“There is more treasure in books than in all the pirates’ loot on Treasure Island.”
Stated by the American entrepreneur Walt Disney, the aforementioned quote justifies the necessity of books in our lives. A book is not just a collection of facts and information; rather, it’s a complete mentor that teaches readers about how to live life fully. A good book not only informs about its content but also helps to enhance vocabulary, increase creative thinking and imagination, and improve comprehension skills. Daily book reading also increases the brain’s capacity for attention and memory retention, reduces stress, and improves sleep quality. There are various genres of books in the world, each one having millions of volumes to provide knowledge and entertainment to its readers. In this blog post, we at BooksWagon UAE explain how you can develop daily book-reading habits, with examples from popular and useful genres to cater to the needs of every person.
How to Build a Daily Book Reading Habit?
Like any other good habit, book reading also requires consistency rather than volume. You don’t need to read a score of books in one week; Instead, one book per week is the best way to ignite a spark for reading. In fact, it’s better to begin small – spend around 2 hours per day on reading 5-6 pages. And while reading, try to think or imagine whatever you are reading. Also, a focused environment is necessary to initiate daily reading habits; so, keep your mobile phone on silent mode, avoid other unnecessary distractions, and focus on what you are perusing diligently.
Initially, it is going to be tough to sit for longer periods; so try to utilise the ‘pomodoro’ method – focused study of 25 minutes followed by a 5-minute break. Slice daily reading goals into short targets – one page per 10 minutes. These methods keep people engaged without burning out their brains. Also, it’s better if there’s a reading partner or a reading club to help you in this reading habit journey.
It’s better to begin with simple and easy-to-understand books, like fantasy books or bedtime stories, that you can grasp in one go. No matter how childish these books are, for beginners, they are the best tools to develop daily reading habits. And as you begin to enjoy reading, pick books that you find challenging. Thus, it’s important to upgrade reading gradually. Besides, short treats for completing the daily targets will keep you motivated for the next day’s reading; so give yourself treats, like your favourite snacks, on completion of targets.
Last but not least, it’s crucial that you have a reading environment. To focus your mind on reading, you must sit in a quiet place with negligible distractions. Keep your phone silent, your room closed, and your mind free from unnecessary thoughts. Reading habit depends not only on the external environment, but also on internal feelings and constantly fluctuating thoughts. Thus, while sitting to read, try to minimise the flow of your thoughts and keep concentrating on reading.
Various Genres of Books for Various Readers
A genre refers to the category to which a book belongs. Generally speaking, a book can belong either to ‘Fiction’ or to ‘Non-fiction’. However, within these two umbrella genres, there are various sub-genres like historical fiction, fantasy, and sci-fi in the ‘Fiction’ genre, and biographies, self-help books, and social studies books in the ‘Non-fiction’ category. Before purchasing a book, it is important to know which genre it belongs to, so that the buyer can figure out whether (s)he will like it or not, thus making an informed choice.
Science Fiction Books
Sci-fi books offer a highly imaginative picture of society wherein technology has evolved to such a level that we can only be amazed by it. These books showcase such advanced methods as time travel, space exploration, AI taking over the world, government surveillance, and so on. This genre is full of creative thinking articulated with words guided by scientific principles and theories.
There are millions of science fiction novels authored by various internationally acclaimed authors; some of them are: ‘The Time Machine’ by H.G. Wells; ‘Dune’ by Frank Herbert; ‘I, Robot’ by Isaac Asimov; ‘The Martian’ by Andy Weir; ‘The Three-Body Problem’ by Cixin Liu; and ‘All Systems Red’ by Martha Wells. Talking about sci-fi books for beginners, ‘Project Hail Mary’ by Andy Weir and ‘Dark Matter’ by Blake Crouch are the best.
Crime Fiction Books
If you are interested in action and thrill, then crime fiction books are the best tools for you. Here, you will find flawed characters, illegal activities, investigation, and legal processes that will definitely keep you engaged for a long time without making you feel burned out. Other than entertaining readers, these crime fiction books also help readers develop a critical mind and challenge their problem-solving skills, thus ensuring that they develop a keen mind and detective skills that they can use in their daily lives as well.
The genre of crime fiction novels is full of innumerable works by many thousands of writers who have created a niche for themselves in the literary world. Some of the bestselling crime fiction books are: ‘And Then There Were None’ by Agatha Christie; ‘The Big Sleep’ by Raymond Chandler; ‘The Silence of the Lambs’ by Thomas Harris; ‘Crime and Punishment’ by Fyodor Dostoevsky; ‘The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo’ by Stieg Larsson; ‘The Maltese Falcon’ by Dashiell Hammett; and ‘Gone Girl’ by Gillina Flynn. All these books are beginner-friendly and can be ordered from any online bookstore, including BooksWagon UAE.
Historical Fiction Books
For those who are intrigued by history and ancient mythologies, historical fiction is the best genre. These books present a thoughtful combination of historical facts and events with human imagination, giving readers a chance to relive the bygone era from a fresh perspective. Here, readers will get well-researched content in an interesting form, something they don’t find in traditional history books. These books have period-appropriate dialogue and human-centred themes that make them relatable and easy to understand.
The field of historical fiction books is adorned with many treatises and volumes authored by various writers, from classical works to modern writings. Some of the best historical fiction books are: ‘The Pillars of the Earth’ by Ken Follett; ‘Wolf Hall’ by Hilary Mantel; ‘The Book Thief’ by Markus Zusak; ‘All the Light We Cannot See’ by Anthony Doerr; ‘Pachinko’ by Min Jin Lee; ‘Memoirs of a Geisha’ by Arthur Golden; ‘The Nightingale’ by Kristin Hannah; ‘A Gentleman in Moscow’ by Amor Towles; ‘The Underground Railroad’ by Colson Whitehead; and ‘The Song of Achilles’ by Madeline Miller.
Biographies/Autobiographies
It’s said that reading a book is like reading a man. And biographies/autobiographies clearly establish this fact. A biography book is based on the life of a real person, showcasing actual struggles and suggesting practical solutions to real-life problems. The primary difference between a biography and an autobiography is that the former is authored by someone else, while the latter is written by the people themselves whose stories are narrated in the book. These books provide thoroughly researched events from the lives of individuals with detailed analysis, thus bestowing readers with deep character development opportunities.
Coming to some examples of biogrphay/autobiography books, there is a plethora of writings which can be perused, analysed, and learned from to make our lives easy and productive. Some of the best treatises of the genre are: ‘Steve Jobs’ by Walter Isaacson; ‘Alexander Hamilton’ by Ron Chernow; ‘Einstein: His Life and Universe’ by Walter Isaacson; ‘Unbroken’, a biography of an Olympian and WWII POW Louis Zamperini by Laura Hillenbrand; ‘Long Way To Freedom’, an autobiography of Nelson Mandela; and ‘Wings of Fire’, an autobiography of Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam.
True Crime Books
While crime fiction books provide readers with some unusual and impossible scenarios, true crime novels offer a detailed analysis of actual crimes and illegal activities. They present factual accuracy and also highlight the sufferings of victims and their families. Many a time, these books are authored by renowned journalists and psychologists, thus giving a detailed overview of real crime and the psychology of criminals simultaneously. Rather than providing enthralling entertainment, true crime books bestow readers with learning opportunities to stay vigilant and aware of nearby happenings in their lives.
Looking for your first true crime book? Try one of these: ‘In Cold Blood’ by Truman Capote; ‘Helter Skelter: True Story of the Manson Murders’ by Vincent Bugliosi and Curt Gentry; ‘The Stranger Beside Me’ by Ann Rule; ‘The Devil in the White City’ by Erik Larson; ‘I’ll Be Gone in the Dark’ by Michelle McNamara; ‘Killers of the Flower Moon’ by David Grann; ‘Under the Banner of Heaven’ by Jon Krakauer; ‘Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil’ by John Berendtt; and ‘Say Nothing: A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland’ by Patrick Radden Keefe. These can be bought from any online bookstore in the UAE.
Tour and Travel Guides
For a traveller, the best thing in the world, after budget, is a good travel guide. These informative pieces of writing give detailed descriptions of various tourist places across the world along with ways of reaching them. A good tour and travel book provides crisp and accurate information about the place with vivid visual aids to identify it. Besides, these guides also offer insights into hidden locations of a tourist place, local customs and traditions, with authentic reviews. All in all, a well-written tour and travel guidebook provides a travelling experience without making you leave the comfort of your home.
There are millions of tourist places across the world, and billions of tour and travel books have been written about them. Some of the best tour books in the world are: ‘In a Sunburned Country’ by Bill Bryson, a vivid description of Australia; ‘The Great Railway Bazaar’ by Paul Theroux, detailing a train journey from Europe to South East Asia via the Middle East and India; ‘The Motorcycle Diaries’ by Ernesto “Che” Guevara, a travelogue about South America; and ‘Vagabond: An Uncommon Guide to the Art of Long-Term World Travel’ by Rolf Pott.
Final Words of Advice
While choosing a book for the first time, you should follow your heart without leaving your brain behind. With your thinking, you will be able to eliminate those writings you don’t find useful or understandable. But by following your heart, you will instantly find out your love. There are various ways of looking for a book, but the best way is an online bookstore. One such online bookstore is BooksWagon UAE. Here, you will get your favourite treatises without leaving the comfort of your home at the most affordable rates, with regular deals and discounts. Also, we deliver books across Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, and other parts of the UAE within a period of a fortnight. So, if you are thinking of embarking upon your daily reading habit journey, visit bookswagon.ae and purchase your favourite volume now.
Questions We Answer Occasionally
Q1) How many hours should I read daily to develop a reading habit?
Ans) There’s no objective answer to this as it differs from person to person. But the most accepted time is one hour per day. But the thing is, time doesn’t matter; what matters is consistency. It’s more important that you read for the same amount of time and content daily to build a strong reading habit.
Q2) Being a first-time reader, what kind of book should I begin with?
Ans) It depends completely on you. You should go for the book that intrigues you the most. If you are interested in fiction mixed with reality, go for crime fiction or historical fiction books. If you are into fantasy novels, opt for books like Harry Potter and The Lord of the Rings. If you like the non-fiction world, buy history books or true crime books.
Q3) How many genres of books are there?
Ans) Generally, there are two genres of books, namely ‘Fiction’ and ‘Non-fiction’. But within these two umbrellas, there are various sub-genres like ‘Historical Fiction’, ‘Crime Fiction’, and ‘Sci-Fi Books’ under the ‘Fiction’ genre; whereas ‘Biographies/Autobiographies’, ‘True Crime Books’, and ‘Tour and Travel Guides’ under the ‘Non-fiction’ category.
Q4) Which are the best self-help books for first-time readers?
Ans) The following are the best self-help books any first-time reader can read: ‘Atomic Habits’ by James Clear; ‘The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People’ by Stephen R. Covey; ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ by Daniel Kahneman; ‘The Mountain is You’ by Brianna Wiest; ‘How to Win Friends and Influence People’ by Dale Carnegie; ‘The Gifts of Imperfection’ by Brene Brown; and ‘Can’t Hurt Me’ by David Goggins.
Q5) Which is the best online bookstore in the UAE for the first-time reader?
Ans) There are various online bookstores in the UAE, and the best of them is BooksWagon UAE. What makes us a class apart is our timely delivery of books with assured quality standards and at the most affordable rates in the country. We have millions of books by various internationally acclaimed authors with easy-to-search options using the name of the book, the author, or the book’s ISBN.
