Many of you know that I enjoy reading books. As evident from my books page I have read quite a number of fiction and non-fiction books. Book reading is a habit I enjoy and indulge in at every available moment.

Many people have asked me questions about my book reading habit:

How do you get time for reading so many books?

I have read lot of books when I was studying in college and I was a bachelor. That time all the free time I have used to be spent in reading books. I used to get lost in reading books over weekends. As we get more responsible at work and home with family, we can't get so much time. But I continue reading books. It is not necessary to read a book in one sitting. So I spend half an hour everyday on book reading. This is generally after I have my dinner and before I go to sleep. By reading half an hour a day I am able to read at a pace of one book a month and that is good enough for me. Even now I try to get at least an hour of reading time during weekends.

What kind of books are useful?

Everyone has different tastes in books. There is no single theme that will appeal to everyone. But during my reading habits, I started with fiction books. I enjoyed reading detective stories and other books. Gradually my interest changed to Management books which helped to improve my skills needed at work. Then my interest moved to spiritual books which helped me a lot. At present I spend time mostly in reading spiritual books. 

Are there any simple ways to make time for my reading?

Though every one of us is busy with various activities, if you recognize importance of reading books, you can certainly steal time away from your busy schedule. One thing everyone can do is : Reduce TV Watching time. Most of the time we find ourselves hooked to TV. TV is a good medium that helps us to relax as we don't use much energy when watching TV. This relaxation capability of TV makes us TV addicts. Many times we end up watching more TV that we need for entertainment. Reducing TV time by half an hour, one can use this time effectively in reading. If possible switch off the TV when you are trying to read. Doing both is not easy. You can do things like eating or talking while continuing to watch TV. But definitely book reading does not fall under this category. Reading demands more concentrated effort.

If I want to start reading, how do I Start?

I can offer some specific advice on book reading if I know your interest. But only you can decide what is right for you. To get started on this habit visit a local library and look around. Pick up books that have interesting titles and have less than 100 pages. By starting with titles that interest you, you will be more inclined to read than one that someone else suggests. And also reading a book with less than 100 pages, you can finish off the book faster. In beginning it will always be difficult. But once you have read one or two books you will start enjoying this habit. 

Once you start taking interest in books, you will automatically find that the books you have picked up are just the right book for you. 

The following are some specific recommendations my list of books I have read:

Management category: Books in One Minute Manager series are really a good way to get started. These books are highly motivating and can be completed in less than one hour. They are written in story like style than a text book style. 

Fiction Category: Start with "Sherlock Holmes Series". These are more like short stories and very interesting. 

Self Help Category: Books like 7 habits of highly effective people are motivating. But Self Help books in general appear more text book like and call for serious attention. 

What is important is to get started. Once you catch get bitten by "book worm" you will evolve your own list of favorite authors and books. 

Is reading newspapers and magazines also very useful?

I do not consider reading newspaper as a reading habits because reading newspaper does not add value to our character or entertain us. So I generally devote less than 15 minutes per day towards newspaper reading. I don't read each section. I quickly scan the paper for headlines and read only items that interest me.

Similarly I find reading magazines also not very useful other than learning some important facts related to current events.

What about Online Reading?

Reading books or articles online (Internet) is not so easy. As I already stated, reading calls for lot of attention. Reading on a computer is not so easy. I don't find concentrating easy when I try to read online. But there are some really good online resources. I recently read a complete book with 30+ chapters online. It took me over 15 sittings over a period of a month to complete the book. I also keep reading very excellent spiritual articles, technical articles online. If I can get a print edition, I would prefer that to online reading or reading soft copy. 

Once you become absorbed in your book, you will loose yourself. When you reach that stage you will enjoy book reading. 

Summary:

Reading habit is something I have enjoyed for quite few years. It is most valuable Gift of God to me. I know my character has been moulded a lot by the books I have read and I keep reading every month. Above are a few words from my experience to encourage this habit in others.