How to *Actually* Remember What You Read

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Do you also belong to the unfortunate group of people who forget what they read as soon as they read it?

If so, congrats! The upside is that you’ve found your people!

With so many books to read, life responsibilities, and so much more happening, it can be easy for the details of a book to slip away. 

I’ve recently (after a lot of trial and error) discovered some simple ways to help remember what I’ve recently read. So let’s dive in and see if any of these tips can help you as well. 

Choose Books That Match Your Engagement Level

One of the biggest issues I used to have with audiobooks was that I was listening to books with overly complex plots or too many characters to keep track of. 

By the end of the audiobook, I’d be left confused and having forgotten half of what I listened to. 

Since then, I’ve started enjoying listening to stories that are more low stakes, fewer characters, and overall simpler reads. 

I’ve also been allowing myself to DNF books. Sometimes it’s better to let go of a story that is far too much in the moment or isn’t capturing your interest. 

And DNF-ing doesn’t always mean that I am never going to read that book. Sometimes I’m interested and the story is just too much for an audiobook. So I’m DNF-ing until I can a copy instead. 

Read Actively, Not Passively

I am a slow reader. Most of my monthly wrap up’s contain only 2-4 books. But it is reading slowly that helps me to retain more information. 

A lot of readers enjoy annotating their books; this can help to highlight important information or characters, helping you to remember. 

Once you reach the end of a chapter or hit the middle of the book, think about what might be coming next. 

I notice that sometimes when I am pondering what will happen after what has already happened, helps me remember the story.

If you’re reading a particularly long book or complex story, sometimes summarizing after each chapter or every few chapters can help you stay on track. 

Keep a Reading Journal

If you’re not a fan of annotating your books, consider keeping a reading journal. 

(I am not a fan of writing in books, but I do enjoy making highlights in ebooks.)

A reading journal can help by allowing you to jot down important characters or quotes. 

Better keeping track of important scenes in books and finalizing that entry by giving the book a star rating. 

It’s also incredibly fun to look back on journal entries you’ve made of previous books you’ve read. 

Discuss What You Read

Can I be honest? I don’t have a lot of bookish friends. 

Which is partially why I started my own Booktube channel. To have a place to yap about all of my thoughts. 

But sometimes I also yap to my fiancé, Diego, about what I am reading. Sometimes a girl just has to let it out, you know? 

Sharing your opinions on the internet can be daunting. But by using my blog and YouTube channel to talk about what I am reading, it brings me a lot of joy but also helps me to retain what I am reading. 

Whether it is a friend or family member, blog, chat room, or some other platform, having a space to chat about what you are reading can help you actively engage with the story. 

I love finishing a book and writing my review for it later that day so I can capture how I feel, what is sticking out to me, characters, etc. 

Repetition is Key

Re-reading can help reveal things you might have missed the first time, but can reinforce details you already remember. 

As well as re-reading, watching or reading other people’s opinions through reviews and recaps can also help reinforce your thoughts and feelings towards a story. 

The same goes for reading similar books. Whether it is the same genre or author, reading in the same genre can help you remember details. 

Use Sensory Cues

Sometimes a calming playlist playing in the background or associating books with a type of snack or drink can help. 

I haven’t tried those two, but one that has helped is creating mood boards! I used to have so much fun making mood boards as a teenager.

Using details of the story that stood out to me or parts of the story that felt important, go straight in the mood board. 

Sometimes pairing a cup of tea with a fantasy book, or a chill lo-fi playlist with a litfic book can help to keep a story in your mind, even after reading. 

Moral of the story, if you’ve made it to this point? 

Read books that you enjoy, don’t; be afraid to write stuff down or write in your book and enjoy a good re-read now and then! 

Reading should be fun and I am a firm believer that if you aren’t enjoying reading, then you aren’t doing it right!

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