How to Finish Reading a Book

Last Updated: September 3, 2022

Most people have had the irksome but very real experience of starting to read a very good book, getting sidetracked or distracted, and laying it down for a little too long to find the enthusiasm to get back into it. Losing your place or eventually losing enthusiasm about reading the book is a common experience, but it's something that you can overcome.

This article will show you how you can combat the waning enthusiasm to get back into reading a book and to finally get through it, right to that last chapter.

Steps

1
Use a bookmark to prevent losing your place. Making dog ears, slipping the cover sleeve into place, or keeping the book upside down open to that page, are all certain ways of losing your place and therefore making the whole delving back into the book seem too hard. By using a bookmark, you won't only be certain of your place in the book, but it will also serve as a psyching mechanism, showing you that you've already reached that far in reading it, so why not keep going. Some examples of good bookmarks are:
- A picture that you love.
- A postcard that you got on holiday.
- Some pressed flowers laminated.
- A drawing
2
Read certain pages several times if you don't fully understand them. There is nothing wrong in doing this; it shows dedication, not dullness. Indeed, Benjamin Franklin taught himself good comprehension and writing structure by reorganizing the writings he read in the Spectator when he didn't understand them, scrambling the notes and making himself look at the scrambles of original writing weeks later to recreate the essay.
- Distractions such as too many thoughts whirling about, noise around you, people making demands of you, and feeling unwell can all make for hard comprehension when reading. Find quiet times without such distractions and you'll take in the information much better. A quiet place could be:
- A library
- A train carriage
- A coffee shop
- The toilet
- A park
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3
Avoid reading important material late at night. However awake you may think you feel, your brain is more active first thing in the morning or later morning. Early evening and night would be a more suitable time for general reading. If you must read more technical information for studies or work, try to leave the harder elements for morning reading when you're most refreshed, and the lighter aspects or revising for evenings. It may well be worth getting up earlier for!
- Try to schedule a set time each day to return to the book. If this isn't possible, schedule set times per week. Read at least a chapter at a time, breaking it down into digestible chunks and finishing at logical end points.
4
Find a calming place to read. Make sure you don't have too many distractions like the sound of the television, radio, or other family members going about their daily business. If you have a particular favorite corner or chair, make this your "reading corner."
5
Take notes as you go along. If you have a bad memory or want to stay on track with the material you're covering, take simple notes in a notebook after each chapter or after each topic is covered. Refer back to this often. You could use colourful post-it notes to help remember.
- If it's your own book and not a library book or one you borrowed, and you don't mind writing in it, annotate in graphite pencil in the margins, using key words or symbols that help you to rediscover the information fast when needed. A well-annotated book is a treasure for its owner.
6
Get involved with the book. Imagine yourself in the situations described, put yourself in the characters' shoes. If it's a scientific or technical book, what can you do to prove to yourself the information is correct? What experiments could you do? Use your creativity to keep your interest in your reading. For other non-fiction, think about how the things you're learning inform your daily life. Even imagine yourself trying to help the character if you want!
7
Forgive yourself for neglecting the book. Tossing aside an unfinished book as "too much trouble" or "not worth the effort" because you feel a sense of guilt at not reading it, or a loathing to begin again, is a common problem. However, by forgiving yourself for not attending to reading it and letting yourself reread already read parts of the book without worrying too much that they're retracing old ground, you can get over any feelings that it's too much trouble and you may discover new insights by plowing back into the book. There is nothing quite so delightful as realizing you're glad you persevered with the unfinished book and discovered some new insights into your world and life!