Ways to Be A Better Reader And Why You Mustn't Take A Reading Challenge Seriously

When I typed "How to read 100 books in a year" on Google, I got about 1,70,00,00,000 search results. Whoo. But when I searched on how to be a better reader, there was a disregarded percentage of decline in the search results, 26.4% to be precise (yes, I did the Math). What does it show? That, people, are more concerned about the number of books they read rather than what they read. You'll find thousands of self-made Deepak Chopras lauding how they made it to reading 100ish books in a year, maybe more; because, it's a trend. Sure, there are blokes who have genuinely put tons of effort into reading so much in such a little time frame, and kudos to them. But is that better reading? Are you able to retain what you read after a period of time? Can you enjoy flipping pages just to complete a daunting book list?

Before understanding which style of reading is better, you must learn the Hows of being a better reader.

Ways to be a Better Reader

There are myriad ways that you can try to improve your reading skills, however; the following are the most sought approaches-

• Try reading more than one book at a time: it often happens that while you're pushing yourself to finish a book, you eventually lose interest over time and get wearied. Try reading two books at a time for a start; both of which are different in genres so that you can switch time and again according to your mood.

• Allow yourself to Quit a book: once you have quenched your reading hunger, or you've completed reading about a particular concept which is why you bought it in the first place, allow yourself to close the book and place it on the shelf. It is not important that you finish reading till the last word in the book, but what you infer from it.

• Join or start a new Book Club: studies have shown that when you try any task in a group, you're more persistent in completing it. Book clubs do just that and besides accomplishing your goal, you also meet like-minded people who might fit your vibe.

• Use Note making to the optimum and Summarise: these are sure-shot ways to remember what you've read that are used by successful personalities like Bill Gates, J.K. Rowling, etc. This way, you inscribe your learning and it stays with you forever.

Speed Reading or Slow Reading

In a world that is fixated and hung up on boosting productivity, speed reading is in vogue. True, it is a skill to read 1000-2000 words per minute, but it is important to know where to use it. Leafing through your daily newspaper or any light read can be augmented by speed reading, but if you want to absorb what you read, slow reading is the best. Meticulously understanding what you read, along with sincere note-making and summarization, you can achieve an art of seeping knowledge that requires a higher level of thinking.