From Non-Reader to ~100 Books: How I Built a Reading Habit
Before 2018, I was not a book reader. Reading felt like a chore, and I could barely finish a chapter. If you’ve been telling yourself you “should read more” for years and never quite started, this post is for you, because I was in exactly that place.
Why I didn’t read
I carried an internal conflict, possibly from childhood, that books were for “the smart people”. I also associated books with school and academia, a closed culture that never really clicked for me. Growing up, reading wasn’t seen as cool among the teenagers around me or in the society I lived in.
And honestly, I preferred films and TV. Cinematics are immersive in a way that a 300 to 500 page book isn’t, at least not until you put in the effort of reading intentionally. Why do the work when the screen does it for you?
I did read technical books, or more accurately, I glanced at the relevant parts. I didn’t absorb most of it, the same way I hadn’t absorbed my school textbooks.
What changed
Around 2017, I noticed what felt like a big decline in the quality of movies and TV shows. Maybe I was just burned out on them. Either way, it was getting hard to find unique or interesting plots, or any immersion beyond CGI and the occasional laugh.
So in 2018 I decided to really read. I started on familiar ground: software engineering and startups. I worked through most of the “top 10 books every software engineer should read” and “top 10 books for startup founders” lists. Clichéd, yes, but they got me going.
The book that made reading fun was The Phoenix Project by Gene Kim (with Kevin Behr and George Spafford). It’s a novel that romanticises the horrors of IT operations and shows how a team can climb out of them. I also enjoyed The Martian by Andy Weir and Ready Player One by Ernest Cline.
Since then I’ve read close to 100 books. That’s more in two years than in the first two decades after I learned to read.
Reading is a privilege, so use it
Many of us take reading for granted, but it’s a privilege. I’m fortunate that I can buy a book online or at a bookstore without saving up for it. A Kindle, or a $100 spree on a book bundle, doesn’t hurt. Some books I can expense through my business.
My rule: if a book is likely to help me one way or another in the future, it’s an investment, not an expense. If you’re in a position to buy books or a reading device, do it.
How I read
I’ve had a love-hate relationship with the Kindle, and with reading apps in general. Sometimes it works for me and sometimes it doesn’t. I’ve owned three Kindle devices and installed the app on just about every phone and tablet I’ve had. Like any habit, there’s a learning curve and a bit of trial and error to find the format that fits.
Here’s where I’ve landed, by situation:
| Situation | Format |
|---|---|
| In bed before sleep | Kindle on a low-light setting |
| Waiting (in a car, before an appointment) | Kindle |
| Technical books where I take notes | MacBook Air, because I type faster than I write |
| Books full of immersive graphics | iPad, occasionally |
| Books that are better held | Physical copy |
| Running, cycling, chores, walking commutes | Audiobooks |
A few notes on why:
- No phone. As part of my move towards digital intentionality, I no longer read books on my mobile. There are too many distractions, and since I like reading before I sleep, bringing the phone to bed is a recipe for disaster.
- Kindle at night. Sometimes I fall asleep mid-page and just pick it up again first thing in the morning.
- Physical when it matters. Some books are better in print because the physical form gives a sense of exclusivity. The Bible is my example: I’d rather open an actual Bible than read it in an app.
- Audiobooks for low-thinking tasks. If my body is busy and my mind is free, that’s listening time.
How I choose what to read
- Trust personal recommendations. If someone I know recommends a non-fiction book, I buy it straight to my Kindle. Finishing a non-fiction book takes effort, so if someone did that and it affected them enough to recommend it, it’s worth my time.
- Lists are fine for starting out. I used to pick from lists, best sellers, and the really popular titles. That’s fine when you’re building the habit. These days I’m more intentional and choose books around what I’m exploring at the time, Stoicism for example, so I go in with specific expectations rather than “surprise me”.
- Allow light reading. Some books are easy: few technical words, and you can read them with a toddler jumping around the bed. I read those simply for the sake of reading, and I enjoy the occasional trashy novel. 🙂
- Use the 10% rule. If you’re at the 10% mark and really struggling, skip a chapter or revisit the table of contents. If it’s still a job, abandon it. You can come back later if it becomes relevant.
- Research the author first. Sometimes I Google the book or watch a YouTube video about it or its author before reading. It gives me a better picture of the author’s thinking and intentions, and it’s the easiest way to detect rubbish.
- Skip the “glorified blog post” books. You know the type: a blog post gets popular, the author doubles down on the topic, adds repetitive examples and more narrative, but the value density is no better than the original post.
What I’d tell you if you’re still not reading
There are plenty of reasons to read, plenty of research that supports it, and plenty of “successful people” who recommend it. You already know you should. Here’s what worked for me:
- Drop the old bias. Whatever story you carry about books and who they’re for, challenge it and let it go.
- Read what you enjoy or what can change you. This isn’t school. No teacher will fail you for not finishing.
- Keep experimenting with how you read. Finding the method that suits you takes time, and it may keep changing. What matters is that you keep trying.
If you struggle, let me know. Maybe I can help. And what books would you recommend to me?