I want to share with you the secret of my love for reading. The truth is that it is not a great science, but many times I am asked: how to read more books? Or they tell me that they hate reading and how can they make them like it? And here is the mistake, reading should not be a forced activity, at least not the one that is done in free time. And the truth is that I think they are not asking the right question, since it should be: How can I enjoy what I read?
The answer is simple for those who know themselves, since we must start from self-knowledge, knowing what I would like to read. It is the same as they do when choosing movies, some prefer comedies, others like dramas and a few others like suspense or horror; likewise, there are those who enjoy teen romances and fiction. And now, I ask you: How did you get to know what style of movies you like? Well, the only way there is... TESTING. The same happens with reading, at the beginning we will have to try. And as in any learning process, sometimes it must be trial and error, it will happen to me that I choose a book and discover that I don't like it.
In these cases, the first thing you should know is that NOTHING HAPPENS. Do not torture yourself with that reading, leave it, it will be worse if you force yourself to stay reading something that you find tedious. You are free to leave the book unfinished if you know that the subject doesn't catch you, you don't like it or that you are simply getting bored, why torture yourself by finishing something you don't enjoy? It happens that many people with the intention of reading a book, walk it in their bags everywhere, waiting for the perfect opportunity to take it out and read; they compare themselves with others who read the same book in a second and wonder why they can't. Let's be aware that each person is different. Let's be aware that everyone is different, with different tastes and, perhaps, also with more reading skills (this does not make you worse, just that we all have different abilities).
It is not a competition, I know that there are many readers who read fast, but this may be due to several factors. I consider myself a person who has a good reading pace; however, this has been given to me after years of practice. Also, the time I have available to dedicate to reading and how much the book I am reading captures me. And I think this last point is the most important. Because when a book captures you, you lose track of time, it happens to me that I enter into the story, I become another character and I live, really, I live what is happening. I begin to feel what the narrator describes, a thousand emotions invade me, and during that moment I stop being in my room to enter the world of the characters in the story.
An author very dear to me, since his book, "Memorias Secretas de un Librero" (Secret Memoirs of a Bookseller), was the first to awaken my taste for reading; he gives a name to this sensation I am talking about. He calls it the IGLA: impact of the law of gravity of passionate reading. "When a book captures you, you never know what might happen... Federico's face changed as he read on. From a bored face he went to a smiling face, then he blushed, finally he went to a concentrated face. Then it changed depending on what he was reading: sad, happy, nostalgic, tense. All these symptoms of IGLA... The book is the most advanced form of transportation in the world, if it is used well." (Angel Perez Martinez, 2003) Has it ever happened to you?
I invite you to try, give reading a chance. It is important to start with simple things for those who consider themselves beginners in "the art of reading books", don't start reading something very heavy, start with something light, a magazine is also good or articles, like this one, that I find on the web, the important thing is to establish the habit. Little by little discover what you like, what style of books you prefer. I didn't have a taste for reading since I was a child, as a teenager I started reading children's books, like the one I just mentioned a moment ago. Despite being a children's book I found it fun and interesting, it was easy to read and I had a good time. That motivated me to keep reading and to want to look for new books. The second one that grabbed me was the "My Little Vampire" saga. Books so simple and childish, but that opened me up to new and more mature books and made me realize that I liked to read, I just hadn't discovered that I could enjoy a book so far.
Finally, as you may have noticed, there is no secret formula that tells you exactly how to read more or what to do to enjoy reading. It's a very personal experience, for everyone it will be different; find your style. Also, ask for recommendations and never judge a book by its cover, you don't know how much you might be surprised by what you find inside. A book can be a companion for those days when we are alone and don't know what to do. With books, the limit is your imagination, and if by chance one of them catches you, be attentive, because you never know what can happen when we are in front of the case of an IGLA.