Maggie O’Brien
I can’t recall a time in the past ten years when I haven’t been reading a book. I have no interest in knowing a nightstand free of haphazardly-stacked novels due to the careful influence of my parents.
My mother, a kindergarten teacher of 32 years, passionately values children’s literacy. Despite ever-increasing odds, she attempts to foster a desire to read in every one of her students.
Naturally, as soon as I started learning how to read, she began filling the house with books. As an early reader, some of my favorites included “Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?,” “Spot,” “Goodnight Moon,” “Frog and Toad,” and “Curious George” books.
I read my dearest books over and over, and soon developed an interest in an array of genres and authors. My enthusiasm delighted my mother, and her support encouraged me to remain infatuated with books.
My mother adored reading just as much as she promoted it. She spent many summer afternoons on the deck beneath a large sunhat, flicking through pages of her current read while I swam or played outside.
Like clockwork, my dad read himself to sleep every night. Not a single night of my childhood went by without seeing him tucked into bed with a historical fiction novel or a mystery. Though these were his preferred genres, I watched him read anything from “Harry Potter” to “Atlas Shrugged,” and unconsciously noticed the value in every genre of literature.
The author as a young reader.
I yearned to be just like them, devouring every book within sight. For a time, I did. But the beginning of high school marked a sudden shift in my presently constant reading habits.
While venturing into my freshman year of high school, I felt small and powerless as lengthy textbook readings and monstrous study guides led me to cast away my beloved novels.
After completing mounds of homework nightly, opening my current read began to feel far too overwhelming. So, though I was still incredibly fond of reading for pleasure, I reluctantly pushed it aside as I grew older and busier.
My lapse in reading for pleasure during the school year unfortunately became a recurring one, and continued all the way into college. Plenty of my friends, colleagues, and even professors share this unwanted experience.
If you have noticed a similar decline or change in your reading habits, and want to restore your love of reading for pleasure, chances are you are not alone.
It’s important to acknowledge exactly why you may read for pleasure less now than before. This confrontation can happen however you’d like it to; journal about it, chat about it with friends or peers, or simply ponder when the change occurred.
Verbalizing, writing, or thinking about your reading habits may illuminate whether your lapse in reading for pleasure is constant or situational. With your newly realized awareness, you can make the most of the following suggestions on how to inspire and sustain reading for pleasure.
Take a book to go
This summer, one of my go-to activities after working at McIntyre Library involved heading to a park with a book. I’d nestle into my hammock at Domer Park or splay out on a quilt atop the grass at Rod & Gun Park and read for hours. I enjoyed this venture alone, or with a friend or two beside me.
During the school year, I spend plenty of time doing homework in coffee shops, but I try to carve out a few hours a week where I leave my backpack behind and bring only my current read with me.
This habit ensures I devote time to reading my “fun” books without feeling as if I’m neglecting my ever-present pile of homework. If you’re a student, give this idea a go when you find yourself struggling to make time for reading for pleasure during the semester.
My go-to coffee shop is SHIFT, but you can find dozens of reader-friendly joints on Water Street and Downtown.
The possibilities are endless as to where you can journey with your read, since books are conveniently portable. For readers fond of the outdoors, Eau Claire is home to a bounty of wonderful parks, and Visit Eau Claire offers a beautifully organized list of all of them.
If you prefer reading indoors or want to be prepared with locations to frequent when the temperatures drop to frigid levels, consider the two lovely libraries in Eau Claire: McIntyre Library on the UW-Eau Claire campus for students and L.E. Phillips Memorial Public Library for everyone.
Depending on the setting of your excursion, the subtle sounds of rushing water or clinking coffee mugs may just lull you into a dreamy state of concentration, as happens to me.
Read what you enjoy
During the beginning of my second year of college as an English student, there existed a period in which I did not allow myself to read books that I did not deem “purposeful.”
After reading Tuck and Yang’s “Decolonization Is Not a Metaphor” and Karla Cornejo Villavicencio’s “The Undocumented Americans,” I felt as if I had too much to learn from literature to make time for “fun” books.
My new standards for the literature I consumed ruled out much of what I typically would reach for during the school year.
“A year later, I’ve realized that reading for pleasure is what keeps my mental health afloat amidst a sea of textbook chapters and theory-heavy readings. If I yearn to read a light-hearted YA novel or short book of poetry at the end of the day to decompress, I will. ”
A year later, I’ve realized that reading for pleasure is what keeps my mental health afloat amidst a sea of textbook chapters and theory-heavy readings. If I yearn to read a light-hearted YA novel or short book of poetry at the end of the day to decompress, I will.
The books we reach for when we feel overwhelmed or heavy-headed are simply indicative of the comfort we require at the moment. It is always my intention to avoid gatekeeping reading to nonfiction, jargon-filled literature, and to honor imaginative novels for their entertaining nature.
Anna Zook, Arts Librarian at McIntyre Library and Assistant Professor at UW-Eau Claire, nearly always has a book to pick up on the hold shelf, so I turned to her perspective on keeping up with her reading habits.
“I’ve always had a next book I was reading,” Zook said. “Even in college, when I had assigned reading, I had something that I was reading for pleasure.”
Zook explained that her reading habits remained the same and did not dwindle, but she favored one genre over the others.
“Back then it was a lot of short stories. A lot of Raymond Carver and Flannery O’Connor,” Zook said. “The way I managed it in college was to read short stories more than anything else.”
Zook said that the number of short stories she read dropped off post-college and graduate school, in exchange for novels. This was a result of gaining a bit of time back after graduating.
“The way I manage it now is by reading myself to sleep every single night,” Zook said.
Zook asserted that reading has been incredibly important for her mental health since childhood, and this awareness has supported her consistent reading into adulthood.
“For work, I’ll read scholarly articles or things that will help make me a better teacher or trends in information literacy, but I always have something fun I’m reading that I’ll enjoy, that I can escape into,” Zook said.
Zook has maintained her habit of reading for pleasure by prioritizing it from early college. It wasn’t a habit she had to restart simply because she never broke it from the time she was taught to read.
Most notably, Zook read what interested her and suited her situation intuitively. She never tried to force heavy reading upon her weary mind, and the result was a sustained practice of reading for pleasure.
Stay in tune with your local literary communities
If you’re struggling to prioritize reading for pleasure, maybe what you’re missing is inspiration. Luckily, Eau Claire and the Chippewa Valley happen to be hubs for literary events. I stumbled into Eau Claire having no idea just how warm and welcoming the literary community is here. Now, I benefit from the support of this community daily.
Let these organizations and establishments do the heavy lifting for you and just attend their carefully-crafted events for a glimmer of inspiration.
You may leave with the sudden urge to pick up your current read at home, or even with a newly-purchased book tucked beneath your arm after an author bears their soul to you during a book talk.
There are a number of places in Eau Claire that put together and host events for the literary community.
For one, Eau Claire is home to two spectacular libraries: L.E. Phillips Memorial Public Library and UW-Eau Claire’s McIntyre Library.
Mcintyre Library recently won the 2024 Wisconsin Library Association Library of the Year Award out of 2000 Wisconsin libraries. This award goes to show just how special this library is, and if you’re not convinced, McIntyre Library also sponsors a Book Club called Subversive Book Club.
Subversive Book Club highlights banned literature and meets to discuss the selected reads for the semester. What better way exists to sustain your pleasure reading habits than a loosely structured book club?
L.E. Phillips Memorial Public Library hosts seven different online and in-person book clubs for various ages and interests if that idea piques your interest. Additionally, the community library holds multiple literary events weekly. Check out its event calendar if this intrigues you.
The Chippewa Valley Book Festival is teeming with opportunities to engage in the literary community and get motivated to read. This yearly festival is a celebration of writing and features a hybrid schedule of events to reach everyone, everywhere.
CVBF’s mission is to “encourage reading, writing, and engagement,” so this organization is literally aiming to help you sustain healthy reading habits.
The Chippewa Valley Writers Guild, a haven of support for writers in the Chippewa Valley area, sponsors literary events year-round. Take a look at the Guild’s website to see upcoming Guild events.
Even The Spectator, UW-Eau Claire’s student-run newspaper is a wonderful resource if you’re seeking book recommendations. The Op/Ed section features a column called “Book Club,” which former CVWG intern Gracie Schutte used to write weekly.
I co-authored “Book Club” last year and discussed my favorite books and authors, novels I read for class, and the value of reading. Skimming through old articles of “Book Club” is an excellent way to find recommendations of all genres from various perspectives while learning a thing or two.
Remember this hearty list of recommendations if you ever find yourself stuck in a reading rut or are feeling eager to get involved in the literary community and don’t know where to start.
Build a reading routine
The author among the stacks.
Though it may seem a bit excessive, planning out time to read can be an excellent starting point. Chances are you have your entire life scheduled out on your phone or computer. Consider blocking out an hour or so each day for reading.
Scheduling reading may make it feel like more of a priority. If reading time is nestled between meetings, classes, and other activities, it should be regarded equally.
The term “reading” can become convoluted for those with academic or workplace readings to complete at home. Making time for school or work reading and “fun” reading by cutting off the former at a certain point may be a good way to start.
Your routine doesn’t have to be scheduled out to the minute, though. The intent is to prioritize reading for pleasure consistently. This might indicate adjusting your habits. The examples that follow suggest a few simple swaps.
If you’re catching the bus somewhere, try picking up your current read rather than scrolling on your phone.
Perhaps you’ve just gotten home from school or work and need a break from the mania of these settings. Nothing can simultaneously quiet and excite your mind in the way a good book can.
Think of prioritizing reading as a form of self-care. Make it an occasion. Light some candles, brew a warm drink, and cozy up. Taking a few simple steps to get into the reading mindset may enhance your experience significantly.
Altogether, being intentional about the way you approach reading has the potential to aid in restoring or sustaining your reading habits.
Lately, I’ve been reading myself to sleep to prioritize reading for pleasure with the limited time I have. In experiencing the delightful way time stretches with the promise of ‘just one more page,’ I’ve come to recall the bliss of reading as a child.
It’s time to turn the page
You may have noticed a consistent theme in all of the tips: Read however and whatever you need to reclaim the easy joy it once brought you.
Reading for pleasure should be pleasurable. Make use of the wonderful literary resources and places to read in Eau Claire and find inspiration wherever you can.
It’s time to turn the page on feeling guilty for not reading enough. This year, take the time to restore your reading habit by following these tips and celebrate however far you get.