Scrolling More, Reading Less? A Gentle Guide To Rekindling Your Love For Books

"Books are a uniquely portable magic." -Stephen King
Since childhood, I've had an immense love for books, a love inspired by my grandfather. But I believe the habit of reading must ultimately come from within. No one can force it upon you; it has to feel personal. If you're someone who's starting to read in your 20s or 30s, that's perfectly okay. I'd recommend picking up a book, reading its blurb or a few pages, and seeing if it speaks to you. If it doesn't, set it aside and try another.

Once, the smell of fresh pages felt like magic. I'd skip birthday parties for afternoons curled up in a novel, and stay awake until dawn whispering, "Just one more chapter." But now? My TBR pile stares back at me, unopened, while my screen demands more of my attention. What happened to the reader I used to be? 

Why Many Bookworms Can't Read Like Before

It's not just you. Reading has quietly become a casualty of modern life.

Digital distractions

Our phones light up with notifications every few minutes. Social media, Reels, and YouTube Shorts are designed to keep us hooked, and they do. Long-form reading starts to feel unnatural.

Mental fatigue

School, work, and the endless to-do lists leave little space for slow pleasures. By the time we pick up a book, our minds are too tired to focus on a single page.

Reading guilt

Somewhere along the way, we began to think that reading should be "productive." If it isn't a self-help guide or a career-boosting book, it feels like indulgence. Fiction starts to feel like a luxury we can't afford.

Overwhelming choices

We're surrounded by recommendations, bestseller lists, and book hauls. Strangely, this abundance makes it harder to choose. Decision fatigue creeps in, and so we choose nothing.

Loss of quiet spaces

Libraries are fewer, homes are noisier, and even cafés hum with distraction. The cosy reading corners we once had now compete with a world that refuses to slow down.

How to Reignite the Habit

The good news? Your inner bookworm hasn't left; they're just waiting for an invitation.

Reread childhood favourites

Go back to the books that made you fall in love with reading in the first place. The comfort of a familiar story can reopen the door.

Try short stories or novellas

No pressure to commit to a 500-page epic. Small doses can build momentum.

Set mood rituals

Make reading feel special again, with a cup of tea, a warm blanket, the sound of rain, or the glow of a scented candle.

Book clubs

Accountability helps. Sharing thoughts with others makes the experience richer and more engaging.

Discover book-friendly spaces

Spend an afternoon reading by the lakeside at Eco Park in Kolkata, join open-air reading gatherings in Delhi, or explore quiet corners of your local park.

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Use book-focused apps

Apps like Fable offer curated book clubs, reading challenges, and thoughtful discussions that can keep you engaged.

Digital detox hours

Choose an hour each day to go screen-free and let a book fill the space instead.

Audiobooks

When your eyes are tired, let your ears take over. Stories can walk with you on commutes, chores, or evening strolls.

Reading journals

Note how you felt after each book, not just what you read, but how it changed you, even in small ways.

A Gentle Reminder

Being a book lover isn't about how many books you finish each month. It's about your relationship with reading, the joy, the wonder, the way a story lingers in your mind long after you've closed the last page. If you're not reading much right now, it doesn't erase the years when books shaped who you are. The world may pull you away for a while, but stories are patient. They'll wait for you to come back.

I like to think of reading as a friend you can always return to, no explanations, no guilt. Just open the cover, step inside, and let the world outside fade for a while. As C.S. Lewis once wrote, "You can never get a cup of tea large enough or a book long enough to suit me."

So here's to the bookworms who've gone quiet, and to the moment they turn the first page again. What's the book that made you fall in love with reading? And when was the last time you let yourself get lost in it?

Authored by Shalini Banerjee | Views expressed by the author are their own.