Six Ways to Get More Out of What You Read

Don't just enjoy a story, experience it. The following are ways to further enrich your reading.

Don't shy away from difficult reads

The more difficult texts you read, the better reader you become. If you make it through one difficult read, the next on will be much less intimidating. Soon you will be hard pressed to find much that you find hard to read.

Look for connections

Look for connections between the beginning and the end. Beginnings of novels often give insight into the ending. You can also look for themes and symbols that appear to gather what the writer is trying to convey. An example of this is the use of a color or a metaphor such as butterflies, water, or fire. Any repetition of an element such as water, fire, wind, or earth is never there by coincidence. This is a great way to read on a higher level.

Keep a dictionary close

Keeping a dictionary close at hand will enable you to look up words that you come across that you do not know the meaning to (don't worry this happens to everyone). Not only will you better understand the story, but you will build your vocabulary as well.

Have a book buddy

Find a friend you know will stick to the commitment and read the same book. This will keep you motivated to read and will create another bond between you and your friend. Your conversations will become more interesting and more enriching than ever before. You will learn more about each other in the way that you view things from different points of view. You will find that she will see things that you didn't, and vice-versa.

If you have a few friends that you think capable of making the commitment, then you have a little book club!

Variety expands the mind

It is important to read a variety of books- fiction, non-fiction, how-to, biography, history or self help. This enables you to build a general knowledge of several subjects and you will find that each connects to the other in some way. History connects to fiction, fiction can connect with non-fiction topics, non-fiction topics can connect with self-help, and so on. The possibilities are cyclical.

Series are great for motivation

Getting involved in a series is a great way to increase your motivation for reading. There's a reason so many children's books are written in the form of a series, it sustains interest. The same principle applies to adults.