My husband and I share books by reading to each other. Actually he mostly reads to me! It's such an expression of love and I treasure the time and shared experience.
@@BenjaminMcEvoy In years long past, people used to read to each other much more often - they had more time, and the older ones had bad eyesight or maybe couldn't read. Nowadays it's usually just the very young or the very rich that are read to. I'm rich indeed!
15 tips to read more: 1. Buddy up 2. Make a page commitment 3. Dedicated time 4. Use snippets of time 5. Annotate 6. Make a "To be read" list 7. Have a reason 8. Challenge yourself 9. Find a guide 10. Keep a book journal 11. Review 12. There are no rules 13. Make it part of your life I probably missed few. That's OK
One of the best times reading was with my sister. I was assigned to read The Classic Slave Narratives by Henry Louis Gates, Jr. for a class. My sister would pour us each a glass of wine. She didn't want to read, but would listen. Eventually she would get up and go to bed. After a few days, she asked to take turns reading. We had one book, so when one of us read, the other would listen. We had some heartfelt conversations, blankets of our laps, our respective cats sitting with us. The cats enjoyed it too. They would stare each other down and every ten minutes or so would switch laps. This is one of my favorite memories with my sister.
Using snippets of time is a hugely good tip. Take it from the dad of a two year old. In order to make use of small, interstitial bits of time is to know exactly where you are in the book, and to hold the story in your mind when you're away from the book, so that when you re-enter it, you're ready to move forward. When you set the book down after a reading session, try to think of the book again while doing other things like driving to the grocery store, keeping the thing hot in your mind.
On the contrary, we are changing all the time. Becoming more aware of the world and society, we understand who we want to be, take responsibility and shape ourselves. Imho
Hi Benjamin, I used to love reading as a teenager. I studied English Literature at HSC level ( may be A levels in UK) I loved Shakespeare, Joyce, Steinbeck then. I became a nurse and, well, life happened!! I am now 65 yrs and think I will join your book club sounds wonderful!!
I stumbled onto your channel while looking for a 'Russian literature: where to start' kind of video. I have been reading russian children’s literature since I was a kid,wanted to jump into it again as an adult. And in the process I found a gem in RUclips. Sorry if I sound corny. Your enthusiasm in reading excites me to continue my reading journey with more enthusiasm. Thank you for that. And also for the great advices.
I'm a big fan of Harold Bloom, but like all of us he has his faults. Like you I like big books and projects. This year I have two projects: reading the whole body of Greek drama, and the whole of Isaac Asimov's works. On my tbr I have a reread of both "Moby Dick" and "War and Peace", plus a first read of "Anna Karenina". I am very excited by my reading life, even though I am 75. I learnt to read at 3 years old and have always had reading as a resource, solace and fun. I love this channel, your Patreon channel and the podcast. Thanks for all you do.
I literally just devoured Middlemarch in 2 weeks and loved every second thanks to stumbling across your videos! (Contracting covid last weekend sped up my reading process, so there’s that!) Thank you!
That's amazing, Ashley! Congratulations on finishing Middlemarch. I'm so happy you enjoyed it. Easily one of my favourite novels of all time :) And I hope you feel better soon 🙏
These are all really great tips and I'm so excited to make reading a major part of my life again!! I'm currently reading A Room of One's Own by Virginia Woolf to get myself back into more challenging literature.
Thank you, Ashley! I'm excited for you too! Let me know how you find A Room of One's Own. I've read a few of Woolf's works and found her challenging but rewarding - haven't read that one yet though!
I'm so glad I found this channel, thank you!! The best tip I've taken from you is to slow way down with reading, especially the classics. I'm getting through Crime & Punishment, but have been putting too much pressure on myself to 'get it done'. But slowing down, and then re-reading later, has really helped. Thanks again!
Thank you, Rob :) I'm so thrilled to hear that. I think if I had to boil my approach to reading down to just one word of advice, it would definitely be to slow down. Let me know what you think of Crime and Punishment!
For several years, I needed to commute 2 hours each way to work. I had to train myself to be a listener, but I actually enjoyed unabridged recordings. I did use abridged selections on occasion for works which I thought were less important. Because of the driving, I had no extra time for reading during that period. And I loved how the readers "acted out" the story lines, often with accents. Or with others, when they were read by the author.
I rediscovered my love of reading in 2021 and I am so excited about my reading journey. Philosophical and deeply psychological fiction is my current favorite book type. The most impactful reads this year were the border trilogy by Cormac McCarthy & Crime and Punishment.
That's so awesome to hear, Tom! Wow - Cormac McCarthy and Dostoyevsky certainly do deliver some incredibly profound stories. I'm a huge fan of them both too :)
You channel is a God-Send. I was a lit major in one of my degrees and really lost the desire to read. However, I am now inspired by your many videos and guidance to take the plunge and really read. I was like you - I read a ton of books very quickly and it took the enjoyment out of it.
Thank you, Kevin. I really appreciate that :) Your story is very similar to mine. I also lost my desire to read after graduating from English Literature. I spent years in a wasteland without books. So I'm thrilled to hear I've helped get you back into reading!
Great tips! My life totally changed when I discovered audiobooks! I was really able to attack reading challenges and read/listen to more than one book at a time. I think my tbr list is getting longer every time I watch one of your videos!! Thanks for sharing your recommendations!
I love Dracula, Frankenstein, Lord of the Flies, Animal Farm, Guards Guards, A diary of a young girl, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, In Cold Blood, Catch 22 and Hitch Hikers Guide to the Galaxy... if I make time for reading, what should I read next?
Love this channel. I'm really inspired. Bloom's how to read and why has been on my shelf for about 10 years and for the first time I'm now reading it. I love the principle of read first to understand. Thanks Benjamin
Thank you so much, Nancy. You've made my day with your lovely comment :) So glad you're cracking open Bloom's book. I hope you find it inspirational! It certainly added a ton more books to my TBR!
Now one of my favourite videos on you tube. You have so many inspiring ideas and it’s great how you break up the get-go of reading in small steps. I’ve been living with readers block most of my life-there is such a thing you can see vids on it-and the lock-down has brought me back to the love of reading-one very small step at a time. Very inspiring talk-thank-you.
Thank you, Alan! I really appreciate that. I totally relate to reader's block, so having managed to get over it myself, I'm quite passionate about helping others do the same. Lockdown really accelerated and deepened my love of reading too. It's like we time travelled backwards a hundred years. Long walks, unwinding with a big book in the evening, contemplating - all great stuff!!
Hi! I just found your channel and I am so happy that it exist! I am a psychologist, as a reader I reasonate with Dostoievski, Sartre and Hesse. The last read book (it was the one that drove me here) was Siddhartha. Now I don't really know what to do with my life, I feel like anything else after Siddhartha is a waste of time. Thank you for this amazing content!
Thank you, Bianca :) It's so great to have a psychologist watching and reading along with me. Hesse is incredible, isn't he? From the writers you have mentioned here, I feel as though you might like Camus and Nietzsche too, if you haven't already read them :)
Thank you for creating this channel and book club. I have been interested in literature for a long time but didn’t get much progress alone. Audiobooks help a lot to keep me engaged.😊
I’ve just found your channel and subscribed. These tips have inspired me to get back into reading more regularly 📚. I love reading in English, French & Spanish so I’m going to get started with maybe Mauriac or Lorca. Thank you!
In these wonderful posts you are providing the greatest possible public service to readers and would be readers the world over. How lucky are we to share in your love of and enthusiasm for reading and to truly learn how reading can add immensely to the quality of our lives. Thank you so very much!
Thanks Benjamin! You made me realize I need to join a book club, which I just did. It’s funny I’ve been listening to your hard-core literature podcast when I go on long road trips and I imagined what you looked like and you look very similar to my imagined image! Those podcasts are excellent! I miss my college lit. classes; thank you so much. You’re breath of fresh air!
Thank you, Dena :) I'm thrilled that I could keep you company on your long road trips. I've been taking a few long journeys recently in search of a house and I couldn't imagine not having some good podcasts and audiobooks to bring with me!
Extremely good tips! I stumbled upon the first two myself, when I joined a group reading War and Peace together. I had to discipline myself to read regularly at least 30 min with morning coffee, to be sure to keep up so I could join in the conversation with the group. And new insights gained from the group make me want to read more. I've always been a book annotator, but I began writing a synopsis of each day's reading in a separate journal so I could review what I'd read and remember comments/questions I wanted to bring up with the group. Sounds tedious, but it's really helped me absorb literature more deeply than I ever have. Enjoy your podcasts!
When I was a kid in the '60s, it was totally forbidden to write in books. (We were also not allowed to talk about the 2 world wars or politics). How to times have changed).
The books that I am reading at the moment are: 1. Don Quixote by Cervantes 2. Ulysees by James Joyce 3. The Complete Works of Edgar Allan Poe 4. East of Eden by John Steinbeck 5. Michaelangelo's Notebooks: The Poetry, Letters and Art of the Great Master by Carolyn Vaughan 6. Significant Figures by Ian Stewart Tread your own path ;-)
Wow!! You're reading such a beautiful selection of books there, Craig! I went back to Don Quixote myself last night and fell in love with Cervantes' characters all over again :)
I set my first real reading challenge when IT chapter 2 hit theaters. I was so stunned to hear you say you were going chronologically through King. Already a fan since middle age, I decided to do a full Stephen King chronological reread. It took me three years and three months. I finished in December 2022 and joined your club looking for other challenges. I am loving the W&P and Shakespeare reads so far (though admittedly I am running behind). Thank you for your content, and I would be delighted if you wanted to talk SK throughout your read.
Great tips! For about a month been reading full time, i aim at 10 hours a day, not a fast reader so i'm getting about up to 300 pages read per wake period. Mostly novels to take the place of films which i used to watch a lot of but now it's books, and i'm so excited! Focus is on the entertainment factor and then to move on to the biggies after having built up some reading muscle. Love your videos man, thanks!
@@BenjaminMcEvoy Have settled on the 2 Library of America sets for Kurt Vonnegut and Philip K Dick, all have been good, i liked Kurt's first Player Piano alot which PKD liked alot too, and in the midst of VALIS, a hoot that is, but also very tragic, i like to compare it to Blavatsky's The Secret Doctrine which then makes it so much better. Just getting started, will be getting back to Stephen King soon too!!
Thank you so much for this video! I found your channel today. My family are all readers, but each of us read entirely different genres, so there is no one to discuss my books with. Your enthusiasm has me excited to read again. I know this is an older video, but just had to leave a comment.
I’ve become hooked on your channels, discovered yesterday! I’ve always loved Thackeray, & so was delighted to discover a fine essay on W M’s THE NEWCOMES (which I remember having enjoyed 60 years ago). The enthusiasm of the article’s author, So Young Park, on this nowadays little-read, long novel in a volume entitled MY VICTORIAN NOVEL, is truly infectious. She was traumatised while teaching in New York by the events of 9/11, with family anxieties added. She distracted herself by reading just one chapter of THE NEWCOMES every night. The multi-plotted novel enthralled her, and enabled her to sail through this very difficult time. I intend to do the same! Sorry to take up your valuable time!
Love your videos! I find you to be very fun and knowledgeable! Thank you for being you! I bought Anna k because of you and am committing to read it this year.. summer can’t get hear fast enough!
Great tips 💕 ... Thank you so much :) Currently I am reading a non fiction book, All Things Shining: Reading the Western Classics to Find Meaning in a Scular Age .. Please make a list of your favourite non fiction books ...that will be of great help ..
I particularly enjoy being sent down book paths. If a book I'm reading mentions another book, I'll jot down the title to be read later. This means that books I hadn't even thought about get brought to my attention. (BTW, you've encouraged me to read another Dickens.)
A lot of these I was doing already just naturally but I picked up one or two tips so thanks. Another tip I have is to try and read something 180 degrees from what you just read . It has given me way more exposure to things I wouldn't have touched otherwise
I've always been a bookworm, studied Literature at Uni and read a lot (mostly British and German literature from the last three centuries). When I hit my late Fourties, reading suddenly became difficult for me. On my long daily commute, books became too heavy for me to drag around. My eyes hurt. Reading glasses and a Kindle cured all my troubles, and I could go back to three to four books a week. Yes, it IS a long commute but I wouldn't change a thing!
I love reading but haven't been able to do a whole lot of it. I realised that what I was lacking was the motivation to do it. Over the past couple of weeks, I have included reading as a part of my daily routine, and with this I have been able to proceed at a comfortable pace, and I'm loving it so far. Your video (and channel) has certainly helped me with the same! I finished reading Norwegian Wood (Murakami) a while back. Currently reading the classic Crime and Punishment. My favourite works are The Alchemist (Coelho) and Siddhartha (Hesse), would love to get some recommendations similar to them!
This is so encouraging! I’m finally starting to get back into reading as much as I used to. Learning to treat it as something similar to eating. I wouldn’t starve myself of food for days on end, so why should I starve my intellect? I’ve discovered in the past few years that classics are my true passion. Currently I’m reading The Magnificent Ambersons by Booth Tarkington. I was already applying some of these tips, and they definitely make a difference! I’m trying to set a basic goal for one page a day, no matter what, an intermediary goal for ten pages a day, and a great goal for twenty pages or more a day. That way, no matter what level I hit, I know I succeeded. You’ve also encouraged me to read War and Peace. (I’ve always wondered about it) I’m going to really try for that this year. Thanks!
Very late to comment, but I'm enjoying your casts. About two weeks ago I gathered a list of "Best Books" by the Oklahoma Library Association. I'd read about 25% to 30% of them and some are worth a reread others were replaced (or will be replaced). I've always been a reader, but mostly non-fiction history as it is tied to my career. I chose the books randomly - there are some that I'll put off (some authors just don't move me as others do) and then I read the 2nd choice. So far I've had good luck picking Notes from Underground, Jude the Obscure, All Quiet on the Western Front and Brave New World. My summers are usually light and I hope to get about 10 to 15 more done. Not sure I'm up for the Hardcore Book Club, but I'll be looking for something or maybe I'll reach out to some of my friends/colleague and we'll see.
Thanks to you, I'm reading again. I use a round-robin technique I developed for making artwork. I'll work on 4-6 pieces at a time, rarely fewer. This technique guards against overworking a piece and keeps the final product fresh. The trick is to keep moving. With reading, I set myself the objective of one chapter a day for big books -your suggestion, but also move on to the next book if the segment is too difficult or if I'm a little bored. I return to these the next day. Great Expectations, Moby Dick, Turgenev's Sportsman and Middlemarch -with its daunting prelude, are part of this new regimen. I don't over do it. Maybe two hours a day. The objective is to stay hungry so I stay reading. Even though I've just started on this adventure, I'm sure I'll continue. It's too thrilling. Thank you again.
I really enjoyed this, so inspired to get more books in! I am a new follower. I am not a big reader these days, not like in the past. I did just read a great book called The Creative Act: A Way of Being my Rick Rubin, which rekindled my desire for creativity in my life. My sister was talking about a book she is listening to called A Prayer for the Crown-Shy By Becky Chambers. This will be my next read. I love physical books! The thought of writing in them seems foreign to me and wrong, but now that I have heard your testimony and that of others, I am ok with it and am sure I will embrace it once I try. I will go back and read my copy of The Creative Act and highlight, note and dog ear what so inspired me during the first go around. Thank you for great content!
I have a long time friend who has never read a book, and he is in his 60's. He actually went to bookstore with a desire to change that and bought Red Badge of Courage. Why? He had no clue. Oh, and he never even opened it. I cannot even imagine. These were all good tips and encourage me to read more.
@@BenjaminMcEvoy Your welcome ! Your channel is really great! You give really helpful advice on reading and make great commentary videos on different authors ! And we can see that you are very passionate about your books ;) I have almost finished reading Frankenstein, I am reading it in french since I am french but I am loving the book and the style of writing of Mary Shelly even if it’s translated. I can’t wait to finish the book tonight with a warm tea and a candle by my bedside! Thanks for what you are doing! It’s so lovely to find literature channels like yours!
I know this video is old, but it was a lot of fun watching and seeing what other people say about how to read more. That is not really a problem for me, but it’s still interesting. I’d finished six books last week.
I recently finished reading Tess of the d'Urbervilles I was aware that it was a classic victorian novel, but I did not know the plot. My heart went out to this tortured soul, and I was waiting for a happy ending. Just as it seemed like paradise lost was paradise found, she goes psycho on d'Urberville and guts the poor guy. Bam! I was truly surprised and dismayed at the outcome. I wish she had just gone away, but I guess this is what tragedy is all about.
Congratulations on finishing Tess, Carroll! Coincidentally, I ordered myself a Folio hardback collection of Hardy's books today, as I was itching to revisit them. I reread Tess in the autumn, and would take the book on hikes through the forest. Even knowing the plot, the ending is a gut-wrenching one. I felt quite drained by the end of it!
I read series when I get out of the habit of reading regularly. I'm into murder/crime genre fiction, and there are lots of great series in that genre. I focused on Henning Mankell and Peter Robinson last year, and this year I finished Ngaio Marsh and Lillian Jackson Braun, in the months when I was not as into reading. I also read more than one book at a time, which works for me the way non-readers watch episodes of multiple TV shows. If I am not in the mood for more than a chapter of Dickens (I'm making my way through a few of his books this year) I read enough Dickens to reach another good stopping point and switch to a book I am more in the mood for. I also don't own a TV, which helps. I finish about 300 books per year, across a fair range of genres and lengths.
Great video. I found your channel a week ago and just subscribed. I like mysteries with at least a bit of humor, like a few British detective TV series. The only ones I’ve read that come to mind are the peculiar crimes unit books. Any recommendations?
My next book may be Don Carlos by Friedrich Schiller!! BTW, do you have recommendations for reading works that are not novels?? Like, for example, Don Carlos!! Or long poems!! Thank You - really liked your videos; and I reinvigorated by them!!
I want to finish Dante this academic year (I'm back at uni at over 30 years old) so it will be something I'll be reading between been a single parent and studying. I also want to read lolita to see what the hype is about and for whom the bell toils by Hemmingway and The Road which have been on my bookshelf for over a decade and have never got much further than a couple of chapters. If anyone has read these I would love to talk about them none of my friends are big readers
Great ideas. What do you recommend for someone with four jobs and a grueling schedule? I have lowered my expectations, but I want to read more. Probably my favorite of your ideas is "using snippets of time." I've written entire books that way.
Since we are talking about reading. These words come to mind. “Read in the name of thy Lord who created; [He] created the human being from blood clot. Read in the name of thy Lord who taught by the pen: [He] taught the human being what he did not know.” (96:1-5). The first verses of the Quran begin with the word: Read.
A terrible impediment to my reading is the magnetic pull of social media! I’ve heard it referred to as “satans rectangular time waster” although I’ve made some worthwhile discoveries, like this channel. I’m going to make a conscious effort to carve out a chunk of time each day to read.
Well, it isn’t easy to find a reading buddy when you live in a country where hardly anyone speaks English, let alone read the classics. I long to meet people who love the books I love. Having said that, reading alone has helped me discover a whole new world within me!
So S I started to say I bought The Lost Time It’s not that easy of a read! I’m on the subway,a young man has entered with a blue bike,blasting sounds from a big radio So I thought of something that you recommend I began to read out loud he just raised he sound, I proceeded to raise my tone. (and thanks to you read Proust with delight!
Accept a really boring assignment where you’re not allowed a cell phone, but you’re allowed to take a book. Then, take the most boring Great Work of Fiction you can imagine. Also works for works of nonfiction.
300 books a year? Wow, that's going some. I typically read about seventy pages a day - 100-120 if it's an easy read type novel. At that rate it would still only add up to approximately one hundred books in a year. Took me about a month to finish Moby Dick, another month to get through a big World War Two book. But I'll finish a Lee Child or Frederick Forsyth book in two-to-three days.
I've never been much of a fantasy fan, but I've now challenged myself to read AMERICAN GODS by Neil Gaiman. Thanks for inspiring me to try something new!
If I actually READ a book, I need complete silence or I get distracted, I can't focus. I sometimes read a sentence over and over and over, because my brain rejects it, I'm just not absorbing the meaning of the sentence, I'm just taking it one word at a time. Once I'm absorbed, I don't like to put it down, so I would hate to read it piece meal. If I find a book hard to read I'll look for an audiobook or a film version of it. These days I have to listen to books, my eyesight is getting worse all the time.
My husband and I share books by reading to each other. Actually he mostly reads to me! It's such an expression of love and I treasure the time and shared experience.
That's so lovely, Jenni :)
@@BenjaminMcEvoy In years long past, people used to read to each other much more often - they had more time, and the older ones had bad eyesight or maybe couldn't read. Nowadays it's usually just the very young or the very rich that are read to. I'm rich indeed!
This is my deepest darkest fantasy with my wife.
15 tips to read more:
1. Buddy up
2. Make a page commitment
3. Dedicated time
4. Use snippets of time
5. Annotate
6. Make a "To be read" list
7. Have a reason
8. Challenge yourself
9. Find a guide
10. Keep a book journal
11. Review
12. There are no rules
13. Make it part of your life
I probably missed few. That's OK
One of the best times reading was with my sister. I was assigned to read The Classic Slave Narratives by Henry Louis Gates, Jr. for a class. My sister would pour us each a glass of wine. She didn't want to read, but would listen. Eventually she would get up and go to bed. After a few days, she asked to take turns reading. We had one book, so when one of us read, the other would listen. We had some heartfelt conversations, blankets of our laps, our respective cats sitting with us. The cats enjoyed it too. They would stare each other down and every ten minutes or so would switch laps. This is one of my favorite memories with my sister.
Names please! Of the sister and the cats.
Using snippets of time is a hugely good tip. Take it from the dad of a two year old. In order to make use of small, interstitial bits of time is to know exactly where you are in the book, and to hold the story in your mind when you're away from the book, so that when you re-enter it, you're ready to move forward. When you set the book down after a reading session, try to think of the book again while doing other things like driving to the grocery store, keeping the thing hot in your mind.
"None of us changes over time, we only become more fully who we are" Anne Rice "The Vampire Lestat"
On the contrary, we are changing all the time. Becoming more aware of the world and society, we understand who we want to be, take responsibility and shape ourselves. Imho
Hi Benjamin, I used to love reading as a teenager. I studied English Literature at HSC level ( may be A levels in UK) I loved Shakespeare, Joyce, Steinbeck then. I became a nurse and, well, life happened!! I am now 65 yrs and think I will join your book club sounds wonderful!!
I stumbled onto your channel while looking for a 'Russian literature: where to start' kind of video. I have been reading russian children’s literature since I was a kid,wanted to jump into it again as an adult. And in the process I found a gem in RUclips.
Sorry if I sound corny. Your enthusiasm in reading excites me to continue my reading journey with more enthusiasm. Thank you for that. And also for the great advices.
dont worry, i love your corniness and we frankly need more of it from others!
I'm a big fan of Harold Bloom, but like all of us he has his faults. Like you I like big books and projects. This year I have two projects: reading the whole body of Greek drama, and the whole of Isaac Asimov's works. On my tbr I have a reread of both "Moby Dick" and "War and Peace", plus a first read of "Anna Karenina". I am very excited by my reading life, even though I am 75. I learnt to read at 3 years old and have always had reading as a resource, solace and fun. I love this channel, your Patreon channel and the podcast. Thanks for all you do.
You talk and talk and talk, yet still I feel you are really a great listener, and it is that sensibility that i feel makes this site so engaging.
That's incredibly kind of you. Thank you so much, my friend :)
Remember, Nabokov said that reading is re-reading. The real experience doesn't happen, according to him, until the second and subsequent readings.....
I literally just devoured Middlemarch in 2 weeks and loved every second thanks to stumbling across your videos! (Contracting covid last weekend sped up my reading process, so there’s that!) Thank you!
That's amazing, Ashley! Congratulations on finishing Middlemarch. I'm so happy you enjoyed it. Easily one of my favourite novels of all time :) And I hope you feel better soon 🙏
These are all really great tips and I'm so excited to make reading a major part of my life again!! I'm currently reading A Room of One's Own by Virginia Woolf to get myself back into more challenging literature.
Thank you, Ashley! I'm excited for you too! Let me know how you find A Room of One's Own. I've read a few of Woolf's works and found her challenging but rewarding - haven't read that one yet though!
I've read VW's Night and Day and liked it very much. I intend to reread it . . .
I'm so glad I found this channel, thank you!! The best tip I've taken from you is to slow way down with reading, especially the classics. I'm getting through Crime & Punishment, but have been putting too much pressure on myself to 'get it done'. But slowing down, and then re-reading later, has really helped. Thanks again!
Oh, and the next book I think will be This Side of Paradise.
Thank you, Rob :) I'm so thrilled to hear that. I think if I had to boil my approach to reading down to just one word of advice, it would definitely be to slow down. Let me know what you think of Crime and Punishment!
For several years, I needed to commute 2 hours each way to work. I had to train myself to be a listener, but I actually enjoyed unabridged recordings. I did use abridged selections on occasion for works which I thought were less important. Because of the driving, I had no extra time for reading during that period. And I loved how the readers "acted out" the story lines, often with accents. Or with others, when they were read by the author.
Books are the greatest presents to give or receive! Love your video’s and thank you so much for each and everyone!
Thank you so much, Patricia :)
I rediscovered my love of reading in 2021 and I am so excited about my reading journey. Philosophical and deeply psychological fiction is my current favorite book type. The most impactful reads this year were the border trilogy by Cormac McCarthy & Crime and Punishment.
That's so awesome to hear, Tom! Wow - Cormac McCarthy and Dostoyevsky certainly do deliver some incredibly profound stories. I'm a huge fan of them both too :)
You channel is a God-Send. I was a lit major in one of my degrees and really lost the desire to read. However, I am now inspired by your many videos and guidance to take the plunge and really read. I was like you - I read a ton of books very quickly and it took the enjoyment out of it.
Thank you, Kevin. I really appreciate that :) Your story is very similar to mine. I also lost my desire to read after graduating from English Literature. I spent years in a wasteland without books. So I'm thrilled to hear I've helped get you back into reading!
Great tips! My life totally changed when I discovered audiobooks! I was really able to attack reading challenges and read/listen to more than one book at a time. I think my tbr list is getting longer every time I watch one of your videos!! Thanks for sharing your recommendations!
I love Dracula, Frankenstein, Lord of the Flies, Animal Farm, Guards Guards, A diary of a young girl, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, In Cold Blood, Catch 22 and Hitch Hikers Guide to the Galaxy... if I make time for reading, what should I read next?
Love this channel. I'm really inspired. Bloom's how to read and why has been on my shelf for about 10 years and for the first time I'm now reading it. I love the principle of read first to understand. Thanks Benjamin
Thank you so much, Nancy. You've made my day with your lovely comment :) So glad you're cracking open Bloom's book. I hope you find it inspirational! It certainly added a ton more books to my TBR!
May I recommend How to Read a Book: The Classic Guide to Intelligent Reading
by Mortimer J. Adler and Charles Van Doren
Now one of my favourite videos on you tube. You have so many inspiring ideas and it’s great how you break up the get-go of reading in small steps. I’ve been living with readers block most of my life-there is such a thing you can see vids on it-and the lock-down has brought me back to the love of reading-one very small step at a time. Very inspiring talk-thank-you.
Thank you, Alan! I really appreciate that. I totally relate to reader's block, so having managed to get over it myself, I'm quite passionate about helping others do the same. Lockdown really accelerated and deepened my love of reading too. It's like we time travelled backwards a hundred years. Long walks, unwinding with a big book in the evening, contemplating - all great stuff!!
Hi! I just found your channel and I am so happy that it exist! I am a psychologist, as a reader I reasonate with Dostoievski, Sartre and Hesse. The last read book (it was the one that drove me here) was Siddhartha. Now I don't really know what to do with my life, I feel like anything else after Siddhartha is a waste of time. Thank you for this amazing content!
Thank you, Bianca :) It's so great to have a psychologist watching and reading along with me. Hesse is incredible, isn't he? From the writers you have mentioned here, I feel as though you might like Camus and Nietzsche too, if you haven't already read them :)
I love Hesse books. Read Beneath the Wheel again this year. Someday soon I want to read The Magister Ludi / Glass Bead Game again.
I have rekindled my love for reading, your enthusiasm is infectious.Thank you. Gary.
Wow! I'm so touched to here that, Gary :) Thank you so much!
It's like I was seeking this channel throughout my life😭😭❤️❤️
Thank you so much, Shikha :) I'm so happy you're here ❤️
Thank you for creating this channel and book club. I have been interested in literature for a long time but didn’t get much progress alone.
Audiobooks help a lot to keep me engaged.😊
Thank you, Jennifer :) I appreciate that so much. You may enjoy the next video coming out soon then because it's all about my love of audiobooks!
I’ve just found your channel and subscribed. These tips have inspired me to get back into reading more regularly 📚. I love reading in English, French & Spanish so I’m going to get started with maybe Mauriac or Lorca. Thank you!
Jorge Ibargüengoitia - Instrucciones para vivir en México - literary essays, a lot of fun!
In these wonderful posts you are providing the greatest possible public service to readers and would be readers the world over. How lucky are we to share in your love of and enthusiasm for reading and to truly learn how reading can add immensely to the quality of our lives. Thank you so very much!
Thank you so much :) I really appreciate that. And I'm so happy to have thoughtful readers like yourself here with me!
Thanks Benjamin! You made me realize I need to join a book club, which I just did. It’s funny I’ve been listening to your hard-core literature podcast when I go on long road trips and I imagined what you looked like and you look very similar to my imagined image! Those podcasts are excellent! I miss my college lit. classes; thank you so much. You’re breath of fresh air!
Thank you, Dena :) I'm thrilled that I could keep you company on your long road trips. I've been taking a few long journeys recently in search of a house and I couldn't imagine not having some good podcasts and audiobooks to bring with me!
@@BenjaminMcEvoy Best of luck Benjamin in your search for a house!
Extremely good tips! I stumbled upon the first two myself, when I joined a group reading War and Peace together. I had to discipline myself to read regularly at least 30 min with morning coffee, to be sure to keep up so I could join in the conversation with the group. And new insights gained from the group make me want to read more. I've always been a book annotator, but I began writing a synopsis of each day's reading in a separate journal so I could review what I'd read and remember comments/questions I wanted to bring up with the group. Sounds tedious, but it's really helped me absorb literature more deeply than I ever have. Enjoy your podcasts!
When I was a kid in the '60s, it was totally forbidden to write in books. (We were also not allowed to talk about the 2 world wars or politics). How to times have changed).
The books that I am reading at the moment are:
1. Don Quixote by Cervantes
2. Ulysees by James Joyce
3. The Complete Works of Edgar Allan Poe
4. East of Eden by John Steinbeck
5. Michaelangelo's Notebooks: The Poetry, Letters and Art of the Great Master by Carolyn Vaughan
6. Significant Figures by Ian Stewart
Tread your own path ;-)
Wow!! You're reading such a beautiful selection of books there, Craig! I went back to Don Quixote myself last night and fell in love with Cervantes' characters all over again :)
Thank you for saying audio books are reading! I’ve listened to over 40 books this year and I’ve loved every second of it!
That's fantastic, Chris! I would be lost without my Audible membership that's for sure :) Such a beautiful way to enjoy great literature!
I set my first real reading challenge when IT chapter 2 hit theaters. I was so stunned to hear you say you were going chronologically through King. Already a fan since middle age, I decided to do a full Stephen King chronological reread. It took me three years and three months. I finished in December 2022 and joined your club looking for other challenges. I am loving the W&P and Shakespeare reads so far (though admittedly I am running behind). Thank you for your content, and I would be delighted if you wanted to talk SK throughout your read.
This is the best help on youtube.
Thanks, Ben!
I want to try that Bradbury Trio but I'll modify it and read them per week. Awesome video!
Thank you! Per week is much more doable :) Let me know how you find it!
Great tips! For about a month been reading full time, i aim at 10 hours a day, not a fast reader so i'm getting about up to 300 pages read per wake period. Mostly novels to take the place of films which i used to watch a lot of but now it's books, and i'm so excited! Focus is on the entertainment factor and then to move on to the biggies after having built up some reading muscle. Love your videos man, thanks!
Wow! That sounds like bliss! Complete immersion in these great works :) Any favourites so far? And thank you for the kind words, my friend!
@@BenjaminMcEvoy Have settled on the 2 Library of America sets for Kurt Vonnegut and Philip K Dick, all have been good, i liked Kurt's first Player Piano alot which PKD liked alot too, and in the midst of VALIS, a hoot that is, but also very tragic, i like to compare it to Blavatsky's The Secret Doctrine which then makes it so much better. Just getting started, will be getting back to Stephen King soon too!!
Thank you so much for this video! I found your channel today. My family are all readers, but each of us read entirely different genres, so there is no one to discuss my books with. Your enthusiasm has me excited to read again. I know this is an older video, but just had to leave a comment.
I’ve become hooked on your channels, discovered yesterday!
I’ve always loved Thackeray, & so was delighted to discover a fine essay on W M’s THE NEWCOMES (which I remember having enjoyed 60 years ago). The enthusiasm of the article’s author, So Young Park, on this nowadays little-read, long novel in a volume entitled MY VICTORIAN NOVEL, is truly infectious. She was traumatised while teaching in New York by the events of 9/11, with family anxieties added. She distracted herself by reading just one chapter of THE NEWCOMES every night. The multi-plotted novel enthralled her, and enabled her to sail through this very difficult time. I intend to do the same!
Sorry to take up your valuable time!
Bookstore, my idea of a date. I ALWAYS ask for books for Christmas!
Love your videos! I find you to be very fun and knowledgeable! Thank you for being you! I bought Anna k because of you and am committing to read it this year.. summer can’t get hear fast enough!
Thank you, Jen :) That's so awesome to hear! Let me know what you think of Anna Karenina. Amazing book!
Your love for reading diminishing still got you a career in literature.
Haha ironic, isn't it?
Great tips 💕 ... Thank you so much :)
Currently I am reading a non fiction book, All Things Shining: Reading the Western Classics to Find Meaning in a Scular Age ..
Please make a list of your favourite non fiction books ...that will be of great help ..
I particularly enjoy being sent down book paths. If a book I'm reading mentions another book, I'll jot down the title to be read later. This means that books I hadn't even thought about get brought to my attention. (BTW, you've encouraged me to read another Dickens.)
You should do a video on reading “Musashi”. I love that book.
Working on a podcast atm :)
Am re-reading Possession by Byatt.. love all your ideas Ben
Great to watch this again. I'm jumping between bukowski, Henry miller and different aspects of greek philosophy
A lot of these I was doing already just naturally but I picked up one or two tips so thanks. Another tip I have is to try and read something 180 degrees from what you just read . It has given me way more exposure to things I wouldn't have touched otherwise
This is so good! Keep it up! 📖
Thank you so much, my friend! :)
I've always been a bookworm, studied Literature at Uni and read a lot (mostly British and German literature from the last three centuries). When I hit my late Fourties, reading suddenly became difficult for me. On my long daily commute, books became too heavy for me to drag around. My eyes hurt. Reading glasses and a Kindle cured all my troubles, and I could go back to three to four books a week. Yes, it IS a long commute but I wouldn't change a thing!
I love reading but haven't been able to do a whole lot of it. I realised that what I was lacking was the motivation to do it. Over the past couple of weeks, I have included reading as a part of my daily routine, and with this I have been able to proceed at a comfortable pace, and I'm loving it so far. Your video (and channel) has certainly helped me with the same! I finished reading Norwegian Wood (Murakami) a while back. Currently reading the classic Crime and Punishment.
My favourite works are The Alchemist (Coelho) and Siddhartha (Hesse), would love to get some recommendations similar to them!
This is so encouraging! I’m finally starting to get back into reading as much as I used to. Learning to treat it as something similar to eating. I wouldn’t starve myself of food for days on end, so why should I starve my intellect?
I’ve discovered in the past few years that classics are my true passion. Currently I’m reading The Magnificent Ambersons by Booth Tarkington.
I was already applying some of these tips, and they definitely make a difference! I’m trying to set a basic goal for one page a day, no matter what, an intermediary goal for ten pages a day, and a great goal for twenty pages or more a day. That way, no matter what level I hit, I know I succeeded.
You’ve also encouraged me to read War and Peace. (I’ve always wondered about it) I’m going to really try for that this year. Thanks!
Very late to comment, but I'm enjoying your casts. About two weeks ago I gathered a list of "Best Books" by the Oklahoma Library Association. I'd read about 25% to 30% of them and some are worth a reread others were replaced (or will be replaced). I've always been a reader, but mostly non-fiction history as it is tied to my career. I chose the books randomly - there are some that I'll put off (some authors just don't move me as others do) and then I read the 2nd choice. So far I've had good luck picking Notes from Underground, Jude the Obscure, All Quiet on the Western Front and Brave New World. My summers are usually light and I hope to get about 10 to 15 more done. Not sure I'm up for the Hardcore Book Club, but I'll be looking for something or maybe I'll reach out to some of my friends/colleague and we'll see.
Thanks to you, I'm reading again.
I use a round-robin technique I developed for making artwork. I'll work on 4-6 pieces at a time, rarely fewer. This technique guards against overworking a piece and keeps the final product fresh.
The trick is to keep moving.
With reading, I set myself the objective of one chapter a day for big books -your suggestion, but also move on to the next book if the segment is too difficult or if I'm a little bored. I return to these the next day.
Great Expectations, Moby Dick, Turgenev's Sportsman and Middlemarch -with its daunting prelude, are part of this new regimen. I don't over do it. Maybe two hours a day. The objective is to stay hungry so I stay reading. Even though I've just started on this adventure, I'm sure I'll continue. It's too thrilling.
Thank you again.
just started the short story 'Blind Owl' by Sadeq Hedayat. Just finished 'The Left Hand of Darkness' by Ursula le Guin
I really enjoyed this, so inspired to get more books in! I am a new follower. I am not a big reader these days, not like in the past. I did just read a great book called The Creative Act: A Way of Being my Rick Rubin, which rekindled my desire for creativity in my life. My sister was talking about a book she is listening to called A Prayer for the Crown-Shy By Becky Chambers. This will be my next read. I love physical books! The thought of writing in them seems foreign to me and wrong, but now that I have heard your testimony and that of others, I am ok with it and am sure I will embrace it once I try. I will go back and read my copy of The Creative Act and highlight, note and dog ear what so inspired me during the first go around. Thank you for great content!
I have a long time friend who has never read a book, and he is in his 60's. He actually went to bookstore with a desire to change that and bought Red Badge of Courage. Why? He had no clue. Oh, and he never even opened it. I cannot even imagine. These were all good tips and encourage me to read more.
Your youtube channel is amazing!!
Thank you, Elizabeth :)
@@BenjaminMcEvoy Your welcome ! Your channel is really great! You give really helpful advice on reading and make great commentary videos on different authors ! And we can see that you are very passionate about your books ;) I have almost finished reading Frankenstein, I am reading it in french since I am french but I am loving the book and the style of writing of Mary Shelly even if it’s translated. I can’t wait to finish the book tonight with a warm tea and a candle by my bedside! Thanks for what you are doing! It’s so lovely to find literature channels like yours!
I know this video is old, but it was a lot of fun watching and seeing what other people say about how to read more. That is not really a problem for me, but it’s still interesting. I’d finished six books last week.
Nice one :) What was your favourite?
I recently finished reading Tess of the d'Urbervilles I was aware that it was a classic victorian novel, but I did not know the plot. My heart went out to this tortured soul, and I was waiting for a happy ending. Just as it seemed like paradise lost was paradise found, she goes psycho on d'Urberville and guts the poor guy. Bam! I was truly surprised and dismayed at the outcome. I wish she had just gone away, but I guess this is what tragedy is all about.
Congratulations on finishing Tess, Carroll! Coincidentally, I ordered myself a Folio hardback collection of Hardy's books today, as I was itching to revisit them. I reread Tess in the autumn, and would take the book on hikes through the forest. Even knowing the plot, the ending is a gut-wrenching one. I felt quite drained by the end of it!
I read series when I get out of the habit of reading regularly. I'm into murder/crime genre fiction, and there are lots of great series in that genre. I focused on Henning Mankell and Peter Robinson last year, and this year I finished Ngaio Marsh and Lillian Jackson Braun, in the months when I was not as into reading. I also read more than one book at a time, which works for me the way non-readers watch episodes of multiple TV shows. If I am not in the mood for more than a chapter of Dickens (I'm making my way through a few of his books this year) I read enough Dickens to reach another good stopping point and switch to a book I am more in the mood for. I also don't own a TV, which helps. I finish about 300 books per year, across a fair range of genres and lengths.
I hide my earbuds under my big curls at work and listen to audiobooks. I'm totally hooked.
I love that!!
I picked up Time Lost.
I. french.
Thank you,You are very motivating.
Great video. I found your channel a week ago and just subscribed. I like mysteries with at least a bit of humor, like a few British detective TV series. The only ones I’ve read that come to mind are the peculiar crimes unit books. Any recommendations?
My next book may be Don Carlos by Friedrich Schiller!! BTW, do you have recommendations for reading works that are not novels?? Like, for example, Don Carlos!! Or long poems!! Thank You - really liked your videos; and I reinvigorated by them!!
I want to finish Dante this academic year (I'm back at uni at over 30 years old) so it will be something I'll be reading between been a single parent and studying. I also want to read lolita to see what the hype is about and for whom the bell toils by Hemmingway and The Road which have been on my bookshelf for over a decade and have never got much further than a couple of chapters. If anyone has read these I would love to talk about them none of my friends are big readers
Man's Search for Meaning reduced me to tears. Everyone should read it, but only once.
These videos are great thank you
thanks so much
i will start with a book of the Rex Stout Series
Thats exactly it, "rekindling the lost love of reading"
I use paperclips 🖇 as bookmarks 😊
I love that :)
My favorite date is to go to bookstores and hang out.
Great ideas. What do you recommend for someone with four jobs and a grueling schedule? I have lowered my expectations, but I want to read more. Probably my favorite of your ideas is "using snippets of time." I've written entire books that way.
Since we are talking about reading. These words come to mind.
“Read in the name of thy Lord who created; [He] created the human being from blood clot. Read in the name of thy Lord who taught by the pen: [He] taught the human being what he did not know.” (96:1-5).
The first verses of the Quran begin with the word: Read.
A terrible impediment to my reading is the magnetic pull of social media! I’ve heard it referred to as “satans rectangular time waster” although I’ve made some worthwhile discoveries, like this channel. I’m going to make a conscious effort to carve out a chunk of time each day to read.
Well, it isn’t easy to find a reading buddy when you live in a country where hardly anyone speaks English, let alone read the classics. I long to meet people who love the books I love. Having said that, reading alone has helped me discover a whole new world within me!
So S I started to say I bought The Lost Time
It’s not that easy of a read!
I’m on the subway,a young man has entered
with a blue bike,blasting sounds from a
big radio
So I thought of something that you recommend
I began to read out loud he just raised he sound, I proceeded to raise my tone.
(and thanks to you read Proust with delight!
Hello Benjamin, any recommendation for true stories?
I highly recommend all of Svetlana Alexievich's books. 'Voices from Chernobyl' is a great one to start with. Harrowing stuff..
I'll give Christopher Hitchen's books an read.
Currently reading Autumn by Ali Smith (and loving it!😍) but my next target is White Noise by Don DeLillo (prep for the movie 🎥)
Wow - there's a movie coming out? That's awesome. I reread White Noise again recently, and found it even funnier this time around :)
Your father’s thumbs up reply is such a “dad” moment 😂😂
Hey I'm reading Musashi now! What do you think of it?
I adore it :) Let me know what you make of it!
Thank you!!
Can u give me a link to your stuff (like your short stories,blogs,write ups,........)
We have a book club you might enjoy :) www.patreon.com/hardcoreliterature
I'm going to read The Hustler, The Blade Itself, and The Next Million Years.
Thank you very much
Tale of Two Cities by Dickens
Accept a really boring assignment where you’re not allowed a cell phone, but you’re allowed to take a book. Then, take the most boring Great Work of Fiction you can imagine. Also works for works of nonfiction.
300 books a year? Wow, that's going some. I typically read about seventy pages a day - 100-120 if it's an easy read type novel. At that rate it would still only add up to approximately one hundred books in a year. Took me about a month to finish Moby Dick, another month to get through a big World War Two book. But I'll finish a Lee Child or Frederick Forsyth book in two-to-three days.
Fantastic video❤
I like the idea of buddying up, only I don't know anyone that likes to read.
Thank you for the ideas 💡. I'm in a 📖 book club with retir
My interest is adventure and nature. Any recommendations.
A lot of my RUclips time lately has been watching your videos...
I need this.
You have any beginner books either sci-fi or war related?
Sorry... with retired ladies. Trying now to read more than just fluff. Lol. I've proposed we read Dickens Christmas Carol for Dec. It's a hard sell 😕.
I've never been much of a fantasy fan, but I've now challenged myself to read AMERICAN GODS by Neil Gaiman. Thanks for inspiring me to try something new!
wondering what your thoughts were on Atlas Shrugged 👀
My rule: read what Ben says.
I start work at 6:30am. I get to work at 5am and read until other people show up around 6:15.
If I actually READ a book, I need complete silence or I get distracted, I can't focus. I sometimes read a sentence over and over and over, because my brain rejects it, I'm just not absorbing the meaning of the sentence, I'm just taking it one word at a time. Once I'm absorbed, I don't like to put it down, so I would hate to read it piece meal. If I find a book hard to read I'll look for an audiobook or a film version of it. These days I have to listen to books, my eyesight is getting worse all the time.