ameri
how to start reading again
from someone who was a voracious reader until high school and is now getting back into it in her twenties.
start with an old favourite. even though it felt a little silly, i re-read the harry potter series one christmas and it wiped away my worry that i wasn't capable of reading anymore. they are long books, but i was still able to get completely immersed and to read just as fast as i had years and years ago.
don't be afraid of "easier" books. before high school i was reading the french existentialists, but when getting back into reading, i picked up lucinda riley and sally rooney. not my favourite authors by far, but easier to read while not being totally terrible. i needed to remind myself that only choosing classics would not make me a better or smarter person. if a book requires a slower pace of reading to be understood, it's easier to just drop it, which is exactly what i wanted to avoid at first.
go for essays and short stories. no need to explain this one: the shorter the whole, the less daunting it is. i definitely avoided all books over 350 pages at first and stuck to essay collections until i suddenly devoured donna tartt's goldfinch.
remember it's okay not to finish. i was one of those people who finished every book they started, but not anymore! if i pick up a book at the library and after a few chapters realise i'd rather not read it, i just return it. (another good reason to use your local library! no money spent on books you might end up disliking.)
analyse ā or don't. some people enjoy reading more when they take notes or really stop to think about the contents. for me, at first, it was more important to build the habit of reading, and the thought of analysing what i read felt daunting. once i let go of that expectation, i realised i naturally analyse and process what i read anyway.
read when you would usually use your phone. just as i did when i was a child, i try to read when eating, in the bathroom, on public transport, right before sleeping. i even read when i walk, because that's normally a time i stare at my screen anyway. those few pages you read when you brush your teeth and wait for a friend very quickly stack up.
finish the chapter. if you have time, try to finish the part you're reading before closing the book. usually i find i actually don't want to stop reading once i get to the end of a chapter ā and if i do, it feels like a good place to pick up again later.
try different languages. i was quickly approaching a reading slump towards the end of my exchange year, until i realised i had only had access to books in english and that, despite my fluency, i was tired of the language. so as soon as i got back home i started picking up books in my native tongue, which made reading feel much easier and more fun again! after some nine months, i'm starting to read in english again without it feeling like a huge task.
forget what's popular. i thought social media would be a fun way to find interesting books to read, but i quickly grew frustrated after hating every single book i picked up on some influencer's recommendation. it's certainly more time-consuming to find new books on your own, but this way i don't despise every novel i pick up.
remember it isn't about quantity. the online book community's endless posts about reading 150 books each year or 6 books in a single day easily make us feel like we're slow, bad readers, but here's the thing: it does not matter at all how many books you read or what your reading pace is. we all lead different lives, just be proud of yourself for reading at all!
stop stressing about it. we all know why reading is important, and since the pandemic reading has become an even more popular hobby than it was before (which is wonderful!). however, there's no need to force yourself to be "a reader". pick up a book every now and then and keep reading if you enjoy it, but not reading regularly doesn't make you any less of a good person. i find the pressure to become "a person who reads" or to rediscover my inner bookworm only distances me from the very act of reading.
reminder that donating just a few $ to gofundme campaigns actually helps, you don't have to donate huge amounts if you don't have the funds, every little bit is useful. give $10, $5, even $1. it all adds up. don't scroll past because you think you can't help. help in your own capacity. donate a dollar. share and speak up.
I find it really wonderful and comforting that Mob Psycho 100 is so inherently optimistic, even though its main message, āyou are not specialā sounds so mean at face-value. Being special means that something matters more than something else of the same category. Being special at baking? Great! Being special at math? Super! Being special at bodybuilding? Neat! Having so many people have such unique special abilities is what makes the world work. But having a special ability doesnāt mean that someone who doesn't match your special ability matters less than you. You can't be special for simply existing, because that would mean someone else isn't. You aren't special because you inherently matter.
Am I the only one who noticed this? I think Mao Mao also fits in on the aroace part, what other characters fit in?
Messages between me and Ibrahim @wolf-aid on the 17th of april 2025, shared with his permission
Ibrahim is only fifteen years old, and this is the kind of things he has to deal with because of the occupation. He dreams of continuing his education, but this genocide has taken that from him. Ibrahimās home, school, and the places he used to spend his time have been destroyed, and he has been displaced multiple times and lost many relatives in the bombings. No one should have to go through this, and especially not at his age.
On top of this, both of his parents suffer from health issues, which is scary enough for a child to experience even outside of a war zone where they canāt get adequate treatment.
Prices in Gaza are sky high for food, medications and other necessities, and evacuations are expensive too. If you can donate to Ibrahimās campaign, you are helping this family survive until the border reopens, and making sure they can afford to leave when they have the chance.
Thanks to Ibrahimās hard work campaigning for his family, they have reached almost 90% of their goal, but they still have a little under 10,000 to go. Please donāt ignore him and donāt let this campaign slow down when they are so close to reaching their goal šš¼šµšø
@90-ghost @tamamita @rhubarbspring @heritageposts @dirhwangdaseul @neechees @butchniqabi @socalgal @newporters @pikslasrce @vampiricvenus @danlous @loumandivorce @jackiedaytona @deepspaceboytoy @autisticmudkip @nashvillethotchicken @femmefitz @pitbolshevik @sawasawako @iregularlyevadetaxes @omegaversereloaded @hotvampireadjacent @boobieteriat @mens-rights-activia @ot3
The people of Gaza are asking for YOUR help today. Here are some VETTED campaigns you should donate to and share widely.
(may 23rd):
Help Almoghrabi family to evacuate Gaza strip (@amjad20011) - Amjad needs to evacuate with his wife and his son, who isn't even 3 years old.
Support Ruba's family's urgent evacuation (@rubashaban) - Ruba's family are lacking the basic necessities of life; she has an elderly father who desperately needs to be evacuated.
Save little Yusuf and his family (@ahmednabubake) - Yusuf is in an intensive care unit fighting for his life in Gaza; he needs urgent evacuation alongside his family.
Help Belal and his family to evacuate from Gaza (@alaajshaat) - Belal has lost too much to this war and needs to support himself and his family.
Help Ahmed's family evacuate (@malkzaeem) - Ahmed needs to save his wife, 4 children, and severely injured father.
Help Ezzideen Shehab and his family evacuate (@helpezzideen) - Ezzideen, a young doctor, and his parents, siblings, and young brother MazenĀ urgently need to evacuate.
Help Imanās family find safety (@imaneyad) - Iman has a family of 7 who need to find safety.
Support three orphaned children and their motherĀ (@abedbahlool) - TW Graphic image. Asmaa is a mother of three and lost her husband due to the aggression.
Help save Bassam and his family (@lailashaqoura) - Bassam has five young children and has already lost 9 members of his wife's family.
Save Firas' family (@prosolitudeeee) - Firas is a of two children, a 10-month-old boy and a two-year-old girl, who are in need of safe haven in Egypt.
Help Hani's family evacuate (@skatehani) - A Palestinian skater trying to evacuate 10 members of his family.
Help Omar evacuate (@omarsobhi) - Omar is a 20 year old Palestinian student who wants to save himself and his family from this genocide.
Help Tahseen and his family (@tahseenmush) - Tahseen and his family are from northern Gaza and need urgent help to survive this genocide.
Help Nader's family to evacuate from Gaza (@nadershoshaa) - Nader and his family, consisting of six members, are currently displaced in the south; help them evacuate and survive.
Marah needs to save her family (@marahsalem) - Marah is trying to get reunited with her family, which consists of 5 members who need to urgently evacuate.
Help Mahmoud's family evacuate (@mahmoud0qassas) - Mahmoud and his family need to get to Egypt. His brother in law needs medical attention ASAP.
Yosof's family needs to evacuate (@yosofzaeem) - Yosofās family needs to evacuate urgently; member of their family needs medical attention.
This list is supposed to call you to action. Please do not scroll past without contributing. Choose at least one fundraiser to support today. $5 can save lives. If you cannot donate, share these campaigns.
Looking for more campaigns?
Please consider SHARING or DONATING, thank you! ā¤ļøš
Day 258, still alive.šµšøš