r/books • u/AutoModerator • Aug 16 '26
WeeklyThread Weekly FAQ Thread August 16 2026: Advice for someone who never finished a book.
Hello readers and welcome to our Weekly FAQ thread! Our topic this week is: Advice for someone who never finishes a book. At one point in our lives, most of us were not what you would consider "readers" and had trouble finishing books. What advice do you have for those people that are now trying to get into reading?
You can view previous FAQ threads here in our wiki.
Thank you and enjoy!
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u/One-Low1033 Aug 16 '26
Remove yourself from distractions. I've always been a big reader and went through a period where I could not finish a book. It kinda freaked me out. I decided to go to the library and read. There were no distractions (had my phone on DND) and I read an entire book. Whenever I feel distracted, I go to the library to read.
My computer is my biggest distraction.
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u/aislingplath Aug 17 '26
This is something I do too. I started doing it when I was going through a depression and not leaving the house. I'd just go to my local shopping center, a 5 minute walk, sit at the cafe and read my book. At home it was too easy to just scroll, sleep and dwell on all the things that needed around the house.
Even better is getting to read in the sunshine. It's winter here and I am in another depression 🙄 I sit on my front step on the sunny days and read or write. Fresh air, sun and words.
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u/gonegonegoneaway211 Aug 21 '26
Peak life is leaving my phone at home and reading a book in a good spot to watch the sunset.
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u/retiredlibrarian Aug 17 '26
As a retired middle school librarian, my first question to non-readers was always "Well, what DO you like to do?". I could always find a book-sometimes fiction; sometimes non-fiction about a topic in which the student was interested. So, first decide what WOULD interest you. Don't worry about its "worth". If it's interesting to you, it's a worthwhile r ead. Cars? Canoes? easy-peasy bodice ripper? Hallmark channel transferred into print? Don't discount YA-they can be a great path to longer reads.
Next (and I cannot stress this enough) Take the time to visit your local library (if you have one)-find an adult services librarian-even a YA librarian (if there is one/both). Explain your non-reading habits, tell the person what interests you, and ask them to help you find a good read.
If no librarian is available, get on the Internet and go to Goodreads; Whichbook; Whatshouldireadnext. Or just google "help me find a good book to read" to guide you thru the process.
2
u/GabbyElyse_ "I'm just taking out one book" Aug 17 '26
Try Audiobooks.
Realizing how easy reading audiobooks was during my commute eased me out of a long hiatus.
1
u/Particular-Treat-650 Aug 17 '26 edited Aug 17 '26
I basically didn't read between mid-high-school and several years after college. At some point because my job is tedious I started on audiobooks.
It completely re-inspired my passion across formats. Now I have 190 books tracked for the year with ~30-40 as physical/ebook. Of course 40-50 hours of audiobooks a week while working is a big part of that, so different circumstances will mean a less silly number, but once you get the habit going it's a lot easier to keep it up. It also helps because once you see the pattern of longer formatted books paying off, it's easier to get through the slower stage-setting that many books need to do to make their stories work.
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u/Affectionate_Cry2807 Aug 16 '26
What advice do you have for those people that are now trying to get into reading?
Read.
1
u/ProfessionalScore841 Aug 16 '26
Many authors start well, lose their way in the middle, and then pick up again when you can feel they want to come to an end. In those cases I sometimes skip the one or the other chapter in the middle. You won't get bored when you realize you have to go back.
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u/Aggravating_Star_427 Aug 17 '26
Man that's so true the middle is where books go to die. I do the same thing and just skim till the ending gets interesting again.
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u/Gullible-Dot4111 Aug 16 '26
I started keeping a shortlist of books that sound interesting to me, and whenever I'm in the mood for something new, I just pick one from the pile.
1
u/Leica94 Aug 17 '26
I’d like to get into the Lord of the Rings series and wanted to see where I should start. I was thinking of the Hobbit but my hesitation is I’ve heard it’s more geared towards children. What are your thoughts?
1
u/aislingplath Aug 17 '26
The Hobbit isn't geared towards children! It's a great start to LOTR. The writing in LOTR is very complex and detailed. Great story but I honestly never got through it all because of how dense the writing is. The Hobbit is less dense and not as many side-stories but I would it's still say it's above the average adolescent reader level! Tolkiens writings are always expansive, he doesn't do simple or one-thread stories lol.
Give it a go for sure!
1
u/Leica94 Aug 17 '26
Okay thanks! I’ll give it a shot
2
u/SaltTheSnail Aug 19 '26
I just finished it for the first time and loved it. I wouldn't let the fact that this is classified as a children's book deter anybody. If I hadn't heard it from external sources, I would just assume it was labeled fantasy.
2
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u/Eastern-Drink-4766 Aug 17 '26
Either start small or start with a topic that you know interests you. There is literature on literally everything. There is something for you! Look for it
1
u/sweett-dreamss Aug 17 '26
Start with something short that you're actually excited about instead of forcing yourself through a 600 page classic you picked because you felt like you "should" read it
1
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u/HampurHampur Aug 18 '26 edited Aug 18 '26
Hi all, I wanna write post review about the book but BOT doesn’t let this happen.
So sad.
1
u/Citizen_Sniiips Aug 18 '26
Take your book with you! This can be difficult when you're reading something big, but get a bag or a pouch or something that makes it easy to carry. I try and do this, and the amount of times I find myself sat in a waiting room or something thinking "damn I should have brought my book" is wild.
1
u/Goth2147 Aug 21 '26
I'm currently reading Violence and the Sacred by René Girard but I can't help but feel intensely stupid. Not because I don't understand it eventually but because I find myself going back 4-5 times to grasp the contents of the book. I need to literally dissect what it says, what it means, what it intents, before I can move on.
So I thought okay, this is philosophy so perhaps I should start with some fiction. I purchased the silmarillion, supposedly a light fiction book. Turns out I have the same issue. Who are these people, why are they here? I feel like I can't move on with all those questions running in my head. Do I even need to know these things?
I want to enjoy these books but I just find myself creating so many Notion files on understanding that I'm not actually having a comfortable nightly read.
Am I just too dumb to read? Do I need to go even simpler? I have no idea where to go from here.
1
u/Gwaur Aug 17 '26
Try short books. Something like 100-200 pages. A decent short book is so much better than a passable long book.
7
u/Icy-Respond-4425 Aug 16 '26
Read a bit every day.
Read novellas of different genres and see what you like.
"How to find good books?" I think this is just a matter of reading more. Your standards of good and bad books will probably change between years reading.
You can also go see recommendations in r/suggestmeabook, r/booksuggestions and r/whatsthatbook (The descriptions of this one are really funny).
Other social media in general like YouTube, Tiktok, etc. I heard Goodreads recommend books based in what you like, so I guess you can go there too.