I think this is the most thoughtful articulation on this subject I’ve come across in a while. I also appreciate that your video is titled “How *I* get more out of reading” rather than the more didactic (& typical of RUclips) “How *TO* get more out of reading”. The difference may be subtle but I think it’s meaningful!
@@NeilBruder thank you!! the title was very much purposeful: i think of my channel predominantly as a public journal of my experiences rather than a “teaching” protocol
@@bibliosophie I think more channels should adopt this attitude! Though I do understand the pressures of the algorithm, especially for those trying to earn a living from their channel.
first things first.... the shirt is the most fabulous thing I've seen today. Now, for the content of the video- lots of great insight as always. I go into books with no intention other than having an experience. I don't read to analyze. I do annotate, but more to have a conversation with the book than to analyze it. It's why I don't do any formal book reviews. I just read for the vibe. I'm in my 50s and I had many years of analyzing books...just not into that anymore. Not that it is wrong to do so, it's just not my thing anymore. I, too, am an advocate of rereading. I don't do it often, but I do reread my favorites every few years. I get something new out a reread every time. I am also a DNF fan! Life is too short for books that don't please you. Sometimes it's a matter of putting it down and picking it up for I'm ready for it, but sometimes i just DNF and take it straight to the donation bin. :) I also read several books at once. I have one book I read in the morning, one before bed, and usually essays and/or poetry to pick up in between when I have a few moments. One thing I'd like to change about my reading is that I would love to read more slowly. Each year, I set this goal for myself instead of setting a goal for a certain number of books. I have not been super successful, but getting a little better at it.
ah yes, reading more slowly… a very good goal that i also vaguely have but also struggle with. it’s also because there are more or less beneficial ways of reading slowly. i do think that sometimes i slow down my overall reading but don’t actually get anything deeper. i’m just stagnating. reading is a little like swimming - you do have to have some forward momentum, or you’ll just sink and thank you re shirt 🧡
I love what you’re saying about reading through a book and not worrying about not having understood *everything* but instead focussing on what you got out of it
this video is so full of wisdom sophie - as someone with a terrible memory i appreciate the advocacy for not needing to remember every single thing about a book. i’ve found that writing reviews and making videos has forced me to slow down and truly sit with books and it’s been so rewarding
thank you! 🤗 i think a lot of us got into booktube/bookstagram in part to just track all the stuff we were reading and make ourselves keep some record of what we were thinking!
I love your advocacy for allowing the personal and not merely the practical in one's annotations, "making it a Proustian experience," as you say. It's nice to remember that books are for ourselves. So many years have been spent with books assigned and our comprehension graded. They do not have to serve strictly as such objects anymore. (I liked sneakily perusing your notes in the video; all your various meandering wonderings-thanks for sharing those.) I'm glad you took on this subject and am grateful you shared our tag. You're awesome!
exactly exactly! diligent reading comprehension and data organization is of course hugely important (and in my opinion, largely under-taught), along with all its processes and rigors, but it’s not superfluous to have a sensual relationship to books, reading & learnt material thanks for tag! i’ve really enjoyed watching others’ answers, too
reading wrong, YES! i think we had a conversation ages ago about rereading and i took your advice and it has been a joy to go back to the books i've meant to revisit after tirelessly saying "i lOvE rEreAdinG iTs ImPorTaNt a BoOk iS nOt A oNE ofF tHinG!" even though i had not reread a single book in ages...but now is the time and the time feels right. the books feels richer, and so does life! can't wait when we get the chance to reread a Lispector together!
ha ha ha i love not practicing what i preach myself 🙃 it’s so seductive not to reread books bc, well, there are so many others out in the world! ah the gluttony of the reader…
Loved these ideas-especially not having to remember everything that you read, and that taking away something can be as simple as a vibe! So excited for the book club!
i like a bit overwhelming but in a great way! those are the things i need to nudge myself to explore, too: how have i become stuck in my ways? what’s just a little bit uncomfortable in a way that will serve me? would love to hear what felt new to you!
@@bibliosophie You made me consider more closely why the feeling was overwhelm. I think it’s because I have recently started doing a lot more active note taking and writing as I’m reading, in my notes app and on paper and it’s something that I’ve been doing and thinking about so actively lately, especially since I also started a booktube, that the idea of adding more “things to do” on top of that felt overwhelming. Thought of course there is no obligation and some strategies are more appropriate or conducive with some books than others. The reality is I'm already doing a lot of the things you suggested so yay! The one that was newest to me is the idea of creating something based on my reading, like an art project, that sounds fun!
When you talked about exploring artistic works that are written into a story (22:21), I was reminded of Murakami’s _1Q84_ and how he would mention pieces of music that I would look up on RUclips and listen to. The main theme in chapter one was, famously, Sinfonietta by Janáček, a record that I had bought way back in college. Whenever I hear that music I will think of Aomame in the story.
this was such a wonderful video! i watched it a couple of days ago and returned to it now because it really crystallized, for me, what a reading journal can do and look like!! also - fabulous shirt 👼🏽
this came at a perfect timing in my reading life, and i felt so assured by you and your tips and tricks! feeling very inspired now to start a youtube channel to grow more as a reader and as a person. :) lovely video as always, sophie!
I sometimes copy some of my favorite passages in a notebook that I keep exclusively for that. I love owning the words, making them mine and "taking them into my body" as you so beautifully put it. Reading aloud is also something that I enjoy a lot, especially when it comes to poetry. My mother, who never reads poetry, is always appreciative when I read her a poem that I particularly like. On a totally different and unrelated note: I recently watched Alice Rohrwacher's "La Chimera" (great movie!) and for the whole screening, I was convinced that I had come across one of the actresses before even though I had never seen any of her other projects. Watching you now, I have realized that she just looks a lot like you (only brunette) !
exactly! there’s a different type of collection that happens when we reproduce the words in some way 🖤 i’m curious to know which character or actor 👀 it’s always really interesting to know who/what people think i look like!
Lots of very good ideas here. I definitely would like to experiment more with ways to savor the books i read during and afterward. I don't know what that would look like yet.
i think different books teach us to savor them in different ways. but in general, what i’ve found is that it often amounts to slowing down and rephrasing/recreating/sharing what you’ve read in some way. happy reading! 💗
Yess doing the good work recruiting more silly hens to the beautiful booktube 👏🏻 My only two cents to throw in is variety in book diet!! Feeling overwhelmed by too much litfic? Or of any one thing? Switch it up with different genres! Different themes! Tones! And view reading as getting to know an author as a person/voice.
i think i’ve heard you say that reading a book is like getting to know an author as a person / their voice (?), and i love it! you’re very right about diversifying styles/genres/themes/etc in book choices. i think that’s partially why i like to read a few books at once
I think this is the most thoughtful articulation on this subject I’ve come across in a while. I also appreciate that your video is titled “How *I* get more out of reading” rather than the more didactic (& typical of RUclips) “How *TO* get more out of reading”. The difference may be subtle but I think it’s meaningful!
@@NeilBruder thank you!! the title was very much purposeful: i think of my channel predominantly as a public journal of my experiences rather than a “teaching” protocol
@@bibliosophie I think more channels should adopt this attitude! Though I do understand the pressures of the algorithm, especially for those trying to earn a living from their channel.
first things first.... the shirt is the most fabulous thing I've seen today. Now, for the content of the video- lots of great insight as always. I go into books with no intention other than having an experience. I don't read to analyze. I do annotate, but more to have a conversation with the book than to analyze it. It's why I don't do any formal book reviews. I just read for the vibe. I'm in my 50s and I had many years of analyzing books...just not into that anymore. Not that it is wrong to do so, it's just not my thing anymore.
I, too, am an advocate of rereading. I don't do it often, but I do reread my favorites every few years. I get something new out a reread every time. I am also a DNF fan! Life is too short for books that don't please you. Sometimes it's a matter of putting it down and picking it up for I'm ready for it, but sometimes i just DNF and take it straight to the donation bin. :)
I also read several books at once. I have one book I read in the morning, one before bed, and usually essays and/or poetry to pick up in between when I have a few moments.
One thing I'd like to change about my reading is that I would love to read more slowly. Each year, I set this goal for myself instead of setting a goal for a certain number of books. I have not been super successful, but getting a little better at it.
ah yes, reading more slowly… a very good goal that i also vaguely have but also struggle with. it’s also because there are more or less beneficial ways of reading slowly. i do think that sometimes i slow down my overall reading but don’t actually get anything deeper. i’m just stagnating. reading is a little like swimming - you do have to have some forward momentum, or you’ll just sink
and thank you re shirt 🧡
I love what you’re saying about reading through a book and not worrying about not having understood *everything* but instead focussing on what you got out of it
@@MrBookaholic99 trying to strip reading trauma in as many ways as possible!
this video is so full of wisdom sophie - as someone with a terrible memory i appreciate the advocacy for not needing to remember every single thing about a book. i’ve found that writing reviews and making videos has forced me to slow down and truly sit with books and it’s been so rewarding
thank you! 🤗
i think a lot of us got into booktube/bookstagram in part to just track all the stuff we were reading and make ourselves keep some record of what we were thinking!
I love the expression "book monogamist"
😎
I love your advocacy for allowing the personal and not merely the practical in one's annotations, "making it a Proustian experience," as you say. It's nice to remember that books are for ourselves. So many years have been spent with books assigned and our comprehension graded. They do not have to serve strictly as such objects anymore. (I liked sneakily perusing your notes in the video; all your various meandering wonderings-thanks for sharing those.)
I'm glad you took on this subject and am grateful you shared our tag. You're awesome!
exactly exactly! diligent reading comprehension and data organization is of course hugely important (and in my opinion, largely under-taught), along with all its processes and rigors, but it’s not superfluous to have a sensual relationship to books, reading & learnt material
thanks for tag! i’ve really enjoyed watching others’ answers, too
Oooh thank you so much for participating! Can't wait to watch 🥰
i’ve been enjoying watching people’s responses to the tag!
reading wrong, YES!
i think we had a conversation ages ago about rereading and i took your advice and it has been a joy to go back to the books i've meant to revisit after tirelessly saying "i lOvE rEreAdinG iTs ImPorTaNt a BoOk iS nOt A oNE ofF tHinG!" even though i had not reread a single book in ages...but now is the time and the time feels right. the books feels richer, and so does life!
can't wait when we get the chance to reread a Lispector together!
ha ha ha i love not practicing what i preach myself 🙃 it’s so seductive not to reread books bc, well, there are so many others out in the world! ah the gluttony of the reader…
Loved these ideas-especially not having to remember everything that you read, and that taking away something can be as simple as a vibe! So excited for the book club!
💗 i will keep proclaiming it as loudly as i can: reading is not just one thing!!
book club is shaking up to be full of pretty delightful people 🤗
Wow Sophie, so many great suggestions! Some I already do and some that are very new to me. A bit overwhelming but in a great way!
i like a bit overwhelming but in a great way! those are the things i need to nudge myself to explore, too: how have i become stuck in my ways? what’s just a little bit uncomfortable in a way that will serve me?
would love to hear what felt new to you!
@@bibliosophie You made me consider more closely why the feeling was overwhelm. I think it’s because I have recently started doing a lot more active note taking and writing as I’m reading, in my notes app and on paper and it’s something that I’ve been doing and thinking about so actively lately, especially since I also started a booktube, that the idea of adding more “things to do” on top of that felt overwhelming. Thought of course there is no obligation and some strategies are more appropriate or conducive with some books than others. The reality is I'm already doing a lot of the things you suggested so yay! The one that was newest to me is the idea of creating something based on my reading, like an art project, that sounds fun!
When you talked about exploring artistic works that are written into a story (22:21), I was reminded of Murakami’s _1Q84_ and how he would mention pieces of music that I would look up on RUclips and listen to. The main theme in chapter one was, famously, Sinfonietta by Janáček, a record that I had bought way back in college. Whenever I hear that music I will think of Aomame in the story.
yes!! exactly! :)
this was such a wonderful video! i watched it a couple of days ago and returned to it now because it really crystallized, for me, what a reading journal can do and look like!! also - fabulous shirt 👼🏽
omg thank you!! 🥹 i love reading that!
This was super helpful and valuable to my future reading. Great ideas to enrich the reading experience. Thank you for this great video!
💗 thank you! i love to read this!
this came at a perfect timing in my reading life, and i felt so assured by you and your tips and tricks! feeling very inspired now to start a youtube channel to grow more as a reader and as a person. :) lovely video as always, sophie!
wonderful!! that’s so lovely to read!
Thankyou. Clarified my own approach. Gave me new ideas. I look forward to your first selection next month.
excellent! thanks for leaving this comment - it’s really nice to hear 😍
You've given me things to think about, ideas and tools. Thank
fabulous! thanks for letting me know!
brilliant subject for a video and a wonderful book club approach!
thank you!!
I got some great insight from your video! Will definitely incorporate some of them.
🤗 yayyy (i’m curious to know what things you want to incorporate 👀)
I sometimes copy some of my favorite passages in a notebook that I keep exclusively for that. I love owning the words, making them mine and "taking them into my body" as you so beautifully put it. Reading aloud is also something that I enjoy a lot, especially when it comes to poetry. My mother, who never reads poetry, is always appreciative when I read her a poem that I particularly like.
On a totally different and unrelated note: I recently watched Alice Rohrwacher's "La Chimera" (great movie!) and for the whole screening, I was convinced that I had come across one of the actresses before even though I had never seen any of her other projects. Watching you now, I have realized that she just looks a lot like you (only brunette) !
exactly! there’s a different type of collection that happens when we reproduce the words in some way 🖤
i’m curious to know which character or actor 👀 it’s always really interesting to know who/what people think i look like!
@@bibliosophie oops I forgot to mention, it was Carol Duarte who plays "Italia" !
Lots of very good ideas here. I definitely would like to experiment more with ways to savor the books i read during and afterward. I don't know what that would look like yet.
i think different books teach us to savor them in different ways. but in general, what i’ve found is that it often amounts to slowing down and rephrasing/recreating/sharing what you’ve read in some way. happy reading! 💗
Great video Sophie! 💫
thank you!
Yess doing the good work recruiting more silly hens to the beautiful booktube 👏🏻
My only two cents to throw in is variety in book diet!! Feeling overwhelmed by too much litfic? Or of any one thing? Switch it up with different genres! Different themes! Tones! And view reading as getting to know an author as a person/voice.
i think i’ve heard you say that reading a book is like getting to know an author as a person / their voice (?), and i love it!
you’re very right about diversifying styles/genres/themes/etc in book choices. i think that’s partially why i like to read a few books at once
excellent shirt :)
oh hi! and thank you 🧡
Just found you! That lipstick with that shirt - I instantly trust your taste haha.
ha ha i love to hear it! sometimes you’ve got to judge a book[lover] by her cover :)
Hi Sophie, I like your shirt a lot.
thank you! me too :)