My Reading Habits 2021

Reading is one of my very favourite things to do. Through the books I have read so far in my life, I have learned new things, explored different places, people and cultures, and had loads of fun whilst doing it. In this article, I will talk about the types of books I like to read, my reading habits and my thoughts on reading in general.

I learnt to read at the age of 3 and read quite a lot as a young child (A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket was probably one of my favourites!) I remember reading quite a lot up until around year 8 or 9, and slowing down for a few years, before picking up some more books in year 10 and 11. Since the lockdown of March 2020 though, I have rediscovered the joys of reading with vigour and now read around a book per week.

The speed of my reading largely depends on the type of book it is. I read a wide variety of genres, recently including classics, business books, philosophy, contemporary fiction, poetry, comedy, and biographies. With most non-fiction books (business, philosophy, biographies), I think it is important to properly digest and think about the material here rather than simply skimming and rushing these books. To accomodate this, I have set up a Notion page (I’ll explain this properly in a later post) called ‘Knowledge and Ideas’- where I record the key points, interesting quotes, and sometimes my thoughts on the texts at hand. Obviously this means it takes longer to get through them, but I feel it is worth it for the increased value you take from the books and for future reference.

With Classics and contemporary fiction, I use a pencil to underline my favourite quotes in the physical book and transfer these to the Notion page, sometimes adding summaries and my personal thoughts if I am writing a review or essay about it. I usually take some time to properly enjoy and understand the plots and language of these books.

I have also recently started reading some poetry for fun. I have started with collections of T.S. Eliot, Samuel Taylor Coleridge and Thomas Hardy- which I dip into now and again. I rarely annotate them, like we do at school, though I might start doing this more. Usually, I just highlight my favourite poems and put these on the Notion database for future reference.

The final category of book is what I call ‘light reading’. This includes children’s books, some novels and comedies. For me, there is little point in underlining or taking notes from these and I usually just read them quickly (depending on how gripping they are!) and enjoy the experience.

I try to balance my reading equally between the categories explained above in order to maximise the value and enjoyment I take from the books I read. I usually have one fiction and one non-fiction book on the go at once, as well as poetry and some reference books. I also try not to read two ‘heavy’ books at the same time, for example a classic novel and a book about philosophy, as this can lead to getting demotivated and uninspired. Lastly, one of my key goals with books is to read as widely as possible- in terms of genre, subject matter, and the genre/race/nationality of the writer- because I think this is important to developing a rounded worldview.

With this in mind, my goal for this year is 52 books (1 per week) though I do not go by the weekly count. Instead, I allocate several weeks for ‘heavier’ books and try and read ‘lighter’ and shorter books in around a week or less. So far, this has worked well for me and I am almost on track for the goal with a total of 13 books completed in 2021 at the time of writing.

In 2021, I have read a bit every day. Sometimes, I’ve only read one or two pages, but I have not gone a day without reading so far. I don’t have a set time to read, though I usually do it at breakfast, in the afternon or before bed. I sometimes get audiobooks as well which I listen to when walking or doing chores.

Lastly, I want to talk about my outlook on reading and why I think it’s important. I believe that the ability to read is a gift as it allows you to improve your circumstances as well as your knowledge and understanding of the world. Countless books have been published over the years, covering an enormous variety of topics, experiences and stories- the authors of which have doubtless spent months and years pouring their heart and soul into the research and writing of their texts. I believe everyone has the ability to read and enjoy books, and that there is a book out there for everyone. In the modern world, we have unprecedented access to books and knowledge that our ancestors would barely believe possible- not only with the ubiquity of bookshops and libraries but ebooks as well. Furthermore, in the modern word we are bombarded with information- from our senses, friends, family, social media, news and daily lives. Reading offers us some chance of clarity in this world, the importance of which is aptly described by Y.N. Harari in ’21 Lessons for the 21st Century’, ‘In a world deluged by irrelevant information, clarity is power’. In my opinion, we should not waste the opportunity to read and make use of the almost infinite number of books that we have access to.

I hope this article has given some insight into how I think about, read and value books. I think reading is incredibly important and in my life I not only want to read lots but to encourage and inspire others to start reading and to find their passions too.