“Books are uniquely suited to helping us change our relationship to the rhythms and habits of daily life in this world of endless connectivity. We can’t interrupt them; we can only interrupt ourselves while reading them.” — Will Schwalbe, “Books for Living“
Here’s a secret: Librarians give you permission to read anything you like because we want reading to be a pleasure, not a chore. Reading should be enjoyable, so reclaim the joy of reading.
A new year brings new resolutions, and for many, this sparks the desire to fit more reading into their lives. A Gallup poll indicated that Americans are reading less, but in today’s world of endless distractions and ample entertainment options, how can you get started and stay on track? It can take time to commit to a new habit and overcome personal barriers to reading more.
Schwalbe has two memoirs on reading, “The End of Your Life Book Club” and “Books for Living” with loads of title suggestions. He says, “Books remain one of the strongest bulwarks we have against tyranny — but only so long as people are free to read all different kinds of books, and only so long as they actually do so.”
Here are some ideas for how to fit in more reading in the months ahead.
Start small
Articles, essays, poems, audiobooks and web comics all count as reading, we promise. You can subscribe to email services like poets.org’s Poem-a-Day or read an article through one of our subscription databases (including The New York Times and hundreds of online magazines).
Or, try some recent debut poets like “The Unboxing of a Black Girl” by Angela Shanté, “Woke Up No Light” by Leila Mottley and “The Girl Who Became a Rabbit” by Emilie Menzel.
Short books/novellas
Novellas are hot right now and offer a great way to immerse yourself in a story and quickly feel a sense of accomplishment. Short novels and novellas can help you try a new genre in a bite-size form.
For a bonkers story about a genetically modified animal boy band that’s also a murder mystery, try “The Album of Dr. Moreau” by Daryl Gregory (176 pages). Or, read one of Claire Keegan’s slim, elegiac novels like the latest Oprah’s Book Club pick, “Small Things Like These” (128 pages), or her bestselling novel “Foster” (128 pages).
You can listen to them too, of course, because audiobooks absolutely count. (Don’t let anyone tell you differently or tell them to try it on a librarian and see what happens!)
Graphic novels
Graphic novels cover a gamut of genres and styles, from fantasy to nonfiction to how-to.
Discover Stephen Graham Jones’ “Earthdivers” series, where Indigenous time travelers seek to reverse the impact of colonization by thwarting Christopher Columbus’ expedition. Jones’ full series is available digitally on Hoopla, which you can access with a Library card.
Hoopla’s expansive inventory of graphic novels and comics also includes new installments of the latest comic books and throwback titles like “Archie” and “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.”
Short story podcasts
Podcasts featuring short stories are like mini-audiobooks. You can listen on the go, they feel intimate and evoke the nostalgia of being read to as a child.
Try “The Old Gods of Appalachia,” a Southern Gothic-inspired radio-play show featuring horror fiction, or “Selected Shorts,” a staged production of classic short stories with a star-studded cast. You can also discover new books and authors on podcasts like Glory Edim’s “Well-Read Black Girl.”
Reading as resistance
Reading can also represent rest and self-care. In “Rest is Resistance,” Tricia Hersey posits rest as an act against white supremacy and capitalism’s focus on productivity and overwork. Hersey offers points of reflection and resistance in the pursuit of a mind-body connection and rejecting outside notions and pressures.
Jenny Odell’s “How to Do Nothing” also frames divesting from the “attention economy” as an act of resistance and reclamation of not just your time but your brain too. (Shall we note that “brain rot” is the 2024 Oxford Word of the Year?)
It’s up to you what reading “more” means in 2025. If you need additional inspiration, or a personalized reading list via Your Next Five Books, the Library has got you. Why not find an author event that looks interesting, and read the book beforehand with a friend? Book Bingo, the adult reading program we host with Seattle Arts & Lectures, will launch in May, with many opportunities to read adventurously, in the company of a large community of readers.
– Misha S., Reader Services Librarian
The Seattle Public Library’s Reader Services team writes a monthly column for the Seattle Times that promotes reading and book trends from a librarian’s perspective. Read the article on the Seattle Times website. You can find these titles at the library by visiting spl.org and searching the catalog. This column is reprinted with permission from the Seattle Times.
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