Most of us want to read more than we do. Many factors can interfere, whether the busyness of life, the allure of our devices, or the limitations of our budget. But I find that as often as not, we stop reading because of our habits have grown stale. We have grown tired or bored with our usual patterns and have turned our attention to other things. For that reason, let me offer 10 suggestions on keeping your reading fresh.
Read a book written for the opposite gender. Many books are written with a specific gender in mind, and it is rare for men to read books for women or for women to read books for men. Yet doing so is a good opportunity to encounter new authors and gain new ideas. So why not try reading a book that was not written for you?
Read a book on a subject that wouldn’t ordinarily be of any interest. We tend to confine our reading to subjects we have already determined to be interesting. Yet there are many other subjects that are equally fascinating or perhaps even more so. So why not try a book that ordinarily wouldn’t appeal to you? Find one that has good reviews by people who are knowledgeable in the field and have at it—perhaps a book about baseball if you’re not a sports fan, a book about travel if you’re a homebody, a book about singleness if you’re married, or a book about gardening if you’re an indoorsman. You may be surprised at how much pleasure there is in enjoying other people’s pleasure.
Read a classic book rewritten in modern English. Some very good books are very difficult to read because the English language has changed so much since they were written. Vocabulary can become dated, and so can illustrations and means of expression. Thankfully, many of the great works have been updated in modern English or according to modern conventions. Options like Overcoming Sin and Temptation and Communion with the Triune God strike a good balance. Kris Lungaard’s trio of books goes a step further and essentially teaches the content of John Owen’s greatest works, though in new words. There are many options for encountering old books in new ways.
You may be surprised at how much pleasure there is in enjoying other people’s pleasure.
Find a classic book in PDF format. Years ago, Google decided it was going to scan every book in the world. Though it eventually abandoned the project, it only did so after scanning many millions of books into PDF format and making them freely available. I have downloaded, read, and benefited from many of these. Try visiting Google Books and hunting around to see what you find. Other great options are Christian Classics Ethereal Library or Monergism. Almost every book more than 100 years old, and therefore out of copyright, is available out there.
Begin to collect, archive, and use important quotes. I have previously outlined My System for Remembering and Re-Encountering What I Read. This system has been important to me not only in helping me remember what I have read, but also in adding a further purpose to my reading. I read to learn and grow, of course, but I also read to continue to build out an incredible database of quotes and other information.
Read a biography written for children. Where a full-length biography can often be somewhat onerous, and especially when the subject’s life is not incredibly fascinating, a children’s biography will provide just the outline of an individual’s life—the key moments and the foremost accomplishments. If you find yourself interested, you can upgrade to a larger one. The Trailblazers books by Christian Focus are a great place to begin.
Read a commentary. Some commentaries are dense and academic, created specifically to help well-trained pastors to exposit Scripture. But many other commentaries are deliberately far more accessible and read like books. The Reformed Expository Commentary series continues to grow and offer excellent reading. So too the Preaching the Word commentary series. If you have never read a commentary before, why not try it?
Ask a friend or pastor. Ask a bookish friend or trusted pastor to suggest a book and, no matter what they suggest, resolve to read it. Also, feel free to ask if you can borrow their copy of it.
Write book reviews. People love to read the books that others suggest to them. There are so many books available and so many new ones being printed that we all love guidance to narrow the big list to a smaller one. You can help by reviewing the books you read. You may do this for a formal publication, for a church newsletter, for a personal blog or Substack, or just to send out via social media. But either way, you may find that reviewing books helps keep you reading them.
Read a random book from Westminster Books. We are blessed to have access to many publishers who are committed to only publishing books that teach sound doctrine. However, there are also many publishers who publish some good books and some terrible ones—out of the same publishing house comes fresh water and brackish, and it can be a little confusing at times. One of the things I most appreciate about Westminster Books is that its employees carefully screen all of its books to ensure everything it sells is trustworthy. So why not find a book “at random” at Westminster Books and give it a read? You don’t have to be concerned about choosing a bad one. (Idea: pick a number between 1 and 100, then read that book from this page.)
No matter what you do, try to find ways to replace stale habits with fresh ones. Often, all that’s needed to spark up a new love for reading is to think in some new ways and get hold of some new books.
