Unlocking the World of Words: My Journey to Becoming an Avid Reader with Dyslexia
Overcoming Challenges, Finding Joy, and Building a Lifelong Love for Books
Last year, I read the most books that I have ever read in a year, which is one hundred and twenty-three books! When I was very young, I preferred to draw and colour rather than reach for a book to read, and since being diagnosed with dyslexia as an adult, that now makes sense.
I rarely, if ever, read for pleasure, so as a result when I got older, I didn’t have favourite books or authors. In high school, there were certain books we had to read, and I remember 1984, by George Orwell, and Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck being among them.
As a teenager, I began reading Mills and Boon romance books which somehow escalated to Jackie Collins which was a tad more steamier. Ahem. The Santangelo ones were my favourite of hers, particularly Lucky which was the second in the series. The series is all about mob bosses, gamblers and casino owners in Las Vegas, but after a while, but after a while, her books were all too samey, so I stopped reading anything for a while.
Then, in 2004, I went to see Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban in the cinema so I needed to read the first two books to get up to speed and I was hooked on the Harry Potter series from then.
Over the years, I have enjoyed reading biographies and autobiographies on Jane Austen and The Brontës and ones like Wild by Cheryl Strayed, and Eat Pray Love by Elisabeth Gilbert.
I’ve read Jane Austen’s books, and Pride and Prejudice is a favourite and a comfort read for me, I’ve also read Jojo Moyes’ Me Before You series and a few other books of hers. Last year, I was really enjoying some WW2 novels like The Zookeeper of Berlin, and I got into some of Colleen Hoover's books.
Things Started to Change
Towards the end of 2023, I was prompted to stop reading secular books, which meant I had to research Christian fiction authors. A friend lent me Sensible Shoes, and I bought the book myself to underline parts. It's SO good!! I also bought the second book in the series. But I need to get the rest of the series.
I think that something that was holding me back from reading in general in my pre-Christian life was that fiction is a HUGE area. There are so many authors out there; how do I find ones I like? Since becoming a Christian and removing secular content, I’ve found some Christian authors with a quick Google search.
I used to commute to work on the bus which took 40 minutes to work and the same back. I would read at that time as well as on my hour-long lunch break. For me now, the best times to read are at breakfast, at lunch, and in bed at night before I put the light out. I’m also fortunate that if it’s quiet at work I can read then as long as there are no customers in.
I treated myself to a Kindle Paperwhite in 2022 on Prime Day and have found that it’s an easy way to read while I eat, as I don’t have to hold a book open. I use a phone holder to stand my Kindle on to read. The Kindle is also useful at night as I don’t need to have as bright a light on as when I’m reading a physical book.
I’m not saying that the only way to read books is on a Kindle or other e-reader; this is just what has worked for me. I had NO expectations that I would read this many books this year, but I believe the Kindle has played a huge part in it.
There’s nothing better than reading a physical book, though!!
And I know I’m very fortunate that my manager allows me to read when it’s quiet and no customers are in the shop.
The beauty of having a Kindle is that these books are sometimes cheaper than physical books, meaning it was easy to find a few Christian authors I might like. It’s not as expensive and doesn’t take up as much space as actual books.
I also invested in a subscription to Kindle Unlimited as I was reading so many books, it made more sense to do that, than keep spending money to buy more books per month, than the subscription costs.
Some Books I Read in 2024
Lisa Wingate is a new favourite author. The first book I read of hers was The Prayer Box, and oh my goodness!! It’s so good!!! I need to get a physical copy to read, highlight, underline parts, and make notes in it; its THAT good. I’ve devoured lots of her books, including some of The Tending Roses series and all of the Moses Lake series.
I’ve also read Francine Rivers’ Redeeming Love, Her Mother’s Hope, and Her Daughter’s Dream, along with Winter Cottage and Spring House by Mary Ellen Taylor, some books by Kristin Harper, The Hope Springs series by Valerie M Boden, and some of Rebecca Alexander’s Cottage by the Sea series books. And Enter Wild by Carlos Whitaker.
I didn’t enjoy these next books, so I returned the whole series for both of them. Hope in Spring - Brides of Evergreen Ridge and Love Discovered: A Christian Romance (Faith in Love Book 1) by Michelle Stimpson and Gina Johnson. I got the first book in the Marshall Ranch series, which is called Knox, but it wasn’t clean enough for me. There were descriptions of sexual interactions that I wasn’t comfortable reading.
I know that not all of these are by Christian authors, but they are mostly clean books with no sexual connotations, so I’m happy to read them. Any that are a bit too heavy with sexual references will get returned.
*image from Amazon
My Tips for Reading More
Join a local library and borrow a range of different genres. Or see if you can borrow books from friends and family.
Find books that interest you. What’s your favourite subject? Read books based on that theme.
Read both fiction and nonfiction.
Find an author you love and read all their books.
Read with a dictionary beside you. Avoid using Google on your phone as a dictionary as it’s easy to become distracted.
Find a time when you can read.
Make time to read.
As with any new habit or behaviour, you need to make time for it.
If you don’t know where to start, like I didn’t, search Google or Amazon for books on a theme or subject that you like.
Then see if a local charity shop or your nearest library has it. If you end up not liking it, you can donate or return it!
Or try the Kindle App for free and sign up to Kindle Unlimited for the free trial and order a few books on different subjects, themes and by different authors. Make a note of which ones you like and Google authors similar to those you liked. That’s how I found some of the authors who I’ve read this year.
Other Places to Read
A few years ago, I was trying to get out of the house more and would take myself out to a local coffee shop with my journal and a book. I would either get my lunch and read while I ate or if I went in the middle of the afternoon, I would get a brew and a slice of cake or cheesecake and read.
I need to get back into doing this, as the last few years with the pandemic have made me reluctant to leave the house again unless I have an appointment or a task to do. Not at all mentally healthy.
You can take yourself off to a local park and read. If it’s a cooler time of year, don’t forget to pack a travel mug with your warm beverage of choice and dress warmly.
Have an appointment? Instead of pulling out your phone to scroll, take a book with you and read that instead.
Fed up with mindless binge-watching things? Read a book.
If you have children, how much of a better example is it to have them see you reading instead of constantly channel-flicking or scrolling on your phone?
What is it Like for me to Read with Dyslexia?
It’s all I’ve ever known, so I don’t know any different. But as with any disability, I’ve found ways to cope and adapt.
Sometimes, it takes me a bit longer to read things, but that’s okay.
Sometimes, I need to look up the definition of a word; that’s okay.
Sometimes, I need to re-read a sentence more than once for it to make sense. That’s okay.
When we have a disability, we work around it as best we can.
It doesn’t mean I’m stupid, it means that my brain works a bit differently. And that’s amazing.
Give Yourself Grace
Whenever you’re learning a new hobby, it takes time, practice and patience to remember to do it and to create it into a habit. So, while you’re figuring out what genre of books and also what authors you like, give yourself grace. You most likely won’t like or maybe even finish every book you start, but at least you know what you don’t like.
If you don’t get around to reading for a few days, or you may even forget for a few weeks, that’s okay. Just pick back up where you left off.
Have you read any of these books or authors mentioned? Who’s your favourite Christian author, and what’s your favourite Christian book?
