How to Read a Book

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Updated: April 21, 2020

Explore this Article
Starting with the Basic Steps
Reading a Book of Essays or Poems
Reading a Textbook
Questions & Answers
Tips and Warnings
Related Articles
References
Article Summary
A good book is like a portal to another world, something that can transport you
to magic kingdoms and futuristic cities, spooky mansions and uncharted
landscapes. Whether you’re interested in fiction or non-fiction, poetry or
textbooks, there are a number of techniques you can use to get the most out
of your literary experience.

Method1

Starting with the Basic Steps

1
.

Choose a book. If you're reading for your own enjoyment, you will
probably want to pick a general interest fiction or nonfiction book. [1] There
are literally millions of such books, so finding one that's right for you can
be challenging. A good place to start is by thinking about what you like,
and also about what you don't like. Keep in mind how many different
types of books are out there. There are dystopian books like The Hunger
Games by Suzanne Collins. There are realistic fiction books such as
Perfect by Natasha Friend. There are fantasy books like The Land of
Stories by Chris Colfer. There are historical fiction books like
Dragonwings by Laurence. Yep, and so many others.
.
 Knowing your personal taste can really help you find a book
you'll find enjoyable. Just because someone else says a book is
good doesn't mean you'll necessarily enjoy it. Some people
enjoy fantasy novels, other people hate them. Think about what
kind of an experience you want to have while reading. Do you
want a rousing adventure tale? A cerebral exploration of ideas?
An emotional journey through the lives of believable characters?
How long of a book do you want to read? How challenging do
you want it to be? Are there certain perspectives you want your
book to embrace or avoid? Answering these questions will
narrow down the field of possible books.
 Nonfiction books can be a little easier to narrow down than
fiction ones. Most popular nonfiction books are histories 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, a landmark, a war, a historical event? Do you want to
know more about oceans, or dinosaurs, or pirates, or stage
magic? Pretty much anything you can think of has had a
nonfiction book written about it.
 Just because you find a nonfiction book about
something that interests you doesn't necessarily mean
you'll like the book. Some books are well written and
interesting, others are poorly written and boring. If you
find a nonfiction book about something you like, read the
 first couple of pages first to see if you like the writer's
style. If you find the book difficult or boring on the first
page, it probably won't get any better as you read
through.
 Go to the library. Your local library is a good place to
browse books, since if you see one that interests you, you won't
even have to pay anything to read it. Tell the librarian what
you're interested in, and ask him or her to point you to one or
two areas of the library where you might find interesting books
related to your interests.
 Don't judge the book by its cover. The title and cover
illustrations may seem boring or not your taste, but inside the
book could be a whole world of pleasure and enjoyment that you
will be enthralled by. This, however, is not always the case, so
make sure you pick wisely! Also, look at the thickness of the
book. If a quick read is what you're looking for, a big, heavy book
wouldn't be suitable, and vice versa. Lastly, if you are buying the
book for someone other than yourself, think about their age and
interests, if you are purchasing for a child, young adult books
such as Fifty Shades of Grey may not be the ideal choice.
 Ask those around you. Good friends and close relatives may
be able to recommend books to you based on what they enjoyed
and thought you would also enjoy. But be careful because some
people like to read long stories while others don't. If you love
science for example, search for science books.
 Check online. The Internet is filled with book lovers who are
more than happy to share their opinions about various titles.
Find a community that discusses books and search for the
subjects you like, or just visit online retail sites and browse user
reviews of books that look good. Either way is a great method
for getting a quick idea of the most popular and best-liked titles
in any category of book.
 Make it a group event. Book clubs and readings are both
fun ways to expose yourself to new books.
 Many clubs are focused around a particular genre of
book, such as science fiction or romance, but some are
more general.
  Fiction readings happen regularly at many
independent bookstores.
 Nonfiction writers can sometimes be found giving
readings or even free guest lectures at nearby colleges.
Go and listen to see if their book sounds like something
you would like to read, and learn a little about something
that interests you at the same time. Some books starts
with brief explanation so don't get bored after the first
few pages; remember every story has a lesson.

2
.

Acquire the book you want to read. There are a few different ways to
accomplish this:
.

 Check out the book from the library. The upside of this
approach is that it's free and easy. If you don't have a library
membership, just walk into the library and ask for one.
 Many library systems allow you to electronically
reserve a copy of a book you want in advance, and then
notify you when the book is available so you can come
check it out.
  Be aware that if you're trying to read a very popular
book, you may end up weeks or months down the
waiting list for a copy.
 Buy the book. Visit a bookstore or newsstand and purchase
your own copy to keep for as long as you like. The advantage of
this method is that with a little work, you can usually find even
the hottest books and read them right away; the downside is that
you have to pay money to buy the book.
 Since you're paying, be sure to pick up the book and
read a few pages of it in the store first, so you can tell if
you'll enjoy the author's writing style when you crack it
open at home.
 Borrow the book. Friends and relatives who recommend a
book to you will often have their own copy and be glad to led it to
you for as long as it takes you to finish.
 Be sure to take good care of books you have been
loaned, and read them in a timely fashion so you don't
forget about them and leave them gathering dust on a
shelf for the next year.
 Electronically purchase the book. With the advent of
portable e-readers and smartphones over the last several years,
electronically published editions of print books are becoming
more and more common. It also means that the book can be
taken with you anywhere where your phone/kindle/tablet/iPod is.
 The cost of purchasing a virtual book is often slightly
less than the cost of purchasing a physical copy, so if
you have a reader already, you might save a little cash.
Don't buy huge books if you know you won't finish it.
good types of apps for these are the Kindle apps or if
you have a new version of an iProduct, iBooks.
 Like a paper-and-ink book, an electronic book is
yours to keep once you've paid for it. The only downside
to this is that, unlike paper books, you cannot pawn them
off because the book is installed in your device.
 Remember that electronic editions are more difficult
than regular books to bring with you on long vacations or
camping trips.
.

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's some front material, and read each
page in order until the book is finished. If there is any end material, wait
until you have finished the rest of the book before reading it.
.

 Decide whether or not to read the front material. Front

material is the writing at the front of the book that isn't the first
chapter of the book. It comes in four basic flavors, and each type
serves a different purpose. You can decide on your own whether
or not you want to read any given section of front material. The
four types of front material are:
 Acknowledgments: A brief section that lists people
who helped the author in some way during the writing
process. You can read acknowledgments if you like, but
most people don't bother. Acknowledgments also
commonly appear at the very end of the book.
 Foreword: The foreword is written by a different
author than the person who wrote the book, so it is
usually only seen in later editions of a book that has
made some sort of impact in the past, such as an award-
winning novel or an important scientific work. The
 foreword talks a bit about what to expect from the book,
and why it is worth reading.
 Preface: The preface is written by the author of the
book. It is usually (but not always) shorter than the
foreword, and is basically an essay that explains how
and why the book was written. If you're interested in the
author's personal life or creative process, the preface
can give you some valuable insight.
 Introduction: The introduction is the place where the
author speaks directly to the reader and introduces the
book, reviewing what its intent is and building excitement
in the reader about getting to read it. Introductions are
more often found in nonfiction books than fiction books.
If you would rather not know a few things in the book
before, reading the writers prelude after would be a good
idea.
 Decide whether or not you want to read the end material.
End material is other writing, typically by different authors, that
appear after the main book has ended.
 End material is typically comprised of essays or
editorials on the book itself, and is not commonly seen
outside of academic “study editions” of certain very
famous books, such as John Steinbeck's The Grapes of
Wrath.
 As with most front material, all end material is totally
optional.
 If you greatly enjoyed a book, end material can give
you a chance to revisit parts of it; if you didn't understand
the importance of a book, it can provide important
historical and cultural context. Otherwise, most people
ignore it.

.
.

4
.

Pace yourself. Reading a really good book is an absorbing experience

that makes time fly by. Have a bookmark ready, and be sure that you
don't spend too long reading in one sitting. (Set a timer on your phone or
watch if you have to.) This will allow you to enjoy the book longer, and
prevent you from missing deadlines or shirking other responsibilities
because you were lost in your book.
.

Method2

Reading a Book of Essays or Poems

1
.
 Skim the table of contents and index. Most books that are comprised
of many smaller pieces have a clear table of contents to facilitate quickly
jumping to a particular piece. Some also have an index at the end, which
will list keywords and other important terms along with page numbers
where each one appears.[2]
.

 An effective way to jump into a book of poems or essays is

to pick one that sounds interesting and flip to it, rather than
starting at the very beginning. You can read this item first and
decide how you feel about it, then adjust your browsing method
accordingly to find more of what you like and save the boring or
less-impressive stuff for last.

2
.

Mix it up. Aside from book-length poems (like William Carlos

Williams' Paterson, or Homer's Iliad), most collections of shorter writing
can be read in any order you like. Skim and flip through the book,
stopping whenever something catches your interest.
.

 Make the experience your own. Approach it according to

your personal whims instead of just trying to read straight
through it. You will be surprised and delighted at every turn,
 instead of feeling like you have to slog through things that don't
interest you and wait for the good part to come later.
 Keep your eyes open. As you become more attuned to the
tone of the book, items that seemed dull before will start to get
interesting, so you'll always have something more to read.

3
.

Read interactively. Inhabit the writing inside the book and make it a part
of your own life by emphasizing your favorite parts. You will enjoy it much
more than if you try to dryly deconstruct it or push through it in a linear
fashion.[3]
.

 Keep track of what you read. Write down page numbers or

author names for items you particularly enjoy so that you can
revisit them easily in the future.
 Use a pencil. If you own the book, consider lightly marking it
with a pencil wherever you see a line or a word that grabs your
attention.[4]
Method 3

Reading a Textbook
.

1
.

Take notes. It is possible to read a textbook for fun, but the practice is
not very common. Most people read a textbook because they need to get
information, and textbooks are an excellent source of concentrated,
clearly-organized information on many topics. To get the most from
reading your textbook, have a notepad open beside you while you read.
.

 Set a pattern. Read one paragraph at a time, then stop and

make a note about what that paragraph said. Try to put it into
one or two quick phrases or sentences.
 Review your results. At the end of your session, you'll have
a personal copy of all the information you need. Read over it to
ensure that everything makes sense to you.

.
 2
.

Read by chapter. In most cases, it isn't necessary to read a textbook

straight through from start to finish, but it isn't very useful to jump from
section to section, either. Instead, every time you have to read even part
of a chapter, if you haven't done so already, plan to read that entire
chapter.
.

 Understand more of what you read. Reading the whole

chapter in order once will put all the information you need into a
solid context, making it easier to understand and easier to
remember.
 Take a victory lap. There's no need to read back through the
whole chapter once you've done it the first time. You can cherry-
pick from the chapter as needed afterward.

3
.

Keep up. If you're reading a textbook, it's probably for a class you're
trying to pass. Textbooks are dense, slow reads, so the best way to tackle
them is to start early and try to make steady progress every time you
open one up.
.
  Make it a date. Schedule regular space at least a few days
a week to read your textbook, and it'll go by much more easily
than if you tried to cram it all in right before each test.

Community Q&A


Question


Is it necessary to memorize the previous page when I'm reading the next
page?

PreuxFox

Top Answerer

You do not need to memorize the previous page word-for-word, but you do
need to remember the important points of what happened. Otherwise, the
page you are reading might not make much sense.

Not Helpful 13Helpful 51



Question


How could I read without anyone knowing?

Community Answer

Find a location where nobody will find you and hide away there and read. Or,
read in a library or outside under or up a tree.

Not Helpful 34Helpful 90



 Question


How do I maintain concentration while reading and not just doze off?

Community Answer

Do not read in bed or when you are sleepy. Take notes as you read to stay
focused.

Not Helpful 31Helpful 77



Question


How do I save what page I'm on if I need to take a break from reading?

Community Answer

You can either stick a bookmark, small piece of paper, or sticky note in the
page you're on. You can also "dog ear" the page--that is, to fold only the top
corner down. You should only dog ear pages on books that you own; do not
dog ear pages on text books, library books, or books that people are lending
to you.

Not Helpful 30Helpful 70



Question


What if I don't like reading?

Community Answer


 You could start yourself with comics and/or graphic novels, which have a lot of
pictures to help you stay engaged. Then, see if you an ease into reading short
stories, then novels.

Not Helpful 11Helpful 30



Question


What if I can read but still do not understand? What can I do?

Community Answer

Keep a dictionary near you or you may just ask a person or search meanings
online. You may also have a disability or a learning disorder, so be sure to get
that checked out. Some people are naturally slower to comprehend things but
when given the time to process the information properly, do really well at
deeper understanding.

Not Helpful 22Helpful 51



Question


How can I form a reading habit for myself?

Community Answer

Select books that are on themes you truly enjoy, with characters, story lines
and a pace that you find fascinating and exciting. Have a pile of books near
your bed/reading nook at all times, to make it easy for you to retrieve a book
when you feel like reading. If you prefer eReaders, have a stack of books
waiting for reading in the eReader and keep it charged. Try joining a site such
as Goodreads, so that you can share your experiences of each read with
others, as this can inspire your habit as well.

Not Helpful 24Helpful 51



Question


Can I read a book in a minute?

Community Answer

It depends on the book, of course. "Skimming" is possible, but you will forget
the contents as fast as you read them. As for a children's picture book, you
can certainly read it it in a minute. Do be realistic though!

Not Helpful 27Helpful 52



Question


I think the memory limitation is the most vexing hindrance Shortly after I
finish a book, I tend to forget a lot of it. If forgetting is bound to happen,
the reading is useless! How can I tackle this problem?

Community Answer

Take notes and highlight/underline important phrases. Take note of interesting

pages and passages. Writing down the notes will help encode things in your
memory better. And be sure to be mindful when you read! Really get
immersed, think about what you're reading, and let it sink in. Don't rush
through it. But also understand that, unless you're reading a textbook or
reading a book for the purpose of studying something in detail, there is no
need to remember all the details. It's normal to forget most of the details of
most books you read, just as you forget most of the details of most days of
your life. That does not render the experience useless. As Ralph Waldo
 Emerson said, "I cannot remember the books I've read any more than the
meals I have eaten; even so, they have made me."

Not Helpful 23Helpful 45



Question


How do you read a book in a day?

Community Answer

It's actually quite easy if you put your mind to it, and set aside all other tasks
and distractions. See https://www.wikihow.com/Read-a-Novel-in-One-Day for
more details.

Not Helpful 30Helpful 40


Show more answers

Unanswered Questions


How can I come back to reading after not doing it for a long time?


Answer


How can I read a book in a language I don't know but that I am learning?


Answer

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 Tips

Although it's more a case of being read to than reading a book yourself,
audiobooks can be a good choice for certain situations. Audiobooks are
professional book readings recorded for use with music players. They can be
a decent alternative to reading a book if you want to enjoy a story during a
long daily commute or while on a road trip.



Be on the look out for concepts, principles, laws, and so on if you are reading
a textbook.[5]



If you find yourself in possession of a book you're not sure you'll like, but you
still want to give it a chance, keep in mind some books can quickly pick up. If
in thirty pages or a few chapters you still don't like it, you can give up.



If it is a book you very enjoyed like mystery/suspense, or magic and mystery

or fantasy or trilogy or realistic fiction relax, close your eyes and you are there.



Try out different genres. You might be surprised at what you like!



When you are reading a book you should understand it, visualize it, place
yourself in the book.



You should always re-read the chapter, so you can have a better memory of
it.
