Reading a good book can be one of the greatest pleasures in life. Whether you're reading fiction, non-fiction, or heavy-duty science books, this guide will help you learn how to get the most out of the experience.
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Part 1 of 3: Basic Steps
Step 1. Choose a book
If you read for your own pleasure, you may want to choose fiction or nonfiction books that are of general interest. There are millions of such books, so finding the right one for you can be very challenging. A good way to start is to think about what you like, as well as what you don't like.
- Knowing personal tastes really helps in finding books you will enjoy. Just because someone says a book is good doesn't mean you enjoy it too. Some people love fantasy novels, some hate them. Think about what kind of experience you want to have while reading. Do you want an awesome adventure story? An exploration of brain-stimulating ideas? An emotional journey in the life of a believable character? What is the length of the book you want to read? How challenging do you want the book to be? Is there a particular perspective that you wish the book would embrace or avoid? Answering these questions will narrow the area of the book selection that you will enjoy.
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Nonfiction books can be a little easier to narrow down than fiction books. Most nonfiction books are history or biographies of famous people. Is there a famous person you'd like to know more about? Do you want to know more about a country, important events, wars, historical events? Would you like to know more about the ocean, dinosaurs, pirates or magic? Chances are there is a nonfiction book written for almost anything you can think of.
Just because you find a nonfiction book about something you're interested in doesn't mean you'll like the book. Some books are well written and interesting, some are poorly written and boring. If you find a nonfiction book about something you like, read the first few pages to see if you like the author's style. If you find the book difficult or boring on the first page, it probably won't get any better even if you keep reading
- Go to the library. Your local library is a good place to look for books, because if you see one that interests you, you don't have to pay anything to read it. Tell the librarian what your interests are, and ask him to direct you to an area or two of the library where you may find interesting books that relate to your interests.
- Ask the people around you. Good friends and close relatives may be able to recommend books based on what they enjoy and think you might enjoy. But be careful because some people like to read long stories while others don't. If you like science, look for books on science.
- Search online. The internet is filled with book lovers who are happy to share their opinions on various titles. Find a community that talks about books and search for a subject you're passionate about, or visit an online retail site and browse user reviews for books that seem good. Both are very useful methods for quickly getting ideas for the most popular and most liked titles in all book categories.
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Make a group. Book clubs and reading groups are fun ways to expose yourself to new books.
- Some clubs focus around a particular genre of book, such as science fiction or romance, but others are more general.
- Fiction readings are held regularly at several independent bookstores.
- Nonfiction writers sometimes hold free readings or even guest lectures at nearby colleges. Come and listen so you know if their book is something you want to read, and at the same time learn a little about something that interests you. Some books start with a short explanation so don't get bored after the first few pages, remember every story has a lesson.
Step 2. Get the book you want to read
There are a few different ways to get it:
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Look for books in the library. The advantage of this method is that it is easy and inexpensive. If you don't have a library membership, just come to the library and ask.
- Some library systems allow you to order the book you want electronically in advance, and then notify you when it's available so you can come and pick it up.
- Realize that if you want to read a very popular book, you may have to wait weeks or months in the queue.
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Buy a book. Go to a bookstore or magazine stand and buy your own so you can keep it for as long as you want. The advantage of this method is that with a little effort, you can usually find the hottest books and read them right away. The downside is that you have to spend money to buy it.
Since you have to pay, make sure you select and read a few pages first, to see if you will enjoy the author's writing style when you read it at home
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Borrowing book. Friends and relatives who recommend a book to you usually have the book and will be happy to lend it until you finish reading it.
Be sure to take good care of the books you borrow, and read them on time so you don't forget them on the bookshelf to be covered in dust until the following year
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Buy books electronically. With the advent of portable book-reading devices and smartphones in recent years, electronically published printed editions of books have become increasingly common.
- The purchase price of a virtual book is usually slightly below the purchase price of a physical edition, so if you already have a reading device, you may be able to save some money. Don't buy a thick book if you can't finish it. (I buy one book at a time)
- Like books that are printed in ink on paper, e-books are also your property after you pay for them.
- Remember that electronic editions are more difficult to carry than printed books when you are on a long vacation or camping.
Step 3. Read your book
Find a comfortable place to sit, make sure there's plenty of light, and open the front cover. Start at the beginning, which is usually the first chapter unless there is an introduction, and read each page in succession until the book is finished. If there is a closing section, wait until you finish the last section before reading it.
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Decide whether you want to read the introduction or not. The introduction is the writing on the front of a book that is not the first chapter of the book. There are four types of introductions, and each type serves a different purpose. You can decide for yourself whether you want to read the section in the introduction. The four types of introductions are:
- Acknowledgments: A short section listing the people who helped the author in various ways during the writing process. You can read the thank you note if you want, but most people don't bother. Acknowledgments usually also appear at the very end of the book.
- Preface: The preface is written by a different author than the person who wrote the book in question, so it usually only appears in the umpteenth edition of a book that has made some sort of impact some time before, such as an award-winning novel or an important scientific work. The preface talks a bit about what to expect from the book, and why it is so worth reading.
- Foreword: The foreword is written by the author of the book. It is usually (but not always) shorter than the introduction, and is essentially a description explaining how and why the book was written. If you are interested in the author's personal life or the creative process behind it, a foreword can give you valuable insight.
- Opener: The opener is the place where the author speaks directly to the reader and introduces the book, reviewing what the book's purpose is and to build the reader's excitement to read it. Openers are found more often in nonfiction books than fiction books.
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Decide whether you want to read the closing section or not. The conclusion is another piece of writing, usually by a different author, that appears after the main book section ends.
- The cover usually consists of a description or editorial of the book itself, and is not commonly found outside the academic "study edition" of certain well-known books, such as John Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath.
- Like most introductions, the closing section is also optional.
- If you really enjoyed a book, the concluding section can give you the opportunity to revisit the book's sections. If you don't understand the significance of a book, this section can provide important cultural and historical context. Otherwise, most people ignore it.
Step 4. Set your speed
Reading a really good book is an experience that absorbs you so that time seems to pass quickly. Provide bookmarks, and make sure you don't spend too long reading in one position. (Set an alarm on your phone or watch if necessary). This will allow you to enjoy the book longer, and prevent you from missing deadlines or shirking other responsibilities because you are too absorbed in the book.
Part 2 of 3: Reading an Essay or Poetry Book
Step 1. Skim through the table of contents and index
Most books that are made up of smaller sections have a clear table of contents to help readers who want to jump to a particular section. Some also have an index at the end, which lists keywords and other important terms along with the page where each word appears.
One effective way to read a book of poetry or essays is to pick a book that seems interesting and go back and forth, not starting from scratch. You can read through an item first and decide what you think, then adjust your search method to find what you like more and leave the boring or less impressive stuff for last
Step 2. Jump around
Apart from long poems (like William Carlos Williams' Paterson, or Homer's Iliad), most collections of short writings can be read in any order you want. Skim through and flip through the book, stopping wherever something interests you.
- Make the experience yours. Find an approach that suits your personal preferences, not just trying to read the whole book. You'll be blown away and have fun on every page you choose, instead of feeling like you have to toil through the uninteresting parts and wait for the good ones to come later.
- Open your eyes. Once you get used to the style of the book, sections that previously seemed boring will start to feel interesting, so you'll always have something to read.
Step 3. Read interactively
Dive into the world in the book and make it a part of your life by emphasizing your favorite parts. You will enjoy it much more than if you did the analysis or forced yourself to read from beginning to end in a linear fashion.
- Record what you read. Write down the page or author's name of a section you especially enjoyed so you can read it again in the future.
- Use a pencil. If the book is your own, consider lightly marking in pencil where you see a line or word that catches your eye.
Part 3 of 3: Reading Scientific Books
Step 1. Take notes
You may read science books for pleasure, but this is not uncommon. Most people read science books because they want to be informed, and scientific books are a great source for clear, organized and concentrated information. To get the most out of a science book, keep notes by your side as you read.
- Set a pattern. Read one paragraph at a time, then stop and take notes about the content of the paragraph. Try to write it down in one or two short sentences.
- Review your readings. At the end of the reading session, you will have a personal copy of all the information you need. Read it again to make sure it all makes sense to you.
Step 2. Read chapter by chapter
In most cases, there's no need to read a science book from start to finish, but jumping from one section to another isn't very helpful either. It's best if you must read part of a chapter, if not, plan to read the entire chapter.
- Understand your reading better. Reading through chapters in order will put all the information you need into solid context, making it easier to understand and easier to remember.
- Take a winning spin. There is no need to reread entire chapters if you have already completed them. You can choose any part of the chapter as you need.
Step 3. Follow
When you read a science book, it's likely to pass the exam. Science books are dense and slow to read, so the best way to deal with this is to make continuous progress each time you open them.
Bolts like a date. Schedule a regular time at least a few days a week to read your book, and it will be easier than trying to master it the night before the exam
Tips
- While they're actually more about reading than reading a book on their own, audiobooks can be an excellent choice in certain situations. Audiobooks are professionally recorded readings of books for use with music players. This can be a decent alternative to reading a book if you want to enjoy a story along the way on the train every day or while traveling.
- Be careful of concepts, principles, laws and so on when you read scientific books.
- If you have a book that you're not sure you'll like, but still want to try it, remember that some books can be determined quickly. If after thirty pages or a few chapters you still don't like it, you can quit
- If you really enjoyed the book like mystery/suspension, or magic and mystery or fantasy or trilogy or realistic fiction, relax, close your eyes and you will be in it.
Warning
- Read when you are in the right mood. If you are distracted, angry, or too anxious to concentrate, you will not benefit from your reading, and may not remember anything the next day.
- Don't forget to remember the return time of the library. Return or renew your borrowed library books on time to avoid late fees. (Find your favorite authors, and always check their books first!).
