Some thoughts stayed incomplete, and some memories stayed unspoken. Some emotions sank quietly into the heart. There were things people couldn’t understand, and there were things you couldn’t express in a crowd. That’s when God created books so that your incomplete feelings and thoughts could find a voice.

If I had to say it all in one sentence, I would say:

One day, the universe decided to listen to the human heart, and that’s when books were born.

But the truth is, many people are still unfamiliar with this magic. They don’t know how to truly read a book. They don’t know how to listen to words.

There are questions that don’t always have loud answers, but they quietly echo in almost every reader’s mind.

Why don’t I feel like reading sometimes? Can I disagree with the author or do I have to believe everything they write? Should I read just a little and reflect, or push myself to read more and more? And does a book really have something to do with the person who wrote it?

We all want books to move us, teach us, or change something inside but we rarely stop to ask how we should actually read them. This post isn’t about reading more – it’s about reading better, deeper, and more honestly.

Whenever you choose a book in a library

1. Whenever you choose a book in a library,

Whenever you pick a book from a library or a shelf, always read about the author. Most writers leave some information about themselves in the beginning pages, and some on the last. Learn the author’s background, note when they wrote the book, and understand the issue or perspective they’re addressing.

This is important because the books we read are always bound by space and time. An author’s sources and opinions change with time.

For example, suppose you’re reading a book about World War II written during the war itself. There’s a high chance that much of the information could be incorrect, not because the writer was careless, but because the sources and knowledge available at that time were limited.

Many truths only come to light as time passes and as the world sees things from a wider perspective.

That’s why it’s essential to check when a book was written and under what circumstances, so you don’t end up misunderstanding or forming biased views.

It’s also important to know who wrote it, what if the writer himself was a victim or misinformed? In such cases, the chances increase that the author’s opinions might be biased and if we don’t reflect carefully, readers may adopt those biases without realizing.

Let me give you real-life example, Mein Kampf was written by Adolf Hitler during his time in prison, long before World War II. The book is filled with his personal ideology, political beliefs, and deep biases especially against Jews and certain ethnic groups. At the time, many people read it and either believed in it blindly or didn’t fully grasp the danger in his words.

Hitler wrote as a man who saw himself as a victim of war, defeat, and injustice, and used that mindset to justify extreme hatred and violence. His personal trauma and twisted beliefs became part of a book that ended up influencing millions – many of whom accepted his opinions without questioning their origin, context, or consequences.

That’s why it matters to know who wrote a book, what shaped their thinking, and whether their words reflect truth or just a dangerous perspective masked as truth.

If readers had examined the background, source, and mindset of the writer, perhaps fewer would have absorbed those ideas without resistance.

These things may seem minor at first, because when we pick up a book, our focus is usually on the story, the plot, or the message. But subconsciously, we imprint a certain image of the book in our minds. That’s why it’s crucial not to accept a writer’s words as the final truth.

2. Read Slowly

You know why doctors advise people to chew and eat food slowly?

There are many reasons, but I’ll list just three:

• Our stomach can digest it properly then.

• Your body absorbs more vitamins and minerals.

• You practice mindful eating.

Exactly, that’s how our brain works when we read a book slowly and calmly.

When you read slowly, your brain processes information gently and without stress. You get the chance to truly understand what you’re reading and also to look at it from other angles.

You begin to relate it to your own circumstances and experiences. In other words, you start finding connections between your life and the writer’s words. That is the moment when everything starts to fall into place.

◦ Your brain absorbs more nutrients

For example, read this quote from The Alchemist:

When you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.

If you read it quickly just for the sake of reading, you might think the meaning is simply:

If the universe means for something to happen, it makes it happen or If I truly want something, I might make it happen.

But slow down your thoughts for a moment, you’ll realize that when you truly want something – not just a casual wish, but a deep, genuine desire from your inner soul, you start getting little signs and hints that the universe is sending your way.

You begin to feel that everything is connecting to your path. And slowly, as you take step by step, you start enjoying the journey even more than reaching the destination.

That’s where the magic lies.

That’s exactly where you should place your focus and energy.

In fact, to be honest, you don’t even have to make that much effort. your brain will automatically begin to think that way. All you need to do is give it the right direction.

These are the extra nutrients that your brain needs – the ones you’ll never get from fast reading.

◦ Mindful reading

Let me give you a simple example:

Imagine someone brings you tons of food on your birthday. Or you go to a wedding and see a huge buffet.

Do you eat everything at once?

Obviously not, because you know your stomach won’t digest it and you might get sick.

So does it matter if you eat 20 plates of salad at once, if you’re going to get sick?

Then how does it matter if I read 20 books in a day if I’m not going to feel anything?

Read only as much in a day as you can mentally absorb.

Let your brain have space to digest what you’ve just read. Let yourself be bored for a while, and let your mind wander.

Be slow but focused.

3. Don’t idealize the author

Humans are such a creation of God that they attach emotions to nearly everything they get inspired by.

This is both a strength and a weakness – that a human’s emotions get tied to anything.

There’s nothing wrong with this.

But the problem begins when it turns toxic, when a reader becomes blind to other perspectives, when they stop reflecting and thinking on their own, when their mind shuts down at just the writer’s words.

A good writer will never ask you to blindly trust his words.

He may put in full effort to say what’s best and true but he’ll also ask you to go and see, hear, taste, and explore other opinions even if he’s a master of his subject.

Being true to yourself is what matters, and if you’re going to lose that part of yourself in the process, then what’s the point of reading at all?

So always remember, Turn on the light of your brain first, then read.