On the surface, it seems like we should all have so much time for reading now. After all, we can’t go out to eat or to the movies.
Many people are working from home and don’t have to spend hours on a daily commute. Students are generally not required to spend as many hours on remote learning as they spent in the classroom every day.
Unfortunately, I think that many people have discovered that they are actually reading less due to the disruption of their daily schedule, stress and increased responsibilities. For those people struggling to find the perfect moment to curl up with a good book, I have some suggestions.
First of all, please give up on trying to find that perfect moment. If you are waiting for that moment that your children are quietly occupied, your work to-do list is checked off and all of the housework is done, you will never crack open a book.
Instead, keep books available everywhere you go and steal little moments for reading. Leave piles of books next to your sofa, in your car, on your nightstand and in your kitchen. As you wait for the water on the stove to boil, read a couple of pages. While you are at the mechanic waiting for an oil change or getting your tires rotated, finish a couple chapters.
When you start to run low on books in your personal home library, download the phone apps for all of the library’s ebook platforms: Libby by Overdrive, hoopla digital, Freading and Tumblebooks. You’ll find books for all ages, from your favorite classics to brand new releases.
It can take a little while to learn the ins and outs of each app, but the library staff is happy to help you get started if you have any trouble. Send us an email at library@pflugervilletx.gov.
If you find yourself continually distracted by Instagram notifications while you read, try putting your phone in airplane mode. Your texts will be waiting for you when you are finished reading.
Create family reading traditions. For some families, that may be a dad reading a book to his kids every night at bedtime. For another family, it could be taking turns with your teenager reading Harry Potter to each other. Schedule a weekly video chat for your children to read to their grandparents.
I’ve started a new tradition of reading books to my kids at breakfast before we start on schoolwork. Talk about the books you are reading over dinner. The important thing to remember is to make this tradition into a happy and relaxing time. If it starts to feel like work for you or your family members, take a break.
Try different formats. Audiobooks are not only for daily commutes. Listen to Maxwell King’s “The Good Neighbor” while you play Tetris on your phone, cook or do laundry. I challenge you to not feel happier about folding socks while listening to a biography about Mr. Rogers read by Levar Burton.
When was the last time you read a comic book or graphic novel? They are a great way to engage struggling readers and there are some extraordinary titles being published. Jerry Craft’s “New Kid,” the first graphic novel to win the Newbery Award, is now available in hoopla.
If you crave the sense of accomplishment that comes with finishing a book, try a novel in verse like Jason Reynold’s “Long Way Down.” If you need help coming up with more out-of-the ordinary options, send us an email. We miss helping our patrons find their next book.
Lastly, give yourself a brain break. Many of you are essential workers still working full days before coming home to help your children complete their schoolwork. Thank you for the services you are providing to the community. Some of you have loved ones that are sick and you can’t be with them in the hospital.
It’s OK to be exhausted both mentally and physically. This may not be the time to finally read “Great Expectations.” Instead, reread a favorite book for the 10th time. Check out a lighthearted romance or one of the dozen books James Patterson has probably released this year.
Read below your age! Adults, read a popular young adult title like Jenny Han’s “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before.” Encourage your fifth grader to read some of their old picture books.
And if all of that still seems too daunting, turn on the closed captions while you binge watch “Tiger King.” That still counts as reading.
Cawthon is head of youth services at the Pflugerville Public Library.
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