How I went from being a voracious reader as a child, completely quitting reading in college, and finally getting back into it as an adult: 1) Upgraded to books written for adults. YA doesn’t do much for me anymore because (surprise) I’m no longer a teenager. Even tho it sounds obvious now, it took me a while to figure out that my taste had matured 2) Realized that although I wasn’t reading books, I still spent hours reading news articles, social media posts, technical reports, and rambling tumblr rants. My brain was still getting fed reading material, just not in book form. So whenever I felt the urge to doomscroll through news articles, I redirected to a book 3) Hopped on the ebook train. I will always prefer physical books, but... ebooks are so convenient, and if my main obstacle to reading a particular book is the amount of time it takes for a physical copy to make it into my hands, then I get an ebook. I can check out ebooks from the library, too! 4) Use the internet to prevent reading shitty books. I also have a fear of wasting my time reading a trash book, but now I can quickly search up metadata info on a book with StoryGraph, or read the first few pages on Amazon. I also know myself better as an adult compared to when I was younger, so I can more quickly and confidently identify books that I’ll like or dislike. 5) Read webtoons! They’re more accessible than books (it’s on my phone and more fast-paced), but it’s a great stepping stone between instant gratification type content (ahem... tik tok) and more long-form media like books. Retraining my goldfish attention span in the digital age is a constant process, and sometimes jumping straight to a book just doesn’t work.
ebooks are amazing! highlight evverrrything annotations galore. PLUS YOU CAN JUST FIND THE WORDS BY SEARCHING FOR IT! I need to use that storygraph feature more wow! These tips are gold. tysm for watching
YES to literally everything on this! I abandon books left and right with no guilt too, I earlier had this compulsion to finish every book I start and then at 18 or wtv i fell into the self help theory wtv section of non fiction and by God those books are endless and I never finished anything and my bookstagram and booktube was all YA so I never found good recs.. And there was also the, "why would I read a story when I can just watch a story in shows/movies" so that's where my time went. Understanding that and getting better book recs for people my age just fixed my slump right away and webtoons have been a constant since I found them ❤️
this is why I resist the urge to make a spreadsheet or make a goodreads to track my reading - I'm terrified of losing my love for reading by making it into just another task to be completed. Reading can just be for fun, it doesn't matter whether you're reading fanfiction or classics, and we shouldn't have to feel like reading has to be 'productive' to be worth it
the g stands for "gabbie hannah made me hate reading" but for real, maybe you're just taking a break? i also used to make art a lot but since 3 years or so i had to focus on more "important" things (like university for example) and i stopped making art. i've been trying to go back to learning digital painting though because i still enjoy painting. i assume it's a cicle?
Same! Uni took all my time so I stopped reading and drawing. Last year because of quarantine I managed to do a little bit of both, but it's still not the same as before
I feel this. I had a reading slump that lasted 2-3 years and I just couldn't bring myself to read a book past the first couple chapters. Last year, because of quarantine, I managed to force myself to read more and I surprisingly managed to get back into the groove of reading. I read more books last year than the past 3 years combined. But it's just not the same anymore. Because even so, I'll still periodically fall back to the reading slump that might last anywhere between a couple of weeks to months. The reading slump started because of school but I guess it's also partly because somewhere along the way I've replaced books with dramas. I don't know anymore. Also, even if you don't make book related videos anymore, I'll still be here supporting you because I came for the book related videos but I stayed for you, Divya!!
I don't have any tips other than: read if you feel like reading, don't feel guilty if you don't. In 2019 I read only one book, in 2020 I read 9, my reading slumps come and go as they please and I just let them. Reading is a hobby so we shouldn't be stressed about it, it really is not that deep
Ok but like are we soul sisters or what? I related to every single thing you said in this video. Being an avid and i mean AVID reader when i was younger and that being my whole personality, suddenly stopping because of social media addiction (that led to my very short attention span but we're not gonna talk about that) and now not knowing who i am or what I'm good at and just trying to make myself look and act less like a dumptruck. ✊😔
i was very proud of my butthole metaphor. thank you. also I'm highkey tempted to read the psychology of twilight. how many books did you guys read last year?
I finished like two, let's be real. My problem was that I many many times started reading a book, enjoyed it, put it down and never picked it up again lol
One coz i have the same awful dilemna like u. I just think that if i'm using my time for something can't be monetize is a time wasted. Is awful that it kinda affects my growth. As 20 year old its confusing, the adult life. G for growth stunted.
I’m kinda in this phase where nothing I used to like brings me joy anymore and I honestly don’t know how to fix it. I want to find joy in those things I just can’t. Also the monetizing hobbies thing gets me every time. I absolutely love my plants and so a bunch of people in my life are telling me to go to college and get a job in agriculture (big thing where I live) and they’ve done those with every hobby I’ve ever had in my life. I guess the only tips I have is... distract yourself until it feels better and you get that urge to start reading again. Talking with friends, making something, movies etc. till one day you want to read again.
You should be able to just like plants! The way everything has to become career oriented makes us feel guilty that we are not "fulfilling our potential" and it can get super exhausting. By all means, we should be striving to be our best and make "smart choices" but damn you can just like some things without needing a reward but your own self enjoyment and peace.
My biggest tip for anti-self depreciation is making jokes about how great you are. Humble bragging over the dumbest minute thing is so much better for yourself
not saying my mental health is GOOD but I read this tip on tumblr in like 2015 and looking in the mirror at an acne-ridden, puffy-eyed face and proclaiming “wow I’m kind of obsessed with how gorgeous I am” is exactly the same amount of funny but stops me thinking in terms of listing flaws
I absolutely agree! I still make self deprecation jokes a lot but they stopped happening as often when I started making jokes about how great I am for spelling my name right on this fine wednesday morning in an english class full of my degenerate friends lmfao. I also make jokes about me doing stupid or strange things but making it into an accomplishment. "Damn I just tripped over my own feet in the COOLEST way bro you can't even imagine how hot I looked bodyslamming into the concrete" It has potential to make me feel worse but honestly for me its so funny to act like I was graceful and deserve an award for dying.
When anyone asks me about my hobbies I still say I like to read even though I haven’t been an avid reader since starting university because there was no time. And now I’m 23 and can’t find a book I relate to or a book that doesn’t make me think they are toxic for teens who don’t know any better yet.
university is honestly super intense! and i am in the saaame boat about the book stuff. or like the plot sounds good i never just dedicate time for myself to really even start it. i hope you find something you like soon
@@itsdivyag yea, I do too much academic reading so I am in a point where I no longer enjoy reading cuz it reminds me uni life, I consider reading activity as studying now
I stopped reading years ago. Why? I'm a writer, but I get no enjoyment from reading. It's a constant thought of "how many pages left" for me, and that's really stupid.
The whole of last year, i just couldn't find the joy of reading as I did when I was 17. I think like there was a burst of energy when I was hospitalised towards the end of year and one night I was like "I can't actually just be watching Tik Tok videos for the next couple of weeks....right?" so I asked my sister to bring a few books from and surprise me. I actually fell back into reading, non-stop, even after I was discharged. Just books after books after books. Till recently when my Medical Leave came to end and the reality of going back to work was looming close. Now, I just don't have the time to do it but it's okay, I tell myself. So, for the past week, I've been nicer to myself and try to treat myself to like 30 - 40 mins a day of reading, just to distract myself from overthinking and overworking myself too much. It's not a lot but it's a good start. And it cool sis. We stayed for the humour, I mean, I did.
I think what really helped me read again is that I accepted that you can just put a book down if you don't like it and start another one. Books are supposed to serve YOU and not feel like a burden
This is something I relate to too much and I hate it because I’m only 16 and I feel like I should have more time. It’s just so hard to take a book and completely delve into a story, just like I did, say, even three years ago.
Right! Circumstances do change though you're probably going through different life events right now and your time has been shifted to other things. Maybe its friendships or academics or even just other hobbies. Don't feel to hard on yourself
The "your personality is no longer just reading" hit me hard... I used to read so much and since I started uni I kind of stopped reading so much. And now (four years later) when people ask "what are your hobbies?" I still say reading but immediately after I realize that I do not read so it is not my hobby anymore and I am lost because this was such a huge defining part of my life and now it's gone...
I’m not sure if you’ve been diagnosed with ADHD yet or I’m mega projecting or maybe the neurodiverse experience is constantly overlapping but yes (even though I actually did read like 10 books in 2020, the shift from mostly books to mostly AO3 has been instrumental!! in my development/regression as a person) Edit: typos
Yeah, me too. I still love books, but they feel like a much bigger commitment than they did when I was growing up. Probably because I know now they'll either suck my brain so I can't do anything else until I finish or uh, I'll wander off and have to start from the beginning again when I remember the book's existence because I've forgotten all the characters' names and what was happening when I left. 😅
wow these comments are super insightful guys. do you find difficulty in concentration? i'd be sooo curious to hear more about how ADHD affects you, if you don't mind
@@itsdivyag I don’t want to make you regret asking that by info-dumping/venting, but you really can’t expect a person you know has ADHD to write a concise comment, so... [Rereading this, you might have meant “with books” but then this is a pretty good case study in “inability to understand directions”] Personally, I actually don’t feel like I struggle much with concentration itself (though everyone is different). I think the “not being able to concentrate” bit is a little overhyped in general, (ADHD is less “attention deficiency,” as the name suggests, and way more “dopamine deficiency,” etc) but i also don’t personally experience it that way. It’s more like a) I don’t tend to try to concentrate, it just happens or it doesn’t without me realizing b) if i can’t concentrate, it’s because I don’t really want to, and I tend not to push myself that way c) but if I do try to force myself, it’s more draining than difficult My ADHD tends to affect me the most in terms of executive function, or the lack theoref. Procrastination regardless of motivation, no motivation at all, no long-term sense of time, etc. Plus, the secret parts of ADHD no one warns you about - Emotional dysregulation! Rejection sensitivity and hyper-fixating/hyper-focusing on people... are not the exact same thing, but do not help Indirectly, i think my concentration is affected by my emotional dysregulation, if anything. It takes up a lot of my mental space - focusing enough even while managing my emotions, or not managing my emotions and not even wanting to focus. That, and intrusive thoughts. I recognize I used a lot of language here that might be unfamiliar, and also my experience is inherently limited, so to anyone who’s interested, I’d recommend @ADHD_alien, @abcsofadhd, @HowtoADHD, @samdylanfinch on Twitter and Instagram (and in HowtoADHD’s case, UA-cam). “ADDitude” is also informative, but has less personal accounts
I literally just went through a reading slump of sorts near the end of last year, even though I was going pretty strong in the first half of the year. I really recommend reading things that you really like: not things that are new or trending on book tube or wherever. Starting with guilty pleasures have always worked for me. I eventually start to read actually good books and get into a groove after a while. Anyway, good vid mate.
Once I started uni I stopped reading as much cause I became so busy. I picked up on reading a bit in 2018-2019 but didn't read as many novels as I use too. I feel like many people can relate, so don't worry maybe one day you'll find a new genre or series that will spark your interest again
I also have been having a very very hard timing reading a book. I always say to myself that I have no time to read although i spend time a lot on my phone and its so hard not gonna lie i feel so guilty at times. I have so many books laying around waiting for me to read them but whenver i start my phone distracts me and i hate that so freaking much I hope i get over my slump and I hope you do too!! And i totally feel what you feel mate anyways love from india!!!!
i got over a massive slump beginning of last year and what really helped me was reading short stories! i felt like i had Read Something without stressing out too much about time also, graphic novels
I think forcing yourself to read books you aren’t interested in anymore is stupid, reading should be fun. I used to enjoy ya when I was 11-15 and I'm 18 now and I'm much more interested in adult literature especially adult fantasy and historical fiction. I also try my best to get books from charity shops or second hand so I dont feel bad about the environment or giving money to amazon.
I can definitely relate. I also feel like every book I kinda want to read is a waste of time so I don't really bother anymore. The only times I really pick up a book are when I'm trying to "escape" my life for a bit. Also, I usually need to set aside too much time to get to know these characters that I'm not even sure I'm going to like, so that gets in the way as well. I've been trying to read more. I do think some quality spare time is always welcome - and I've had great experiences with books, I don't want to give up on them entirely. So I've been trying to read books that I think will help me in some way. Be it because they are thought to be amazing and might help me reflect on my life or on art, or because they will help me disconnect and relax for a little bit. I've started giving up on books as well. As a teen I refused to give up on a book. Even if I hated it, I would read it until the end "so I could hate it properly". Now I try to focus my time on things that I actually enjoy or that contribute to my growth or leisure. Reading only 15 minutes a day helps me feel like I'm still investing time in this, but it also prevents that I feel like I'm wasting my time reading. But yeah. It's been harder.
Yes the giving up on books that aren't doing it for you is so important! It's like we do it so easily to movies but for books it feels like an investment because we have to pay for each book so there's also the cost benefit analysis too.
It took me SO LONG to get back into reading after I finished my lit degree honestly. After only reading set texts for three years it was really difficult to go back to choosing stuff lol. I did read some good stuff for uni though so
"everyone's successes becomes a failure of my own" this resonated with me and it pains me that our generations are victims of this. you totally nailed that emotion. but also i thought you said junk c*ck
"...when we were younger we did things so freely with so much creative spirit...because we weren't burdened by the lies of this world"....you joke but it's so true haha. The greatest lesson I've learned is to go back to that younger self. I truly believe a lot of the answers we are seeking about our purpose and our true passions can be found there. I also really relate with that pressure of monetisation...we want to create freely cause that's our true nature so we should nurture that. If you are drawn to reading a book just do it...if you are passionate and want to learn that is never a wasted. When you're older you'll be able to use those skills or knowledge to help or connect with people or even create something. When we were kids we had a limitless mentality...tap back into that and don't let the world hold you back cause you're honestly so talented :)
for me, I've gotten so spoiled by fanfiction that a lot of YA books nowadays aren't satisfying. I like being able to filter out certain tags, search specifically for a trope or genre, or select the kind of universe I want the story to be in. And I like how noncommital it is. I don't have a due date to return the book by, I don't feel awful wasting $17 on a book I didn't like--I can just click out of the fic. And honestly, I've read some really good quality fanfics and seen some phenomenal writing (I've also read absolute trash too but that applies to real books as well so) so I still feel like I'm learning and experiencing new styles and delving into psychology and characterization, etc etc. I still read a ton...I just don't read actual real books much anymore. Edit: also, I'm ace, so by "satisfying" I wasn't referring to smut, just the overall quality of a story or the characterization or simply the genre/specific tropes utilized
Yeah for me it was studies that made me stop reading and stop drawing. From GCSEs to A Levels to my degree... it felt like a non-stop rollercoaster where I was procrastinating doing the work I needed to do, but by bingeing media which ultimately brought me no joy and made me feel even more like shit about not doing more 'important' stuff or more 'necessary' chores like studying. I couldn't bring myself to do something I really wanted to do, like read, because for some reason that just made me feel anxious and I couldn't bring myself to do it. HOWEVER, after graduating and finding a job (something I had difficulty managing but God am I grateful for it), I found that since I was now doing what I was 'supposed' to do - have a job in a field my family approve of (teaching) - I don't have that same feeling of pressure or anxiety or guilt when I want to read or draw. So I ran with that and I've never drawn so much or read so much in my life. I don't have any proper solutions, but I will say that the first step is always the hardest. I didn't start WANTING to read, I set myself a quota of 100 pages a day of a book in my TBR pile. I didn't enjoy it but I did it. Gradually it became easier for me and I began to enjoy myself once more. This is what worked for me - I don't know if this is helpful or just rambling but I thought I would share, because you never know what someone could take away from your experiences. :)
I feel this! Congrats on graduation and finding your path! Uni is deffo taking up a lot right now. The quota thing is so good because sometimes you just have to do it.
this is fascinating, because 2020 was the year i first completed a Goodreads challenge in the five years i've set them. and i should feel good about myself, but the thing is... i didn't feel fulfilled, really. i thought that i would feel accomplished. and yet... sure, i reached a number of books read. but i hateread books (lmao hello adultolescence) with the thought in the back of my mind that they'd help me reach the goal; i didn't dnf books i disliked so that i didn't 'waste' the time i spent reading them in order to reach the goal; i chose short books over long ones, published over unpublished. i feel like capitalism hacked my hobby: even though this brought me no profit, i just wanted to feel productive in the form of increasing my amount read, and this ate away at my choices and overall enjoyment. so i think i'm gonna be done with the goodreads challenge this year too, and just read whatever i read, and enjoy what i enjoy. it's super interesting how we reached the same conclusion from opposite experiences this year, and i wouldn't say that mine was more valuable than yours just because i read. onto being better to ourselves next year!!
gurl you are the besst doing book covers, i would hire you if i ever write one. Also, a thing that helped me read more and spend less time on social media was to reeeeaaaaally think about how it was affecting my life, and I started measuring the hours i spent there with things that i liked. Like, i could have watched 3 episodes of a kdrama instead of scrolling through instagram
honestly i'm kind of glad that i don't read as much anymore cause when i said goodbye to reading i said hello to netflix and my love for movies/series is unreal now. but like i stopped reading cause i already read all the good books in my school's library and now i am just too broke to buy some for myself so yeah ig i'll come back to reading.
i also have been through the same and it's tough. but if you really want to keep reading my advice is to start *now* , even with just 5 or 1 page per day. and repeat that every day. you gotta make this a habit and the best way to do that is going consistently, even if it's slow.
I’ve read 3 books last year also but I started reading again on January 1st and made myself a goal that I would read a book everyday this year even if it’s just one page. Making my goals small seems helping me so far. I also agree with the reading what you like part, I started reading nordic noir and never looked back 😂
for me, i read a decent amount in 2020 (for the first time in ages) because i made it part of my daily routine - i had heaps of online classes, and it hurt my eyes so i made myself take a phyisical break and sit with a book in between online classes. i started out with short story collections - SHORT stories where they're like 3 pages so you can just finish one small thing and then feel satisfied. after a while it became a habit. it definitely helped that i had a regular daily schedule already, and could work reading into that. like especially with having the mindset that i can keep spending time scrolling online but that i should just use a little bit of that time for reading, and then see how it goes. aNyWaY i graduated and everything is chaos for me rn lmaooo. but that's what i've been up to i guess also, regarding the vid, i really liked your point that it's actually ok not to read. it's not like you *have* to do it haha. personally i think you're v entertaining, no matter the topic of your vids! also i guess it's a bonus that your channel name doesn't reference reading so if you shifted away from book stuff, it'd not need any rebranding or whatever. all the best for this year!!
‘ending the guilt’ yes!!! honestly hoping for feelings of like... freedom and happiness for you, whether you put content online or not. this video was just well-worded and you yourself are lovely, so surely you’ve got this? 💪🏽 here’s to trying to be proud of ourselves amidst the capitalist agendas we inevitably curate.
I've definitely felt this way. I can start plenty of books, but I just can't finish them. I have no interest in doing so. So I think the way to get through is, oddly enough, just embracing it and don't force yourself. There's nothing less enjoyable than making yourself plow through a book, so it's better to just read when you're interested in something new, not when you feel like you have to.
Glad to know it's not just me that feels this way. Our school librarian let me take out like 10 books for the first lockdown. And I read two, and it was the 6 of crows duology that I already read 😂😂. Now the only books I read are the ones for my uni course 😭😭
I was in the exact situation, I would scroll through social media for hours, but not have time for books. So I decided to cut down on my social media time and read more. It did work for a while but sometimes I just cant be bothered to use my eyes to read lol so Ive been listening to audiobooks instead. It was a great decision to adopt audiobooks.
It's only the last few years I've managed to get back into reading - high school and tertiary education really messed with my fave hobby. Idk how I got back into it, so I have nothing to offer which could help you, but sometimes I know it helps me not to feel alone ❤️ Also fuck yeah, eat the rich, I'll drink to that bro!
This is such a big fat, not dump truck a$$, MOOD. And to be honest I'm still struggling with finding the right time for work/rest/enjoyment and balancing other things to add to that. I'm currently reading The Midnight Library by Matt Haig and it tells a story about how you can live different lives in multiple realities if you've chosen different decisions. It's pretty interesting and I hope you find the time to do the things you love and regain your passion back Divya 😊 also thankful for your videos that always give me a serotonin boost lmaoooo the goodreads jokes took me out
You probably get lots of book suggestions but I really enjoyed Witches of Eileanan by Kate Forsyth. It's kind of young adult style but for an older audience and was really gripping. Its also written in a Scottish accent kind of style if that makes sense so you can better hear their voices and make fun of the characters if you want. Probably won't see this but just like to say I really enjoy your videos!
I legit feel like I stopped both reading and doing art because of a combination of school getting harder and consuming more time and energy, and social media becoming such an easy way to spend all my free time 🚶🏻♀️
I was a bookworm in school, and always wanted to be an author. Wrote my first novel at 15, and writing remained strong while required reading/ADHD ruined my will to read. Then came anhedonia when I graduated HS, and my Enneagram-4 self began wondering, if every story has already been written, what's the point of trying to write something unique? Recently came out of writer's block, and finishing my first novel in years. I'm so invested in it, which is great, but getting back into reading is harder--even heartbreaking--because I try to read things I know I would like, but all I can think is, "I've read this story before." Seriously a catch-22, and anything else just resembles a block of strategically placed words. But at least I love writing for myself again. I realize my stories don't have to be NY bestsellers to mean something, so long as a select few around me enjoy them. 😊
A lot of people don’t care for nonfiction, but if you find a book about a topic you love, or one with a lot of pictures it can be very engaging! And they’re usually non super story based, so you can skip around!
!!! to be fair this is a good tactic then you don't have to spend money on it yourself so if you don't like it then... well.. that's okay it was a gift anyway so they wouldn't know if you wouldn't like it.... but then you have the guilt that it WAS a gift so you MUST read it and use it... and the cycle... continues
So this happened to me too in my post-collegiate life and I've never fully gone back to being the reader I once was (I'm 30 now). I think we can blame at least part of it on higher education, both because you're suddenly being forced to read a crap-ton of stuff you don't like and you're taking on new responsibilities--being an adult is generally time consuming. I also highly relate to your analysis that we start to only value hobbies that seem "productive," which is a huge problem that I'm now trying to break myself of. There's probably some social media dependence and possibly some ADHD adding to it as well. The only insight I really have is this: continuously beating yourself up doesn't work, in my experience. This is not to say that you shouldn't try to improve yourself, but coming at it from the perspective that you're failing somehow makes reading way less appealing. It's not work, and it shouldn't feel like work. I'm reading a lot fewer books, but the books I am reading, I do really enjoy!
During the period between last year march until now I slowed started running out of things to do so I began reading. I read more books during this period than I have in like 4 years (by that I mean like 5 books)
After middle school I kinda stopped reading bc I just started to despise ya books so much?? Idk after switching to other tropes it became more fun again but huh books aren’t my priority anymore
I think sometimes reading teste can change for time , but also it's ok you don't know A tip might help you (or those in reading slup) is reading sprints (in UA-cam or other social media)
I kind of stopped reading formally published for about 6 years and loved every minute of it. There was no obligation to finish a 300+ page novel every other week and I got to explore other forms of storytelling like manga, website articles, magazines, webtoons, fanfics etc. I consumed what I wanted regardless of how everyone else felt about the "quality" or age of the work. It helped me figure out what genres I'd like to try and there was no pressure as I wasn't documenting it. Also, reading is a hobby and hobbies should be a form of escapism, not pressure.
I stopped reading a couple of years ago, and honestly I don't care, it's not like I used to read high quality literature anyway, I just read a lot o self indulgent mindless YA books so I'm sure my intellect it's not at a loss. That being said, I also no longer watch TV unless it's a reality show, and I consume youtube at 2x speed, so I guess my attention span it's pretty much non existent at this point, but again, none of these things are essential to my life. With time I also came to the realization that the scapism I used to get from books was excessive, to the point where I think my teenage years were spent hiding in my room reading, cause why would I need to experience anything, I was already reading someone experience it and letting my brain pretend I was living that life. What I trying to say is that it's ok to stop reading for a while or forever, as long as you're happy.
I found children's books (like Artemis Fowl, etc) were a good way to ease my brain back onto novels. Baby steps. It's also important to read for joy, not a sense of obligation that you should be reading. I've been reading more short stories, graphic novels, and poetry if I don't feel up to a novel. Wheezy Waiter has a good vid on reading more.
Omg I relate to all these reasons so much ESPECIALLY the tiktok one 😱 I realised I don't want to read anything that I don't like! And unfortunately I dislike almost everything 🙈 But still my favourite books of all time are the Howl's Moving Castle book series by Diana Wynne Jones❣️ So this is my recommendation for everyone who enjoys reading nothing ✨ like me!
"I dislike almost everything" here's to us picky reader struggles hahaha. Ooooh I loved the anime maybe I'll give the book a try thank you for the rec and taking the time to comment! :)
It's okay if you want to take your channel to a new direction! I (like many others, I'm sure) am here because *you* make your videos are funny and interesting!
I feel this so hard! I read 15 books last year and ten of them were required reading for class, and (even though it was a YA class) I feel like I barely read anything I actually wanted to read. Instead of reading, I watched like 4-5+ hours of book tube videos a week. Like... how many books could I have read in that time? 2020 was a mess
Those 15 are still good! I think with class it makes it harder because you feel like you * should * be doing other things. It's a difficult habit to pick up all of a sudden so don't be too harsh on yourself :) enjoy your spare time
i said i was gonna read ten books in 2020 and i managed five...and now in 2021 i've decided to do one per month which is more than ten i think but i can't count. BUT i'm on the last volume of jane eyre rn and i'm actually enjoying reading so who knows maybe i'll stick to it ^^
I'm so sad with the fact that I hate reading. Like, I already read so many books that I loved the story and I love to talk about it but I hated actually the reading part. I think bc I do a lot of reading for my studies, when I do have free time I just wanna scape reality doing other stuff. I'm sad and reliefed that I accepted this fact
As someone who just turned 26, I am feeling #4 more and more. And I have so many ideas and I want to do them all but then I get crippling anxiety about how they'll never be good enough and I'll never be good enough and then nothing gets done and I feel worse. It's bad.
I've been having a decline myself and I barely had a Goodreads for 5 years lmao. But still, can relate to well to almost your points, even though I did manage to read 15 last year, it was still pretty bad compared to my own reading habits. May 2021 be a better year for the all of us bookworms! Cheers!
Honestly to get back into reading u either: pick a book and force urself to finish it so u feel that little bit of serotonin that is accomplishment, or pick a good trashy book - and when i say that i mean a book that is absolutely stupid but addictive (like Jennifer L.Armentrout...) Or get free books on ur kindle that works too all the free ones count as trash lol
I relate a bit bc though I'm still reading, I only get through romance books. I used to read a ton of fantasy or other fiction, but in the last few years romance has been the only thing I manage to get into. Maybe you can try it
Ironically, I actually went through a reading slump as I was studying literature (and linguistics) because I had so many reading assignments for my classes that I barely ever got around to reading for fun without feeling guilty for it, so most of the books I read were just for my classes. I only got out of my reading slump last year due to several factors. A big one was me abandoning my main Twitter account to stop myself from scrolling endlessly. Another factor was ofc Covid keeping me from doing much else and reading being a safe hobby. And another thing is that I stopped trying to force myself to finish books I don't really enjoy and realised that I should read whatever I find enjoyable, even if barely anyone else cares about it. I'm not a booktuber or book blogger and I get why one would focus on trending books and of course there are a lot of good popular books, but I also really enjoy indie books. They were always ahead of the curve when it comes to things like LGBTQIA+ rep too.
I love this mindset! I'm so happy you found a balance that works for you! My reading habits too took a decline after studying literature... of all things! Hahah.
I feel like I stopped being so engrossed in reading at like a levels/ going to uni, maybe cos I got more of an idea of the crushing weight of reality and so found it more difficult to fantasise myself away to some ya world like the naive teenager once did 😂😂 anyway I feel your pain
My tip is audio books. I miss reading so much but there are 5 million other things i want to do so sitting a reading books isnt good for multitasking but audio books sure are. I used to hate them but now i appreciate them alot
The thing with reading is that it's something that usually demands your entire attention, and that's just not possible after, idk, high school for the majority of people I still enjoy reading but I just can't really sit down and pick a book, either I'm busy or I'm tired and want to do something more chill, that you don't need to devote all your attention to
"I read three books this year, and one of them was Gabbie Hanna," oh, so you read two books this year, gotcha.
KSKDSFKSKFSDKFSKFSK
How I went from being a voracious reader as a child, completely quitting reading in college, and finally getting back into it as an adult:
1) Upgraded to books written for adults. YA doesn’t do much for me anymore because (surprise) I’m no longer a teenager. Even tho it sounds obvious now, it took me a while to figure out that my taste had matured
2) Realized that although I wasn’t reading books, I still spent hours reading news articles, social media posts, technical reports, and rambling tumblr rants. My brain was still getting fed reading material, just not in book form. So whenever I felt the urge to doomscroll through news articles, I redirected to a book
3) Hopped on the ebook train. I will always prefer physical books, but... ebooks are so convenient, and if my main obstacle to reading a particular book is the amount of time it takes for a physical copy to make it into my hands, then I get an ebook. I can check out ebooks from the library, too!
4) Use the internet to prevent reading shitty books. I also have a fear of wasting my time reading a trash book, but now I can quickly search up metadata info on a book with StoryGraph, or read the first few pages on Amazon. I also know myself better as an adult compared to when I was younger, so I can more quickly and confidently identify books that I’ll like or dislike.
5) Read webtoons! They’re more accessible than books (it’s on my phone and more fast-paced), but it’s a great stepping stone between instant gratification type content (ahem... tik tok) and more long-form media like books. Retraining my goldfish attention span in the digital age is a constant process, and sometimes jumping straight to a book just doesn’t work.
ebooks are amazing! highlight evverrrything annotations galore. PLUS YOU CAN JUST FIND THE WORDS BY SEARCHING FOR IT! I need to use that storygraph feature more wow! These tips are gold. tysm for watching
YES to literally everything on this! I abandon books left and right with no guilt too, I earlier had this compulsion to finish every book I start and then at 18 or wtv i fell into the self help theory wtv section of non fiction and by God those books are endless and I never finished anything and my bookstagram and booktube was all YA so I never found good recs.. And there was also the, "why would I read a story when I can just watch a story in shows/movies" so that's where my time went.
Understanding that and getting better book recs for people my age just fixed my slump right away
and webtoons have been a constant since I found them ❤️
OMg the bookshelf skit I love it. "i miss the feeling of fingers down my spine" pls write comedy wth that's actually so good
thank you for appreciating the skit hahaa
this is why I resist the urge to make a spreadsheet or make a goodreads to track my reading - I'm terrified of losing my love for reading by making it into just another task to be completed. Reading can just be for fun, it doesn't matter whether you're reading fanfiction or classics, and we shouldn't have to feel like reading has to be 'productive' to be worth it
yes exactly! that is the struggle with todays society
"bababooey."
- An Absolutely Remarkable Thing, 2021
ugh that bit made me cry
i had to pause the video after that smushed oreo milk sin appeared on screen..
Hey, two of my favourite former-booktubers-now-just-favourite-tubers in one place! Cool.
Okay but it's SO GOOD!!!
Hahaha the struggle is real
yes
"somehow everyone else's successes becomes a failure of my own even though it shouldn't be."
i'm in this photo and i don't like it
right! it's okay we need to just shift our vision towards ourselves and use it as inspiration even though its super hard
the g stands for "gabbie hannah made me hate reading"
but for real, maybe you're just taking a break? i also used to make art a lot but since 3 years or so i had to focus on more "important" things (like university for example) and i stopped making art. i've been trying to go back to learning digital painting though because i still enjoy painting. i assume it's a cicle?
Same! Uni took all my time so I stopped reading and drawing. Last year because of quarantine I managed to do a little bit of both, but it's still not the same as before
yess i hope so! i'm going into audiobooks now so hopefully that'll help
I feel this. I had a reading slump that lasted 2-3 years and I just couldn't bring myself to read a book past the first couple chapters. Last year, because of quarantine, I managed to force myself to read more and I surprisingly managed to get back into the groove of reading. I read more books last year than the past 3 years combined. But it's just not the same anymore. Because even so, I'll still periodically fall back to the reading slump that might last anywhere between a couple of weeks to months. The reading slump started because of school but I guess it's also partly because somewhere along the way I've replaced books with dramas. I don't know anymore.
Also, even if you don't make book related videos anymore, I'll still be here supporting you because I came for the book related videos but I stayed for you, Divya!!
This is so sweet! Thank you so much! I'm glad you managed to find that groove in quarantine - even if it is periodic!
It is insane that someone as insightful and witty as Divya hasn't blown up yet.
She is a gift to our lives and must be treasured every day.
Truth
you guys are gonna make me CRY this is SO SWEET
omg thank you so much
"I don't engage with... anything"
Too close
hahahah you and me both
I don't have any tips other than: read if you feel like reading, don't feel guilty if you don't. In 2019 I read only one book, in 2020 I read 9, my reading slumps come and go as they please and I just let them. Reading is a hobby so we shouldn't be stressed about it, it really is not that deep
yes this is exactly it.
Ok but like are we soul sisters or what? I related to every single thing you said in this video. Being an avid and i mean AVID reader when i was younger and that being my whole personality, suddenly stopping because of social media addiction (that led to my very short attention span but we're not gonna talk about that) and now not knowing who i am or what I'm good at and just trying to make myself look and act less like a dumptruck. ✊😔
you literally just described my whole life.
Same 🙃
omg community bonding right here
team dumptruck group
@@itsdivyag hehe ❤❤
i was very proud of my butthole metaphor. thank you.
also I'm highkey tempted to read the psychology of twilight.
how many books did you guys read last year?
130
53 aslkfdgjfh but my target this year is to finish 2
I finished like two, let's be real. My problem was that I many many times started reading a book, enjoyed it, put it down and never picked it up again lol
One coz i have the same awful dilemna like u. I just think that if i'm using my time for something can't be monetize is a time wasted. Is awful that it kinda affects my growth. As 20 year old its confusing, the adult life.
G for growth stunted.
0 books
how many fic i read? dozens.
there's just something about ao3 and soon inkwell where you can check and uncheck content.
I’m kinda in this phase where nothing I used to like brings me joy anymore and I honestly don’t know how to fix it. I want to find joy in those things I just can’t. Also the monetizing hobbies thing gets me every time. I absolutely love my plants and so a bunch of people in my life are telling me to go to college and get a job in agriculture (big thing where I live) and they’ve done those with every hobby I’ve ever had in my life. I guess the only tips I have is... distract yourself until it feels better and you get that urge to start reading again. Talking with friends, making something, movies etc. till one day you want to read again.
You should be able to just like plants! The way everything has to become career oriented makes us feel guilty that we are not "fulfilling our potential" and it can get super exhausting. By all means, we should be striving to be our best and make "smart choices" but damn you can just like some things without needing a reward but your own self enjoyment and peace.
My biggest tip for anti-self depreciation is making jokes about how great you are. Humble bragging over the dumbest minute thing is so much better for yourself
"damn i spread that jam so good on that toast"
not saying my mental health is GOOD but I read this tip on tumblr in like 2015 and looking in the mirror at an acne-ridden, puffy-eyed face and proclaiming “wow I’m kind of obsessed with how gorgeous I am” is exactly the same amount of funny but stops me thinking in terms of listing flaws
I absolutely agree! I still make self deprecation jokes a lot but they stopped happening as often when I started making jokes about how great I am for spelling my name right on this fine wednesday morning in an english class full of my degenerate friends lmfao. I also make jokes about me doing stupid or strange things but making it into an accomplishment. "Damn I just tripped over my own feet in the COOLEST way bro you can't even imagine how hot I looked bodyslamming into the concrete" It has potential to make me feel worse but honestly for me its so funny to act like I was graceful and deserve an award for dying.
When anyone asks me about my hobbies I still say I like to read even though I haven’t been an avid reader since starting university because there was no time. And now I’m 23 and can’t find a book I relate to or a book that doesn’t make me think they are toxic for teens who don’t know any better yet.
SAMEEeee
university is honestly super intense! and i am in the saaame boat about the book stuff. or like the plot sounds good i never just dedicate time for myself to really even start it. i hope you find something you like soon
@@itsdivyag yea, I do too much academic reading so I am in a point where I no longer enjoy reading cuz it reminds me uni life, I consider reading activity as studying now
During 2020 I probably had a higher word count from anime subtitles than from reading books
right let's count reading this into our reading goals ahhaha
@@itsdivyag lmaooo
I stopped reading years ago. Why? I'm a writer, but I get no enjoyment from reading. It's a constant thought of "how many pages left" for me, and that's really stupid.
That's a total mood
Also a writer, and yep, that is sooo mee too rn.
enjoy your craft! reading and writing are two different skills in themselves
The whole of last year, i just couldn't find the joy of reading as I did when I was 17. I think like there was a burst of energy when I was hospitalised towards the end of year and one night I was like "I can't actually just be watching Tik Tok videos for the next couple of weeks....right?" so I asked my sister to bring a few books from and surprise me. I actually fell back into reading, non-stop, even after I was discharged. Just books after books after books. Till recently when my Medical Leave came to end and the reality of going back to work was looming close.
Now, I just don't have the time to do it but it's okay, I tell myself. So, for the past week, I've been nicer to myself and try to treat myself to like 30 - 40 mins a day of reading, just to distract myself from overthinking and overworking myself too much. It's not a lot but it's a good start.
And it cool sis. We stayed for the humour, I mean, I did.
The way reading has been made to feel like such a luxury of time wow. I'm hope your health is doing okay! And yesss to us being kinder to ourselves!
Every time I start a book and the characters are in still high school I'm like "oh, no, not this again".
they may be in high school some of them act 27 though and others act like they're 12 there's almost no inbetween
I think what really helped me read again is that I accepted that you can just put a book down if you don't like it and start another one. Books are supposed to serve YOU and not feel like a burden
yesss what a good point
wish i knew this
This is something I relate to too much and I hate it because I’m only 16 and I feel like I should have more time. It’s just so hard to take a book and completely delve into a story, just like I did, say, even three years ago.
Right! Circumstances do change though you're probably going through different life events right now and your time has been shifted to other things. Maybe its friendships or academics or even just other hobbies. Don't feel to hard on yourself
The "your personality is no longer just reading" hit me hard... I used to read so much and since I started uni I kind of stopped reading so much. And now (four years later) when people ask "what are your hobbies?" I still say reading but immediately after I realize that I do not read so it is not my hobby anymore and I am lost because this was such a huge defining part of my life and now it's gone...
I’m not sure if you’ve been diagnosed with ADHD yet or I’m mega projecting or maybe the neurodiverse experience is constantly overlapping but yes (even though I actually did read like 10 books in 2020, the shift from mostly books to mostly AO3 has been instrumental!! in my development/regression as a person)
Edit: typos
I am the exact same, I was recently diagnosed with adhd and my entire reading list for the past few years has just been ao3 and long fics at that
i too got diagnosed with adhd as an adult and holy fuck it all made so much sense
Yeah, me too. I still love books, but they feel like a much bigger commitment than they did when I was growing up. Probably because I know now they'll either suck my brain so I can't do anything else until I finish or uh, I'll wander off and have to start from the beginning again when I remember the book's existence because I've forgotten all the characters' names and what was happening when I left. 😅
wow these comments are super insightful guys. do you find difficulty in concentration? i'd be sooo curious to hear more about how ADHD affects you, if you don't mind
@@itsdivyag I don’t want to make you regret asking that by info-dumping/venting, but you really can’t expect a person you know has ADHD to write a concise comment, so... [Rereading this, you might have meant “with books” but then this is a pretty good case study in “inability to understand directions”]
Personally, I actually don’t feel like I struggle much with concentration itself (though everyone is different). I think the “not being able to concentrate” bit is a little overhyped in general, (ADHD is less “attention deficiency,” as the name suggests, and way more “dopamine deficiency,” etc) but i also don’t personally experience it that way. It’s more like
a) I don’t tend to try to concentrate, it just happens or it doesn’t without me realizing
b) if i can’t concentrate, it’s because I don’t really want to, and I tend not to push myself that way
c) but if I do try to force myself, it’s more draining than difficult
My ADHD tends to affect me the most in terms of executive function, or the lack theoref. Procrastination regardless of motivation, no motivation at all, no long-term sense of time, etc.
Plus, the secret parts of ADHD no one warns you about - Emotional dysregulation! Rejection sensitivity and hyper-fixating/hyper-focusing on people... are not the exact same thing, but do not help
Indirectly, i think my concentration is affected by my emotional dysregulation, if anything. It takes up a lot of my mental space - focusing enough even while managing my emotions, or not managing my emotions and not even wanting to focus. That, and intrusive thoughts.
I recognize I used a lot of language here that might be unfamiliar, and also my experience is inherently limited, so to anyone who’s interested, I’d recommend @ADHD_alien, @abcsofadhd, @HowtoADHD, @samdylanfinch on Twitter and Instagram (and in HowtoADHD’s case, UA-cam). “ADDitude” is also informative, but has less personal accounts
I literally just went through a reading slump of sorts near the end of last year, even though I was going pretty strong in the first half of the year. I really recommend reading things that you really like: not things that are new or trending on book tube or wherever. Starting with guilty pleasures have always worked for me. I eventually start to read actually good books and get into a groove after a while.
Anyway, good vid mate.
thank you! and this is very true about not just doing things for trends because it may not even be aligned with what you enjoy
I read 1 book this year after years of not finishing any. I am so proud of myself
Yes! It's very motivating
yessssss congratulations i'm so proud of you too!
@@itsdivyag Thank you 😊
Also it’s called “Where the Crawdads Sing”
I recommend highly. Takes a bit to get into but it’s goood
tbh whenever im in a reading slump i reread my favorites until im interested in some new books again
this is a good tip! thank you for sharing
Thanks for the fresh memes. I like your content and good luck on growing that dunkadunk
Hahaha thank you! Growing the dump truck has long stopped being my goal but it was a prominent feature of my late teens ahhaa
I really felt this video. My to read books are just gathering dust on my bookshelf
same! hopefully one day we find something that inspires us
Once I started uni I stopped reading as much cause I became so busy. I picked up on reading a bit in 2018-2019 but didn't read as many novels as I use too.
I feel like many people can relate, so don't worry maybe one day you'll find a new genre or series that will spark your interest again
yes exactly! i WANT to get back into reading i just don't motivate myself too
“If these books could talk they would have called child line” that just about finished me off
truly i'd be in jail
I also have been having a very very hard timing reading a book. I always say to myself that I have no time to read although i spend time a lot on my phone and its so hard not gonna lie i feel so guilty at times. I have so many books laying around waiting for me to read them but whenver i start my phone distracts me and i hate that so freaking much I hope i get over my slump and I hope you do too!! And i totally feel what you feel mate anyways love from india!!!!
wow a viewer from india that's amazing! man i hope you can find that inspo again! the phone thing i relate a lot too it makes me feel so guilty
i got over a massive slump beginning of last year and what really helped me was reading short stories! i felt like i had Read Something without stressing out too much about time
also, graphic novels
Yes, seconding this! And after reading some short stories first, I felt like it was easier for me to read longer books (relatively speaking. The
Thank you guys for the tips!!!
Hilarious. Also the makeup is flawless drop a tutorial pls🥺🥺
omg this is TOO SWEET!
I think forcing yourself to read books you aren’t interested in anymore is stupid, reading should be fun. I used to enjoy ya when I was 11-15 and I'm 18 now and I'm much more interested in adult literature especially adult fantasy and historical fiction. I also try my best to get books from charity shops or second hand so I dont feel bad about the environment or giving money to amazon.
yes exactly expanding the horizon!
I can definitely relate. I also feel like every book I kinda want to read is a waste of time so I don't really bother anymore. The only times I really pick up a book are when I'm trying to "escape" my life for a bit. Also, I usually need to set aside too much time to get to know these characters that I'm not even sure I'm going to like, so that gets in the way as well. I've been trying to read more. I do think some quality spare time is always welcome - and I've had great experiences with books, I don't want to give up on them entirely. So I've been trying to read books that I think will help me in some way. Be it because they are thought to be amazing and might help me reflect on my life or on art, or because they will help me disconnect and relax for a little bit. I've started giving up on books as well. As a teen I refused to give up on a book. Even if I hated it, I would read it until the end "so I could hate it properly". Now I try to focus my time on things that I actually enjoy or that contribute to my growth or leisure. Reading only 15 minutes a day helps me feel like I'm still investing time in this, but it also prevents that I feel like I'm wasting my time reading. But yeah. It's been harder.
Yes the giving up on books that aren't doing it for you is so important! It's like we do it so easily to movies but for books it feels like an investment because we have to pay for each book so there's also the cost benefit analysis too.
I’m also in the same state after getting a whole degree in English and I’m now wondering if I should’ve done that
I'm in my final year of an English degree rn and this is a Big Mood™
It took me SO LONG to get back into reading after I finished my lit degree honestly. After only reading set texts for three years it was really difficult to go back to choosing stuff lol. I did read some good stuff for uni though so
@@hanaasbananas1780 it really left me in a state of “did I put too much in what was probably supposed to be a hobby”😩
@@MegaRandom432 oh god mood. I did joint honours which meant I drained TWO of my favourite hobbies at once. Reading, and creative writing 😭
G!!! Honestly I have a theory nothing is fun anymore when someone * makes * you do it. Like uni you're just told what to read and what to write.
This video was one wild ride from the start
"everyone's successes becomes a failure of my own" this resonated with me and it pains me that our generations are victims of this. you totally nailed that emotion.
but also i thought you said junk c*ck
NOOOOOOOOOO RIP fdsasdfasdfds. also ty to the first part of the comment. the second part.. not so much hahaha
"...when we were younger we did things so freely with so much creative spirit...because we weren't burdened by the lies of this world"....you joke but it's so true haha. The greatest lesson I've learned is to go back to that younger self. I truly believe a lot of the answers we are seeking about our purpose and our true passions can be found there. I also really relate with that pressure of monetisation...we want to create freely cause that's our true nature so we should nurture that. If you are drawn to reading a book just do it...if you are passionate and want to learn that is never a wasted. When you're older you'll be able to use those skills or knowledge to help or connect with people or even create something. When we were kids we had a limitless mentality...tap back into that and don't let the world hold you back cause you're honestly so talented :)
for me, I've gotten so spoiled by fanfiction that a lot of YA books nowadays aren't satisfying. I like being able to filter out certain tags, search specifically for a trope or genre, or select the kind of universe I want the story to be in. And I like how noncommital it is. I don't have a due date to return the book by, I don't feel awful wasting $17 on a book I didn't like--I can just click out of the fic. And honestly, I've read some really good quality fanfics and seen some phenomenal writing (I've also read absolute trash too but that applies to real books as well so) so I still feel like I'm learning and experiencing new styles and delving into psychology and characterization, etc etc. I still read a ton...I just don't read actual real books much anymore.
Edit: also, I'm ace, so by "satisfying" I wasn't referring to smut, just the overall quality of a story or the characterization or simply the genre/specific tropes utilized
Yeah for me it was studies that made me stop reading and stop drawing. From GCSEs to A Levels to my degree... it felt like a non-stop rollercoaster where I was procrastinating doing the work I needed to do, but by bingeing media which ultimately brought me no joy and made me feel even more like shit about not doing more 'important' stuff or more 'necessary' chores like studying. I couldn't bring myself to do something I really wanted to do, like read, because for some reason that just made me feel anxious and I couldn't bring myself to do it.
HOWEVER, after graduating and finding a job (something I had difficulty managing but God am I grateful for it), I found that since I was now doing what I was 'supposed' to do - have a job in a field my family approve of (teaching) - I don't have that same feeling of pressure or anxiety or guilt when I want to read or draw. So I ran with that and I've never drawn so much or read so much in my life.
I don't have any proper solutions, but I will say that the first step is always the hardest. I didn't start WANTING to read, I set myself a quota of 100 pages a day of a book in my TBR pile. I didn't enjoy it but I did it. Gradually it became easier for me and I began to enjoy myself once more. This is what worked for me - I don't know if this is helpful or just rambling but I thought I would share, because you never know what someone could take away from your experiences. :)
I feel this! Congrats on graduation and finding your path! Uni is deffo taking up a lot right now. The quota thing is so good because sometimes you just have to do it.
this is fascinating, because 2020 was the year i first completed a Goodreads challenge in the five years i've set them. and i should feel good about myself, but the thing is... i didn't feel fulfilled, really. i thought that i would feel accomplished. and yet... sure, i reached a number of books read. but i hateread books (lmao hello adultolescence) with the thought in the back of my mind that they'd help me reach the goal; i didn't dnf books i disliked so that i didn't 'waste' the time i spent reading them in order to reach the goal; i chose short books over long ones, published over unpublished. i feel like capitalism hacked my hobby: even though this brought me no profit, i just wanted to feel productive in the form of increasing my amount read, and this ate away at my choices and overall enjoyment.
so i think i'm gonna be done with the goodreads challenge this year too, and just read whatever i read, and enjoy what i enjoy. it's super interesting how we reached the same conclusion from opposite experiences this year, and i wouldn't say that mine was more valuable than yours just because i read. onto being better to ourselves next year!!
You have become my new comfort channel :)
gurl you are the besst doing book covers, i would hire you if i ever write one.
Also, a thing that helped me read more and spend less time on social media was to reeeeaaaaally think about how it was affecting my life, and I started measuring the hours i spent there with things that i liked. Like, i could have watched 3 episodes of a kdrama instead of scrolling through instagram
honestly i'm kind of glad that i don't read as much anymore cause when i said goodbye to reading i said hello to netflix and my love for movies/series is unreal now. but like i stopped reading cause i already read all the good books in my school's library and now i am just too broke to buy some for myself so yeah ig i'll come back to reading.
Right it also can be an expensive hobby vs watching hella videos on youtube/netflix
@@itsdivyag yes exactly. since I'm a full time student I can't afford to buy any books lol.
i also have been through the same and it's tough. but if you really want to keep reading my advice is to start *now* , even with just 5 or 1 page per day. and repeat that every day. you gotta make this a habit and the best way to do that is going consistently, even if it's slow.
i love the small goal setting thing like even just a page a day
@@itsdivyag yeah, even that makes a difference in the long run
I’ve read 3 books last year also but I started reading again on January 1st and made myself a goal that I would read a book everyday this year even if it’s just one page. Making my goals small seems helping me so far. I also agree with the reading what you like part, I started reading nordic noir and never looked back 😂
for me, i read a decent amount in 2020 (for the first time in ages) because i made it part of my daily routine - i had heaps of online classes, and it hurt my eyes so i made myself take a phyisical break and sit with a book in between online classes. i started out with short story collections - SHORT stories where they're like 3 pages so you can just finish one small thing and then feel satisfied. after a while it became a habit. it definitely helped that i had a regular daily schedule already, and could work reading into that. like especially with having the mindset that i can keep spending time scrolling online but that i should just use a little bit of that time for reading, and then see how it goes. aNyWaY i graduated and everything is chaos for me rn lmaooo. but that's what i've been up to i guess
also, regarding the vid, i really liked your point that it's actually ok not to read. it's not like you *have* to do it haha. personally i think you're v entertaining, no matter the topic of your vids! also i guess it's a bonus that your channel name doesn't reference reading so if you shifted away from book stuff, it'd not need any rebranding or whatever.
all the best for this year!!
‘ending the guilt’ yes!!! honestly hoping for feelings of like... freedom and happiness for you, whether you put content online or not. this video was just well-worded and you yourself are lovely, so surely you’ve got this? 💪🏽 here’s to trying to be proud of ourselves amidst the capitalist agendas we inevitably curate.
I love this comment! We got this! & thank you for your kindness
I've definitely felt this way. I can start plenty of books, but I just can't finish them. I have no interest in doing so. So I think the way to get through is, oddly enough, just embracing it and don't force yourself. There's nothing less enjoyable than making yourself plow through a book, so it's better to just read when you're interested in something new, not when you feel like you have to.
Glad to know it's not just me that feels this way. Our school librarian let me take out like 10 books for the first lockdown. And I read two, and it was the 6 of crows duology that I already read 😂😂. Now the only books I read are the ones for my uni course 😭😭
hahahaha read the things you know you like! and uni is deffo huge time investment it's a lot!
I was in the exact situation, I would scroll through social media for hours, but not have time for books. So I decided to cut down on my social media time and read more. It did work for a while but sometimes I just cant be bothered to use my eyes to read lol so Ive been listening to audiobooks instead. It was a great decision to adopt audiobooks.
It's only the last few years I've managed to get back into reading - high school and tertiary education really messed with my fave hobby. Idk how I got back into it, so I have nothing to offer which could help you, but sometimes I know it helps me not to feel alone ❤️
Also fuck yeah, eat the rich, I'll drink to that bro!
I'll bring the cutlery you bring the drinks
I'm glad you managed to get back into reading!
@@itsdivyag I can bring both! 🍽🥂😜 you can bring bezos lmao
This is such a big fat, not dump truck a$$, MOOD. And to be honest I'm still struggling with finding the right time for work/rest/enjoyment and balancing other things to add to that.
I'm currently reading The Midnight Library by Matt Haig and it tells a story about how you can live different lives in multiple realities if you've chosen different decisions. It's pretty interesting and I hope you find the time to do the things you love and regain your passion back Divya 😊
also thankful for your videos that always give me a serotonin boost lmaoooo the goodreads jokes took me out
Thank you so much for this comment..that concept sounds so interestinggg
You probably get lots of book suggestions but I really enjoyed Witches of Eileanan by Kate Forsyth. It's kind of young adult style but for an older audience and was really gripping. Its also written in a Scottish accent kind of style if that makes sense so you can better hear their voices and make fun of the characters if you want. Probably won't see this but just like to say I really enjoy your videos!
I legit feel like I stopped both reading and doing art because of a combination of school getting harder and consuming more time and energy, and social media becoming such an easy way to spend all my free time 🚶🏻♀️
the same!
I was a bookworm in school, and always wanted to be an author. Wrote my first novel at 15, and writing remained strong while required reading/ADHD ruined my will to read. Then came anhedonia when I graduated HS, and my Enneagram-4 self began wondering, if every story has already been written, what's the point of trying to write something unique?
Recently came out of writer's block, and finishing my first novel in years. I'm so invested in it, which is great, but getting back into reading is harder--even heartbreaking--because I try to read things I know I would like, but all I can think is, "I've read this story before." Seriously a catch-22, and anything else just resembles a block of strategically placed words. But at least I love writing for myself again. I realize my stories don't have to be NY bestsellers to mean something, so long as a select few around me enjoy them. 😊
Omg trueee - need the right books!! Recommendations?
The messenger by markus zusak its my faviorite novel!!
my favorite ya fantasy: the rules & regulations for managing myths & magic by ft lukens!
A lot of people don’t care for nonfiction, but if you find a book about a topic you love, or one with a lot of pictures it can be very engaging! And they’re usually non super story based, so you can skip around!
a thousand splendid suns gives a lot of perspective
i relate so much to this. thank you for this video.
This video was... perfect
mate thank you so much for watching it n taking the time to comment!!
I read 3 books last year and they all took me forever to get through them but I still keep asking for books for Christmas and birthdays
!!! to be fair this is a good tactic then you don't have to spend money on it yourself so if you don't like it then... well.. that's okay it was a gift anyway so they wouldn't know if you wouldn't like it.... but then you have the guilt that it WAS a gift so you MUST read it and use it... and the cycle... continues
this entire video is total mood
tyysssm my g
So this happened to me too in my post-collegiate life and I've never fully gone back to being the reader I once was (I'm 30 now). I think we can blame at least part of it on higher education, both because you're suddenly being forced to read a crap-ton of stuff you don't like and you're taking on new responsibilities--being an adult is generally time consuming. I also highly relate to your analysis that we start to only value hobbies that seem "productive," which is a huge problem that I'm now trying to break myself of. There's probably some social media dependence and possibly some ADHD adding to it as well. The only insight I really have is this: continuously beating yourself up doesn't work, in my experience. This is not to say that you shouldn't try to improve yourself, but coming at it from the perspective that you're failing somehow makes reading way less appealing. It's not work, and it shouldn't feel like work. I'm reading a lot fewer books, but the books I am reading, I do really enjoy!
YES EXACTLY! Self care is number 1 plus we just don't have the freedoms we used to as when we were younger
Same. Only read 3 books last year and could barely get any writing done cuz COVID infected and killed my motivation. 2020 in general was just not it.
During the period between last year march until now I slowed started running out of things to do so I began reading. I read more books during this period than I have in like 4 years (by that I mean like 5 books)
After middle school I kinda stopped reading bc I just started to despise ya books so much?? Idk after switching to other tropes it became more fun again but huh books aren’t my priority anymore
i deffo think genre plays a biiig part
I think sometimes reading teste can change for time , but also it's ok you don't know
A tip might help you (or those in reading slup) is reading sprints (in UA-cam or other social media)
I kind of stopped reading formally published for about 6 years and loved every minute of it. There was no obligation to finish a 300+ page novel every other week and I got to explore other forms of storytelling like manga, website articles, magazines, webtoons, fanfics etc. I consumed what I wanted regardless of how everyone else felt about the "quality" or age of the work. It helped me figure out what genres I'd like to try and there was no pressure as I wasn't documenting it.
Also, reading is a hobby and hobbies should be a form of escapism, not pressure.
I read a prologue and yknow that’s good enough for me
Mood
I stopped reading a couple of years ago, and honestly I don't care, it's not like I used to read high quality literature anyway, I just read a lot o self indulgent mindless YA books so I'm sure my intellect it's not at a loss. That being said, I also no longer watch TV unless it's a reality show, and I consume youtube at 2x speed, so I guess my attention span it's pretty much non existent at this point, but again, none of these things are essential to my life. With time I also came to the realization that the scapism I used to get from books was excessive, to the point where I think my teenage years were spent hiding in my room reading, cause why would I need to experience anything, I was already reading someone experience it and letting my brain pretend I was living that life. What I trying to say is that it's ok to stop reading for a while or forever, as long as you're happy.
I found children's books (like Artemis Fowl, etc) were a good way to ease my brain back onto novels. Baby steps.
It's also important to read for joy, not a sense of obligation that you should be reading.
I've been reading more short stories, graphic novels, and poetry if I don't feel up to a novel.
Wheezy Waiter has a good vid on reading more.
Fr! Love this. Thanks!
the high school musical status quo references were unexpected but i giggled so hard lmao
HSM is a classic I will never let it die
Omg I relate to all these reasons so much ESPECIALLY the tiktok one 😱
I realised I don't want to read anything that I don't like! And unfortunately I dislike almost everything 🙈 But still my favourite books of all time are the Howl's Moving Castle book series by Diana Wynne Jones❣️ So this is my recommendation for everyone who enjoys reading nothing ✨ like me!
"I dislike almost everything" here's to us picky reader struggles hahaha. Ooooh I loved the anime maybe I'll give the book a try thank you for the rec and taking the time to comment! :)
@@itsdivyag thank YOU for your videos 🥰🥰 love it!!!!
It's okay if you want to take your channel to a new direction! I (like many others, I'm sure) am here because *you* make your videos are funny and interesting!
Yess I still have passion to do book-related videos and media not necessarily the typical booktube video
I feel this so hard! I read 15 books last year and ten of them were required reading for class, and (even though it was a YA class) I feel like I barely read anything I actually wanted to read. Instead of reading, I watched like 4-5+ hours of book tube videos a week. Like... how many books could I have read in that time? 2020 was a mess
Those 15 are still good! I think with class it makes it harder because you feel like you * should * be doing other things. It's a difficult habit to pick up all of a sudden so don't be too harsh on yourself :) enjoy your spare time
but why is an absolute remarkable thing so cute🥺
mxtx novels pulled me up from my reading break of two years, so now i have my personality back, gayer than ever
love it haha
I love how you got progressively older as the video went on lmao
hahahaha stress ages you
I have the same problem. I just feel to old for ya at age 21.
"Some of us haven't been touched in a long time" 😂😂
hahahah glad you caught that
Subscribed just because I thought “oh snap is she going to do the little mix meme??” and then you did and I knew we were soul friends 😭😭
i said i was gonna read ten books in 2020 and i managed five...and now in 2021 i've decided to do one per month which is more than ten i think but i can't count. BUT i'm on the last volume of jane eyre rn and i'm actually enjoying reading so who knows maybe i'll stick to it ^^
Jane Eyre is actually really interesting! Stick with it! Good luck with your reading goals!
I usually read hundreds of books a year but in the last 11 months I've only read 4 1/2 graphic novels. I miss reading.
I'm so sad with the fact that I hate reading. Like, I already read so many books that I loved the story and I love to talk about it but I hated actually the reading part. I think bc I do a lot of reading for my studies, when I do have free time I just wanna scape reality doing other stuff. I'm sad and reliefed that I accepted this fact
i'm so sorry about that! audio books are another thing but deffo don't torture yourself
As someone who just turned 26, I am feeling #4 more and more. And I have so many ideas and I want to do them all but then I get crippling anxiety about how they'll never be good enough and I'll never be good enough and then nothing gets done and I feel worse. It's bad.
right! it feels like TIK TOK TIME IS TIIICCKING
It's the same with me honestly. I've been listening to audio version of the novels so it's been a long time since I've actually picked up a book.
reading is still reading!
I've been having a decline myself and I barely had a Goodreads for 5 years lmao. But still, can relate to well to almost your points, even though I did manage to read 15 last year, it was still pretty bad compared to my own reading habits. May 2021 be a better year for the all of us bookworms! Cheers!
yess!
Honestly to get back into reading u either: pick a book and force urself to finish it so u feel that little bit of serotonin that is accomplishment, or pick a good trashy book - and when i say that i mean a book that is absolutely stupid but addictive (like Jennifer L.Armentrout...)
Or get free books on ur kindle that works too all the free ones count as trash lol
I relate a bit bc though I'm still reading, I only get through romance books. I used to read a ton of fantasy or other fiction, but in the last few years romance has been the only thing I manage to get into. Maybe you can try it
Yess expanding the genres. It seems scary idk why.
Ironically, I actually went through a reading slump as I was studying literature (and linguistics) because I had so many reading assignments for my classes that I barely ever got around to reading for fun without feeling guilty for it, so most of the books I read were just for my classes.
I only got out of my reading slump last year due to several factors. A big one was me abandoning my main Twitter account to stop myself from scrolling endlessly. Another factor was ofc Covid keeping me from doing much else and reading being a safe hobby. And another thing is that I stopped trying to force myself to finish books I don't really enjoy and realised that I should read whatever I find enjoyable, even if barely anyone else cares about it. I'm not a booktuber or book blogger and I get why one would focus on trending books and of course there are a lot of good popular books, but I also really enjoy indie books. They were always ahead of the curve when it comes to things like LGBTQIA+ rep too.
I love this mindset! I'm so happy you found a balance that works for you! My reading habits too took a decline after studying literature... of all things! Hahah.
The one dislike is... oh wait they’re no dislikes 💅😂
I feel like I stopped being so engrossed in reading at like a levels/ going to uni, maybe cos I got more of an idea of the crushing weight of reality and so found it more difficult to fantasise myself away to some ya world like the naive teenager once did 😂😂 anyway I feel your pain
this made my day
My tip is audio books. I miss reading so much but there are 5 million other things i want to do so sitting a reading books isnt good for multitasking but audio books sure are. I used to hate them but now i appreciate them alot
I STARTED AUDIO BOOKS IVE ALREADY READ LIKE 2 BOOKS IN A WEEK IT'S AMAZING
I used to read during class but now that I can do that at home with the cam off I don't
The thing with reading is that it's something that usually demands your entire attention, and that's just not possible after, idk, high school for the majority of people
I still enjoy reading but I just can't really sit down and pick a book, either I'm busy or I'm tired and want to do something more chill, that you don't need to devote all your attention to
I feel you! I'd rather brain-numbingly watch netflix sometimes
Brooooo i used to eat up YA like my life depended on it and now I just . don't care anymore lmao
I think its very telling that I read the most number of books (that I also enjoyed a lot) during the most loneliest days of 2020
yesss this is also a thing for some