Month of Reading: Great tips to kickstart the habit this month
Words of wisdom…
Want to get into the habit of reading? March is the month to build the habit as it marks the Month of Reading in the UAE.
If you’re among the many who struggle to find the time to read, you’re not alone and remember, it’s never too late to work on the habit. To help, What’s On has spoken to book lovers including authors, bookstore owners and reps in the books world who have offered up their methods which you can also use to help you get on track.
Nivea Serrao, Web Content Manager of Emirates Literature Foundation
Though she is surrounded by books all day as she works at the Literature Foundation, Nivea Serrao says she still struggles to find time to read. She advises, ‘try to fit in reading when you can! For me, this means always having a book on hand that I can dive into when I have a free moment. Audiobooks and e-books are especially great for this.’ She tells us that she loves reading on public transport – ‘There’s something about being on the metro and getting lost in a story and almost missing your stop that underscores why reading is so magical.’
She adds, ‘If you don’t have an e-reader, Amazon has a Kindle phone app, so instead of endlessly scrolling on social media or playing games, I get back to whatever book I’m reading or listening to. It even syncs your progress across devices.’ If this fails, she suggests it’s worth investing in an e-reader like Kindle. ‘I just got one and it’s been a big game-changer because it lets me fully immerse myself in a book without checking my email or texts. It also helps that it lets me carry my whole library with me. Now when I finish a book, I just jump into another one.’
She urges, ‘find a book you’re excited about reading! Nothing gets you looking forward to reading like a story you can’t stop thinking about long after you’ve had to put it down.’ Serrao also suggests reading Middle Grade and Young Adult fiction, as ‘the books shorter and written with reluctant readers in mind.’
What is Serrao reading right now?
The Final Girl Support Club by Grady Hendrix
Vaarunya Bhalla, Publishing Manager – Motivate Books
Vaarunya Bhalla works in book publishing, which means he reads plenty, but it’s not easy for him to find time to read books purely for pleasure. However, he has set himself a fun goal for 2024 committing to the ‘50 book challenge’ which works up to four to five books a month. To avoid failure, if you’re just starting out, set a much smaller 2024 reading goal and increase it as the years go by.
Offering up his ways, he tells us, ‘Instead of mindlessly scrolling through social media feeds or endlessly binge-watching TV shows, I have been able to read around 40 to 50 pages every weeknight, and slightly more on the weekends.’ He adds, ‘The other thing that has helped is not forcing myself to complete a book that isn’t holding my attention or is dry or boring. I put a bookmark in and keep it aside, guilt-free, in favour of something more interesting.’
What is Bhalla reading right now?
I love dystopian fiction and am currently reading The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood.
Grace Karim and Somia Anwar, Owners of Bookends
Above: Grace (left) and Somia (right)
Grace and Sonia are also surrounded by books, and tell us that making time to read involves prioritising it in your schedule. Set aside time for reading breaks and incorporate it into daily rituals like commuting or bedtime routines. They also point out that limiting screen time and choosing reading over other activities can carve out valuable reading time.
What are the duo reading right now? Grace says, ‘I have two books, a habit I always maintain. One is a fiction novel for leisurely reading: Murder in Tuscany by T.A. Williams and for non-fiction I’m reading Superforecasting by Philip Tetlock and Dan Gardner.’ Somia is currently reading I Am Malala by Malala Yousafzai, a Nobel Peace Prize.
Purva Grover, Dubai-based author
Purva Grover is the author of three books, The Trees Told Me So, It Was The Year 2020 and She, and when speaking to us, she says, ‘I don’t have the time to read’, says everyone, both kids and adults. Reading is now ‘snacking’. We have to fit it into our multi-tasking schedules. ‘Read whatever, read whenever!’ she says, ‘before a meeting or a Careem to arrive! Always carry a book in your bag, or on your phone…’
She suggests signing up for a library membership. ‘It’s like the guilt of signing up for a gym membership; you will end up going. The same guilt would work if you borrow a book or join a book club’. She adds, ‘In the social media era, announce your reading habits on a platform and watch how it works. Ideally, just keep aside 6 minutes a day to read, and you’ll watch how a good book can turn you into a bookaholic.’
What is Purva reading right now?An extremely well-researched, well-written, and heart-wrenching book, Two Sisters by Blake Morrison
Binod Shankar, Author and Executive Coach
Author of Let’s Get Real, Binod Shankar tells us he reads exactly 50 pages a day, a quota he has imposed on himself for the last two years. He has a fixed time to read which is usually ‘first thing in the morning when it’s super quiet’. He says, ‘It’s less about being busy and more about priorities because you’ll make time for what’s important. So first decide whether reading is important for you.’ He adds that picking a genre or a topic we are passionate about is more likely to kickstart the habit. Fixing a time of day to read is also likely to work, and we can pick whatever mode is easiest: a physical book, an audiobook or Kindle. ‘I love the sight & feel of print but hey maybe I’m old fashioned’ – he says.
What is Shankar reading right now?
Outlive by Dr Peter Attia.
Images: Supplied