College For Women library issue 3 2013-2013 | Page 13

PSCW LIBRARY MAGAZINE

3. Look at how the book is organized by reading
through the table of contents and reading the
introduction (which may give you some idea of
what the book is about, and why it is important).
4. Don’t let the book discourage you. Read the
entire book, so you’ll get a sense of what the
book is about: who the characters are, what is
happening, what some of the themes or contexts
may be, etc.
5. If you own the book you are reading, you may
want to highlight passages that seem important.
Otherwise, you can take careful notes--keeping
track of quotes, characters, or passages (with
page numbers).
6. Don’t become bleary-eyed. In other words, if
the book seems too overwhelming, stop reading
for a bit. Take this time to organize your ideas
about the book. Write down the questions that

you have so far about characters, the plot, the
author, the setting, ideas, etc. If the concepts are
still too difficult to grasp, sketch out your ideas
with images or colors. Or, try talking about it with
a friend to flush out what you are thinking (and
feeling) about the work.
7. Don’t stop reading for too long. It can be tempting
to put off finishing the book when the book seems
too difficult, but don’t give in to that temptation. If
you put off continuing your reading, you’ll forget
what you’ve accomplished thus far.
8. After you’ve read through the book once, reread the book. Fill in the gaps that you missed the
first time. As you read and re-read passages of
the novel, try reciting the book out loud.
9. Get help! If you’re still having a difficult time
with the book, a tutor might be able to answer
your questions.

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