How to read long, nonfiction books?

[spacepope]

Hey everyone!

So relatively new to reading as a hobby, picking it up last year. I read 70 books, most of them fiction. Any non-fiction I read was quite short and I was able to finish in a few days. I read everything on my e-reader.

Now, I want to read some longer non-fiction books, such as letter collections, long history books, etc. In general, I want to read books are not conducive to reading all in one shot.

However, I find myself having trouble making any real progress on these books because, when I open my ereader, my current fiction book instantly pops up and I just keep reading that. It's a little too convenient in that way.

If any of you read longer books over a long period of time, how do you manage it? Maybe set aside time on the weekends, or read a few pages a day from each long, nonfiction/nonnarrative book you're hoping to work through?

Thanks

[SteveEisenberg]

Your starting point seems to be that nonfiction and/or longer books are less gripping. If that's true for you, fine. It isn't a moral failing.

If I don't like a book, long or short, I stop reading it.

So, I'd say, start lots of books. I use libraries, but Amazon free first chapter samples are an alternative.

[Uncle Robin]

Originally Posted by spacepope

If any of you read longer books over a long period of time, how do you manage it? Maybe set aside time on the weekends, or read a few pages a day from each long, nonfiction/nonnarrative book you're hoping to work through?

Thanks

First of all, I second Steve's comment about books that grip you, or don't. The first thing you need is a personal motivation to read the book. Don't feel guilty if you don't have it, just move on.

Second, remember that there is no rush. Two of my most satisfying nonfiction reads this year were emotionally challenging to read, and I needed to take longish breaks to recharge. That's a great advantage of ereaders, actually - when drained by reading of the brutal slavery conditions in Brazil up to the 20th Century, or the vicious US occupation of Haiti in the 1920s, it was great to take a break with a frothy regency romance or cozy mystery.

You may also find you need to read smaller blocks if the material is mentally challenging. I find this with many linguistics books - my reading rate slows right down, so I read less in a given period. You may find similarly with your nonfiction choices. Read because you want to, when you want to. The book is not going anywhere, there will be no police knocking on the door to check your progress.

[Dazrin]

I too struggle with nonfiction but want to force myself to read some, here is what I do:

1) Nonfiction works much better for me in the car. I'm trapped and audiobooks are a great way to read (some) nonfiction. Some books may not work but many will.
2) Try NF with humor in it or that is written in a non-formal way. That works best for me. I don't want to read a textbook (with very few exceptions.)
3) Try going to your home screen whenever you are done with a reading session. That way you don't start right where you were in your fiction book and (might) choose a NF title.

Here are some that I've enjoyed:

• Matt Parker has some good mathematics type books. (Standup Maths and a frequent Numberphile contributor on Youtube.)
• Mary Roach has some good science books on various "disturbing" topics. Very fun and you'll learn something.
• Jenny Lawson (the Bloggess) has a couple good books dealing with various topics.
• Bill Hammack's "Fatal Flight" is good (and available as an audio book or podcast for free.)
• There are a lot of good history books out there that are accessible. I really enjoyed The Devil in the White City for example.

[hobnail]

Along the lines of what others said, find books on topics that interest you. Equally important is finding authors that write well and make the topic interesting. The local library can help so that you don't waste money on duds.

Some that I had no trouble finishing were

A World at Arms: A Global History of World War II, Gerhard L. Weinberg (a huge book but a significant part of it is the bibliography)

The Grey Seas Under: The Perilous Rescue Mission of a N.A. Salvage Tug , Farley Mowat

Pretty much anything by John Keegan, a war historian.

This is a good time to read Grey Seas Under since it's about a Canadian rescue tug that rescues ships that are floundering in bad storms. I think I may have read it three times, twice certainly. It's been several years since the last time so it's time again. Be forewarned that it's slow in the beginning, but once it picks up it's a great read.

[gmw]

My reading is very mood driven, and when not mood, work. So mostly I tend to go with the flow.

When work is intense or I'm not in the mood to get taken in my some long tale of derring-do, I pick up one of the non-fictions that I have on stand-by. Or, if I am hitting one of my occasional reading-blocks (where I can't make up my mind what I'm in the mood for), I pick up one of my non-fictions. Many non-fictions are the sort of thing you can read a chapter at a time at widely spaced intervals, so I find they can be convenient to have on-hand.

This is, for me, is one of the big advantages of an e-reader. I currently have several collections of science articles, a handful of biographies, a few history books, and so on, sitting there ready to be picked up as the need arises. And they can just as easily be put aside for as long as necessary too. Try managing that with physical books.

[rcentros]

Originally Posted by spacepope

Now, I want to read some longer non-fiction books, such as letter collections, long history books, etc. In general, I want to read books are not conducive to reading all in one shot.

My eReaders pop up to what I was reading when I shut the cover. Maybe it's as simple as opening the non-fiction book you want to read next reading session before closing your cover.

That said, if you don't like the non-fiction books you're trying to read, maybe you should find something else that grabs your interest. (As others have mentioned.)

[DrNefario]

I tend to have non-fiction books on other devices, and dip in and out when the mood takes me. I’ll be reading a novel on my main reader at my usual times, but have non-fiction on my tablets or other ereaders. Sometimes I will make extra time for them, if they are narratively engaging. Sometimes it’s a listicle kind of book that works well in small chunks.

[kacir]

It is very easy to read them on my e-ink reader, because my reader (and all readers out there that I know of) remembers the position where I was last time I opened the book. So even if you read just a few pages here and there you are never wasting time looking for the place where you left the book.
I tend to read quite a lot non-fiction books, usually popular science types (not history, not biography, with a few exceptions). Those non-fiction books I read either because I need to learn something for work or other reason, and that motivates me to finish, or books I choose because the topic interests me. If I have to force myself through a book from a second category I usually abandon the book or simply leave it on my reader, perhaps some other time I will be in a mood to read that. The reader keeps my place in a book for an unlimited time.

[spacepope]

Thanks everyone for your responses so far, and your recommendations!

Originally Posted by rcentros

My eReaders pop up to what I was reading when I shut the cover. Maybe it's as simple as opening the non-fiction book you want to read next reading session before closing your cover.

Actually going to use this, at least I can start every day with at least reading a little bit from a book. I think reading a bit in the morning is the easiest time to read something more difficult.

[rkomar]

Originally Posted by rcentros

That said, if you don't like the non-fiction books you're trying to read, maybe you should find something else that grabs your interest. (As others have mentioned.)

Tastes can develop over time. It's not always true, but sometimes you can develop a liking for something with exposure. So, I think there are lost opportunities if you only do things that you like or interest you. If the OP is in the mood for exploration, then hacking your way through the mosquito-infested jungle to get to the City of Gold is part of the adventure. Of course, sometimes you hack your way to nowhere; that's the life of an explorer.

Perhaps it might be easier to start with books that offer information in small chunks. Collections of letters (as mentioned) or essays, for example.

[kyrilson]

I read mostly fiction but also some non-fiction. What I do is I read the non-fiction in bursts and I don't read the entire book all at once, unless I really enjoy it and I plow right through it. I'll read a non-fiction book for a while until I get distracted/bored and then read fiction for a while and I'll go back to it later and resume it and read some more of it. Non-fiction tends to be easy for me to read in bits and pieces as it's usually not plot driven unless it's historical in nature. Maybe try an approach like that, it might work for you. Also don't be afraid to drop a book if it's not holding your interest.

[j.p.s]

I exit the book at the end of each reading session. When I next wake up my reader I see a list of the books I have been reading most recently. Each book is ready to open to where I left off.

[Deskisamess]

I generally have 2-4 books going at the same time. One is usually non-fiction, the others fiction. I read whichever one interests me at the moment. Time of day, how I'm feeling, day of the week, all have input in what I may read at any given time.

Some non-fiction takes very little concentration. For example, I'm currently ready Katie Couric's auto-biography. It's an easy lite read, not much that requires heavy thought. I can easily read it before bed. But, a book like "No Ordinary Time" which is long, and full of heavy detail about WW2 and FDR, took a good of concentration and was much slower going. One book is a snack, the other a 9 course meal.

If I start a reading session, and the book I've chosen isn't pulling me in, I pick another book. It's what so fabulous about an e-reader...hundreds of books at my fingertips, so always something that will suit.

[Bembo]

I do think it's important to take your time to digest non-fiction. Sometimes it takes me a week or two to finish the same amount of pages of fiction I could read in a few days. Fiction is easier to digest, so to speak, because you aren't doing much cognitive processing -- it's like watching a movie. (Unless the book is particularly clever and cerebral.)

With non-fiction, you're actively learning and processing new information; some authors are good at making non-fiction that is more narrative, and that can help present the facts in a gradual way so you're not too overwhelmed. But in general, the best way to go through non-fiction is just to approach it a little bit at a time. This is harder to do on an e-reader admittedly, since at least for me, that lack of progress can be daunting. It's worth it to have a physical non-fiction book that you can turn to when you feel like taking a break from fiction or just feel like getting in the mood for it.