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The problem with Fantasy and Sci-fi genre is they are generally huge books. The smallest can be a respectable 300 pages, but they can jump massively up to 15,000 pages for a full series. So here are some quick fire tips to help you tackle these huge books.
Mix Media Not Just a Huge Book
The easiest method is to vary the media you are consuming the huge book on. Most books are available as an audiobook. The main source of audiobooks would be Audible (Click here to subscribe*). By mixing the two media you can keep interested and progress the story along.
A less effective way would be to have the book in e-book format on your phone. Most people have their phones on them all the time. So whenever you have a spare moment. You can read on your phone and switch away from it when finished.
Going down the audiobook route you may find huge books less daunting. Especially if there is more than one narrator and includes sound effects. The change in voice/tempo really helps to move the story along and you won’t even notice that you are listening to a book.
Set Targets
One tip I find especially helpful is to set targets. There are two kinds that you can set:
- Time Based
- Page/Chapter Based
Personally I find page based targets the best. If I read to the next multiple of 5 or 10 I can grab a coffee or go for a stretch. If you are great planner you can even split the book into parts that you must read within a day.
For me I usually aim for the next multiple of 50 to be read each day. But this depends on the book, the font size and also the format. Hardback books I usually set lower targets since they are heavier to hold.
If you read the previous tip about using audiobooks. You can still set targets by either chapter or by using the sleep function on your audiobook player of choice. I usually do this when I know I need to get up to do chores etc.
Depending on how confident you are at reading will vary your target. Just because I say the next 5 or 10 doesn’t mean you have to. It could be as small as finishing the page you are on. Or as large as finishing 100 pages or a whole chapter.
Read When You Can
Keep a journal/diary of what you do during the day. Such as commuting, working, eating, gaming, reading through your phone, socialising etc.
Once you have a whole weeks worth of data you can replace the extra curricular tasks such as reading your phone with reading the book.
I’m guilty of spending far too much time on my phone, just browsing Facebook and TikTok rather than doing anything relaxing. I could be watching a film or socialising instead.
Do make sure that you are reading safely and are aware of your surroundings. Especially if you get drawn deeply into the book. I’ve often almost missed my stop while on the bus/train. Reading while walking is obviously not advised or safe.
If It Doesn’t Grab You…
So this one is going to be a double edge sword. If you’ve read 20, 50, 100 pages and you still don’t feel like your enjoying the book. Don’t force it. Often times I’m guilty of it and end up being put off reading for months at a time.
But, there are some authors that take time getting used to their writing style. In theory they should hook you in straight away. But they may be building up to a great climax.
To figure out whether a author takes time to get used to. Check out the reviews of the books, or join a book club and ask questions about the author. And if the signs aren’t good move on to the next book.
You can always come back to it at a later date if you find your able to digest books a lot quicker than you are currently.
Finally
I hope the above tips helped. If you are struggling to find a short book click here. If you have any tips of your own please comment and I can add them to this bank of tips.
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