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How to improve reading skills—this question often sparks debates among teachers, book clubs, and even casual readers on social media. Despite the abundance of videos, podcasts, and quick digital reads, the profound experience of immersing oneself in a book remains irreplaceable. Nexus by Yuval Noah Harari, The Devotion of Suspect X by Keigo Higashino, The Women by Kristin Hannah, and Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan shine a spotlight on the transformative power of stories: they transport us to new worlds, test our moral compasses, and sharpen our imagination. Yet reading is more than a leisurely pastime. It’s an exercise in critical thinking, empathy, and self-discovery. Below are several strategies—free of dense jargon—that can help anyone develop a stronger, more rewarding reading practice.
Develop the Reading Habit
Carving out consistent time for reading is one of the surest ways to see improvement. Technology and social media make it easy to get sidetracked, so it helps to set a daily routine and stick with it. Maybe it’s twenty minutes over morning coffee, or half an hour before bed. Regular, purposeful reading turns sporadic moments of page-turning into a steady habit.
Small, concrete targets work wonders. Start by reading just a few pages of your chosen book—something you truly enjoy—and then gradually ramp up your goal. If you love historical accounts, Nexus by Yuval Noah Harari might grab your attention with its sweeping look at human development (even if the title might be less well-known than Sapiens). If you’re more of a mystery lover, dig into Keigo Higashino’s The Devotion of Suspect X, a novel praised for its intricate plot and psychological depth. Sticking to a set routine and meeting achievable goals not only fosters consistency but also reduces the pressure of slogging through hefty reading sessions.
Read with Purpose and Curiosity
Clarifying why you’ve picked up a book or article sets the tone for how deeply you’ll engage with the text. If you’re reading for relaxation, there’s no need to overanalyze every sentence. On the other hand, if your goal is to grasp complex concepts—like the economic nuances in a Yuval Noah Harari text—keep a pen and notebook handy for jotting down key takeaways.
Approach each page with curiosity. Ask yourself questions like: How does the author build tension in this scene? or Why did the protagonist make that choice? If you’re diving into a heart-wrenching narrative such as Kristin Hannah’s The Women, reflect on what draws you into the characters’ emotional journeys. Probing the text in this way brings depth to your reading sessions. Books become dialogues rather than one-way lectures, making the process more thought-provoking and improving comprehension.
Stay Actively Engaged
Many experts champion the art of annotation. Marking important sentences, scribbling questions in the margins, or highlighting memorable passages can keep you anchored in the story. For an intricately plotted mystery like The Devotion of Suspect X, note who said what and when. These reminders become a quick reference point if you ever get lost in the intricate timeline or suspect motivations.
Summarizing chunks of text after each chapter can also bolster retention. If you’re exploring Claire Keegan’s Small Things Like These, a novella that relies heavily on atmosphere and subtle emotional undertones, summarize the main events and emotional shifts every few pages. Doing so helps you capture the essence without losing track of the delicate details, all while training your brain to discern the core of what you read.
Another method to deepen engagement is teaching someone else what you’ve read. The act of explaining complex ideas forces you to clarify your own understanding, revealing any gaps in knowledge. Whether you’re discussing a visionary concept from Harari’s works or unraveling the tension in a Higashino thriller, verbalizing the content can make it more tangible.
Build Vocabulary Skills
A robust vocabulary is one of the cornerstones of excellent reading skills. Stepping out of your comfort zone and experimenting with different genres is a key way to encounter new words and varied sentence structures. Perhaps you’re used to gripping thrillers or engaging historical fiction—try branching into psychological drama, modern literary fiction, or classic literature. Each genre has its quirks, from the sparse, poetic style of Claire Keegan to the elaborate character explorations in Kristin Hannah’s novels.
If you come across words or phrases you don’t recognize, look them up on the spot or jot them down for later reference. Turning a mysterious term into a known friend not only cements the word in your memory but also helps speed up future reading. Over time, you’ll find that unfamiliar words pop up less frequently, allowing you to maintain a steadier flow.
Create the Right Environment
Distractions are the nemesis of focused reading. Phone notifications, background noise, or constant interruptions can break concentration, causing you to lose the thread of the narrative. If possible, designate a particular corner of your home or a quiet spot in the library where you can settle in comfortably. Sipping tea while reading can be a soothing ritual, but make sure you’re upright enough to maintain alertness instead of nodding off.
Light background music without lyrics—classical, jazz, or ambient sounds—can sometimes enhance concentration by blocking out other disturbances. Still, it’s a personal preference: some readers thrive in absolute silence, while others enjoy a mellow soundtrack. Pay attention to what works best for you so you can adapt accordingly.
Reflect and Share
Thinking about what you’ve read solidifies the experience. After finishing a chapter, ask yourself: Which ideas stuck with me? Was there a turning point in the plot or argument that caught me off guard? Kristin Hannah’s The Women touches on themes of resilience and identity, and reflecting on such themes right after reading a chapter can help you appreciate the emotional stakes.
Taking notes in a reading journal or an app makes it easier to revisit your insights later on. You can even transform solitary reflections into communal experiences by joining a book club or discussing the novel with friends. Group discussions, whether they happen face-to-face or online, often reveal multiple viewpoints on the same text. What struck you as a minor detail could be deeply meaningful to someone else, prompting you to reevaluate your own reading.
Adapt and Evolve
Everyone’s reading journey is different. The methods you adopt today—like summarizing chapters or annotating heavily—might not be as beneficial a year from now when your skills have matured. Pay attention to your own progress. If your primary challenge used to be finishing a single chapter without getting distracted, and you’ve overcome that, look for new ways to improve. Perhaps you’ll focus on speed-reading certain passages or delve into more challenging material.
If you’re not ready for dense academic texts, you can still choose works that push the boundaries of your comfort zone. Keigo Higashino’s mysteries offer intricate plots that demand vigilance, whereas Claire Keegan’s compact tales demand emotional sensitivity and appreciation for nuance. We all have different paces and preferences, so there’s no single formula for success—only the promise that reading broadly and thoughtfully pays dividends in knowledge and enjoyment.
Sustain a Lifelong Passion
A passionate reader might pick up Nexus by Yuval Noah Harari to explore overarching questions about human progress, then turn to Kristin Hannah’s The Women to sink into a moving story about perseverance and friendship. The choices are endless, and each new experience brings you that much closer to mastering how to improve reading skills. With each page, empathy grows, horizons broaden, and the mind becomes more agile.
A well-read individual doesn’t just accumulate facts and stories; they absorb perspectives and learn to think differently about the world. True reading success isn’t measured solely by speed or the number of books on a shelf, but by a sustained sense of curiosity and the ability to connect ideas across different fields. Novels and nonfiction titles alike can serve as trusted companions, each one offering new insights, dilemmas, and joys. Cultivating a lifelong reading habit isn’t just about self-improvement—though that certainly happens—but about embracing the sheer delight that comes with uncovering fresh perspectives page after page.