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In part 1 of these series, I shared my experience on how I've started to read software development books on a regular basis.

Learning to love software development books 💙

Anna Buianova ・ Apr 4 '19

#books #discuss #learning #programming

In this post, I would like to share what helps me to find time and motivation to read.

Find out if you really need it at the moment

Reading technical books requires time and mental energy, especially if the topic is new to you and/or you read in a foreign language. Sometimes it's more valuable to have more practice or incorporate other learning styles in your schedule. Maybe you just have other priorities in life at the moment, and that's ok.

If you choose to start reading more:

Set a quantifiable goal

The first thing that worked for me was setting a goal. First, it was 10 pages a day. That's not much, but still, you can read a book in 1 to 2 months this way, which already brings a lot of value. Even 5 pages a day will make a difference.

Though I admit that it usually takes me more than 5 minutes to read and comprehend 5 pages. You can also use a time goal, e.g. 30 minutes a day, it will allow having a more predictable schedule.

Schedule a specific time to read

I found that it's most effective for me to read in the morning before starting to work. However, it affects my productivity during the day, I can achieve more if I start working right after finishing my morning routine without reading. But sometimes it's still worth it, I try to alter my schedule a bit every once a while.

Many people find it convenient to read while commuting or when they have small pieces of time, like while waiting in a queue. Personally, I find it much harder to concentrate in such circumstances, so I prefer reading books by the computer. This way it's easier to focus, take notes or try out the code. When I have several spare minutes, I'll rather read a blog post. Sometimes I can only afford to read in a distracting environment or right before sleep, and it's still better than nothing.

Participate in a book club

It may be hard to find a relevant one or organize it. But if you do, it will be a huge motivation to keep reading. Discussing helps a lot with comprehension and remembering what you've read.

Track the books you've read

I like keeping the lists of books I've read and that I plan to read, it kind of helps me to read more.
I still can't choose between Goodreads and Livelib [ru], and use both of them.

Please, share what helps you to read tech books.