Ask HN: How get started with reading books? | Hacker News Reader

Ask HN: How get started with reading books?

2 pointsanikdas7 comments

I am a non native English speaker. I have tried to start reading books in the past (successfully read one). Due to my limited knowledge of vocabulary (also I tend to forget the ones I learn now and then), it get's harder to get hooked to a book as I have to look up definition every now and then and it hampers the flow. What methodologies do you suggest to get started reading again?

On a side note: I do read a lot of technical/not technical blogs, links posted on HN etc.

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Are you reading fiction or non-fiction?

One possibility might be to start with books written for young children ("early readers"), which also assume a more limited vocabulary. Then gradually ramp up to books written for somewhat older children ("middle grade") before returning to books written for adults ("young adult" fiction typically isn't written much more simply than fiction for adults; it's just that the themes and characters are aimed at a 12-17 year old audience). That's how most native speakers learned to read.

There's plenty of fiction written for these demographics. Unfortunately, nonfiction is mostly limited to biographies and very basic textbooks. You won't get business books in these categories.

I also recommend reading newspapers, which tend to use fairly limited vocabulary and simple sentence structures, aiming for an "eighth grade" reading level.

> Are you reading fiction or non-fiction?

Currently not reading anything but would prefer non-fiction books.

That's great suggestion! But given my age (26) and time constraints, it would be hard to put my time off for books intended for young readers. Anyway I will try my best to do so! would you suggest any books for me?

Haha, yeah, I can understand that.

The good news is that the early reader books tend to be very short - 15-30 pages of very large type, and lots of illustrations. < 5000 words, and many < 1000 words.

I don't know a ton of them because I personally sort of skipped straight from picture books to middle grade books. The one series I can remember is called "Frog and Toad". If you have access to a library (physical or digital) with English language titles, you may be able to find more under the "Early Reader" classification.

Middle grade fiction can really be fun for an adult. There are tons of options depending on what sort of stories you like. A few ideas and favorites:

- The Goosebumps series is popular.

- There are a lot of middle grade mystery series like the Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew

- A few of my personal favorites from childhood: The Pushcart War; Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH; A Wrinkle in Time; The Phantom Tollbooth; the Chronicles of Narnia (warning: heavy Christian symbolism); Bunnicula; Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle; Mr. Popper's Penguins; Charlie and the Chocolate Factory; anything by Roald Dahl

- Some "classics" can be considered middle grade (warning: some of these reflect racist and colonialist 19th and early 20thC patterns of thought): Robinson Crusoe; Peter Pan; the Jungle Book; Alice in Wonderland; Black Beauty (not racist, it's about a horse); Dr. Doolittle; Just So Stories

- The Harry Potter series starts off at an advanced middle grade reading level and gradually increases to a young adult reading level

- Another thing that might be fun would be books of myths from various cultures. I remember reading a big book of Norse myths and another of Greek myths around age 8-9. You could probably start with a collection from a culture you're already familiar with, which could assist with understanding.

Edited to add: your written English is excellent!

I really appreciate your comprehensive suggestion. It definitely have opened up options for me. Among all your suggestions I think I would go with

> - Some "classics" can be considered middle grade (warning: some of these reflect racist and colonialist 19th and early 20thC patterns of thought): Robinson Crusoe; Peter Pan; the Jungle Book; Alice in Wonderland; Black Beauty (not racist, it's about a horse); Dr. Doolittle; Just So Stories

> - The Harry Potter series starts off at an advanced middle grade reading level and gradually increases to a young adult reading level

> - Another thing that might be fun would be books of myths from various cultures. I remember reading a big book of Norse myths and another of Greek myths around age 8-9. You could probably start with a collection from a culture you're already familiar with, which could assist with understanding.

Also, thank you for the complement about my writing!

Oh, one more idea -- do you have any favorite (fiction or non, adult or child) books in your first language? Maybe look to see if you can find English translations of them?

definitely! I don't know if you have heard of Rabindranath Tagore (Nobel laureate). I do have favorites for the writer and I think his works have been translated. Will look into this.

it get's harder to get hooked to a book as I have to look up definition every now and then and it hampers the flow

Get a Kindle. You can look up words directly in the page without needing to turn to another device.

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