The Tricks to Becoming Someone That Enjoys Reading

In 2013, I bought 60 books. I mean I paid in cash for 60 books (except a few that sold for $0). And why? The truth is whatever reason I give is an after-thought. When I was purchasing most of those books, I had no grand reason in mind. Whenever I'm less busy at work, I browse through books on Amazon.com, and occasionally, I come across a book I love the title or I see lots of positive reviews on. Then I buy it. And that was how most of the 80 books I bought last year were bought. I ended up buying all sorts of books: Greek myth (Odyssey), personal development books, Excel VBA, Financial Modelling, War, Biographies, Autobiographies, and so on.

But today, I will show the tricks that make reading a pleasure and one you'll be willing to spend and skip meals to enjoy.

image: fraakz.com

And here they are:

1. Don't give yourself a target. Nothing turns play to work faster than a target. Targets kill the fun in any activity. Ask a banker, if you doubt me.
2. Read only the books you want to read. And this is my biggest trick. I made sure I didn't bring home any of my University books after graduating. I gave them away and burnt the ones I couldn't give away. I was sick of reading books I didn't enjoy. Books that gave me headaches. And it's one of the two reasons I don't want to do a masters. Now I read only what I want to read, and the pages in it that I want to read. 
3. Life is not about certifications alone. I know people who wouldn't read a book if it's not going to help them get a certification. Some of the books I have learned the most from were certification textbooks, and I bought and read them without the slightest intention of doing the certification exams. The true joy of reading a book is in reading the book for it's sake, and not because you have to memorize it's content for some exam.
4. Start small. My love for books started as a child. It took me, maybe, more than 2 years to read my first Shakespeare. And I went on to read several after. I don't read to comprehend everything in the book. I read all books like novels. I don't mark them or go back to previous pages. I read from cover to cover, including foreword and dedication. If I enjoyed the book, I read it again.
5. Read whenever you can. I don't have special times for reading. I read every time I have the opportunity. On most days, I read for more hours than I sleep.
6. Make reading fun. I sometimes give myself a treat just so I'll be in a great mood to read. I read in the most comfortable posture I can form, even if it makes me doze off after every 3 pages. In fact, those are the kind of sleep I like best: a sleep that is induced by reading. I don't fight it. It is worth paying for.

And those are the tricks to becoming someone that enjoys reading.