How to develop a reading habit

A young Alfred, Lord Tennyson

1. Have high standards. Only read books you love. This is supposed to be fun, goddammit.

2. The same, only different. End of roald dahl. What next?

3. Read to each other. Accents don’t get picked up.

4. Let your kids see you reading, too. Maybe set aside a couple of hours the same time every week for reading, whether it’s the same book or different ones. I used to read last thing before bed. Better than screens, for sure.

5. Ban all screens, including phones, from the room you read in. For me it’s my bedroom. I used to use my phone as my alarm clock. I bought an alarm clock. They still make them!

6. Buy five books, read the two that really grab you. Buy five more. Read two. Repeat.

7. Alternatively, visit your nearest public library. They’ve got loads there. And librarians who, if you tell them the last book you loved, will tell you the next book you’ll love.

8. If it’s facts you want, read non-fiction. Reading’s not just about stories. Historia (Latin) is the root word for the English words ‘story’ and ‘history’.

9. Read books by dead people. Any book still in print after its author is dead has passed a very important test. I’d suggest a 50:50 living-to-dead ratio.