By Sijith Salim

He who loves a book has got a  faithful friend, a wholesome counselor, a cheerful companion, an effectual comforter. By studying, reading, thinking, one may innocently divert and pleasantly entertain himself, as in all weathers, as in all fortunes.

~ Barrow ~

During a train journey I had recently,  I noticed an elderly woman who occupied the seat beside me. The trip was a  bit long and throughout it, I found the woman immersed in a book she was reading. I was very much impressed by the way she decided to spend her time during the travel. Even though she was pretty old, she had recognized the importance of reading and had used it wisely.

With loads of reading material available to us as part of our academics, work life or research , cultivating good reading habits  help us to make the best use of these materials. We can also read books for our leisure. Once you get hooked with reading, the time you spend on reading your favorite book will turn out to be one of your favorite activities. There are many ways to improve our reading.

Here are the seven best tips that I found to be most useful.

1. Set aside a regular time to read.

Some people read first thing in the morning, and some before bed. Most people (like me) like to read while traveling. Make your own decisions about reading. Have a reading hour or day where your main job is to read.

2. Always have a book around. Try to carry a book wherever you go. When you feel  bored, you can just read a few pages from it. After sometime, you will automatically take out your book for reading even if you are not bored. If there is a  time when you have to  wait (like at a doctor's  office or at the DMV),  whip out your book and read.

3. Set a reading  goal. Start yourself by deciding that you are going to spend 30 minutes reading each day. Your goal might be one book a month, one per week, or it might be simply just to read. But stick with your 30 minute schedule. As your reading habit builds, you might set higher goals. Setting a goalis the first step towards reading more.

4. Visit the library or bookstore often. Just walk in to any library and pick out any good book. Take time to browse! Let your eyes find things of interest. Browsing will feed your mental eed to read, and give you plenty of new things to read.

5 . Manage the time you spend watching television and surfing the Internet.

Many people say they just don't have enough time. Television is one of our major time consumers.  Make your television watching more conscious and less habitual. Use this time to read something useful.

6. Reward yourself after completing a book. When you finish one book, give yourself a treat. This will encourage yourself to read more. You only need to do this until you have cultivated your reading habit. After that, you will read even if you are not rewarded because the pleasure and knowledge you get while reading is the best reward.

7. Blog it. Once you start reading, start writing. One of the best ways to do this is to put it on your blog. If you don't have one, create one. Let your friends and family members review your writing. This is a positive spiral. The more you read and the more you write, the more you will write, and the  more you will read.  Let your friends and family members review your writing. This is a positive spiral. The more you read and the more you write, the more you will write, and the more you will read.

Fransic Bacon once said  "Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed, and some few to be chewed and digested: that is, some books are to be read only in parts, others to be read, but not curiously, and some few to be read wholly, and with diligence and attention. "

Reading helps mental development and is known to stimulate the muscles in our eyes. Reading is an activity that involves greater levels of concentration, which helps readers decipher new words and phrases that they come across in everyday conversations.

Reading habit help you to meet the famous; saints and sinners, Poets and artists, kings and queens, Old stars and hopeful beginners, Learn secrets from writers and masters.  You travel the cultures and traditions of the world, sitting right in your living room.

A good reading habit can become a healthy addiction and once this powerful habit is mastered, your life will will move to the next level improving your vocabulary, analytical skills, concentration power, deciphering new words and traveling through the best minds of the world.

With reading, you get the key to a vast ocean. "An Ocean full of Treasures and Gems. Knowledge and Wisdom.  The Treasures that will change your life for ever".