How to Get Back Into Reading in 2025 – Our Digital Reader’s Guide

Let’s be real – most of us want to read more, but life gets in the way. The compulsive scrolling, the notifications, the streaming rabbit holes… and the next thing you know, it’s been months since you opened a book. Ironically, while we were looking for a Roobet promo code the other day, we stumbled upon a forum thread where dozens of people were complaining about how hard it is to get back to reading. That’s what prompted this guide.

Because getting back into reading has nothing to do with guilt or hustle. It’s about getting back to that quiet space and giving your brain something better than a doomscroll.

Here’s how to make it easy, natural, and actually enjoyable—whether you’ve been away for months or years.

1.      Start with the Right Device

Reading today isn’t what it was like a decade ago. You don’t need a shelf of hardcover books to count yourself as a reader. Really, you don’t even need to own a Kindle anymore.=

2025 go-tos include:

• E-readers like Kindle Paperwhite, Kobo Clara 2E, or the Kindle Scribe to scribble notes
• Tablets (iPad Mini, Samsung Tab) that feature blue light filtering for night-time reading
• Your phone , because sometimes convenience gets the upper hand

The secret is to use what you have. Upgrade later if the urge hits.

2.      Go Short, not Deep

If it’s been a while since you’ve read a book, diving into War and Peace probably isn’t the solution. The way to dip your toes in? Short books, novellas, graphic novels, or even essays.

Here are some bite-sized books that worked for us:

• The Midnight Library by Matt Haig – short chapters, addictive premise
• We Should All Be Feminists by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie – under 60 pages
• Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi – gentle and quietly emotional

Even short story collections enable you to read in bite-sized chunks without committing to an epic 400-page tome.

3.      Rebuilt Your Attention Span

Let’s face it: social media has killed our focus. Reading a book is like a muscle—you have to retrain it.

This is what worked for us:

1. Set a 10-minute timer and read distraction-free
2. Use apps like Forest that mute notifications and reward you for staying focused
3. Listen to background music or ambient noise while reading to block out distractions

You don’t need to read for hours. Start slow. Even 10–15 minutes a day gets your mind used to deeper focus again.

4.      Reclaim Lost Time

We’re not judging, but if you can give 20 minutes to TikTok, you can probably give 20 minutes to a book. The trick is to replace – not add. Find the moments when you’re already daydreaming and replace reading in.

• Waiting at the dentist? Read.
• On the train? Read.
• Lying in bed scrolling through memes? Open your ebook app.

The more you stack reading into your day, the more it happens naturally.

5.      Use Ebooks to Your Advantage

Some others still like actual books. Okay, that’s fine too. But ebooks do have some definite advantages, especially if you’re returning to reading.

Here’s why we’re excited:

• Instant downloads = instant gratification
• Built-in dictionaries (so you no longer shy away from unfamiliar words)
• Changeable fonts and brightness, perfect for tired eyes
• Syncs between devices so you can pick up where you left off wherever

And then there are apps like Kindle and Libby tracking your streaks, progress, and enabling free borrowing of books. That tiny progress bar? Somehow motivational.

6.      Read Something You Loved

Don’t underestimate the power of nostalgia.

Rereading a favorite book from the past is one of the easiest steps to get back into the reading habit. You already know the plot. You already trust the author. No risk of being let down.

Some great rereads:

• Harry Potter (come on, we all do it at some point)
• The Hunger Games (and the new prequel, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes)
• The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho – short, timeless, inspiring

Old favourites are training wheels for your head. Let them spin you round for a little while.

Final Words

Finding the way back to reading doesn’t need to be an overhaul of your life. It’s not discipline, or being “smart.” It’s finding the joy of something that makes you feel good, concentrated, and a little more like yourself once more.

You don’t need to read one book a week. You don’t need to read the classics. You just need one book that leaves you wanting to open it again the next day.

So go ahead and fire up that app, pull out that Kindle, or dig up that library card. Your next favorite story is already waiting.