A reading habit rarely begins with a grand resolution. More often, it grows from a small space protected in an ordinary day: ten pages before bed, a chapter on the train, or a few quiet minutes with coffee. When reading feels approachable, it becomes easier to return to it.
Build a ritual that fits your real life
Choose a time and place that already belong to your routine. Keep a book within reach, silence notifications and set a modest goal. If you miss a day, simply begin again; consistency comes from returning, not from keeping a perfect streak. A short session can be enough to reconnect with a story.
Let curiosity guide your next choice. Alternate a familiar author with a new voice, or move between fiction and essays. A library visit or a note from a friend can offer a welcome change when your current book no longer holds your attention. Reading is not a race through a list; it is a conversation with ideas and people you might never meet otherwise.
After a chapter, jot down one sentence that stayed with you. That tiny note can help you remember what moved or surprised you, and it may become the seed of your own writing. What small reading moment could you make room for this week?
The book
The Empty Wall is the second book of Oscar’s Notebook, a series of crime novels set in Liège.
