How to be a better reader

[@colorlesswonderland]

The first 1,000 people to use the link will get a 1 month free trial of Skillshare: skl.sh/colorlesswonderland08221

[@jackallan9446]

Wow, great deal, thanks!

[@CarbonBondedBooks]

I think it’s so important to push the “reading stamina is like a muscle” narrative. I know so many people who read voraciously in high school (or middle school or whatever) and get discouraged when they can’t seem to focus on a book now after not really reading for 5+ years. When I actually made an effort to read at least one page every single day in 2019 I read a total of 11 books (~5000 pages) and I doubled that in 2020 and then doubled my 2020 numbers in 2021. This year I’m on tracking to read 70 books. It really comes down to rebuilding stamina (and also learning my reading preferences as an adult).

[@colorlesswonderland]

That's such a great way to put it yeah! Some of my students last year would get upset that they couldn't get through 10 pages a night and I had to tell them essentially the same exact think. Reading is a muscle, it's a weird thing to realize but it truly is!

[@spacedotcom9110]

I’ve never heard of thus concept. Thank you so much this sounds so much more encouraging, I, really going to work on my reading stamina

[@thebigredfish]

For real. I've always been a reader, but had a big slump about 8 years ago. Got out of it by reading the Walking Dead series. I started tracking for real in 2017 and think I read 10 books. This year I'm at about 42 or so (some being 800+ pages, some being Ulysses by Joyce). It takes only a little effort, but concentration practice is real. For me, if time and place allow, if I get sleepy, I take a short nap (10 mins, im a cat-napper), and then wake up and keep reading. I find that tiredness isn't worth fighting, but it doesn't mean I have to put the book away.

[@SeasonswithSummer]

This is super encouraging! 🤍

[@nedmerrill5705]

Not more reading, _better_ reading.

[@patricejones8799]

Many times introductions carry spoilers, especially in Penguin Classics. Sometimes I prefer to read the introduction last.

[@alecothegecko]

This!!!!

[@elodie_k221b]

I always read the introduction last. :)

[@misawaelbow]

I think a good thing to keep in mind too is that you shouldn’t feel guilty if you’re not connecting with a book and that it’s okay to put it down and either come back to it later or just never come back to it at all

[@colorlesswonderland]

I really don't like the stigma of "it is not okay to finish a book" because that just makes reading a chore and lessens the joy that can be had from it!

[@misawaelbow]

@@colorlesswonderland exactly, the second it feels like an obligation rather than a choice you lose some of the magic

[@RoxiriOrSokai]

We should really start thinking of it more in the same way we think with tv shows! If you don't like it, there's no reason to spend hours more on it. No one is out there feeling guilty for not finishing a tv show they didn't like.

[@ihaverabies17]

I wish so bad i could abandon shitty books but for some reason i just can’t bring myself to do it. So i’ve learned to be choosier about the books i buy

[@11-yuzu]

about two years ago when i started getting back into reading, i struggled so much. being terminally online, whether it was twitter/instagram/youtube/whatever had rewired my attention span to that of a chipmunks -- it would take excessive concentration to even manage through 5-10 pages of text. the worst was when i would finish multiple passages, then realize that my brain didn't register a single line of what i had just read. it is a self-mending process though. the more you read the more you condition yourself to take things slow, parse information at a constant and fluid rate. it's funny because the act of reading itself has become therapeutic to me, regardless of how brutal or debased the subject matter is and just for fun: current read is *the savage detectives* by *roberto bolano* :-) would recommend, really enjoying it

[@00egg00]

I read The Count of Monte Cristo in the beginning of this year doing 10 pages a day! Currently reading The Lord of the Rings the same way. With huge books like these, I feel it's good to keep the momentum going, even if it's just a single page some days. I'm also a fairly slow reader. I do the little voice in my head, I do the pauses, I go back and reread paragraphs if I didn't get it.

[@lace685]

I read the count in halting spurts throughout 2020 and 2021. Sometimes I had too much going on to focus and connect all the dots so I’d have to take a break for a few months. But it was one of the most rewarding books I’ve ever read and ended up being a new favorite

[@angelasc25]

Loved this video. As a 19yo and begginer to reading I felt like this video was exactly what I needed. I'm currently reading Pride and prejudice and I'm loving it so far. Love from Portugal.

[@colorlesswonderland]

Thank you so much! Pride and Prejudice is an absolutely life changing book so I hope you enjoy it!

[@jaysilverstone7221]

Get yourself a reading chair, a lamp and go on a thrift book rampage.

[@MIDDLEoftheBookMARCH]

I love the message you're getting out here. Great advice to have new readers determine the types of books they may enjoy. And the point of reading all year isn't to read for quantity, but to find great literature.

[@colorlesswonderland]

Exactly! We need to restigmatize reading that it can be fun and enjoyable for anybody

[@keannuvonjarabo7883]

Thanks for helping me gain the willpower to read again. Reading slumps are the worst 😣

[@Natalierockify]

Reading for each book can be so different for example - Lead Me Where The Light is ours , 3 chapters of it per day is the best way to let the story sink in. So much growth and knowledge for just one sitting

[@colorlesswonderland]

Exactly that is a great point! Each book can be so subjective in its approach that there really is no direct answer on "how to read better"

[@thisrandomdude_]

These 2 comments need to be higher up, insightful stuff!

[@lucianaquiroga1600]

I would say reading does bring me joy, but I literally read the most devastating, damaging, destructive, wounding books known to man.

[@whtetiger]

this video reminded me of the reason why you're the only "booktube" creator I follow, you really do emphasize how individualized reading as a task is. I never liked a lot of book content bc of its trends being so odd. You would definitely be an english teacher I would enjoy returning to for class.

[@thisrandomdude_]

Just halfway through the video and my mind is already blown. It's mind-numbing to think you only had around 5000 subscribers a while ago, and are still sitting at 23k! Your videos have the quality of someone with a hundred thousand subscribers or more. Just goes to show how far KZbin has come after all these years.

[@kseniyasbooknook4172]

Such good advice! Reading is a muscle and annotating makes the experience more enjoyable, memorable and engaging. I wish I had that advice sink in earlier

[@aa_batterybloomin1305]

This entire video is just the bookish version of "JUST DO IT"

[@2wildpigs353]

I like that there is a timer with the sponsership! You are my favourite and only booktuber i watch!

[@efi5750]

I only discovered your channel yesterday but oh my God. I've been yearning for this kind of content for so long and now that I've found your videos, it feels like going down the best damn rabbit hole ever. The part where you point out the solitary aspect of reading really put things into perspective for me. Thank you for these wonderful tips! I found them all very useful, except for the one about annotating. I think it can be a great way to fully interact with the book, but as many times as I've tried it, I just don't enjoy it. The process of taking time to scribble something down in the middle of reading feels so disruptive and demanding. I can't be bothered to put the book down to underline or highlight this or that part. I just want to keep going, follow the comfortable reading rhythm. Occasionally, if I do come across a sentence I'd like to come back to, I try to remember the page number and once I'm done with the book, I go back and revisit that place. I've attempted to use sticky tabs as well, but to no avail - apparently any kind of annotating ends up being a pain in the ass for me.

[@mrlately]

Great concent as usual! It's weird because at the same time booktube is awesome it does make you overwhelmed with the amount of content you end up wanting to read.

[@IreniitaJonas]

At last simple and honest advice about reading! I’ve been in a reading slump this past month and this video really encouraged me to give books another try 💕

[@ell4736]

wow seeing those stacks of books really put things into perspective for me! I'm at about 15k pages of reading so far and I mainly read on my kindle so I don't really get to see it physically. that's a wild amount of books!

[@nataliaox7328]

One of the best advice i heard about reading, thank you and have a great day!💗

[@ladyvader3173]

Hey, just found your channel maybe 3 weeks back and loving it. I wanted to get back into reading after my grueling university degree, where my body had decided that "we are not doing that for fun any more". Your channel and Daniel Greene gave me the confidence to try again and I have now finished the first novel in, I dunno, 10 years :)

[@cakes_lollies9948]

I just started annotating in the last year or so. I cherish the crap out of those books. They look loved. some books are not even intellectually marked up, they just have emoji reactions (looking at you R Hobb, my poor heart is still recovering), but that is what makes it fun! Highlighting and finding pretty passages or sentences. Love it!

[@laureneleitora8187]

i felt like i was watching some ad on tv for a random product in tip #1 like IF YOU GET THIS YOU'LL ACHIEVE THIS!!!!! LIFE GETS BETTER and honestly that sails my boat i'm fully convinced

[@lightscamerasashley.]

so happy for you getting sponsors! this channel deserves it 💯

[@mccawmedia6068]

Right now I’m at 24,000 pages and 57 books this year. Reading at a pace of around 108 pages a day.

[@colorlesswonderland]

Heck yeah that's amazing! Keep kicking ass!!

[@Soulblade727]

Love the shirt 🍋🍋🍋

[@thisrandomdude_]

19:38 made me internally shriek out in pain ahahahaha I watched it again, and yeah, just more pain Tip #4 hits hard, since I'm the kind of person who gets distraught over even slight folds or creases in my books. I like them to be as clean and pristine and close to brand-new as possible. I hate when the cover fades over time, and the marks or stains that appear on them. I don't know why. I could say "oh it's just the way I am" but I haven't tried _not_ being that way yet, so I will! Seriouslym thanks a lot. The entire video is just so incredibly helpful, I don't know where to begin. One thing I do wish you mentioned though was that it's okay to DNF books, and sometimes you just don't have the right frame of mind to read something at the moment. I believe you mentioned this in the other video. To go with this point however, you could also bring up the math of how just how many good books there might be out there that you would enjoy reading, too, but you'll only ever read a tiny fraction of them, so you should value your time and enjoyment above all else. Even if you read a book a week, it'll take you about 17 entire years to reach the 1000 book milestone - and even that scratches but the surface of all the incredible literature out there. In the same vein of advice, it's also okay to read _whatver_ you feel like even if you've read it 5 times already, or it's not the "best" thing in your to-read list at the moment, because again, you only have so much time to enjoy everything. It doesn't matter if you haven't read all the greats that you know you would enjoy. If everyone read the same few books, we wouldn't have much to talk about. So there shouldn't be a pressure to not read whatever niche, unknown, obscure or even mediocre piece of literature as long as you're enjoying it. There are obviously some caveats to this, but just apply commmon sense and you'll be good to go. Sorry if I rambled to much there, and I hope you enjoyed reading my comment. Thanks for posting such intreresting, nuanced and refreshing content!

[@Dani-ww5qr]

On the annotation point, taking notes genuinely is one of my favorite parts about the process of reading! I don't know how to explain why it makes me enjoy a book so much better. It almost feels like you're uncovering something when you introduce a deeper level of contemplation

[@carbonc6065]

Thank you ... Thank you so much for making this video--(I hope it reaches the masses)! I subscribed!

[@margarethaines9310]

"Books are a blank canvas"! Best quote ever 🙂

[@arayasunshinec]

Good ol’ drunzo, glad you took his advice to make your own video with your own tips! I feel like my own reading really took off once I started looking at the context and the life experiences of the authors. It makes the stories so much richer! Also really dig the breakdown of how many pages a day gets you through how many books a year! My average pace last year was 30pgs and I was floooored by how many I finished! This year is more like 20-15pgs and I’m cool with that too lol

[@freiheit1074]

When I was 15 I discovered books I used to read 2 to 3 books a day.. history.. astronomy philosophy.. novels everything I could put my hands on it was a blast..I will admit it was kind of an addiction filling my curiosity in everything I want whenever I desired.. then I grew up, got into medicine the rest is history... Aside to medical literature I read only 3 to 5 books a year..its a shame we live 24h a day a couple of days and then we die.

[@klauslispector]

Nice bike in the background! And great advice. I've read 49 whole books this year already (21k pages) just by reading before bed and 1½ hour in the afternoon!

[@ImogenValkyrie]

this year I have stopped worrying about the quantity. I worry more about the quality. Oh boy didn’t i realise that deep slow reading is not that easy

[@yosayer69]

Really loving your content lately, so glad I found your channel. You're a super genuine guy and it shows in your videos. Your passion shines through and it's definitely inspired me to read more, so thanks!

[@judithbell6937]

When I first got back into reading regularly, I chose modern books, for the plot and accessibility so I'd not be impatient or fall asleep. Never once did I think that I'd like to highlight a section. Time went on, started reading older books, where I knew a bit about the author (Most notably Anne lister and Virginia Woolf). I'm still irrationally precious about preserving my book's condition, but there are quite a number of photographs in my google photos of passages from those books, some of which I sent to friends, others I saved. I'm hoping as time goes on I'll develop a strategy I'm comfortable with (pencil can be erased, surely I can justify that to myself!), where I can save quotes, memorable moments. If I could be arsed, a reading journal would do it - not one keeping track of books read (that's what storygraph's for!) but OH DAMN moments.

[@thenerdynova4880]

Great video as always! Something else I really love about giving myself a low but consistent daily page goal, it helps me slow down a little. I can go at my own pace better if I know “oh I only have to read x amount of pages.” If it’s a part of the book I’m not as interested in I can read it a bit faster and be done, but if it’s a part I love I can take time to reread or read it slower to absorb it all because I have the time since I’m only ready that many pages. So that helps me to better enjoy the books I’m reading rather than sometimes going too fast because I feel like I need to cover a lot of pages :)

[@plantbasedontheprairie]

This was really great advise. I started a booktube a few weeks ago, no traction yet but I have hopes for the next few months. I think this advise will really help me keep up with my reading. Thank you so much.

[@ruby9796]

Thank you so much i needed to hear this I am excited to start my journey with reading .

[@marcellomantero7317]

thanks for the video mate, solid one! Keep it up!

[@CandySoulAndSoil]

Still hyperventilating from you tearing the page out 😂❤

[@rachell2152]

i noticed book videos everywhere has a way of prioritizing numbers instead of ENJOYING the books too. The real goal is to read what makes you happy, like you said. fss people have to change their mindset and not care abt the numbers

[@cosinev1265]

Good video. The biggest reason why I keep reading all the time is because my life feels so much emptier without it. When I don’t have a book to read, I go down the rabbit hole of social media and I get depressed. I was like that today until I got a new book in the mail and that feeling melted away. Yesterday I visited my school for the first time in a few months and the first thing I remembered was the feelings I would get when I read books on campus. I couldn’t live my life without the joy of reading.

[@boatbiscuit]

Annotating is one of my favourite things about reading books right now. Random notes, observations, doodles... Etc. It's nice to have a copy of a book that's so you, solely unique

[@vidaudio7329]

"Challenging in Getting out of our comfort zone" books that are also good could be one way to look at things

[@codaliddell]

I liked your video, and I'm getting back into reading! When I was in year 2 at school, I vaguely remember being read to by a supply teacher. I loved it back then and want to see what I remember. So, I'm reading The Magic Faraway Tree - The Enchanted Wood by Enid Blyton.

[@lpslove183]

I’m a person who reads 160 books a year. I understand when people hear that they say „omg how do you do it I could never” and I just want to highlight - I am not looking down on anyone or encouraging anyone to read as many books as I do. I read at my own pace, I DNF when I want to and tbh I spend most of my life now reading and I love it. I love making reading a game - I keep a bullet journal where I log my books and I decorate it while listening to audiobooks. Theres the other side - Sometimes people say Im making it a race or not reading mindfully and than I feel like a worse reader. Let’s just stop saying any way or amount of reading is bad please.

[@aperson3817]

I think it’s important to think about what it means to be a 'good' reader. Under a capitalistic paradigm, the most obvious cultural phenomenon is the emphasis on competition, and so for many, to be a 'good' reader it is to be a competitive reader, one who reads more pages and more books than anyone else, it is to consume the most complex content, to know the most. No less, even in school, the ultimate goal of reading is competition for the best mark, the best analysis, and so on. But of course, I don’t think this is a helpful mindset. Reading is such a personal and individual experience, in my opinion it should be divorced from the other until the self detests the absence of the other. We should be seeking pleasure-the highest pleasures-from reading, and perhaps that is achieved in reading 3 books a year. If so, so be it.

[@DogSniffing]

got me pumped up to read

[@cheezycheeder]

This video was honestly just mad motivational, really made me enjoy reading even more !!

[@Pollymacho]

You have such insight and charm on this subject, that if previous lives exist, you must have been a scholar that everyone liked. Thanks for this video, this is great!

[@colorlesswonderland]

That is the sweetest thing ever thank you so much :)

[@tylersdog]

It's a bit sad that your message has to be said, but I do understand. Reading should be voluntary and for pleasure and/or information, and some 'how to be a better reader' videos start to sound like a contest - how many books can you read, etc. and that's just not good. So thanks for this message, well spoken. (Oh, and as a sideline note: GREAT SHIRT!)

[@ryanm1894]

Love your content man. Keep it up!

[@ryanm1894]

Looking forward to your next manga video!

[@colorlesswonderland]

Thank you! It will be coming within a couple of weeks!

[@bantigoswami8896]

Love this video

[@WanderwithJon]

love this video! and yes, i already know my own preferences to reading. i'm basically here, just procrastinating. 🤣

[@francisedward8713]

Really agree with all the tips given in this great video. You’re also so cute! 🥰

[@Cydentity]

Thank you for your videos! You are so encouraging, thoughtful and helpful! Whenever I watch your videos I immediately want to jump into reading. Your own joy and love for literature is so contagious I love it. You are one of my favourite discoveries regards to booktube this year :)

[@HarvestLockwood]

One thing that really helped me was DNFing books (Did not Finish). Obviously, if you're reading for school, you won't always have that option. But if you're reading on your own for pleasure, please don't force yourself to finish a book you're not liking just because you think you "should" read it. I started DNFing books last year, and ended up reading and finishing more books than I ever had before then because I wasn't forcing myself to read boring books that I hated. Now I DNF books all the time. If I read one, two, thirty, fifty, 100 pages of a book and it isn't holding my attention, or it went in a weird direction I'm not liking, or it's just not what I want to read right now, I will DNF it and pick up something new. It really helps.

[@DUFMAN123]

Nice video mate, I love your passion and I thank you for letting us take part in and witness your journey through literature. I personally love reading the classics, and I find half of the enjoyment and satisfaction I take comes from periphery reading and learning about that historical time period and that part of the world. For me it feels like a kind of wholistic cultural education with the added benefit of the intense emotional and artistic impact that comes from being ensconced in these great works. As an aside I differ somewhat from many book lovers in that I don't like to annotate my books, outside of writing my name and the date in the inside cover. I use a Word Document to write down memorable quotes and passages instead.

[@sarahsperusals]

doing the math always helps motivates me. i read monte cristo in a month because i gave myself a goal of 50 pages per day. it really helps put into perspective the progress you're making. anyways great advice, hope you're enjoying monte cristo!!

[@leonlebail]

Great vid

[@nibirsankar]

Guy spittin' facts

[@phoebe1555]

I think my issue is that I listen to people talk about reading books more than I actually read books

[@neena7617]

if you were my teacher i'd have the biggest crush on you

[@cosmicflare_]

Amazing vid, ty.

[@baeticat]

I laughed out loud when you ripped your book. 😂😂 Loved this video!

[@colorlesswonderland]

It needed to be done for the emotional impact haha

[@baeticat]

@@colorlesswonderland it absolutely drove home the point so well done. Not sure if I will ever be able to do rip out a page but it was refreshing to see it happen 😂

[@stanbrown32]

Maybe it's best if people are setting goals to give themselves permission to read anywhere from 10 to 50 pages per day. Reading a light genre book that has fewer words per page, you can zip through 50 pages easily. Reading a more complex, more dense, work will probably take more time with fewer pages read per day. Both can be very enjoyable, satisfying reading experiences

[@palizor_valdorr]

This is a good video

[@princessonline4934]

I also find that an extra benefit of reading only a few pages a day is that you almost unconsciously end up reflecting a lot more about what you are reading…

[@connorbooth7207]

For me, it’s sometimes hard to read even 10 pages 😂 Unless I’m just really interested in it

[@billyosb]

this is a blessed comment section

[@keannuvonjarabo7883]

19:35 🫢😱 hahahahah

[@thebigredfish]

You should check out "the dwarf" by Par Lagerkvist and "Hunger" and "Pan" by Knut Hamsun

[@acattagite448]

slayed

[@saharhelfi8228]

I feel like I got a pep talk, i'm going to finish my book, bye.

[@thisrandomdude_]

Oi, where's the smash or pass video you mentioned in the poll?!? >:( Just kidding. I really, _really_ appreciate this video. I used to eat up books like it was nothing, I'm talking finishing one every 3-4 days, but I fell out of the hobby at some point. I've been trying to get back into it after a few years and it's proving to be rather difficult, mostly because of me being preoccupied with all the other interests I've picked up. This video will probably help me get around to after all this time, so thanks a lot! Looking forward to seeing what you have to say, and applying your advice in the days to come! :)

[@relytheone853]

My goal for this the next year is to read The Lord of The Rings, whole series.

[@smittywerbenjaggermanjensen69]

My stamina varies for each book im reading. I can finish 1000 pages in 5-10 days depending on my speed or just not read more than 1 page in 3h because the book is just that boring. Study books are literally giving me anxiety for example lol

[@saviotarot_]

miss u

[@victoriavazquez8283]

The "cuck" annotation got me by surprise xD Great video as always! Congrats on the recent sponsorships man, you deserve it! ❤

[@liamfrederic5203]

yes destroy the book! I got very judgemental looks on the train today because I wrote YEEEEEES THE QUOTE I WAS LOOKING FOR in the margin 😅

[@cdh111868]

You should read the manga vagabond

[@Maria-zt6up]

Hi Tyler! Do you have a storygraph account?

[@sozeytozey]

Any recommendations for someone who's interest level is above their reading level? I just started reading but frankly all that interests me is classical writing and philosophy. I'm enjoying myself for the most part but still finding a lot of the texts im reading really difficult. Is there a better way to approach this than simply jumping into the deep end? (for reference, Im reading Being and Nothingness by Sartre right now and even tho I sorta get it, simultaneously Im lost due to a lack of context)

[@dr7226]

This isn’t very related but are you enjoying punpun?

[@bsmacutevision]

read the book first before looking up about the author, that way your mind won't be biased about the book.

[@tonybennett4159]

It must be dificult as a teacher, because you are stuck with a literature curriculum. So if kids tell you that the assigned book is boring and they'd rather read a whodunnit, you can't tell them don't worry, just read whatever interests you as you'd be doing them a disservice in trying to attain good grades. In general, though, I agree, read whatever you want. Sometimes I have to bite my lip : an incredibly intelligent friend of mine (getting on in years like me) reads virtually nothing but thrillers these days, tells me the days of reading classics is long past. I don't agree at all, and I think it's a bit of a shame, but it's up to him. It does mean, however, that literature is rarely part of our discussions, because even though I've tried highly recommended thrillers, they just don't do it for me. One thing I don't do is to read a load of books either by the same author or in the same genre, as one of the pleasures of reading is being surprised. I understand however that people find that certain types of books give the comfort of the familiar. Lastly, I've never quite understood why holiday reading has to be light, throwaway stuff. Holidays!! when I can immerse myself in a more demanding read without the distractions of daily life. Seems to be too good an opportunity to pass up.

[@emanuelebergamaschi9424]

Completely unrelated to the video: are you on Storygraph?

[@waryaballan9077]

Ngl, I cringed when you tore a page from one of your books. Other than than great video!

[@saviotarot_]

you are sooooo cute!

[@colinparry9115]

Read, read and read more. Read whatever you want.

[@BadgerOfTheSea]

The biggest floor in this advice is your kind of pretentious assumption that everyone has the same reading speed as you. You say that 50 pages a day is 1 hour a day but I have visual problems, for me 1 hour can be just 3 pages. Saying something like "as simple as 30 pages a day" makes me feel like I just shouldn't bother

[@5w4m9y]

i don't think it's pretentious to say that it takes an hour to read 50 pages, as that is the average reading speed and he's assuming the viewer is average

[@khoian3430]

Couldn't agree more on allowing yourself to destroy the book 👌 I used to annotate all over my textbooks in school, but somehow it never occurred to me that I could do the same to books outside of that environment. One day I saw this same advice from the author Austin Kleon and started to apply it - since then reading has become enjoyable again for me

[@MusicMan75636]

if you want a really entertaining book video that is very well made about this i recommend (BOOKSTORES: How to Read More Books in the Golden Age of Content by max Joseph

[@federubiowenk2859]

Yeees! I have watched it several times and it’s really great