Would you love to read more, but don’t know where to start? This blog is for you! Picking up a book isn’t always easy, especially if you’re busy studying or working. That’s why Hylke has thought of some tips and book(stagram/tok) recommendations that can help you become an avid book reader!

#1 Start with (short) books you’ll definitely enjoy

Starting with short books that you know you’ll definitely enjoy is always a good idea. This will hopefully make it less daunting to pick up your book and to keep reading because you won’t be scared off by a HUGE book every time you feel the urge to read. My suggestion would be to go for books that contain around one hundred pages or less, or to go for short story collections. Just search for ‘best books under 100 pages’, select a book that interests you and you’re good to go! 

#2 Go back to your childhood

Another way to get into reading is by going back to your childhood. Which books did you enjoy as a child? And which genres? Figuring this out might help you to select books you want to read. It’s also fun to reread some books you loved back then, which might get you all excited to read more. Some time ago, I read the Harry Potter series for the first time which was amazing! The worldbuilding is exceptional and because they’re children’s books they are very easy to read as well. A very nice way to step back into (or enter) the world of books if you ask me.

#3 Set a reading goal

Now that you’ve found books that interest you and you’ve started to read, it’s useful to set some sort of a reading goal to help you stay motivated and keep reading. For example, you could set a reading goal of 5 books, just to get started. Or you might want to try to read 6 pages everyday so you don’t get into a reading slump and you set a goal for that. Personally, I read a lot so my reading goal for this year is 40 books. So far I’ve read 24 books! Obviously you don’t have to follow my lead. Just take it slow and start with a small number of books you want to read this year or pages you want to read everyday. You can always up the number!

#4 Make a Goodreads account

Making a Goodreads account is another nice way to stay motivated to read because you can connect with friends who also love to read, see what they are reading, and like and comment on their updates. You can also show them your progress, keep track of your reading goal, add books you want to read to your shelf and see what’s new. I’m addicted to putting in the page number I’m at and seeing the percentage of my progress go up, which makes me want to keep on reading and reading just so I can do that. I highly recommend Goodreads!

#5 Don’t pressure yourself

Most importantly, don’t pressure yourself! Reading should be fun and not something you must do. So if you don’t feel like reading on a certain day, don’t. If you feel like reading a book in one sitting, do that. If it turns out you don’t actually like the book you’re reading, just stop reading it and pick up another. There’s no right or wrong. Do what feels right for you!

Now that I’ve given you some tips, here are some books you might enjoy reading…

• Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi - This short book revolves around a small café in a back alley in Tokyo where customers get a chance to travel back in time, which does not come without risks. In the book, we meet four visitors with very different but moving stories. I won’t reveal anything else. Just read it, it’s a beautiful story.

• Coraline by Neil Gaiman - This is the original story on which the animation film Coraline is based, which you might have already watched. If not, the novel is about a girl who discovers a passage to another house that is identical to hers. Only, everything seems better and magical, and there’s another father and mother who want her to stay. She is tempted, but then discovers children trapped behind the mirrors for whom she is their only hope of rescue. If you’re into dark and sinister stories, this one's for you. 

• The A Court of Thorns and Roses-series by Sarah J. Maas - If you’re a fan of fantasy books, you have to read this series! I promise you, once you start the first one, you’ll get sucked into its world and want to read all the books back to back. It’s about human Feyre who lives in a world that is divided between humans and faeries. She is brought into the faerie world for murdering a faerie, and an epic love story unfolds.

• I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy - This memoir has quite a shocking title, but it’s worth a read! It’s about iCarly and Sam & Cat-star Jennette McCurdy and her struggles as a former child actor. In the book she discusses addiction, her complicated relationship with her mother and how she eventually took control of her own life.

…and some lovely booktoks and bookstagrams to follow

Following booktoks and bookstagrams always gives me inspiration, maybe it does for you too!

• Bookstagram - @ septembershiraeth Jade always has the most aesthetic posts and best, elaborate reviews. A lovely bookstagram to follow if you want something nice to look at in your feed and want to know which books you should and should not read.

• Bookstagram - @ bethjamiie Beth lives in Edinburgh, so all her photos are cosy and beautiful (especially in autumn) (I’m biased okay). She does not really do extensive reviews, but her account is a perfect one to follow for inspiration on new books. She also occasionally posts about her life, which gives her bookstagram a nice mixture of books and lifestyle.

• Booktok - @ abbysbooks If you want to see funny or relatable tiktoks about books, this is the account for you! Abby reads a wide variety of books, but mostly gravitates towards fantasy such as ACOTAR.

• Booktok - @ amyjordanj Amy Jordan’s booktok is very aesthetically pleasing with her white duvet backgrounds. It’s the perfect account to follow if you want specific book recommendations. For example, she has tiktoks that list books that are perfect to read this summer, or books that left her heart shattered. Definitely a good one to get some inspiration from!

Hopefully these tips and book(stagram/tok) recommendations will help you become an avid reader. If you already are one, do you have any tips or recommendations we’ve not yet discussed? Let us know in the comments. Have a nice relaxing summer full of amazing books! :)