It is more surprising to come across someone who is not experiencing burnout than to find someone who is. If I listed all the reasons it would probably just exhaust us more. Let’s just say we’ve been through a global crisis, our culture rewards constant output, and our lives are ruled by pocket computers that give us confusingly equal amounts of pleasure and pain. No wonder we’re losing our spark.

Below I’ve gathered some tips to help if you’re looking to reclaim a reading habit in the midst of all this chaos. Try one, try them all, or take a break! You deserve it.

Find Your Why

This is a very important question. Why are you trying to start reading again? Really, why? If you say it’s because reading makes you feel better, or because you notice that you’re more able to cope when you’ve spent some time with a book, then great. You are right to explore ways to bring reading back in. However, if your answer has a single “should” or “have to” involved, pause. Reading is a hobby, like video games or playing ping pong. It is not inherently good. You do not have to read to be good. You are already good. Figure out why you want to read through burnout, and you’ll be one step closer to feeling better.

Reread A Favorite

If you’ve decided you’re going to keep exploring the reading route, it’s likely you’ve had a solid reading habit at some point in your life. One of my favorite ways to beat reading burnout is to reread a favorite book. Some people cannot tolerate rereading, but it’s a huge part of my reading life. It might be something about already knowing what is going to happen, so I can just enjoy the story, or reliving the positive feelings I had when I read it the first time. Rereading can be a nonthreatening move that soothes the soul and makes the task of picking up a book less daunting.

Read With Your Ears 

Audiobooks are a staple of my family’s reading habits. My sons are getting to a point in their messy preteendom where they’re far less likely to pick up a book than even just a year ago. I’m trying not to let my librarian heart panic, because this ebb and flow is extremely normal. To get some good reading in, we turn to audiobooks. This is a great reading hack because you can listen in the car, while doing chores, or even while building with Lego or coloring. While reading is often solitary, I love reading audiobooks with my family and speculating on plot points together. You can even stack this idea with the rereading trick and get a new perspective on a book you’ve read before.

Try A New Genre

Switching it up can save a burnt out brain. If you tend to stick to one type of reading, trying something new can be a great way to get excited about books again. I read a ton as a child, but I was in my late 20s when I fell in love with YA literature. Between that personal interest and the reading I do for my work as an elementary librarian, I read a lot of books meant for kids. After my most recent bout of reluctance around reading, I started reading romance novels. This new genre completely upped my chances of picking up a book.

Habit Stacking

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If you’ve read any of my previous Book Riot content (a girl can dream), you may have come across my latest post about books for board gamers. After spending the Thanksgiving holiday board gaming with my family, I’ve been in a gaming mood. Of course, as a gamer at heart, I’m usually in the mood to board game. Currently, I work in a public library, and I’ve begun thinking about board games in the context of the library as well.

The ALA digs into the value of board games in libraries, writing, “Public libraries have a mission to provide a variety of materials in a variety of formats. Board games, card games, and video games are stories and information, presented in new formats. Libraries are about stories and information, not specifically books. Or, as Eli Neiburger says, we’re in the content business.”

I love that phrasing. “The content business.” This is an excellent summation of what libraries offer to the community. As times have changed, the materials offered in libraries have as well. In the days of yore, libraries carried only books and print media. Now they offer a variety of media formats, including CDs, DVDs, and digital books. Libraries have expanded even beyond literacy-based media formats, lending all sorts of useful and interesting items, from museum passes to snow gear. As the ALA explains so well, board games are just another format of stories and information, and they make delightful additions to library collections and programs.

There’s more to board games than just entertainment, though. The ALA emphasizes that “Gaming programs are primarily social events. It’s more about relationship building than gameplay.” They go on to state, “Gaming programs epitomize library as third place, creating a community place between home and work/school to socialize and play.” I love that the library has become a “third place” for people in the community. Relationship building is incredibly impactful for people, and I’m glad libraries work to foster that now. Board games in libraries provide an excellent venue to encourage these social interactions.

Opportunities for socialization hold even more significance in the wake of the pandemic. In a 2021 Library Journal article, Wilkes, Webb, and Enis write: “The COVID-19 pandemic has proven a mental health crisis as many have dealt with isolation, grief, and loneliness. Gaming can provide a shared experience and a way to fill this void.” Those early years of the pandemic were incredibly lonely for me, and the times I did board game with friends amidst the isolation meant so much to me. Board games bring people together, and that’s what libraries are all about.

Drawing on my experience working in libraries and visiting libraries, I’ve put together a list of four simple ways to include board games and gaming in your library. I hope these suggestions will help draw people together at your library too!

4 Ways to Include Board Games and Gaming in Libraries

1. Board Games and Puzzle Stations

An easy way to begin integrating gaming into your library can involve setting up a a space with board games and/or puzzles for patrons to use. Games make for a great passive program in libraries. Patrons can stop by and participate on their own time. In the library I work in now, we have a puzzle table that draws people in just to puzzle sometimes. It’s wonderful to see how community-building puzzles and board games can be and to offer a space for that.

2. Board Games for Check Out

Let’s be honest, board games are expensive. Just as I wish I could own all of the books I love best, I wish my board game collection could include all of my favorites too. I’m no Mr. Monopoly, though, so I appreciate that more libraries are circulating board games in their collections too. Libraries are constantly evolving with the communities they serve. Expanding the types of items available for check out allows libraries to remain relevant and valuable for their patrons.

3. Library Gaming Clubs

You can also support board games and gaming in your library with gaming clubs. Before the public library I work in now, I worked in a high school library. While there, I served as the advisor for the chess club and later the Rubik’s club too. It was so rewarding to see how much our club members enjoyed gaming together. Another Rioter shared how he started a Dungeons & Dragons club at his school library and how meaningful it’s been for him and his students. The library makes for the perfect setting for people with mutual interests in games to gather and play. Participants can develop problem-solving and teamwork skills, make new friends, and have fun.

4. Special Programs

Along with gaming clubs, libraries can also plan special programs focused on games. At my public library, I currently host a trivia tournament, and each month I pick a different theme. It’s been loads of fun. If you’d like to brainstorm different gaming programs for your own library, here are a few ideas to get you started:

• Trivia Tournaments
• Library Escape Rooms
• Bingo
• Role-Playing Games

Board games have been a special part of my life since my days as a kid. They’ve helped me build friendships and feel less alone. It’s wonderful to see how board games are making their way into libraries now too. What kinds of gaming opportunities have you seen in libraries?

An oversized TBR (or “to be read“) stack is a problem familiar to many book lovers. A massive stack of unread books can even lead to a case of bibliophile’s existentialism. You know, that feeling when you realize you’ll never have the time to read every book you hope to someday read? When your enormous stack of unread books reminds you that you will eventually die and your books will linger on? Yeah, that feeling. The larger the TBR, the more intimidating it becomes. Mine was so large and had been around for so long that I think it had started to gain sentience. But I found a solution to tackling my TBR in an unexpected place: 20 sided dice.

It all started when my wife found a new hobby. (Well, technically, the TBR problem started decades before that, when I first started hoarding books.) My wife has a recently reignited love of Dungeons and Dragons, or D&D if you’re in the know. After joining a virtual D&D campaign with some friends, she decided to figure out how to make her own dice sets using resin. I’m not personally a D&D fan, but as I understand it, a typical set of dice for the tabletop roleplaying game includes six different die shapes with varying numbers of faces: 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, and the signature D&D die with 20 faces.

Making D&D dice at home is, from my observation, an intricate and multi-step process. But when it comes to what you can put in the resin to make a set of dice unique, the sky is the limit. After watching my wife play around with different colors and add-ins, I asked her to make me a 20-sided die (or D20) filled with sprinkles. She did! And it’s so cute! I love it so much! But, as mentioned earlier…I don’t play D&D. So what was I to do with my adorable little die? Use it as a tiny paperweight? Convince the cat to play with it? Turn it into a brooch?

Then I thought of something in my life that could use a little game of luck and chance: the aforementioned towering TBR. What if I used my D20 to help me choose what book to read next? Convinced my idea was completely original, I decided to make a list of 20 books on my TBR and roll the die to pick my next read. My wife later informed me that “roll tables” are in fact a fairly common thing in and out of D&D games. There’s even a TikTok user who has gone viral for making chaotic sandwiches using dice to select his ingredients. Although mine wasn’t as original an idea as initially thought, I boldly went forward with my D20, my giant stack of books, and a dream. Here’s what I learned.

Using Dice for Multiple TBR Formats

Before I even began, I realized creating a roll table could be useful for more than just my physical stack of unread books. I’m typically in the middle of three books at any given moment: a print book, an ebook, and an audiobook. And I have a backlog of books in all three categories. (What’s my secret to having so many books at my disposal, you ask? Well, one of the benefits to writing for Book Riot for 5+ years is infinite advanced copies from publishers.)

So I created three roll tables for my game of reading chance. One list included 20 titles from my overcrowded bookshelf of physical copies of unread books. For the second, I pulled 20 of the…yeah, okay, hundreds of unread ebooks on my Kindle. The vast majority of these came to me via NetGalley, a site booksellers, librarians, and book reviewers use to access digital advanced copies of books. For my third list, I went to Libro.fm, an audiobook platform that splits the proceeds with independent bookstores, and pulled titles from my to-be-listened shelf. This way, when rolling the die for my next read, I can leave the book up to chance while still choosing a specific format.

If you want to recreate this experiment at home, you can use a fully random list of 20 books across different formats. But for me, when I set out to start a new book, I already know what format I’m looking for. There’s definitely value to both!

Reflecting While Making the Roll Table

The first unexpected benefit to my experiment was thoughtfully and honestly reflecting on my TBR. When sitting down to make a list of 20 potential reads from my bookshelf, I had to face the facts. I could only fit 20 books on this roll table, and some of the books on my shelf simply didn’t excite me. Assigning many of the books a number gave me hope that I’d finally get to them. I’ve been staring down Docile by K.M. Szpara for years now, eager to dig in but intimidated by its length. Maybe now the die would give me the sign I needed to crack it open.

But I hesitated to give some of the books on my shelf a spot on my list. I realized that this was a sign. If even the idea of the die landing on that title disappointed me, I likely wouldn’t ever get around to that book. I think this had similar energy to Marie Kondo’s “sparking joy” principle. If the possibility of reading a book on my shelf didn’t excite me, it was time to let it go. Simply making my list of 20 potential reads gave me the courage to weed books from my physical TBR.

This is a great tool for facing down unread books across formats. If the idea of reading that book now or even in the near future has you feeling meh, it’s time to say goodbye! Maybe you bought that book a few years ago when you were in a different place and it no longer interests you. That’s okay. I’m planning to take a similar approach to my TBR Goodreads shelf. Some of the books on that list have been hanging out there for almost a decade. And as for my ebooks from NetGalley, it’s probably time to try that new “I will not be giving feedback on this title” option.

When the Dice Roll Just Right

Once my roll tables were made, it was time to give it a try. My first roll directed me to the recently republished version of Rules of Engagement by Selena Montgomery, a.k.a. Stacey Abrams. Great! I’d been wanting to read one of her political romantic thrillers for years. Thanks, D20, for giving me the prompt I needed.

I used the die again shortly afterwards to pick my next audiobook. It chose My Monticello, a short story collection from Jocelyn Nicole Johnson. Awesome! I didn’t even realize that the first story was narrated by LeVar Burton. Thanks, D20, for pushing me to choose something that had otherwise fallen into the backlist.

The D20 chance method isn’t how I’ve decided every new book I’ve picked up since I first started this experiment. Sometimes I need to push a book to the top of my TBR for Book Riot or other professional purposes. Other times, I’m looking for a specific genre or vibe to fit my mood. Occasionally I acquire a book that I have to drop everything and read immediately. But I think using dice intermittently to determine my next read is a great way to mix things up.

When the Dice Roll Doesn’t Fit

Here’s another unexpected benefit I found from my experiment: Sometimes the dice tell you what you already know deep down. There were a few occasions when I rolled my beautiful D20 and as soon as I saw what book it turned up, I knew I didn’t want to read it. At first, this felt like a bad thing. Oh no, my chance game sucks! It gave me a book I don’t want to read! But this, too, is a gift. If my gut feeling in that moment is, “I don’t want to read that,” then…get rid of the book. It’s kind of like when you’re flipping a coin and while the coin is in the air, it suddenly doesn’t matter where it lands because you realize what you wanted all along.

Of course, it didn’t always work that way. One time the die landed on a horror novel right after I’d finished another book in the same genre. I still wanted to read that book, but I needed a palate cleanser before I could face more thrills and chills. That book stayed on my roll table for its number to come up again on another day.

Let the Good Books Roll

After trying my D20 method out on my TBR, I found many benefits, both expected and unexpected. As I hoped, my die inspired me to try out books that might have otherwise spent years collecting dust on my shelves. It helped me select some unexpected books from my digital and audiobook backlists.

But even better, it helped me let books go. I’m terrible about keeping books around for years, unable to admit I won’t get to them. Those books could find a better home if gifted to friends, donated to the library, or dropped on a “take a book, leave a book” shelf in a public space. I was able to be more honest with myself about my reading time when faced with those books while making my roll tables, and again for other books when the die landed on their numbers. The immediacy of rolling my D20 — of chance telling me it’s now or never(ish) — made it much easier to purge titles from my collection.

If you, too, have a stack of unread books gathering dust in your home, I highly recommend giving this a try. You don’t even need dice to get started, as there are plenty of free dice rollers online. But having your own dice is a lot more satisfying. You can use the more common six-sided die if you have one on hand, and makes lists of six books instead of 29. Or, if you don’t have a wife to make custom dice for you, you can find handmade dice of all kinds on Etsy. May bookish chance roll in your favor!

You might also enjoy:

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The Art and Therapeutic Act of Weeding Your Digital Shelves

I’m one of those reader types who always wanted to join in on book clubs, but never has enough willing friends or social energy to actually up and join one. Especially not one in person. What if my thoughts on the book are nonsense? What if no one shows up and it’s just me, sitting in the library or café or my own living room, waiting for the door to open but it never does? Okay, yes, that’s all my introvert talking, but still! I’ve never been able to work up the courage.

But I want to talk to someone about the books I’m reading and I’m sure my co-workers are sick of hearing about them, especially since it’s mostly horror novels I’m talking about at 8:15 in the morning. Lucky for me (and my coworkers), TikTok book clubs are a thing now. This is how to join a TikTok book club!

Other times, they host a live event at a pre-determined time so everyone who read the book can join in and discuss it in the chat. That’s how the official TikTok book club works. Some popular #BookTok creators were selected to be leaders of the club, called BookTok Laureates. They post about the book to spread the word and then at the end of the month they all host a livestream on the platform where everyone who read it can come together and chat about it. These types of book clubs are great for those who like seeing what some of your TikTok faves have to say while still being able to chime in with the chat during the livestream.

TikTok Book Clubs to Join

For most TikTok book clubs, the creator running it will post about the book club on their profile, and then set up a more chat-friendly method off the site like Facebook, Discord, or other platforms.

@CatherinesBookshelf runs the Double Double Books and Trouble book club that features autumnal and scary books year-round on the website Bookclubs.com; @MoonGrlReads_ moderates a YA book club on Fable; and @WeirdoBookClub also has a Fable book club for fellow weird book lovers to join! These are great because there are so many cool features like chapter-by-chapter discussion boards, interactive reading, and more! Plus, these are generally off-camera style so those of you who don’t want your face out there, these are great options!

A TikTok book club can work many different ways, so those of you who like to type wildly long thought posts and those who prefer just sending a thumbs up can all find a group that’s right for you!

So that’s how to join a TikTok book club and a few of the different kinds you’ll find in the #BookTok community. If you’re interesting in other online book clubs, why not check these out? Or, for a niche deep-dive, check out this glimpse into the history of the book club!

Thanksgiving is just around the corner, and there’s no better way to decorate your dinner table for the big meal than with some seasonal DIY crafts! Even better, these three craft projects can help you show your family just how much you love books. A colorful leaf garland makes a beautiful table runner or a lovely way to brighten up your walls. You can reuse the same stencils to make lovely name cards for your table place settings. And finally, a carved book turns into a vibrant pumpkin that makes the perfect centerpiece. We’ve got DIY steps for each of these projects and tips for which are best to do with kids or how to mix up your crafting with the supplies you already have on hand.

A warning: These craft projects are all made using old books. If the idea of ripping up a book makes you feel squeamish, turn back now. But in my opinion, upcycling books is a great way of breathing fresh life into something that may otherwise only find its way into the dumpster. I found the three books I used for this project in a Little Free Library, and all of them had enough aging and water damage to make them unlikely candidates for finding readers. This way, they’ll be enjoyed in a new way rather than being thrown out or left to rot in Little Free Library space better reserved for less damaged books.

How to Make an Autumnal Leaf Garland from Old Books

This leaf garland was easy to make and added some festive color to my space! You can hang it on a wall, display it above a window, or lay it down the center of your table. It’s a great project for kids, especially if adults can provide help with making the stencils.

Step 1: Make leaf stencils. I went on a walk in my neighborhood and picked up a handful of fallen leaves. You could also print off leaf outlines or freehand draw leaves. I personally like the more organic shapes from the real leaves. I traced the shape of the leaves onto cardboard and cut them out with a combination of scissors and X-acto knife. Cardstock would also work well in place of cardboard.

Step 1B: Remove cat from workspace (optional). You’re a book person, so this might be an important step for you too.

Step 2: Trace stencils onto book pages and cut out shapes. With the older book I used, it was easy to rip out pages to make the shapes easier to trace. I ripped out five pages at a time, traced the shape with pencil, then cut the five pages in a stack to save on tracing and cutting time.

Step 3: Paint leaves. This is the fun part! I painted the leaves with watercolors. They’re easy to find and cheap, and I like how the water aspect gave the book pages a wrinkly texture to make them look more like real leaves. I started off painting them one color each, but later experimented with mixing and blending colors. Anything goes here, which makes it an especially fun project with kids. They can get creative and later find their own artwork among all the leaves on the garland.

Step 4: String leaves together with twine. I had white twine on hand, but a variety of twine or string or even fishing line would work here. Before stringing, I folded the leaves down the center and gave them some additional folds to have a more leafy texture. Then I pierced each leaf roughly through the center using a sharp pencil and strung them on the twine. Finally, I tied large knots on each end of the garland to keep the leaves from falling off. Done!

How to Make Thanksgiving Leaf Name Cards from Old Books

These colorful leaves make great name cards for your Thanksgiving place settings, and you can make them using many of the same materials and steps as the leaf garland above. Kids can again get involved cutting out the leaf shapes and painting them. I have a surplus of wine corks I always hold onto for potential craft projects, and they worked perfectly for keeping these leaves upright, but you could also set the leaves down at each setting. And best of all, you can send your guests home with their own name card to keep as a bookmark!

Step 1: Follow steps above to make leaf stencils and cut leaves from book pages. If you’re also making the garland, then you’ve already done most of the work here!

Step 2: Paint leaves. I again used watercolors for ease and texture. In this case, try to keep a lighter color in the middle of the leaf where you plan to write the name so it will be easier to read.

Step 2B: Remove cat from workstation (optional). This step is especially crucial if you’re working on a rectangular shaped piece of cardboard or paper, because you know they can’t resist it.

Step 3: Write names of guests. I used a thick black Sharpie marker and wrote in my best cursive. Bonus points if you’ve got any calligraphy skills!

Step 4: Cut wine corks. Using a sharp knife, carefully cut into wine corks from the round end to almost halfway down the length of the cork. This creates an easy and cheap stand to set the leaves upright. Once you slide a leaf into the cut in the cork, you’re done!

How to Make a Pumpkin from an Old Book

I’ve seen carved books all over Etsy and Pinterest, and I decided to give it a try myself. While I’m happy with how it turned out, I will warn you that this is a slightly more difficult DIY project. And considering that most of the work involves sharp objects or spray paint, it’s not the best choice for crafting with kids.

Step 1: Trace half pumpkin shape on paperback book cover. I started out printing an outline of a pumpkin as a guide, but I ultimately ended up free-handing the shape. If you’re not using a jigsaw, you will also need to trace the shape onto the back cover. I cut out the shape on the front cover and folded the book down the middle so I could trace the same shape onto the back cover.

Step 2: Cut all pages of book to traced shape. This was the hard part. I used a combination of scissors and an X-acto knife to cut about five pages at a time. It was time consuming, imprecise, and left a lot of tiny pieces of paper on my workspace. That’s why I’d recommend using a jigsaw to get a cleaner cut, if you have one available. But fear not: the final product still ended up looking great, even though I was worried about my messy cutting job at this stage!

Step 3: Hot glue covers together and fan out pages. I used the hot glue gun not only to glue the front and back cover together; I also used hot glue at random pages throughout to encourage the whole thing to fan out. I was able to keep the top of the spine intact, so I glued the edges of that together to create a stem. It would be easy to add cardboard or construction paper for a stem if that doesn’t work out with your book.

Step 3B: Avoid hot gluing cat to book (optional). If yours is like mine, they will be curious about what you’re up to and try to get in the way.

Step 4: Spray paint outer edges of book orange. You don’t need to douse the whole book in paint; focus on the edges of the pages, the top, and the bottom. Make sure to spray paint outside in a well ventilated area, and let it dry thoroughly.

Step 5: Make green leaf (optional). I had a spare leaf from my other projects, so I watercolored it green, folded it to give it texture, and tucked it on top. You could also do this with construction paper. Stick that sucker on top and you’re done!

Hopefully these bookish crafts inspired you to get creative with your old and/or damaged books! You might also enjoy:

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In the 2022 school year, I decided to run a comic book club in the school library that I manage. I’ve run a manga club for 9 years there and decided to start a comic book club to focus on the massive popularity of the comics and graphic novels that we have on the shelves. I’ve talked before about the huge popularity of our annual ComiCon, this is one of our most sought after programs. I felt like having a dedicated, weekly comic book club would be very popular.

There are many different activities to choose from and many approaches with a comic book club, and there’s no right or wrong way to do it. You simply need to see if there’s a need, then jump in and give it a try.

I aim our comic book club at ages 11 and up, it usually attracts between ages 11-13 and I have found that I’m having to bring over extra tables and chairs — it’s great to see! Our comic book club was very popular from the start and it’s been really great to see the students taking part in such an enthusiastic way. Here are some activities and events I’m doing this year.

I run our comics club program every week at lunch. It lasts around 45 minutes and is a lot of fun. It’s chaotic, noisy, and boisterous but I really enjoy it. The students that come all have the same thing in common: they love all the different comics we have to offer. My advice is to not stress yourself out with complicated crafts or activities. We play Pictionary, we draw, we talk about comic books, we have fun, and I’ve grown to really love it.

Creating a D&D character can be wonderful. Getting to play a character in a campaign and watching them grow is such a unique experience! It makes sense that you’d want to capture them somehow. Some people might retire their character-specific dice, other might frame the character sheet, or preserve their campaign notes. Or, you could always get D&D character art commissioned.

Character art is pretty much exactly what it sounds like: it’s art of your very own fictional character! There’s no one way for character art to look. It can be just a sketch drawing, a full color head shot, or a full body posed picture. It all depends on your budget, what you’re looking for, and what the artist is able to do for you.

Finding the right artist for your style, budget, and timeline can be a challenge, but knowing what you’re looking for can make it much simpler. If you are new to the process, consider this your guide to finding the perfect artist for you! I asked three character artists questions about what clients should keep in mind when commissioning art. Then, we will also discuss the best places to find artists, and everything you need to know to begin the process of getting art made.

Budget is a huge deal when it comes to finding an artist, so make sure that you at least have an idea of what your budget is going in. Jess also brings up a great point that art commissions are a luxury product and will be priced accordingly. That being said, there are artists out there willing to work with you on price, just ensure you’re realistic about what it might cost you.

When commissioning a character portrait, be sure you have a solid idea of what you want it to look like and give as much detail as you can to the artist. It’s good practice to have an open discussion about what you want from them, and what they are able to give you. This is a good point to remind you to shop around to find an artist who draws in the style you’re actually looking for.

When looking for an artist, make sure you find someone who is willing to work with you to bring your character and their style together. Don’t go with the first person you find: make sure you take the time to find the right fit for you.

Twitter is a wonderful place to find artists. Often you can find them sharing their previous work and see what style they have. The best way to find an artist on Twitter is to search “commissions open” and “D&D character art“. This may bring up people who take all sorts of commissions, but will at least get you pointed towards some cool artists.

Similarly to Twitter, Instagram is a great site for finding artists. You can scroll through the artists feed to see their style, and get a feel for their vibe. All it takes is using the search function to find amazing artists.

Etsy

Etsy is speculator way to find all kinds of things, and that includes D&D art. It’s especially great because you can compare a bunch of artists’ work and prices all at once. It will help you find the right match.

DeviantArt is perfect to help give you a sense of styles you like. It can be a little harder to find artists taking commissions but it’s certainly not impossible. I personally use it for inspiration a lot of the time!

D&D is great; D&D art is even better! I hope you now have a good understanding of what to keep in mind when getting character art done. And, if you’re a D&D fan who is also looking for a good book, you can find one based on your favorite D&D class. You might also be interested in The Best Dungeons and Dragons Accessories. Have fun storming the castle!

There are a lot of reasons to increase one’s information literacy and as we age, it may become even more important that we review how to evaluate useful information from information meant to mislead. For some, we may also work with older populations and may want to consider how to help them improve their information processing skills. If you fall into either of these groups, then this is meant to help you make some improvements or refresh some skills that may have weakened a little over the years.

First, let’s start with a definition of information literacy. According to Webster’s Dictionary…just kidding, I won’t do that to you. However, it helps to start with a general idea about the topic here. The simplest way to describe it is as a group of techniques, approaches, and actions that we take when we are evaluating the reliability of the information we are encountering.

And if you’re still with me, you probably have some idea of how increasing one’s information literacy could be useful when reading more than just the news or trying to “do your own research” on some particularly controversial topic. So what are some things you can keep in mind if you are looking to expand or polish the mental tool kit that you rely on? Let’s start with some general frameworks to keep in mind, and then I’ll recommend some specific resources to explore.

If you want a more academic approach, you can use this free Coursera course on basic information literacy to increase your information literacy. Led by librarians and a teaching expert from the State University of New York system, you can learn to identify your own information gaps, evaluate information for accuracy and reliability, and devise appropriate research strategies. There are also courses with LinkedIn Learning (called Information Literacy) and Future Learn’s Learning in the Network Age for under $50 each.

There are also some games you can try online. Most are aimed at students, but adults might also find them worth trying. The BBC has made one called BBC iReporter, or there is another called Harmony Square where you can play the role of media troll. Finally, try iCivics.org’s NewsFeed Defenders game for clear steps to evaluate the reliability of information found in social media, presented in an interactive way.

Honestly, sometimes I wish information literacy were a less relevant topic. For example, why are we making people “do their own research” on health topics that can be so absolutely life-altering? Why are we making basic care and information inaccessible to so many? SIGH. But you and I both know that this is the reality in so many places around the world. We have to keep moving forward and continuing to teach ourselves and others around us how to evaluate the information we must seek out on a regular basis.

If you find that this isn’t enough for you, check out these 10 books about bad information. Thanks to that list, I’ve added some new titles to my TBR and most likely you will too. And just in case you need an uplifting break, read 32 reasons I became a librarian and let it restore some of your faith in humanity.

Have you ever had an extraordinary reading experience? It almost feels like all the planets have aligned themselves just for this moment of you, the book, and your environment, whether physical or mental environment. One challenge of this is that sometimes it feels like the result of chance, but we’re going to talk about how to create that extraordinary reading experience.

What is an Extraordinary Reading Experience?

The best way I can define it is that it’s when the book and the experience align so that you don’t just remember the book itself, you remember the incredible experience of reading it.

For instance, the most recent one that I had was Mark Z. Danielewski’s House of Leaves. While I don’t read much horror, I had been fascinated with this book and its unconventional structure ever since I heard about it. During the beginning months of the pandemic, I decided that it was a good time to finally read the book. At the time, I was also at least six months pregnant with my daughter. Towards the beginning of the book, we were getting ready for bed and the bed frame collapsed on one side, thanks to a faulty bed support. It could be fixed, but not at midnight.

My husband insisted I take the bed and he spent the night on the couch. We decided the dog should stay with me, since we just didn’t trust her wandering around the house at night. But my dog was super attached to my husband and was not pleased to be left away from him.

Since this whole adventure gave me a little bit of a jolt, I decided to keep reading House of Leaves before I fell asleep. Here I was, reading a book about a strange house with newly appearing doors during a particularly strong thunderstorm by myself with an anxious dog. The environment matched the creeping dread in the pages of the book. While a bit terrifying, it was perfect.

The next morning, I told my husband that if a door were to suddenly appear in our house, we were going to leave immediately.

It was a chance experience: the thunderstorm, furniture accident, and the book I happened to be reading. But it was an extraordinary reading experience.

Timing is the Key to Success

That brings us to the second element: timing. When you are reading and your mental state will impact the experience. The key word is extraordinary, not just memorable.

Timing can lead to an extraordinary reading experience. It’s reading the book at the exact moment that you needed it, whether or not you know it. For example, when I was turning 30, I happened upon a copy of Gabriel Bá and Fábio Moon’s comic Daytripper. It’s about Bras de Olivias Dominguez as he lives his life. Each memorable moment ends in his death, but the next installment, he is alive and well during another moment that again ends in his death. It’s a beautiful meditation on how we think about our lives, our regrets, moving forward and building a life we want. And yes, it’s about the fragility of life and the importance of living a full life. It was the perfect book for that moment. It made me realize that everyone has regrets about the paths not taken, but we have to use those regrets to build a life we do want. To me, that is an extraordinary reading experience. For other people, this might be found through reading a book about grief while dealing with the death of a loved one — or something very light-hearted when going through medical treatment. But it’s more than a pleasant reading experience: it’s something that goes deep into your bones and heart. You’ll remember it months, years, maybe even decades later.

I hope this gives you some food for thought and lets you create or recognize your own extraordinary experiences.

For folks who want to get the cozy side of the equation down, here are some essential items for a cozy reading experience. Or check out this guide on how to recapture that joy of reading that many of us had as a child.

Right now, my 9-year-old daughter and I are in the midst of battle. We both want to buy a box set of five books in the Wings of Fire series by Tui T. Sutherland. However, I want to buy the original novels while she wants to buy the graphic novels with art by Mike Holmes. After writing this article, I think she may win — but on the technicality of me doing all the research and preparation for her. I mean, I have nothing against comic books and graphic novels. We may or may not have shelf space for more comics (more likely *not*). The thing is, I would love to read the Wings of Fire series with my daughter. And, like many parents and carers out there, I am not always comfortable or confident in how to read comics with kids. It’s a bit silly because the rewards from reading with kids are gained no matter the style of book you read. However, comic books and graphic novels always seem to start with a bad rep despite the many amazing benefits. It sort of relates with the idea that pictures can’t make sounds and thus can’t be “read aloud.” And well, that’s wrong. 

I’m going to assume you already know how great it is to read aloud with your kids. Fellow Book Riot writer Katie has it covered in her recent article here. And we are a little overdue for our annual reminder that graphic novels are “real” reading (thanks, Molly). So, why do so many parents avoid reading comics and graphic novels with their kids? Let’s break it into a few steps and bust the myths about comics. Oh, and for the sake of rhythm in the writing, from here on, “comics” includes both “comic books” and “graphic novels.”

Step 1: Not All Comic Books and Graphic Novels Wear Capes

Before you share any comic book or graphic novel with your child, PLEASE make sure that it is appropriate for their age. Pawcasso by Remy Lai is adorable. Saga by Brian K Vaughan and Fiona Staples is equally brilliant but less appropriate. It doesn’t have to be superheroes or even anything from the Marvel or DC franchises. There are plenty of great books out there, suitable for kids AND reading aloud with kids. My advice is to start with a topic they are interested in. 

Speech bubbles are dynamic! On their own, they create a flow of dialogue within the storytelling. They can be standard speech bubbles or thought clouds.  Add another character, and we have speech bubbles interlacing with each other to show the flow of conversation…and interruption when someone’s speech overlaps another. Essentially, speech bubbles can be a character unto themselves. This is your moment to shine! Bring out your character voices, bring out your passion, and bring out your verve!

This works equally well with sound effects. Harken back to the 1960s TV show Batman with Adam West in the character role. Remember the big POW! and BAM! spread across the screen during fight scenes? You want to capture the same impact because these words are part of the emotional environment in the storytelling. 

The same can be said about the use of colour. I remember reading an Editor’s Note in an Archie Comic back in the 1980s. The whole page was about the use of colour to detail the mood and atmosphere of the scene. The example included two pictures of Archie’s head — one with a red background and one with a blue background. By using different colours, the creators can give more ideas about what is happening in the story. Red can be action, fear, or excitement. Blue can be more pensive. 

This is one area where comics have the advantage over general novels. Remember those comprehension exercises in school? That’s what comics are about. Comics often require us to infer information that would otherwise be narrated in a novel. The visuals are there to help set the scene (literally) and the mood (often figuratively). Inference is one of the key reading skills and often one of the hardest for kids to get the hang of. It is the skill of drawing conclusions based on what we read. By pausing to look at the picture, we can encourage kids to understand all of the elements in the story and not just the dialogue. When you reach this point in your reading time, slow down and allow them to really see the artwork. Ask them to point it out to you, and then ask them how it fits in with the story. 

These are the basic steps for how to read comics with kids. Once you have read through a few comic books or graphic novels, you will find your own rhythm and style. The more you read together, the more comfortable you will be. You can take it in turns reading, or maybe one does the dialogue while the other does the sound effects and scenery. The goal is to be reading: reading together and reading aloud. 

If you’re still looking for a few books to read together, Book Riot writer Hannah has a list of 15 of the Best Comic Books for Kids. Each of these books fits all of the advice mentioned above: there’s a good range of genres, they are easy to see, the layout is easy to follow, the dialogue is easy to follow, and there are natural places to pause and build your comprehension. Feel free to add your favourites to our social media chats. 

And yeah, I bought the Wings of Fire graphic novel set. What can I say? It was a very convincing argument. We’ll be reading it together tonight.