I read multiple books at a time—fiction, nonfiction, poetry—using a variety of formats: paper, Kindle, Audible, Libby, and Speechify. I start my day with nonfiction, listen to audiobooks on my commute, and find that I get more housework done when I’m listening to a book than when I’m not. Sometimes I listen as I fall asleep, choosing a cozy book I’ve read before as a comforting bedtime story that soothes this lifelong insomniac, helping to slow my thoughts as I drift toward dreams.
(I must say that even as I approach reading strategies for busy people in this post, I’ve also learned the importance of silence and stillness, of taking time to be with myself, my thoughts, and the world. There’s a time for each.)
Writers need to read
For me, reading serves many purposes: the sheer pleasure of it, studying elements of craft and genre, staying abreast of what’s happening in publishing and the market, and supporting fellow authors. It expands and enriches my experience of the world, deepens my empathy, and fosters personal growth, knowledge, and new perspectives. I read to bask in the beauty and music of language and its ability to paint the world in words.
It all counts, no matter the form
There are plenty of opinions on how to read. Some people swear by reading books in paper form only, rejecting e-readers. (I was one of them until about two years ago when the Kindle Scribe came out and I could mark up a book with a stylus and take notes!) Some bring their e-reader everywhere, a streamlined way to reduce clutter or luggage and always have something new to read. And then there’s audiobooks. During my MFA, I encountered people who opposed them, believing that books should be experienced through words on a page. I understand their arguments, including the idea that we can learn more about craft by seeing the words as the author intended. However, I believe that literacy and being well-read are so valuable that any method of absorption is preferable to whatever barriers might otherwise get in the way—like those who struggle to read or find it daunting, leading them to read less than they otherwise would.
My approach, by genre and category
Fiction
- Craft and Language: Beautiful prose and elegant writing styles have always drawn me into a book. There’s no better way to experience a masterfully written work than to slow down and savor the sentences, the music of the language, and the structure of the composition by sitting down with a hardcover or paperback. Some recent reads that fall into this category are Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier, Deathless by Catherynne M. Valente, and Thistlefootby GennaRose Nethercott. (If I do listen to a book in this category, such as The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt, I pay attention to the prose, its style, and expert craft while listening, knowing that I can go back to the book, open it anywhere, and examine it further.)
- Plot and Story: While in the MFA program, I read widely across genres, absorbing the feel of plot, structure, and pacing; familiarizing myself with genre expectations; studying the publishing landscape of the past few years; and noting the stories, genres, eras, writing styles, and authors who inspire me or capture my interest. The format—paper versus audiobook—depends. I listened to A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas, for example, to see what all the fuss was about, but wouldn’t have taken the time to read a hard copy. After reading Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia, I decided to do an author study and am listening my way through all her audiobooks to see how she expertly crafts compelling works that entice readers with their glamorous, gritty, and sometimes dangerous worlds, intriguing characters, and cinematic writing style.
Nonfiction
- Deep Study: When I’m reading nonfiction that’s dense with ideas I want to let sink deeply, I’ll read slowly with a pen in hand. Books like The Dance of the Dissident Daughter: A Woman’s Journey from Christian Tradition to the Sacred Feminine by Sue Monk Kidd fall into this category.
- Curiosity: If I’m following my curiosity and don’t feel the need for a deep study (as with books like Once Upon a Prime: The Wondrous Connections Between Mathematics and Literature by Sarah Hart), or if I’m already reading other books and can’t get to it for a while, I’ll start with an audiobook. If the topic truly interests me, I might buy a hard copy to refer back to. If Women Rose Rooted by Sharon Blackie and The Heroine with 1001 Faces by Maria Tatar are good examples of this approach.
Poetry
- Paper. Always. And sometimes reading it aloud.
Memoir
- I almost exclusively listen to memoirs, wanting to hear the first-person account of an author’s experience told to me, often in their voice if they’re also reading the audiobook. (Splinters by Leslie Jamison is a great example.)
Additional considerations
Books my kids are reading
- Sometimes, I’ll listen to the audiobook versions of what my kids are reading, such as Ghost by Jason Reynolds and Blended by Sharon M. Draper. This allows me to connect with them in a special way and model a love of literature.
Book clubs
- I participate in several book clubs and love being introduced to books that I otherwise might not read, as well as connecting with others who love reading. I usually listen to the audio versions, especially when I’m not particularly interested in the book. For me, keeping an open mind and connecting with others is important, and the audiobooks allow me to experience a book I otherwise wouldn’t sit down to read. Examples include The Ministry for the Futureby Kim Stanley Robinson and Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese—a brilliant book I otherwise would have missed!
Books I struggle with
- Occasionally, I begin reading a book that, for some reason or another, I struggle with but still want to experience. This happened with The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms by N.K. Jemisin, an author whose work I had heard many good things about. I initially didn’t click with the writing style, but when I switched to the audio format and listened to the narrator tell the story, its characters and world—full of love and longing—came alive in a way that still touches my heart. I had a similar experience with The Paper Palace by Miranda Cowley Heller, a book I abandoned but later decided to revisit in audio form and am so glad I did.
The “should” books
- There are some books I feel like I should read for various reasons, or ones I’m curious about but not interested in sitting down to read. Jane Austen falls into this category for me. I’d read some of her novels but am not a “Janeite,” yet I still wanted to know her oeuvre. Listening proved a helpful way to familiarize myself with her work and characters, even if I wasn’t doing it for the sake of pleasurable reading.
Of course, by listening to audiobooks, I sometimes wish I’d experienced a beautiful book in paper form. But I let go of the guilt and embrace the fact that I have an insatiable curiosity and love the written word. It’s also my craft and what I do. I’m a writer through and through. By implementing these reading strategies for busy people, I’ve managed to absorb many books, and my life is all the richer for it.
Image: Canva