I read nonfiction often, but not all nonfiction is worth taking notes on. If I read biographies or memoirs I treat them like a fiction novel, I read to enjoy the story, and other than remembering some details, I'm fine if I forget parts.

Over the years I've read a lot of nonfiction to learn. For these books, I would often read or listen to them cover to cover, if I felt they were worth diving in deeper, I'd get a physical copy, take notes, highlight, and do any exercises in the book. I would refer back to them frequently until I feel I'd mastered the skill.

Another category for me is more "motivational" those I often listen to every year or 2 to remind myself why I make the choices I make or to keep me on track.

I stopped reading about halfway through because I felt like I needed a chart to keep all the characters straight. It was funny, but also made my head hurt.

Would you force yourself to finish a meal that you’re half finished with that you aren’t enjoying?

There’s nothing wrong with not liking a book.

I feel like you missed the point of the article. It's not about how a lot of people don't read books, it's about a potentially growing trend of anti-intellectualism that specifically reviles books and denigrates the act of reading them. Take this quote from Sam Bankman-Fried:

> I don’t want to say no book is ever worth reading, but I actually do believe something pretty close to that. I think, if you wrote a book, you fucked up, and it should have been a six-paragraph blog post.

It is not so much that these people are getting their information a different way, it's that they think the time committment to reading or writing a full-length book, rather than being a sign of some virtues such as patience and erudition, is a warning sign of self-indulgence or maybe even ignorance. (After all, if you read books you might get ideas from spending time with other people's perspectives. This would be bad; a betrayal of the self. Better to be totally subsumed in your own thoughts and point-of-view, that way you can truly know yourself and also that other people are a waste of your time.) The impetus, given the framing of these quotes, is obviously narcissism, but it appeals to a frighteningly large sector of the population that has low attention spans and an aversion to actually practicing empathy.

The plotlessness is kind of the point of it. It might not be for you if you need your stories written in a conventional, linear fashion. Catch-22 was written in a kind of out of order way that's kind of like a Tarantino movie.

I prefer to read nonfiction while being very attentive too, and i mostly highlight them at points so i can look back. However i am making a habit of writing down about it once i finish the book, so if you want to write notes you can do it at the end of each reading session.

This one is my favorite, easily. "And Then There Were None" being another solid entry.

Aah! I see what you did!

I'm reading Lies My Teacher Told Me (history/commentary) and it's a slog if you try to read it continuously like fiction. I'm enjoying it much better and retain a lot more if I only read 2-10 pages per day.

Not slow reading or anything, just reading at a normal pace but limiting the page numbers. Gives me a chance to ponder the people involved throughout the day without being overloaded.

Break it apart. Read a chapter take a breather and see if you understand what’s going on until that point if not do it again and take notes by comparing from what you remember and so on.

Hmm, that's a tough situation.. keep going or quit it at pg 200.. pros and cons either way..

And Then There Were None is a good read.

For fiction and nonfiction, I annotate as I read (lately on kindle, but I mark up physical books too). This isn't like, brilliant or systematic annotation I just highlight stuff and add notes that can be anything from "lol" to "I wonder how this relates to..." to "this reminds me of..." I only look back at these notes if I am rereading the book or occasionally if I am looking for a quote.

Additionally, I have a note on my phone for whatever I'm currently reading. In between chapters, sections, or just at good stopping points I do pause and put in the main points from the chapter + my own thoughts. I find it more useful to do this after reading a section in my own words rather than taking notes as I go. I only revisit these notes if I take a long break from the book, in which case it is a useful refresher. For me doing it is more important than having it.

Finally, part of my wake-up routine in the morning is basically a memory game. While I'm getting ready for the day I try to reflect on the stuff I read or watched the day before and see if I can remember what it was about. If it's important - related to my job or just something I really want to learn - ill sometimes retread parts I can't recall or realize that I fully havent understood. With philosophy books for example I will sometimes think I have a handle on the content while reading and realize during my morning recall that I in fact do not.

Still, memory is a fragile thing and I'll generally forget a lot of the details of a book after a while away from it. I'm fine with that - in this case too I think doing is better than having. It's more important to me that I can deeply understand s book once than know it forever, and my recall method is in service of that.

You may enjoy r/AgathaChristie for discussion and recommendations too!

Certainly fun to watch, even if only to see all of the stars in that cast, I mean, just wow.

One of those films which is objectively pretty bad but just extremely fun to watch

Definitely try some other poirot novels, they are always a great read. Also you could try "and then there were none" by Agatha Christie. Doesn't have a main detective but arguably her best book.

Ooooo!!

I find it helpful to listen to the audiobook and follow along on my kindle to highlight and make notes.

There's nothing wrong with having a hard time understanding books you're reading. Don't fight against your skill level, accept it and work on it. I personally read very well, but I have had family members who have struggled due to the kind of issues (dyslexia etc) people are suggesting you might have. The best thing isn't to battle against that, but to accept what works and what doesn't for you, and build on it.

Importantly, nothing you do that works for you is wrong. Nobody is going to die or get hurt because you take notes about a book, or read in short bursts, or need quiet to read. If it works for you, it's great. If you need to stop and think, do it. Don't think this is wrong or bad of you. It's not, it's how you need to understand things. I've read books before that I've needed to put down and read later in life to understand. Everyone has their own pace.

Lastly, please have confidence in yourself. You can do it, whether it takes long or short.

Thank you for this!

Forbidden by Tabitha Suzuma. I read this book four years ago and don’t remember my exact feelings on it, but I did love it. It was definitely a “forbidden” topic that I thought the author portrayed very well. It might be due for a re-read to see if my feelings about it are the same.

I know that a lot of people have suggested dyslexia, but I wondered if you've experienced some trauma? I'm a therapist and have spoken with people in the past who struggle to take in what they are reading because their head won't allow it. I wondered if that rings true for you? Only because you said you used to be fine.

If I'm wrong, I heartily apologise, maybe this isn't the ideal suggestion for a public forum about books.

You're not the problem here though, well done for being brave enough to ask. I'd definitely start with light books, in the morning in a well lit room, with a notepad alongside you to jot down points. I get this way when reading academic literature and these things definitely help me.

I read Verity by here first and really liked it. So I went and bought a few other books by her, and It Ends With Us was the next one I read. I was so disappointed, and now have like five other books by her that I don’t even want to read. But feel like I have to since I bought them🥲

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