Best way to read a book and remember it

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Often, when I’m reading a book straight through, I catch myself getting so caught up in what’s next. I forget to appreciate the words in front of me. This happens to us through life too. We are often too busy planning tomorrow that we forget to enjoy today.

Many successful billionaires will tell you they spend their days reading. The secret to success is reading more. To achieve success, we must understand the information. Information only becomes knowledge once we gain meaning from it.

Yes, reading more books is great. But put emphasis on the actual content. What you remember from reading matters more, quality over quantity. You may think reading faster leads to reading more books. But this assumption isn’t always true. In fact, speed reading leads to less comprehension, thus less recall thereafter.

Understanding what you read matters. Do you recall preparing for an important exam in school? You either stayed up cramming all night. Or you studied throughout the week. Which method worked better? Studies determined the second technique is better for future recalling.

Force yourself to slow down when reading. When you read slower, you take in more material. Sure, you could read 3x faster and finish a book sooner. But you receive less quality from the book. When you read for fun, pace yourself and enjoy the story.

Limit time-wasting activities such as Netflix, doom scrolling, and zoning out. Less waste makes it easier to find more time to read. I started looking at digital wellbeing features on my phone. These features show how many hours you’re spending on various apps. I was wasting so many hours scrolling through social media and watching tv. This year I read 36 books by reducing my screen time.

You can try audiobooks for moments when you can’t pull out a physical book. When you’re sitting in traffic, working out, or working, try putting on an audiobook. Make better use of your time. Stop wasting time on your long commute. Listen to your book and boost your knowledge. Reach for a book in the morning versus your phone.

Keep a record of the books you read. For example, Goodreads lets you set a challenge of books to read this year. I discovered that the challenge inspired me to read more.

You can compete with your friends, too. Friendly competition contributes to more drive. When I used my Fitbit, I tried to get to 10,000 steps daily to compete with friends. I was making myself fitter just because I demanded to win the competition. This method can help you read more books.

Get an e-reader. E-readers are compact, easy to use, and super convenient. It’s easier to pick up your e-reader while waiting for your lunch order than to pull out a book. Spare minutes add up fast.

I love my e-reader because it feels lighter than typical books. E-readers comprise thousands of books available anytime at your fingertips. I can bring it with me everywhere I go. Mine includes a yellow hue setting that helps reduce eye strain when I read in the dark, too.

You can read more often, read faster, and you can pride yourself on reading 50 books per year. But do you recall every book you read this past year?

How you read matters. We used to read in class at school. Our teachers coupled reading with class discussion, reading aloud, and acting out scenes. We still remember these books years later. Analyzing books as you read them is important for retention.

To consume more information, you need to practice active reading. Record your thoughts and notes, ponder, and analyze the literary elements.

Before you read, consider why you are reading this book. Are you reading to experience laughter or enjoy a nice cry? Are you trying to learn something new? The book’s purpose helps define what you expect to gain from the story.

Take notes as you’re reading to refer to later. You can even add post-it notes or make notes in your physical book (cringe). Bookmark passages you enjoy.

I enjoy reading on my Kindle because I can highlight as I take notes. Kindles include various other features, too. One feature shows definitions of unknown words. Write a brief review after finishing each chapter.

On a Kindle, you can write notes without feeling guilty for marking up someone else’s words. Marking books is not wrong per se, but the act makes me uncomfortable. You can use highlighters on key sections to help build a dialogue with the author in a print-based novel. But highlighting is cleaner when e-reading.

While reading, devote your complete attention to that task. Don’t take a break to scroll social media or check your email. Make sure no one will interrupt you. To absorb a book in full, you need complete attention. To practice active reading, focus, and connect with the author.

Train your brain to remember content better. Consider the last book you enjoyed. Build an impression. Picture memorable incidents and your perception of the incidents. Were you shocked, happy, or sad? Associate your feelings and thoughts to the content. Read scenes out loud to commit them to memory.

When you find important passages, read the words out loud. Envision the scene as a film. Vivid mental images help us recall details later. Movies are easier to remember because you can picture performances. People often suggest reading books first before seeing the film. Films ruin your own depiction of books.

Association is helpful for reading retention, too. Link scenes to events you have experienced. If lessons stand out, relate them to memories where you experienced something similar.

Try to write a small chapter summary in your notes. Review important highlights or passages that stand out to you. Explain the scene through your own eyes. Note your thoughts and feelings on the scene you just read. Upon picking up the book again, re-read your last few chapter summaries to refresh your memory. These steps help refresh your memory and locate your place again.

After reading a book, noting the following details help recall the story later. Classify the book by genre. Genres can be fiction, non-fiction, or subgenres. Write a general synopsis of the story. List the major events in order and how they tie together. Outline these events. Define the book’s themes and problems the author highlighted.

Start another book and leave your notes to sit. Review your notes in a few weeks to help refresh your memory. If you take detailed notes as you read, you will find it easier to suggest books or write reviews.

Reflect after you have read a book. Re-read your brief summaries. Pick apart the themes. Ponder the message the author tried to convey. Were they successful in this endeavor?

What did you learn from the book? Consider any opinions you held before reading the book. Can you change your preconceived notions with new insight?

Consider the lessons the author tried to convey. Ponder ways to apply them to your life. Leverage this new knowledge.

You reserved time to read this book. Reflect on the piece. Books offer ways to get inside the author’s head. Experience the story alongside the author as they guide you. Go on the journey with them.

Thinking out loud helps reflection. Discuss the story with someone. When I finish a book, I explain it to my boyfriend. I’m sure he gets sick of it sometimes. But I need to process out loud and share my excitement with anyone willing to listen.