Russian literature: write down the names of all characters and a basic description of each as you come across them in the text. I find that Russian authors do not care to remind you of certain characters that were introduced 100 pages ago, and if you don’t write names down, you will get lost in no time and quit the book in rage. When you encounter a name you don’t remember, check your notes and then proceed.

One issue is when there are a lot of minor characters that only appear once. My general rule is to write down all names that appear in the text twice (usually this happens in the same paragraph), signifying that the author wants you to know who this person is. It’s often the case where the names of servants and maids are given once and then never again.

Another highly-backed piece of advice. I got into the habit of writing down characters and some notes on their background from reading pieces for my critique group. I don’t know why writers don’t include a dramatis personae page any more to help out a guy like me, who is terrible with names to begin with.

13. Do not read academic introductions for classic literature until you finish the book (fiction)

If you want to spoil your reading of literature, read academic introductions. These introductions are supposed to help you understand the story by giving needed background information and context, but they always reveal major parts of the ending, including who dies, and they do so without warning. The academics destroy the reading experience to show off their understanding of it. It’s better to read the introduction after the book is complete, to plug some holes and get a deeper perspective.

I would read the introduction after I finish the story to get more context, but if it’s not a first-time read I wouldn’t skip the introduction, usually. I’d rather go into the story without context and have questions at the end, rather than be too prepared, if that’s such a thing, going into it.

I’ll add a 14th point of advice here:

14. Reading standing up or sitting on the floor.

Sitting in a chair, even an uncomfortable one, relaxes us too much. Standing or sitting without the support of a chair back or cushioning subtly engages stabilizing muscle groups, which, in my expert opinion, hinders the production of serotonin and whatever else helps us relax or fall asleep. Humans can’t sleep standing up, so readers can use that to their advantage.