Notes on Becoming a Reader

Dear reader,

There is a particular kind of pleasure that only reading gives me. The way a sentence can tilt your perspective, and suddenly the world feels rearranged. Whether fiction or non-fiction, books have a way of offering both escape and return. They can take you elsewhere, only to hand you back to yourself with something new in your pocket.

Last year, I read and listened to over fifty books, but reading isn't a numbers game. I promise I’m not (she says humbly after stating she read over fifty books in 2025). Jokes aside, reading is not a competition, nor a productivity metric, nor something to optimise. If anything, the reason I read that much is simply because I enjoy it so deeply. It has become a rhythm rather than a goal.

And since I’m often asked how to build a reading habit, I thought I would share what has worked for me, gently, without rules.

First: you must actually like what you read.

It sounds obvious, but this is where so many of us go wrong. We pick up what we think we should read. The prize winners. The classics everyone references. The books that look impressive on a coffee table. I’ve done it too. But if you’re not interested, you simply won’t return to the pages. Let curiosity lead. Trust your taste.

Don’t get stuck on what you’re “supposed” to read.

Closely tied to the first point. Sometimes a book won’t immediately delight you, but you feel certain it will give you something in the end; that’s different. But obligation alone rarely sustains a habit. Reading should feel like an invitation, not homework.

The medium does not matter.

Physical books, e-books, audiobooks; they all count. We live different lives, with different schedules and capacities. I listen while walking or doing chores. I read in bed and on the tram. The format is secondary; what matters is that it fits into your life.

It is perfectly fine to stop reading a book.

In school we had to finish everything, then write essays about it. But you are not in school anymore. You are allowed to put a book down. There is something deeply liberating about closing a book that isn’t working and moving on without guilt.

Make it visible.

Habits grow where attention goes. Leave your book on the coffee table. Put it by your bedside. Carry it in your bag. Replace one scroll on your phone with a few pages instead. Let reading be the easy option.

Start small.

There are countless books about habit formation, and many agree on this: begin modestly. One chapter. Ten minutes. Two evenings a week. Let the habit feel almost too small to fail.

Time has to come from somewhere.

My colleagues are slightly baffled by how few series I watch. The conversation often begins with, “Sandra, have you seen… oh, no, you probably haven’t.” And they’re usually right. Adding reading meant something else had to give. We all have the same twenty-four hours. For me, that meant fewer streaming evenings. For you, it might mean something else. A habit always replaces another habit.

Join a book club.

This one has been life-changing for me. My book club began online, a shared love of reading bringing strangers together. Now almost six years down the line, we are friends. There is something special about reading alongside others, about discussing characters as if they were mutual acquaintances. If you’ve been considering starting or joining one, take this as your gentle nudge.

Mix it up.

Perhaps a slightly advanced tip, but it works beautifully for me: read more than one book at once. I usually have two or three physical books going, plus one audiobook. Some days call for fiction, others for essays or fantasy or a classic. Let your mood decide.

At the end of the day, reading isn't about quantity. It's about making space for thought and choosing presence over distraction, even if only for ten minutes.

A reading habit is not about discipline, but rather devotion.