Many of us loved reading as children and slowly lost the habit to screens and busy lives. Simple, realistic ways to fall in love with books again — even with just 15 minutes a day.
When I was in school, I read everything I could find — storybooks, magazines, old newspapers, even the paper wrapped around groceries. Somewhere between college, career and smartphones, that habit quietly disappeared. One day I realised that I hadn't finished a full book in a long time, yet I was scrolling for hours every day.
That realisation hurt a little. As someone who writes stories and poetry, I knew reading was the water that keeps writing alive. So I decided to bring books back into my life. Here is what worked.
📚 Why Reading Still Matters
In a world full of short videos and quick posts, reading a book feels slow. That slowness is exactly its value.
- Deep focus: reading trains our attention, which constant scrolling weakens.
- Empathy: stories let us live inside another person's mind and life.
- Better thinking and writing: good reading improves how we speak and write.
- Calm: a book before bed is far more relaxing than a bright screen.
🌱 Start Small — Really Small
My mistake in earlier attempts was setting big goals like "50 books this year". I would start with energy and give up by February. This time, I started with just 15 minutes a day.
Fifteen minutes is about 10–15 pages for most people. That can add up to well over a dozen books in a year. Small and steady wins.
📖 Choose Books You Actually Enjoy
Many people stop reading because they force themselves through "important" books that bore them. Reading again should feel like a pleasure, not homework.
- Start with genres you loved as a child — adventure, detective stories, humour.
- Read in your mother tongue too. Reading Tamil novels and short stories again brought back a special joy for me.
- Short story collections are perfect for busy people — one story, one sitting.
- If a book doesn't hold you after 50 pages, it's okay to stop and pick another.
📱 Make Space by Reducing Screen Time
The time for reading has to come from somewhere, and for most of us, it comes from the phone. A few things helped me:
- Keeping a book on the bedside table and the phone charging in another room.
- Replacing the first 15 minutes of evening scrolling with reading.
- One phone-free day a week — I describe it in my phone-free Sunday.
E-readers and reading apps are fine too, but turn off notifications while reading.
🏛️ Use Libraries and Book Fairs
Books don't have to be expensive. District and branch public libraries have a wide collection, often for a small membership fee. The Chennai Book Fair, usually held in January, and other book fairs across Tamil Nadu are wonderful places to discover new authors. Second-hand bookshops and swapping books with friends are also great options.
👨👩👧 Reading as a Family
Children copy what we do, not what we say. When they see parents reading, they pick up books naturally. In our home, a short family reading time after dinner — everyone with their own book — has become one of my favourite parts of the day. It also helps with managing kids' screen time without fights.
“A book is a quiet friend who waits patiently until you return.”
✍️ Remember What You Read
- Underline or note lines that touch you.
- After finishing a book, write three things you learned or felt.
- Talk about books with friends — it makes the ideas stay longer.
🌱 Takeaway
You don't need hours or big goals to become a reader again. Fifteen minutes a day, books you genuinely enjoy, less scrolling and a little family reading time are enough. Pick up one book today — the joy you thought you lost is still waiting between its pages.
Software engineer by skill, storyteller by soul. I write about life, health, money and technology from my own experience — and build free tools you can use every day.
