7 Reading Habits Every Bookworm Will Recognize

Unspoken Habits That Bind Book Lovers Together

7 Reading Habits Every Bookworm Will Recognize

Reading is a deeply personal habit. Each of us has unique priorities when it comes to reading. Yet, despite our preferences, certain common rules/behaviours unite us as readers. In this article, I’d like to take some time to describe Seven common habits that unite us as readers — some of which we may have followed only in our early reading days, but all of which continue to shape our reading experience.

P.S. Some of these points can be biased, as longtime bookworms write most articles. I tried to keep things simple and clean and present a neutral view, but I am a longtime bookworm myself, so biases might still leak in…

1. Setting aside a time.

Even this has a wide variety in it. Some set out specific slots on their calendars, while some block 25–50 minutes when free. While dedicating specific time to reading is important, it also helps overcome the initial hesitation that often accompanies starting a new book, especially ones recommended by others. No matter how great the reviews are, readers tend to put away the books that don’t attract them. This tendency to reject is noticeably strong when readers are just beginning their journey. However, after reading a book for 20–30 minutes, we tend to stop being hesitant and immerse ourselves in the book. This is why it is usually recommended to have an uninterrupted 20–40 minutes when starting a new book.

2. Recording key points.

Just like the first one, this is also one of the common habits/rules followed. People highlight the stuff in the same book or note it in an app or a notebook. Some keep track of all their notebooks and add them to their library. At the same time, others focus more on these points when they re-read the book. Either of the approaches is fine, and it is often ideal to choose based on the content.

3. Carrying something to read all the time.

I was surprised to see how many book lovers do this. I assumed most readers don’t prefer reading while on the go. Some find reading an inherent habit. They tended to carry a book along with them all the time. Some who love reading physical books tend to buy a digital version of the same book to continue reading elsewhere.

4. Buying books and not reading them.

This is, in fact, the most well-known habit. If you are active on Booktwt, Bookstagram, Booktok or something similar, you should have already seen many memes covering this phenomenon. Some believe that they will read someday. Others try to build an “anti-library” to keep themselves grounded because there is a lot that they don’t know.

There is also a minority that buys books for aesthetic reasons. Appreciating books for their aesthetic value is valid, but some might argue that the content is more valuable. Of course, it’s all a matter of perspectives. I’d love to hear your thoughts on this in the comments below — what do you think matters more, aesthetics or content?

5. Binge-reading everything from an author.

This is mostly a suggestion for beginners from the long-timers. It is a valid suggestion to read more books from the same author to get into the habit of reading. Non-fiction writers maintain their theme across multiple books; hence, reading books from the same author also helps retain information. In fact, my first few non-fiction books were all written by Robin Sharma. I started with “The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari” and read most other books.

However, in fiction, many authors produce masterpieces followed by less impressive works, so it’s important to approach binge-reading cautiously.

6. Reading Lists.

Having a reading list helps many readers stay on track. I suggest creating these TBRs on GoodReads or other book-tracking sites. You will slowly form a community over time. I never maintained a reading list as I always hopped from one series to another.

While TBRs are popular, having another list is more helpful. I found having a list of books I’ve read incredibly helpful. I never maintained this list till last month and almost always forgot what books I had read. Of course, in your first or second year, these don’t matter. But after constantly reading books for the last 7–8 years, I had to sit for 2–3 hours to list all my books. Trust me, having a simple list of the books you’ve read can be incredibly helpful. When randomly browsing this list, you might want to re-read a book from the past. And every time you re-read a book, you almost always get a new perspective on the book.

7. Everyone needed a community.

While most started as solo readers, at some point, they reached a place where they needed a community to get both recommendations and share their opinions on the books. Communities also gave some a better and increased motivation to read and helped them sustain their reading.

These are the seven common points that unite us as readers, but they are far from exhaustive. These are just the tip of the iceberg!

I hope you enjoyed this! Follow The Story Taste for more such interesting stories…

Thanks for reading until the end — until next time. Happy Reading! 🫡

Resources:

There are many more articles, especially YouTube videos, but these few offer most of what I am covering.

1. These 38 Reading Rules Changed My Life — written by Ryan Holiday on Medium. → Interesting rules. I can’t say I like all the tips, but this gave me a fresh perspective towards reading.
2. 10 Reading Rules That Will Make You Smarter — written by Eve Arnold on Medium. → Generalised a research paper on how to read scientific papers for books. Mostly, it comes under Active reading habits.
3. These 20 Reading Rules Changed My Life — written by Aleax and published in BAOS. → Presents the rules from resource five and some good suggestions about joining a community.
4. My Three Reading Rules. Written by Johnnysbookreviews on Medium. → Presents good suggestions. But the best, from my perspective, is the third rule: skim books before dedicating time to them.
5. Reading like a Stoic — 5 Essential Reading Rules From Seneca — written by Max Eccles and published in New Writers Welcome. → Presents interesting tips. But provides the best Active reading methods.
6. It’s Okay Not to Finish the Book — written by Naben Ruthnum and Published on Forge. → Common rules that readers are better off breaking.
7. How to start book reading? [Beginner Guide] — written by Maryam Ahsan. → Beginner tips such as reading space, reading rules, etc.
8. 7 Ways to Retain More of Every Book You Read — written by Aisha Samar on Medium. → Not entirely sure about this one. The tips shared would be more suitable academically and slightly towards non-fiction. But I can hardly relate this to fiction. I’m including this because of the emphasis on community.