However, starting or getting back to it can be a challenge. This is especially true for those with lower attention spans, a lack of time, or visual engagement. But sometimes, choosing the right books to read can make all the difference.
This guide reviews the best books for starting a reading habit and offers helpful tips for building and maintaining one.
How to Start Your Reading Habit With Beginner-Friendly Books
A few famous authors who may come to mind when considering beginner-friendly books include Charles Dickens, Enid Blyton, and even Sidney Sheldon. While these can be great options, the good old classics have much more to offer. They can also be much more effective at helping you build a sustained reading habit.
Why Choosing Easy-to-Read Classics is a Great First Step
Easy-to-read classics are a significant first step for several reasons. These page-turners take you to a bygone era filled with fascinating events and ways of life. The differences between the periods in which these books were set and the times you live can make for a brilliant hook.
Additionally, for those with a soft spot for history, these classic fantasy books for new readers can tell you a lot about life as it was back then. They also help offer some much-needed context for the world we know today.
How to Maintain Interest When Starting a Reading Habit
Reading for the first time or teaching a reading habit after a long break can seem challenging. However, there are several ways you can make this process exciting enough for you to want to keep at it in the long term. The first thing is to do this as a challenge to yourself and not wait for the motivation to come knocking at your door.
Set a daily goal of 10-20 pages and read them when you are in a quiet and relaxed place. When you are in the headspace, focus on the content. And you can genuinely focus on the content. This keeps you engaged with the reading process and, over time, makes it a part of your daily routine.
If you need the process to be more stimulating, you can join or form your book club. Discussing stories and plots and trying to understand the context in which these were written can make for captivating discussions. They can also help increase your interest in wanting to read more.
What are the Best Books for Beginners?
Specific classics make for brilliant options if you want to. Here are some of the best historical drama books to start reading.
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen - A Timeless Romance to Dive Into
This is one of the best historical fiction books. Published in 1813, about five daughters find out they will not inherit their father's estate. Instead, it is passed on to their nearest male relative. As a result, one of the daughters must marry a wealthy man who can provide for the other four daughters.
The story follows the life of Elizabeth Bennet, the second eldest daughter, who falls in love with Mr. Darcy. It explores how she navigates the social landscape of the time. This is one of the best historical dramas to read and can be a great start to your journey with books.
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain - Fun and Adventurous for New Readers
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain is a classic novel that explores the life of its schoolboy protagonist, Thomas Sawyer. He lives in the fictional town of St. Petersburg in Missouri with his aunt Polly and brother Sid. His escapades include skipping school, hunting for treasure, and pulling pranks on those around him. He does all this with his friend Huckleberry Finn.
He falls in love with Becky Thatcherand and even convinces her to get “engaged” to him. They witness a murder in the graveyard, which they swear never to speak of again. The book continues to explore their journey as they run away to an island to become pirates. They then go back home, where they embark on other adventures together.
This gripping and thought-provoking book can be another brilliant start to your reading streak. Critics have also described it as brutal to put down once you start reading it.
Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery - Imaginative and Heartwarming
Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert are unmarried siblings who live on their farm but are too old to do all the work around it. As a result, they want an orphan boy who can help them out. However, Anne Shirley, an orphan girl, is sent to the farm.
While initially shocked, Matthew soon finds himself charmed by Anne and speaks to his sister about keeping her on. His sister agrees after Anne is put through a “trial” at work.
Anne soon wins the townspeople's hearts with her talkative spirit and makes a few good friends. The novel explores her adventures and journey of self-discovery as she goes from young and cheerful to more focused and academic. This book comes highly recommended for those who enjoy drama.
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll - A Whimsical Fantasy for All Ages
This is a book about a young girl named Alice. It follows her experience as she finds herself in a world with strange and different creatures soon after she falls into a rabbit hole. These creatures include a white rabbit in a waistcoat, a Cheshire cat, and a caterpillar.
Throughout her journey in this land, she questions its strange rules as she tries to find her way back home. With its exploration and imagination, this novel makes for a vivid read for someone trying to teach a reading habit.
The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett - A Tale of Transformation and Discovery
This story is about Mary Lennox, a young girl who has no friends and lives in India with her parents. They do not spend too much time with her because of her temperament—a cholera outbreak results in the sudden death of her parents. An army of soldiers then finds her. She is then sent to live with her maternal uncle in a gloomy estate in England.
After hearing of a secret garden and continuously searching for it, she finds it with her friends and works hard to bring it back to life. This work in the garden takes them on a journey of personal growth. She becomes much less sickly and even engages with those around her.
This book will be an incredibly engaging read for those who love stories that tug at their heartstrings.
Why are Audiobooks Helpful for Beginner Readers?
The charm of picking up a physical book can be unique for many people. However, it can often be tricky for someone just getting into building a reading habit. This is where audiobooks can prove to be an engaging alternative. The books mentioned in the previous section are some of the best audiobooks for beginners you can listen to for the first time.
How Audiobooks Can Make Reading Accessible for Busy Schedules
Audiobooks are a fantastic option for those with busy schedules. As you do not have to hold a book physically, you can listen to an audiobook while doing other work. This could include cooking or driving, for instance. The verbal narration also makes it an engaging format. It stimulates and keeps you engaged as you go through the story.
To explore more benefits of audiobooks and alternative reading practices, check out this article on Should I Stand While I Read? from Harvard Health.
Recommended Beginner-Friendly Audiobooks
If you want to try your hand at audiobooks, you can find any and every title under the sun in this form. Here are some of the best beginner-friendly audiobooks you can listen to:
- And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie
- Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik
- Charlotte’s Web by E. B. White
- Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Caroll
- Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
Can You Use Book Summaries to Start Reading?
Yes. Reading an entire book can seem like a time-consuming and even overwhelming process for many. It is understandable why it might be an intimidating prospect. However, reading book summaries is one of the best ways to explore what some books offer. You can start reading book summaries on an app like Literator. It provides summaries and audiobooks of books across every possible genre.
How Book Summaries Simplify Complex Reads
The benefit of reading book summaries is that they help simplify complex plots and stories into a much simpler format. This makes them easier to digest and understand. Despite this, they can still stir your emotions and make you want to explore these books more deeply. This holds for audiobooks, too.
Best Platforms to Find Summaries of These Beginner Books
When you look for audiobooks online, you will come across several platforms offering them. However, not all are intuitive or offer as wide a collection as you expect. Some of the best platforms you can try include:
Literator
Literator is an app that offers a mix of audiobooks, book summaries, and more. You can choose them in any language and genre. As a result, the app also provides multilingual books for beginners. It also offers recommendations and motivates you to maintain your habit. All the books mentioned above are available on Literator for free, and you can find some other favorite books, too.
Additionally, Literator allows you to select the perfect narration style based on the book you are reading. You can choose from Classic, Intimate, or even add soundscapes that set the right tone for the book to make the experience more immersive.
Audible
Audible is another well-known audiobook platform that offers a vast collection of books in different genres. However, Audible only offers limited credits, so if you run out, you must wait for them to renew next month.
Scribd
Yet another popular audiobook platform, Scribd, offers several titles across different genres. However, it falls short because you cannot keep the books you listened to if you want to hear them again.
Practical Tips to Build and Maintain a Reading Habit
A few different tips can help you build and maintain a reading habit, and some of these are described below.
Setting Realistic Reading Goals to Stay Motivated
The key to building and maintaining any habit is to set realistic goals and only commit to what you can achieve. For example, limit your reading time to ten to fifteen pages daily. This way, you will feel safe from the process.
Making Time to Read Daily Without Feeling Overwhelmed
Setting a fixed time every day to read can help you teach a habit over time without feeling overwhelmed. This is because you only commit to reading small bite-sized portions. You can apply this same principle to audiobooks as well. With time, you can read and enjoy the process for a long time.
Literator to Track Your Progress and Recommend New Books
An app like Literator is a great way to track your reading progress. The app gives you gold for each chapter you complete so you can continue to stay motivated. It also offers recommendations based on the books you read and enjoyed. You can also read your books in a modern, simplified version, making them easier to read and comprehend.
Conclusion
Building a reading habit can seem challenging, mainly if you have never done so. However, choosing the correct titles and experimenting with audiobooks can be great ways to get into the reading process. Setting manageable daily goals of reading 10-20 pages can also help greatly.
With an app like Literator, you can access countless titles for free and get gold for making progress with your reading. You can also build a reading list, keep all your books organized neatly, track your pace, and add bookmarks to pick up where you left off. This is a brilliant way to incentivize you to maintain your habit while getting recommendations based on your favorite titles. Try Literator today to get your reading habit in motion.