NEW YORK (AP) 鈥� People for lots of reasons. But it鈥檚 never too late to turn the page on old habits and start again.
can reduce stress, increase creativity and boost empathy. found that the percentage of Americans who read for pleasure during an average day has fallen to 16% in 2023 from 28% in 2004. That includes not just books but audiobooks, e-books and periodicals like magazines.
Some people say they’re fatigued from in school. Others don’t have the time or would rather zone out by doom-scrolling on social media. And many just got out of the habit.
鈥淚t鈥檚 difficult for people who are really tired and busy to think about getting into reading if it鈥檚 not something they鈥檙e used to,鈥� said Jacqueline Rammer, director of Menomonee Falls Public Library in Wisconsin.
For those looking to set reading goals or resolutions in 2026, here’s how to get back into the habit.
Choose the right book
When picking your next book, avoid dense nonfiction or a 500-page doorstop.
鈥淵our first book should be something that you think will be joyful,鈥� said Jocelyn Luizzi, a software engineer from Chicago who blogs about books.
Everyone’s taste is different, so get recommendations from a variety of places including friends, booksellers and online communities like BookTok.
Rammer and her staff ask library visitors: What was the last book, TV show or movie that you really enjoyed? Then, they look for similar genres or themes.
Many libraries offer access to which suggests 鈥渞ead-alikes鈥� for various books and authors.
Set a reading routine
To create a habit that sticks, 鈥渟tart by scheduling reading into your day,鈥� said Gloria Mark, an attention span expert with the University of California, Irvine. Read five pages during a lunch break or right before bed.
If you’re reading a physical book, Mark said to avoid distractions by keeping phones and laptops out of sight.
But experimenting with other formats can make reading more convenient. E-books are portable and audiobooks are a good candidate to accompany chores or the morning commute. You can likely access both for free by and signing in with a library card.
Try to read in a quiet setting, but don’t be afraid to make it a social activity. Many cities in the U.S. and around the world where people read their own books together in coffee shops and libraries.
Setting a reading goal for the year or joining a local library’s winter reading challenge can help with motivation 鈥� but if it feels like added pressure, don’t do it.
Shannon Whitehead Smith, a book blogger from the Atlanta area who also works in marketing, says scrolling through lists of other people’s reads on social media and encourages her to keep the habit.
鈥淪eeing all these other people reading motivates me to put my phone down and pick up this book that鈥檚 sitting beside me,鈥� she said.
Feel free to skip a read
If a book feels particularly sluggish, it’s OK to put it down and start another. Reading 鈥渟houldn’t feel like a burden,鈥� said Jess Bone with University College London, who analyzed the survey data about American adults reading for pleasure.
Routine readers say the habit helps them stay curious and release the stress of the day. Rammer, the library director, reads mysteries rife with twists and turns, and romances that cycle through roller coasters of emotions.
Most of all, she likes books that end with a 鈥渉appily ever after.鈥�
鈥淚 think the guarantee of knowing that things are going to end up OK is really reassuring,鈥� Rammer said.
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