English is a class all Tualatin students must take. A mutual experience among all high school students is the struggle of just starting that one book you have to read. Writing and literature as an art form come in all kinds of mediums such as memoirs, fiction, non-fiction, plays, poetry and even music lyrics. Just as there’s a myriad of writing forms, there are plenty of types of readers, as well; you just have to find which one you are.

  If you struggle to sit down with a book and read on your own, you should try the immersive reading method. Create a comfortable environment with blankets, pillows and sweet treats, and grab a physical copy of your book while also listening to the audiobook. Being able to track words along with someone’s voice can help with concentration and comprehension of text. 

If you are trying to finish that one book by a deadline and cannot read in large, consecutive chunks, try digesting your book with the Pomodoro study method. Allow yourself to take intermittent breaks within your reading time so the work feels lighter, and you can have a guilt-free TikTok scroll built in, too. 

Lastly, if you haven’t been feeling that spark while reading books for fun, try aligning the types of books you read to events in your life. If you’re going on vacation, you may enjoy a cheesy rom-com based on where you’re going. If you want to get into the spirit of the season, read books based on that season, but choose wisely as you may correlate that book with the season for a lifetime. 

TuHS librarian Jessica Twede commented on her love of reading and offered some advice.

“I think shorter books are better; they are more achievable than longer books. I think a lot of people are more ambitious than they have the abilities to… it’s mostly trial and error,” Twede said.

Now it’s time for you to go read that IB literature novel, or start that one book that’s been on your nightstand for the past six months.