Austin Kleon

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It wasn’t for me

it wasn't for me then one day it turned out to be

“If a book is tedious to you, don’t read it; that book was not written for you.”
—Jorge Luis Borges

Supposedly, a young man once stopped Borges on the street and told him how disappointed he was with the writer’s latest book. “Oh, that’s okay,” Borges said. “It wasn’t written for you.”

I’m a big fan of the phrase “it wasn’t for me” when asked about books (and music and TV and movies and so forth) that I didn’t get into.

I like the phrase because it’s essentially positive: it assumes that there are books for me, but this one just wasn’t one of them. It also allows me to tell you how I felt about a book without precluding the possibility that you might like it, or making you feel stupid or put down if you did like it.

“It just wasn’t for me.” No big deal.

The wonderful thing is that “me” is always changing. Every day you’re a different you. So when you say, “It wasn’t for me,” maybe it’s not for the “me” right now—maybe it’s for the “me” in the future.

Connecting with a book is so much about being the right reader in the right place at the right time. You have to feel free to skip things, move on, and maybe even come back later.

And you have to feel free to say, “It wasn’t for me.”

How to read more

how-to-read-more

Here’s a short list of tips that have helped me form good reading habits over the years. Share it as much as you like. You can also download a printer-friendly version and hang it in your workspace or classroom.

  1. Throw your phone in the ocean. (Or, keep it in airplane mode.)
  2. Carry a book with you at all times.
  3. Have another book ready before you finish the one you’re reading. (Make a stack of books to-read or load up your eReader.)
  4. If you aren’t enjoying a book or learning from it, stop reading it immediately. (Flinging it across the room helps give closure.)
  5. Schedule 1 hour a day of reading on your calendar like you would an important meeting. (Try commutes, lunch breaks, or getting in bed an hour early.)
  6. Keep a reading log and share your favorite books with others. (They will send you even more books to read.)

If you’re looking for a good book to read, here are books I recommend and books I’ve written.

And to keep you on track, here’s a wallpaper for your phone:

16087465710_cf0a2d0c1e_o

See also: 33 thoughts on reading

How to read more

my reading desk

I read 70+ books this year, a new personal record. If you’re interested in reading more, here’s what I recommend:

  1. Throw your phone in the ocean. (Or, keep it in airplane mode.)
     
  2. Carry a book with you at all times.
     
  3. Have another book ready before you finish the one you’re reading. (Make a stack of books to-read or load up your eReader.)
     
  4. If you aren’t enjoying a book or learning from it, stop reading it immediately. (Flinging it across the room helps give closure.)
     
  5. Schedule 1 hour of non-fiction reading during the day. (Commutes, lunch breaks, and any contained period of idle time work well.)
     
  6. Go to bed 1 hour early and read fiction. (It will help you sleep.)
     
  7. Keep a reading log and share your favorite books with others. (They will send you even more books to read.)
     

I posted this list on Twitter, and tweaked it based on all the responses. It was inspired by Ryan Holiday.

If you liked this post, you’ll like my books.

Above: My reading desk, designed to resemble a library study carrel.

33 thoughts on reading

i-will-not-finish-books-i-dont-like

  1. I will make time for reading, the way I make time for meals, or brushing my teeth.
     
  2. I will make an effort to carry a book with me at all times.
     
  3. I will read whatever interests me. I will read novels. I will read poems. I will read essays. I will read short stories. I will read memoirs. I will read magazines. I will read newspapers. I will read comic books. I will read self-help. I will read street signs. I will read ads. I will read instruction manuals. I will read old love letters. Etc.
     
  4. I will read whatever the hell I feel like. No guilty pleasures.
     
  5. I will try to clear my mind of expectations before I sit down to read. I will give each book a chance.
     
  6. I will turn off my fucking phone.
     
  7. I will be a good date, but I will not let an author waste my time.
     
  8. I will not finish books I don’t like.
     
  9. I will let boredom ring like a gigantic gong.
     
  10. I will throw a book across the room.
     
  11. I will read with a pencil. I will underline. I will dog ear. I will write in the margins.
     
  12. I will massacre a book if I need to.
     
  13. I will copy down favorite passages in my own hand, to know what writing the words feels like.
     
  14. I will re-read favorite books the way I watch favorite movies and play favorite records over and over.
     
  15. I will make lists of books I want to read.
     
  16. I will take a deep breath and understand that it is IMPOSSIBLE to read everything.
     
  17. I will toss “The Canon” out the window.
     
  18. I will keep a list of books I have read. I will share this list.
     
  19. When I find a book I love, I will shout about it from whatever mountaintops I have access to.
     
  20. When I find an author I truly adore, an author who makes my gutstrings vibrate, I will read everything they have written. Then I will read everything that they read.
     
  21. If I hate a book, I will keep my mouth shut.
     
  22. I will make liberal use of the phrase, “It wasn’t for me.”
     
  23. I will ask people what they are reading. I will take notes.
     
  24. I will keep stacks of unread books at the ready.
     
  25. The minute I finish a book, I will start a new one.
     
     
  26. I will go to the library. I will go to the bookstore. I will get lost in the stacks.
     
  27. I will read bibliographies. I will let one book lead me to another.
     
  28. If I need to read for information, I will browse and skim and Google book reviews.
     
  29. As often as I can, I will read out loud to someone I care about.
     
  30. I will not lend out a book if I ever want to see it again. If a friend asks to borrow a beloved book, I will buy and mail them a copy.
     
  31. I will not harbor the delusion that being a reader makes me a superior person.
     
  32. I will not suffer under the delusion that the act of reading alone makes me a better person.
     
  33. If I don’t feel like reading, I’ll go do something else. Maybe even — gasp! — watch TV.
     

Special thanks to Alan Jacobs, who wrote my favorite book about reading, and the other sources in my “reading” tag.

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