How to make reading fun again?
through reading experiments, silent reading clubs and book club discussions
In this essay I share ten ideas that made reading fun for me as an adult. I was in a reading slump for a long time before I tried some of the ideas I explored in this essay. I also wrote this essay to document and share my love for reading as a personal and social activity.
Reading Experiment 1 - Thematic Reading
Recently I was having a conversation with my friend about the history of the subcontinent. He mentioned that there was a book published in 2025 that made the claim that in the 1920’s the Indian subcontinent or Indian empire included 12 countries including India, Yemen, UAE, Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Burma, Nepal, Bhutan and Oman. By 1971 they all became independent nations. It was this line of thinking that sent me down a rabbit hole to discover and study the independent histories of each of these countries. I grew up and spend the first two decades of my life in Bahrain and spent most of my twenties in India. So my history was truly intertwined with this random fact. I then spent 3-4 hours watching videos, listening to podcasts, reading articles, following links, buying ebooks, reading book reviews and more. During this time I also came across another book that looked at the life of a young couple that was separated by partition. I finally decided to read these books about the partition of the Indian Empire. The first book was titled, Shattered Lands: Five Partitions and the Making of Modern Asia (2025) by Sam Dalrymple and the second book was titled, The Book of Everlasting Things (2022) by Aanchal Malhotra. One was non fiction and the other was fiction. One book had numerous facts about the division of the Indian Empire into 12 independent nations. The other book had a simple story of a young couple divided by partition. I wanted to understand the larger historical and political picture but also wanted to understand its effect on the individual. This was the genesis of my first reading experiment of combining fiction and nonfiction around the same theme of partition of South Asia.
Reading Experiment 2 - Character Reading
I am part of a small book club hosted by the Mumbai Literary Club. This club is run by Malliketh and Bhumika who organize book swaps and book discussions for readers in the city. In July 2025, they decided to do a double read of the classic Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1884) by Mark Twain with the alternate perspective of James (2024) by Percival Everett. The first book is a look at life in the 1840's in the southern states of America from the perspective of a white child, Huckleberry and a black runaway slave, Jim. Both these characters decide to escape their difficult lives and go on an adventure on the Mississipi River. This story was told from the perspective of Huckleberry. The second book was a retelling of the American classic from the perspective of Jim. They meet good and bad people along the way and they both have very different objectives from this trip because of what is at stake for each one of them. Jim is worried about being caught and enslaved again. Huckleberry is worried about being caught and sent back to his alcoholic father. Both these books got me curious about the civil rights movement in America and got me excited to investigate and research the history of that country from 1776 to 2025. This book challenged me to read for tone and to understand that the same story could mean very different things depending on whose perspective you read it from. This was the genesis of my second reading experiment of reading the same story from the perspective of two very different characters.
Reading Experiment 3 - Yearly Reading Challenges
In 2023, I decided to challenge myself to read one book every week. By the end of the year I read 52 books. I created a short video review of each book I read in this playlist. You can find the list of books I read that year at this link. I think I wanted to explore the idea of consistency as a reader during this year long reading experiment. During that year, I also realized that I am quite moody as a reader. If I read a heavy historical non fiction book, I need to balance that with a lighter romantic comedy for my next read. If I complete a sports biography about an athlete whose career I followed closely I would then follow that up with a literary fiction book where I got to explore the inner depths of the mind and thinking patterns of a single character. During the year, I also got to explore the idea of writing and sharing book reviews in the textual and video form. It was a way to share and expand my experience with other readers of the same book. You can find the end of year video from that challenge below. This yearly reading experiment helped me understand crucial insights about my demeanour as a reader.
Reading Experiment 4 - Social Reading & Discovery
I enjoy writing and reading reviews on Goodreads. It is a social media platform for readers. I also have accounts on Fable and TheStorygraph but I am most active on Goodreads.
There are several things you can do as a social reader on these platforms like:
Write and read book reviews.
Create a catalogue of books you read and books you loved in different genres.
Get updates from your favourite author.
Find related books by browsing lists and reviews from other readers on the platform.
Join online book clubs and book discussion rooms.
Follow other readers and friends who also do the same things.
I still think Goodreads can do a much better job with their interface. There are alternatives in platforms like Fable and Storygraph. However I continue to write on Goodreads, because most of my other reader friends also use this platform. Using a social media platform to document and share your reading experience is a great way to make reading fun again. I spend hours each week writing and reading book reviews/notes from my reader friends on the platform. I find some of my best reads through this process. They also publish an annual list of the best books in each genre determined by the votes of readers on the platform (another great way to discover new books). The other fun features on Goodreads include the ability to save quotes and save book notes/highlights. You can find me on Goodreads at www.goodreads.com/abhireads.
Do you use any social media applications connected to books or reading? What are the benefits or disadvantages of these websites or applications?
Leave a comment with your thoughts.
Silent Reading Clubs
I joined a silent reading community in the city of Mumbai in late 2024. It was called Juhu Reads and was founded in 2023. It is basically a group of people that come together to read silently in a park. You can follow other chapters around India and the world like Cubbon Reads, Bandra Reads, Lodhi Reads, Hyderabad Reads, Kuala Lumpur Reads, Boston Reads and Dubai Reads. Through my participation in this silent reading community, I got a chance to carve out time just for reading every weekend. It was something I looked forward to at the start of each week. During the session you read quietly in the company of nature and other readers. At the end of the session you do a book stack and click a group photo where you have the option to discuss what you are reading or share recommendations. There is a no pressure to socialize or engage in small talk in these meetings. It is also a great opportunity to spend more time in nature. If you cannot find a reads chapter close to your home, you can grab a mat, go to your local park and start a new one. Here is a bookstack image from the 103th meeting of Juhu Reads.
Book Swaps
Another fun activity is to swap books with other readers in your city. The White Crow Bookshop in Mumbai organizes one such event every month.
As described in the image above every month about 20 to 30 readers are invited to the book store to swap a book from their private collection. Each reader presents a short 1 minute pitch about their book and then adds it to the bookswap bookstack. At the end of the meeting you get a chance to swap the book you have presented with another reader. This is moderated by the amazing folks at the Mumbai Literary Club. I love listening to the book pitches. Every reader has a unique world view and I find it fascinating to understand which part of their reading experience they have chosen to highlight in the pitch. I make a list of at least 4-5 books at every event that go onto my TBR list. Inspired by this event, I also started a private book swap initiative called Book Bond Books where readers across the city of Mumbai can exchange and swap books with each other through creating digital lists of books from their home libraries.
Bookstagrammers and Booktubers Recommendations
Bookstagrammers are a group of readers that always help me jump out of a reading slump. They are readers that create Instagram posts about the books they are reading. Their posts normally include short reels or short reviews about the books they have recently read. They also do a great job creating beautiful visuals and carousels around these books that get you even more curious about the books they are reading. Here is a list of some bookstagrammers I follow and gather recommendations from as a reader in Mumbai. You can explore their post archive for reviews and also find other bookstagrammers by looking at the people they follow and collaborate with as a creator. You can also see review samples and a sample post linked below.
sonofarjuna (for extended reviews and analysis) + Review Sample
bookswithchaipai (for book carousels, book events and book reviews) + Review Sample
prachie.lit (for literary fiction recommendations and book reviews) + Review Sample
litwithneha (for mystery book recommendations and book reviews) + Review Sample
saqib_bookstafied (for romance book recommendations and book reviews) + Review Sample
BookTubers are content creators on YouTube who focus on books by discussing them, reviewing them, and sharing their reading experiences. They normally post longer videos about the books they are reading and also often have theme based recommendation lists. I also added a link to two great Booktuber videos to help you sample this world of book creators.
Who is your favourite bookstgrammer or booktuber?
Share a recommendation in the comments below.
Digital Book Clubs
I often find great recommendations from digital book clubs run by other artists, creators and journalists. I love hearing other people talk about books they loved reading. I added a video link to the interview of the author, Ocean Vuong by the founders of two different book clubs. Browsing through the posts of these digital bookclubs made me realize that everyone has their own reading style or reading preferences. Some people love reading mysteries while others love reading romances. However each person has a unique way to interpret the books they read based on their past experiences and personal associations. I have added a video interview by some of my favourite digital book clubs with a link to their Website, Youtube channel or Instagram Handle:
Twinkle Khanna’s Tweak India Book Club - Website, Instagram, Youtube
Dua Lipa’s Service 95 Book Club - Website, Instagram, Youtube
Jimmy Fallon Book Club - Instagram
Visiting Local Bookstores
The best way to make reading fun is to spend lots of time in your local bookstores. I frequently visit these stores to browse their shelves and find my next favourite read. Often conversations with bookstore owners are the best ways to help me find a book that I would never have thought about before. I often enter these stores with no agenda and come out with lots of great reads. Here is an image of my favourite bookstores in the city of Mumbai followed by links to their Instagram accounts.
Another way to engage with these bookstores is to follow them on social media and attend book themed events, book club meetings and book launches they organize for readers and book lovers of the city. They often share great lists of books to read in their social media posts. They put a lot of time and effort into their social media handles and are really dedicated to help you find your next great read. I would recommend making a similar list of bookstores in your city and giving more of your business to them (rather than large ecommerce sites). Here is a list of bookstores in Mumbai that have played an important role in making reading fun for me again along with a link to their social media accounts.
1. @teltrilogy
2. @book__garden__
3. @granthbookstore
4. @kitabkhanabooks
5. @fictionarybooks
6. @crosswordbookstores
7. @thewhitecrowbooksandcoffee
8. @paperback_prithvibookshop
What is your favourite book store in your city?
Share a comment with a shoutout and link to that store.
In Person Book Club Discussions
I attend the book club discussions of the Mumbai Literary Club at the Crossword Book Store located at Krishna Curve Mall in Santa Cruz Mumbai. I also attend the book club discussions hosted by Madiha Hasan Khan at the White Crow Books and Coffee in BKC Mumbai.
Both these clubs have developed fun ways to discuss and celebrate books. In one club each reader gets 2 minutes to talk about the book and this is followed by some activities related to the book at the end of the discussion. In the other club it is an open discussion about the book moderated by the hosts and it includes debates, strong opinions, detailed interpretations, popular culture references and more. I learn something new about the book I read in each meeting of these clubs and it is a great way to expand and build a community around the book you are reading. I often walk away from these discussions with 15 to 20 different perspectives on the same book. Many of these perspectives challenge my own reading of the book. Some of these perspectives build on my associations and thinking about the book. But it is such a beautiful human experience to have a passionate extended discussion about a book you read and devoured together. Here is a link to some posts about recent book club meetings from both these chapters in Mumbai.
There are several other ideas to make reading fun again that I would like to explore in a future post. Some of these include attending a literature festival, following author websites, following author social media, following publisher websites, exploring book award lists, listening to book podcasts, watching book adaptations, using audiobooks and maybe even writing your own book.
How do you make reading fun for yourself as an adult?
Share a comment with your idea or suggestion.
Thanks for reading this edition of the Education Coffee. If you enjoyed this essay you may also enjoy reading other editions linked below.
On Small Bookstores in Big Cities
Last evening I came across this photo while browsing through Instagram. For some reason it held my attention. It was not the people. It was not the colours. It was not the funny drawing on the sign at the bus stop.
How book covers capture the soul of a book?
The first thing you notice about a book is the book cover.
Until next time,
Keep Learning
Abhishek Shetty
https://artsciportal.wustl.edu/sites/artsciportal.wustl.edu/files/webform/webform_12806/_sid_/%281%29-contacto-cliente-per%C3%BA-%C2%BFc%C3%B3mo-hablo-con-un-agente-de-copa_.pdf