BOOKS

September 6th is National Read-A-Book Day, inviting those who love to read *and* those who can't stand books to crack open something from their shelf. Short attention spans, stress and boring school books might have turned you away from reading, but in honor of today, here's our advice on how to build better reading habits.

Schedule time to read

And follow through! The hardest part of doing many, many activities is that you don't set a specific time to do them. It might seem like every hour of your day is packed, but even fifteen minutes before bed can help you get through a book every other week. Squeezing in reading instead of mindlessly scrolling on your phone is also great for your mental health. If you need inspo, you can always check out GL's books tab!

Look for the unexpected

If you're in a reading slump, it could be because you're tired of your fave genre. Head to a local bookstore and spend an hour just strolling around, checking out the different sections Challenge yourself to try a genre you've never picked up before!

Revisit old faves

Speaking of unexpected new favorites, whichever books are tried and true for you are always worth rereading. Childhood classics like Charlotte's Web bring back all the nostalgia—and can serve as a reminder of why you liked reading in the first place. 

Pick a series (carefully)

Reading a series of books is a great way to trick yourself into reading more than one book. Once you've gotten hooked on the characters and the story, you won't want to be kept in the dark about what happens next. Classics like Harry Potter and Percy Jackson are good places to start. Just be careful: some series aren't yet finished, and you might be left in suspense if you choose to start them.

Give graphic novels a chance

There's no rule stating that graphic novels don't count as books. Often, twice the love is put into creating them since an artist and a writer collab—or as one insanely talented person pulls off the story and the art. Read about one of our recent faves here.

What books have you read lately? Share in the comments below!

by Bailey Bujnosek | 9/6/2019