Search

Student reading in library

Reading

Reading is something that most people learn how to do at a young age. It’s an integral part of our daily lives and many of us read a number of things, such as newspaper headlines, billboards, and signs, without even actively trying to read them. The more experience you have reading the more proficient you will become at it. But actually having a reading hobby means going out of your way to find material to read. Most people who choose to read for their hobby do so out of a love for reading or a particular genre of written work. You might not know it but you don’t have to read novels to have a reading hobby. You can read pretty much anything: magazines, biographies, screenplays, newspapers, ebooks, poetry, non-fiction books, blogs, or short stories.

Getting Started

Man reading book and sitting on sofa

It’s fairly easy to get into reading. The first thing you need to do is decide what to read. You should always choose material that interests you in some way; you might find that you are attracted to many topics in a particular genre, such as non-fiction. Alternatively, you might want to read material of any genre that covers a particular topic that is of interest to you. For instance, if gardening interests you, you could read a novel about a gardener and blogs about gardening. If you choose reading material that covers a topic that you have little to no interest in, you might have difficulty finishing it.

The next step is to find the books or items that you want to read. Where you find these materials will depend on what you’re after. For instance, if you like to read newspapers you can simply purchase a subscription and your local newspaper will be delivered to your door each morning. Libraries are a great place to find magazines, newspapers, and books of almost every genre. Getting a membership card at your local library is one way to get your hands on books for free. Alternatively, if you can afford it and you like to have a hard copy of the books that you read, you can buy them at stores such as Barnes and Noble. Amazon is a great place to buy both new and used books online.

Tips

Smiling Woman With Digital Tablet

There are several ways to get the most out of your reading hobby. Some people struggle to find material that they enjoy or that they feel motivated to read. It can be difficult when you finish a really great read to get motivated to read something new. But there are several ways to find books that you might enjoy. Try signing up for a free membership on Goodreads, a website for book enthusiasts that can suggest books that might appeal to you based on your ratings of books that you have already read. If you like a particular author but you’ve burned through all he or she has written, the online Literature Map can give you a visual display of similar authors.

Joining a book club is a nice way to share your hobby with others. A book club can help to give you some direction as to what to read. You might also enjoy the social component, as reading is otherwise a fairly solitary hobby. Knowing that you will have to discuss your opinions on the book can also help you to dig deeper as you read. Instead of just breezing through a book, you have something to motivate you to engage with the material.

Benefits

Reading is a convenient and enjoyable hobby. If you make an effort to read on a regular basis, you can experience a wide array of benefits. The most obvious benefit is that you are helping your brain in a number of ways. People who read on a regular basis have been shown to have more general knowledge and overall higher intelligence than people who don’t read as a hobby. As you get older, reading will help your mind to stay sharp.

Reading is also good for your emotional state because it helps to relieve stress. Getting lost in a book is a great way to unwind after a long day, and most people enjoy being captivated by a story, essay, or eloquent arrangement of words. When you relate to the real or fictional characters in a story, you gain new insights into your own life.

Finally, when you read, you always have something to do. Having a book at the ready on your smart phone or tablet or doing it the old fashioned way by carrying a book wherever you go can help you to fill idle moments. Many people secretly look forward to reading while taking the subway to work or waiting to be called for an appointment. It’s a great way to make the most of your time.