No Stupid Questions

What is Hard Book for you ?

I tend to read political theories, feminist case studies or philosophy in silence or at least when I can have silence. If I’m tired I tend to put my earbuds on so I could cut the real world out

Reading academic papers is hard sometimes, some authors don’t have a good writing style (looking at you Deleuze). So in this case I read a little and alternate with an easier book

I found that reading hard book are like a muscle, it get easier

Nonfiction:

First pass: Slow, deliberate, digest each word. A simple annotation system. ! for passages that are thought provoking. Arrow for major details and connections to other details. ? for... Take a guess.

Immediately after the chapter/section: jot down what u recall (thesis, conclusion, details, dates, names). Summarize. ~10 minutes

Day or two later: Flip thru your annotations, look thru your notes. Fill in the gaps.

Repeat if desired! Our neural pathways must be well-trodden, but it can be optimized! Open to revisions 😤

The Shock Doctrine by Naomi Klein. Imo, mandatory reading. Incredibly informative, enraging, and educational. Let us channel our struggles.

• I usually sit on the couch sideways with two pillows in my back. I have a reading light now that I face towards the book. That made a big difference since I no longer have to stretch my neck to see the page.
  Back in university I had to read two books a week, that was tough. To stay concentrated I would sit at a desk or table with bright lights on.
• I mostly read at night now, after my boyfriend has gone to sleep. He's sweet and all, but can be very loud and distracting, so reading is practically impossible if he's around. It sucks, but hey.
• I rarely take notes, but if I do it's in my note app on my phone. Which is kinda annoying, and might be why I don't take many notes...
• I don't have a recommendation, but what I noticed myself about reading difficult material is that I sometimes lack some prerequisite knowledge. The book itself usually doesn't make this explicit of course, but it can help to read a summary of the book first or a Wikipedia page about the topic before going in.

Most of my reading is done via audiobooks these days, simply because I can listen while doing other tasks. I can wash the dishes, vacuum the house, etc, and those things would normally prevent me from reading. But with audiobooks, that isn’t a concern. Once I started listening to audiobooks, my annual book count went from ~12 to +60. Simply because I don’t have enough time to dedicate just to sitting in one spot staring at pages.

For visual reading, I tend to use my kobo. I got particularly lazy about bed-reading though. I got a gooseneck mount. It attaches to my headboard, and holds my kobo wherever I want. Combine that with a Bluetooth page-turn remote, and I can comfortably lay in bed and read without even needing to keep my hands on the ereader. In terms of comfort, the mount and remote are the two single greatest investments I ever made, and they fundamentally changed the way I think about reading in bed.

When I read on the computer, I do it anywhere. When I read physical books, I usually read on the loveseat in my den

My answer is different depending on if it's fiction or non.

Also context I'm in academia which means I read constantly for work. This sadly means though that I don't read much fiction or for fun. I do try and mediate that by reading poetry since they're short !

But when I do read for fun I tend to read before going to bed so I'm laying down in bed.

For non fiction I will read lots of places. And I pretty much can't digest the information unless I'm able to highlight and annotate what I'm reading. I try to read non fiction that is relevant to my research not before bed so as to retain the information a bit better.

Reading while taking a bath is nice !

Like so many others, I read constantly as a kid. Then I got older and had more to do, and then I got the internet on my phone and that was that.

Then I got a Kobo a few years back, because I really wanted to pick it back up again. It's easily favourite device. Literally all it does is show me books. No distractions.

I tried cracking in to some longer, tougher reads, but found myself really struggling, so I decided to read a few young adult books instead, which helped enormously. Turns out that reasonably short books with relatively light plots are perfect for dialing the brain back in.

I read pretty much only fiction, but I’ll pick up nonfiction occasionally if it’s a topic that really interests me, usually insects or spiders 😁

I sit too much already, so I’ve been reading on my feet more. I’ll usually walk a path around my living room table or through a couple of rooms. It’s made it easier for me to read more that way because I’m not slumped over and hurting my back. I don’t walk fast, just a slow casual stroll on a set path where I know I won’t trip. Sometimes I’ll pause at a corner and lean against the wall for a few minutes before I start walking again.

• bonus question: what was a recent hard book that you enjoyed (and made you reframe stuff) and would recommend?

A book I would recommend that made me reframe thoughts on autonomy was The Stars Are Legion by Kameron Hurley. There were parts that were pretty brutal and difficult to read, but I think it’s a great thought experiment. Annie Bot by Sierra Greer is also great in this area.

Do you actually want to read them, firstly? I can read "hard" books just fine when they're on a topic I'm genuinely interested in and I actually want to read the book. But if I force myself to read a "hard" book on something I don't care about, it'll be painful.

I always highlight and annotate non-fiction with any thoughts/comments/etc, and if it's a work I expect to find particularly valuable, I also take separate notes. Usually these are digital notes in the note-taking app of my choice (currently Notesnook), but for some books I get a physical notebook. It also helps motivate me if I get some nice highlighters and pens and take pretty notes.

I read mainly in bed (with my kobo) but finding it tricky and I am turning into a hunchback

I do the same but it's not uncomfortable or causes me to strain my back, I lay on my side and prop the ereader up with pillows

Reading fiction and non-fiction (I assume this is what you mean by 'hard) are effectively different activities.

Reading fiction is about getting caught up in an imagined world. The stakes are lower and the expectations are lower. This makes it easier. If you miss the paragraph where a character is described as having a beard, you won't feel the need to go back to reread when you find out they do four chapters later when they scratch said beard.

Reading non-fiction is about building new conceptual structures in your mind. It requires more attention. If you fail to understand Nietzsche's ressentiment in 'Geneology of Morals,' you are unlikely to be able to understand the later concept of the 'priestly' morality. You will not be able to fully construct the conceptual structures the book attempts to generate.

Because of this, reading non-fiction is a process of doing whatever is necessary to get all the parts and relations into one's mind in order to produce a mental tool and then, hopefully, learn to use it. If notes help, write them. Rubber ducking can help. Simple repetition can help. Slowing down can help. Talking to other readers (as in a study group (shoutout to @DGQC on YT)) can help. Concept mapping can help. Sleeping on it can help. Highlighting can help. Cross referencing can help.

It's study. What helped you learn in school? Do that.

I don't. One thing that makes it harder is I have bifocals now. I was near sighted my whole life but man far sighted is a bitch.

Audio books when making breakfast, lunch, dinner, and when walking to the store.

Recently finished The Origins of Totalitarianism by Hannah Arendt. It's important historically, but I can't say I'd recommend it.

For posture/comfort, I started using a wedge pillow that people with GERD use to help prevent acid reflux issues while they sleep. They're made with a firm but comfortable foam. I usually use it vertically while sitting in bed, with an extra pillow for head support, and can read for an hour or more without much discomfort.

Reclined on the sofa or in bed with two pillows behind me. My hands do get sore so I rarely read for more than 40min. Sometimes i do just sit hunchback if I get really hooked.

There are lots of different adjustable book holders on the market. Some of them can be adjusted for height and tilt. I would look into one of those. That way you can sit with proper posture in your favorite chair and read your book! Something like the LEVO G2 Floor Stand with Wheels book holder might be what you need for maximum adjustability.

In the words of the great Kirk Lazarus: what do you mean, you people?

One word at a time.

I mostly read lounged on the couch, long ways. Sometimes in bed with pillows to prop me up.

I mostly read ebooks and highlight passages in them. For physical books sometimes I'll take a picture of an important page I want to reference later.

Not sure what you mean by "hard books". I do have a bad habit of reading too quickly and not fully retaining everything. The last book I (re)read was House of Leaves. A classic. Highly recommend.

Not sure what you mean by "hard" books...

I read pretty much anywhere I have time to, usually while laying in bed or out hammocking. I'd say my favorite spot is a nearby state park hammocking in one specific area that gets sun through the canopy but not so much it's overbearing on a warm day. It's just a great scene to occasionally pause and look around.

It's a lot easier to read in a cushioned chair if I'm reading a physical book, but I mostly read on my kobo as well, so I don't have to worry about weight making my arms uncomfortable to hold a book in reclined positions.

If you are turning into a hunchback try holding the book at eye level instead of where you have to look down. I like those stick on stands, usually the ring ones, on my devices so I can do it one handed

I'm not sure what you mean by hard books? I read a lot, but more for entertainment, books written at different levels but none are schoolbooks, not dry and hard to read in that way.

AFA setup, on the couch with a cat on my lap and music in the air is my favorite way to read. Runner up is reading on the back deck with a big glass of ice water and a cocktail or glass of wine. I don't read in bed.

I just found out that, just like with music, I absolutely hate most stuff associated with people similar to me

So I just spend a large amount of time on finding books that I actually like and read those

I have no idea what your reading interests are or reading level, but I'm currently reading "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan, and it's an excellent book that is still quite relevant to the modern day! Sagan has a bunch of other books too you might be interested in, like "Pale Blue Dot" or "Contact", the latter being sci-fi rather than nonfiction.

I am also looking forward to reading "Reality is Not What It Seems" by Carlo Rovelli, as well as "A Brief History of Time" by Stephen Hawking.

I'm interested in physics, astronomy, and space stuff, can you tell?

If you are of a lower reading level, as a kid I loved the Treehouse books by Andy Griffiths and Terry Denton, where in each book, an additional 13 stories is added, each filled with silly rooms. Mr Big Nose, the publisher who occasionally checks in, has a literal exploding nose. Andy and Terry get up to all sorts of antics, often accompanied by Jill, their animal-loving friend who is based on the wife of Andy (the author)

No particular chair, but I always bring one or two books with me so I have something to do when travelling (e.g. in long train or aeroplane trips), waiting in a restaurant, etc.

Don't really take notes when reading, but if that helps you remember the things you have read than that's awesome!

p.s. I'm sooo jealous you have an e-book reader!

Whether fiction or non-fiction sometimes you get distracted by internal or external sources. Find a quiet place where you can do your best to focus. When it comes to something especially interesting to you then distractions do not matter, you'll get pulled through by the words.

I dont, I get audiobooks and listen to them on my commute.

I've settled into a Kobo for various reasons and tend to read while pacing my basement where it's quiet and a bit cooler.

I can't give much advice on hard books, but I'm writing a book myself and I mostly read it like I read any other books. Kobo has a phone ebook app that you can use, though it's kind of trash sometimes. I prefer using the Kindle app for stability, but for both it's easy to take notes in-app. Since it's on my phone I can either spend a ton of time with it, or if I just want to read a bit while waiting for the bus or metro, I can do that, too. I can just transfer the notes elsewhere when I have time.

I wanted to read more, so I started using bookwyrm at the start of this year. My SO and I set up a challenge - 12 books this year. It works and I am now at 8/12. I read fiction but also a lot of political literature.

Through some exciting fiction books you just read through - it's run, you get sucked into it and want to know what happens in the next chapter. Finding those is generally luck and really depends on your taste. The last book I read through this was was Lying on the Couch by Irvin D. Yalom. He is a famous psychologist that writes fiction, it's pretty easy to read but also has its depths. If you're interested in psychoanalysis, it's nice literature, I have read about 5 books from him.

Now, the "hard books" are different. There are different kind of hard books, some are very well written, others need a lot of background knowledge, others are just plain boring.

An important aspect for those books for me is, what is my motivation to read them? Do I think they are classics you need to have read, do I think the topic sounds interesting, or is it already part of a field I am familiar with?

In the latter case I will suck it in no matter what, at the moment I am reading a book about life in the early modern period in the holy Roman Empire.

I have another one from Herfried Münkler, a German political scientist which us particularly hard to read because you need so much background knowledge. I read it page by page, but only if I feel like it. There is no sense in forcing myself, I will experience the typical "reading but not understanding". I often read 1-2 pages because the content is so dense, and enjoy if I understood a topic. To give another example for the more international audiences, I read How Democracies Die by Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt. It is from the first Trump presidency so a bit outdated, but it was a really exciting read, I learned a lot about the US political system. I read through it within 2-3 weeks.

Now regarding the classics you need to read: Fuck that. There is so much classic literature that might be important, but it's just too boring or annoying to read. There are a lot of exceptions, but they are hard to find. The last one I read and was really happy about (also because it's short) is The Stranger from Albert Camus.

Okay, but here my absolute advice for serious reading: Never force yourself to read through a book you don't like. I am a bit of a perfectionist person myself and it was really hard to put a book away, but oh boy, reading is so much fun since I am doing it! I have about 7 books I started and I read them in parallel. One of then I haven't touched in 5 months and maybe I will never read it. Another one just takes time like the Münkler one and I will read through 3 others in the meantime. But fuck this "I need to finish a book I started", sentiment.

~~If by "hard" books you mean physical books, then counterpoint: why do you want to go back to reading physical books if:~~

1. ~~Your physical posture is better for your health without them~~
2. ~~if molding/adjusting your environment to be book friendly is too costly (mentally/physically/financially/what have you)~~

Scratch all that, I noticed upon reading further down in your post that you actually meant cognitively hard books to digest. 😅

Otherwise:

• my favorite, or rather required, environment is outdoors. Indoors, I fall asleep from reading. I'd have to, figuratively, inject myself with caffeine or something to be able to read indoors. Here is one of my favorite spots:

• I digest each reading session by walking to and from work. I'm also single and have no (other) life, so I have lots of time for reflection. I also share my thoughts on the books with my family over Signal.
• I'm always prepared to take notes, carrying around a notebook and a fountain pen, but it rarely happens. Perhaps if I had somebody in my everyday life with whom to share my notes? Even then, I would have to feel quite challenged, intrigued or provoked (in a good way) for it to be worthy of writing down.

I also used to read a lot as a kid then stopped for a long while. I have gotten back into it by reading before bed. I try to get to bed at least 30min early on most days—sometimes much earlier if I am having a lazy day or otherwise feeling like I don't want to stay up—then I get a bunch of reading before bed. As a bonus reading makes me sleepy so I always nod right off when I put the book down (or sometimes have to put the book down because I am falling asleep and can't keep my eyes open) I've managed to finish a good number of books already this year.

But I think the moral of the story is just find some time that works for you, reserve a bit of time in your day and try to make a bit of a habit out of it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rn22UlVdpw0