Joy of reading vs frustration - or how a stack of books works as a positive spiral of happiness
I hope you feel like I do: I love reading books. To keep this passion for reading going, I follow Darious Forroux's advice from his book "Win Your Inner Battles." He says if you want to read more, buy more books. If you have more books, you have more choices. With choice—a large pile of unread books—you have no excuse not to read.
Stacks of Books—How Do I Buy Books?
I like to browse the shelves at bookstores like Thalia and read the introduction, the first chapter, and the table of contents. From this, I can determine the book's focus, and the introduction tells me whether I like the writing style. When I read a book that recommends or quotes other books, I note down the title and author to search for them later. Additionally, Amazon's book recommendations work surprisingly well. These often contain books related to my interests or by authors I've already shortlisted. And finally, the last and best source remains: conversations with friends, acquaintances, and colleagues who recommend me. This often leads me to discover new books I wouldn't have otherwise found.
The agony of choice – which book should I choose next?
I generally read two books simultaneously – one for further education and one for entertainment. When I set out to choose my next book, I browse my entire bookshelf: nonfiction, specialist books, and novels. The variety, on the one hand, increases my anticipation for the type of book I'm currently reading. Conversely, I usually have several books in the category I've just finished. This occasionally leads to me reading several specialist books at the same time.
To finally decide on a book, I pay attention to what challenges I'm currently facing or will be facing shortly. If different books are being considered, I focus on the basics of the topic – this ensures I have a firm grasp of the subject before delving deeper. If there are no specific challenges, my interest decides: Which title piques my curiosity the most?
Enjoyment – How do I read a book?
This section is only relevant for technical and nonfiction books. For me, reading is divided into two phases. In the first phase, I always carry a highlighter and pen. I highlight interesting passages and jot down thoughts in the margins. These are associations I have or references to other authors with similar topics. If I come across references to other books, I find my phone and add the recommendation to my shopping cart – I order them directly with my next order or add them to my wish list if I'm unsure.
After I've read the book, the second phase follows. As a first step, I create a collection in my bullet journal titled "Review:
- I reread the highlighted passages and made a note in my bullet journal.
- Formulating the insight or fact in my own words is crucial. This ensures that I've thoroughly understood the topic.
- I proceed the same way with my jotted thoughts: I try to rehearse them repeatedly and formulate my insight from there.
- Occasionally, there are longer passages, such as lists or extensive facts. I reference these with a description and the page number in parentheses.
Life Hack for Reading
For a long time, I thought nothing was worse than being on vacation without a book. But I've proven myself wrong. Being on holiday with a book I've already read is worse. But there's a simple and brilliant tip I don't want to withhold from you:
Once you've read a book, write down the month and year on the first page with your name's abbreviation.
Since I've been doing this, I can tell at a glance whether and when I've read the book. It's also helpful for technical and nonfiction books. I can see how long it's been since I absorbed the information. Thanks to the chronological order, I can search for my book summary in my bullet journal.
After the book is before the book
With this blog YADL, I've started writing book reviews → find my articles here. The highlighted passages and my bullet journal collection are very helpful. Writing down my thoughts helps me deepen and internalize the insights I've gained. Without them, I feel like I haven't finished the book – how new habits can form is fascinating.
And once I've reached that point, I can return to my book stack and make a new choice. This is a positive spiral of happiness ☺️
How do you do it? Do you have a particular way of reading books? And do you have any book recommendations for me?
Please don't hesitate to leave me a comment!
