How To Make Reading More Enjoyable

By: Preston Simmons | Written: 17 May 2021

woman reading with her dog — Reading with a friend makes for a fun time

As adults, our hobbies need to be enjoyable and feel like they’re not a waste of time. Reading is a great hobby that should fulfill both of those requirements. For some people, though, reading may not be the first pastime they choose to do when they finally have time on their hands. This may be because to them; reading is just not fun.

It can be.

Reading can fulfill every desire you could want for a fun, entertaining, and relaxing hobby. It also can be a very healthy and fulfilling use of your time. Here are some tips to make reading more enjoyable for you.

#1 – Find Your Happy Place

reading in a hammock — Find the best place to read your book

One of the most important aspects to make reading a more enjoyable experience is finding the perfect environment that makes you the most relaxed. In other words, your happy place. There are many characteristics I look for when trying to find the perfect place to read. For me, what’s most important is a quiet atmosphere. There’s nothing worse than being constantly interrupted when I’m in the middle of an incredible chapter. So, finding a place where I know I won’t be interrupted is key. This could be a quiet coffee shop, my local bookstore, or a park. Other times, I’d rather stay home in my bed to read.

The perfect environment is solely determined by your personal preference and may take some time to find. Take a moment to think about what you envision as the perfect place to read a book. What immediately comes to mind? Are you sitting on a beach? Maybe sitting by a fireplace on a nice, cozy couch? What about reading in a garden, surrounded by flowers and birds? Whatever you imagine, try to find a place that closest resembles that scenery.

Keep on reading in different locations, and eventually, you’ll find what suits your needs the best. If you can find your best place to read, you’ll definitely make reading more enjoyable.

#2 – Coffee or Tea?

coffee, a book, and a woman on a bed — Coffee always makes reading more relaxing

Whenever I read a book, I will have some drink with me, more likely than not. Usually coffee or tea, but you might catch me with a mug of hot chocolate during winter times. There’s a simple reason for that; they make any activity more relaxing! Reading is no exception. Drinking coffee or tea while you read a book can not only relax you more, but it can also help create a better atmosphere for you and even help connect you with the book you are reading even more.

I personally enjoy tea the most when I am reading because there are so many different varieties of teas I can pair with any book. When I read Dune by Frank Herbert, I made sure to pair the book with a nice chai tea (with cinnamon and other spices) to create an atmosphere similar to that found in a series where spice is so important. When I read Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, I made sure to drink English breakfast tea because that’s what I envisioned the characters in an Austen novel drank in their free time.

What’s most important when reading is feeling relaxed when you do it. For me, drinking coffee or tea helps achieve that. It may also help you make reading more enjoyable too. Now the only question is, would you like it with cream or sugar?

#3 – Get A Nice Pair of Noise Cancelling Headphones

woman with headphones — A nice pair of headphones will be a major game-changer for you

Buying a good pair of noise-canceling headphones was one of the most important purchases I made that had a concrete improvement in my day-to-day life and especially made reading more enjoyable for me. Some immediate perks of noise-canceling headphones include allowing you to experience audiobooks with high-quality sound. If you think sound quality doesn’t matter while listening to audiobooks, think again. A good pair of headphones can be the difference between making an audiobook narrator sound like they’re reading directly next to you and sounding like the narrator is reading to you from 100 feet away.

Another perk of good noise-canceling headphones is that they can help you concentrate more on the book. When you read without the headphones, it’s easy to become distracted by your surroundings, drawing your attention away from what you are reading. With headphones, the distracting sounds of the world are silenced, allowing you to focus solely on what you are reading. This, in turn, will help you become a better reader and make reading more enjoyable.

The best perk to noise-canceling headphones is the appearance they give to everyone else. When you wear headphones, it gives the signal to people that you do not want to be disturbed. People are less likely to try and talk to you or bother you when you have headphones on. The less you are taken away from the book; the more enjoyable reading will be.

Here are some of the best noise cancelling headphones you can find on the market today.

#4 – Make A Goodreads Account

goodreads is a great tool for readers

Making a Goodreads account is a great way to make reading more enjoyable. Personally, I love to keep track of all the books I read, and Goodreads is the easiest way for me to do that. If you are an anime fan, it’s similar to myanimelist.net, except Amazon owns it; therefore, there’s a much higher budget for Goodreads, making for a cleaner experience altogether. Goodreads helped me set goals for the year in reading while giving me certain statistics on my past reading, like how many books I read in 2020 vs. today. It also helps recommend books based on my interests and the other books I’ve registered already. It is an awesome tool that is guaranteed to make reading more enjoyable for you.

#5 – Join A Reading Community

a book club — A book club is a great way to make friends and experience reading with likeminded people

Joining a reading community was one of the best decisions I have made over the years. There are many different reading communities like book clubs and forums, and both serve many purposes. Book clubs are a great way to make new friends with people who have something in common with you–a love for books! There are book clubs for all different genres, authors, and any other specifications you may have.

If you would rather not meet up with people in person, book forums may be perfect for you. On Reddit, some of my favorite subreddits to visit are r/books, r/fantasy, r/audiobooks, and other reading-focused forums. Here, you can join in on endless amounts of discussions regarding your favorite books, find new books to read recommended by like-minded people, interact with various authors, and be a part of fun activities held, like book bingo!

Reading is amazing on your own, but being able to discuss a book with people just like you after you’ve finished one, makes the experience so much better. If you are looking for a way to make reading more enjoyable, joining a reading community could be just what you are looking for.

These are just some of the ways I have found that have made reading more enjoyable for me. At the end of the day, it’s up to you to find what makes you happy and what will make reading more enjoyable for you.

Have any more tips or tricks that can make reading a better experience for people?

Comment below and tell me your thoughts!