It’s been weeks since you’ve picked up a book (not counting the Shakespeare play you’re reading for English class). There just doesn’t seem to be time anymore. Maybe you have a never-ending list of books you want to read that doesn’t seem to be getting shorter, or maybe you simply dislike reading. Maybe you read a lot in elementary school and have never been able to read as much as your third grade self did. Reading is something that takes time and energy, and its easy to lose sight of it during a packed school year in high school.
There is so much value in simply sitting down and reading a book, even for just fifteen minutes a day. According to Healthline, reading can improve focus and memory, reduce stress, and make you a more empathetic person. Unfortunately, for many IHS students, life has become too busy to prioritize reading. The reading done in English classes, when paired with assignments and tests, can sometimes feel stripped of creativity and self-expression. However, reading doesn’t have to be a chore; there are many ways in which you can incorporate reading into your daily life in an enjoyable and rewarding way.
The IHS library and its librarians are amazing and often undervalued resources. If you’re looking to find a book that captures your interest, there are always recommendations around the library. You can talk with one of the many library staff, like Mr. Lira, to help find a book you enjoy. We spoke with Mr. Lira about books and how to find time to read in your busy life. Some of his suggestions for reading more included carrying a paperback book you like around with you and reading it whenever you have free time. To Mr. Lira, reading is “kind of one of the basics of life; you pick up so much. Your vocabulary, your sentences, your ideas, become so great. I get lost in these books—it’s like I’m in another world. I think people are missing a lot [by not reading].” He showed us a worn paperback copy of The Fly on the Wall by Tony Hillerman, which he’s currently re-reading, and shared that it’s important to read books that you find interesting. Mr. Lira also suggested reading to young children in your life—cousins, nieces, or siblings—in order to instill a love of reading in them from a young age and also get an opportunity to read aloud. “When you read [out loud] you learn how to use your voice,” Mr. Lira says.
When we spoke with IHS English teacher Mr. D’Alterio, he shared his personal experiences with reading. He talked about his reading journey, starting with his interest in coming-of-age novels as an underclassman and his transition to more serious books like Fight Club by Chuck Palanihuk and The Autobiography of Malcolm X by Malcolm X and Alex Haley as he continued through high school. Currently, Mr. D’Alterio is reading Nevada by Imogen Binnie in a book club with his friends. He said that he wouldn’t have picked up this book independently, but is now enjoying it. If finding new books and prioritizing reading is difficult, reading with friends and family can broaden your scope and provide extrinsic motivation. Not only does reading with others solidify your commitments, but it also helps forge connections with others who have similar interests, as the experience of sharing a book can bring people together. There’s even a book club at IHS that you can attend every other Monday after school in room G110.
Although making time for personal reading is often difficult for both students and adults, Mr. D’Alterio said, “Finding time for reading takes intrinsic motivation,” and “you have to be motivated to seek out a story and carve out the time to enjoy it.” Nevertheless, he stresses the importance of reading independently: “It’s a timeless form of escapism…Because we are so inundated with media 24/7, we lose the practice of imagining, and where are we to find new ideas if we never take the time to explore new worlds?”
We can claim that we “just don’t like reading,” but perhaps we’re just reading the wrong books. There are hundreds of different genres and writing styles out there, and all can be valuable. Personal reading should be a relaxing and enjoyable experience. As Mr. Lira explained, reading is rewarding regardless of the book you pick up, just as the positive effects of reading aren’t limited to the classics. “Just pick up a book, even a graphic novel, or short story, or poem, and start reading.”
Consider going to your local library and walking around and reading the descriptions on the backs of books. Additionally, the biannual Friends of the Library Book Sale is approaching. Starting on May 6, you can get boxes of books for affordable prices. By the final weekend, you can cart home bags full of books for only a few dollars.
If it’s hard to focus on the words on the page or you simply don’t have enough free time in your day, audiobooks are another great way to get into reading. You can listen to audiobooks for free on the Libby app—which has a partnership with the Tompkins County Public Library (TCPL) and New York Public Library (NYPL)—while walking to school or working out. TCPL has countless resources for young people, such as book clubs, volunteer opportunities, and a blog that everyone can contribute to with reviews, opinions, and book recommendations.
There are numerous online sources to help bring more reading into your life. The app SimplyE allows people to access the entire NYPL on their personal devices. The site Goodreads has countless reading challenges that you can partake in to increase your motivation, and you can also see what your friends are reading. Likewise is a social networking app that is also a good source of book recommendations and hosts a community specifically centered around reading.
The burden of finding space and time for personal reading shouldn’t only be shouldered by students themselves. IHS could also encourage students to read more. It would be beneficial for independent reading time to be built into English classes, but with an already packed curriculum, this can admittedly be difficult. However, the school itself can introduce interesting, reading related events to engage students. For example, book fairs and author events are a great way to build excitement around the prospect of reading and it makes books more accessible for students to purchase. Scholastic book fairs are commonplace in elementary and middle schools, and would be welcome at our high school as well. Local bookstores like Buffalo Street Books and Odyssey Bookstore also have author visits, after which IHS could model their own events.
The ever-present stressors IHS students face—school, extracurriculars, and social life—can make reading for pleasure seem hard to schedule. However, this doesn’t have to be the case. Reading even just for a few minutes throughout the day, perhaps before you go to bed, can help relieve some of the built-up stress from the day. Carrying around a book you like, utilizing resources like the IHS library, getting involved in book clubs and challenges, and listening to audiobooks are just some ways in which IHS students can find time for reading. Not only has it been shown to be beneficial to both one’s mental and physical health, reading constantly offers new worlds and ideas. With the diversity of subjects and styles, there really is something for everyone.