Maybe you’ve seen the news about a study that found the number of Americans who read for pleasure dropped forty percent over the last 20 years. Here’s a free link to the NYT article. If you are among that forty percent and you’d like to read more, here are a few ideas, some from the article and some from your local librarians.
The NYT article provides several good suggestions for making reading a habit, such as:
- setting aside regular times to read
- making reading a pleasant ritual with a favorite beverage
- re-reading old favorites
- listening to audiobooks
- and giving up guilt-free on a book you aren’t enjoying (I 100% agree on this one).
Here are a few more thoughts.
Come Inside.
When your hold is ready to be picked up, come in the Library instead of using the Drive-Up window. While the drive-up is convenient, I’ve had several patrons tell me they prefer to pick up inside “to see what else is going on.” You never know what will catch your eye!
Have a Book on Your Phone.
I never thought I would enjoy reading on a small screen, but one day at lunch when I forgot my e-reader, I tried reading on my phone and it was absolutely fine. You can check out eBooks in Libby or Hoopla and they’ll be easily accessible on your smartphone. Next time you feel the urge to doomscroll, open the Libby or Hoopla app instead and sink into a book.
Track your reading in Goodreads or The StoryGraph.
These reading tracker apps let you set reading goals like a certain number of books per year, and it’s fun to see your progress. Start small.
Look for books about things you’re interested in.
If you love travel, look for books that include exotic locales or armchair travel. You can find them in our catalog with a keyword search. Include the word fiction if you’re in the mood for a novel. If you like food writing, there are tons of books that feature culinary storylines. Librarians can help you narrow down the overwhelming possibilities to find something you love.
The Importance of Audiobooks.
Audiobooks are a rich resource to explore, and especially valuable if you have a commute. But anytime you’re driving alone, or with an agreeable passenger, audiobooks are an option. Consider listening at other times too, like when you’re doing chores. You may even find you prefer audiobooks to reading the print version. Sometimes the narrator is so excellent they add to your overall enjoyment and appreciation of a book, especially if accents are involved. If you find a narrator you love, seek out other books by them.
Join a Book Club.
GPL has 4 book discussion groups.
- Page Turners meets the first Monday of the month.
- BookBites meets the first Thursday of the month.
- Great Books meets the second Wednesday.
- And our newest book club Past Tense meets for the first time on November 17.
Our Resources
Book Match - Our librarians want to help you find fresh new reads! Fill out our Book Match form and receive an expertly curated reading list.
Book My Favorites - Don't miss a new title by your favorite author! Sign up for Book My Favorites to be automatically put on hold for new hardcover releases by popular authors.
Novelist - Discover authors, titles, genres or read-alikes. Includes book recommendations, reviews, reading lists, and book club resources.
Our Reading Recommendations page provides links to the above resources, and more.
Above all, remember that reading should be fun and enjoyable. We’re here to help with that.
Book lists
Here's what GPL Staff are reading. We share our latest reads at monthly Brown Bag Lunches.
Often we are asked, "I just need something good to read! What should I check out?" Here's a list of titles that we love to suggest to a wide range of readers, for when you just need something good.
First time trying out audiobooks? Here's a sampling of some excellent listens.
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