routine in practice and variety in style seem helpful, at least to me.

my routine is i generally read a good bit each night and always read a little bit during lunch at work. epub or pdfs of books are especially helpful for the latter, as i can sneak in a little extra via a browser plug-in, but i strongly prefer paper because i like to pencil in notes while i read. that also helps me retain more of what i’m reading, which feels good, and feeling good reinforces the habit. also, if i’m especially tired and can’t pick up a book before bed, i can at least look forward to reading a little tomorrow at lunch.

for variety, i try to keep four books going at once, one larger book (300+), one small (less than 200), and two mid-sized. i’ve found that reading smaller books helps provide a sense of accomplishment and progress to reinforce the habit without feeling mired down in larger ones (again, feelin’ good!). i also pick books from different genres (nonfiction/theory, fiction, poetry), regions, and time periods in case one of the books i’m reading is emotionally taxing or just rigorously dense.