How a Simple Reading Hack Made Books Even More Immersive

You sit down with a book, ready to dive in… but your mind keeps wandering. That’s exactly how I stumbled upon immersive reading—by accident.

On a personal note issue #07

Have you ever sat yourself down, picked up your book and then hit the play button on the audiobook as well? I used to call it a double duty reading, now I know its an actual thing called immersive reading or immersion reading — forgive me, English is not my first language, so I am not sure which term is correct to use here. I will stick with immersive reading in this post as it feels more natural to me.

Anyways, both reading and listening to the same book, at the same time? Why would I do that?

Let me tell you, I have come to really enjoy this immersive reading experience that I get into from time to time. I love it as I am completely off and gone from this world in a very different way when I am just consuming through the written word. It is hard to describe, I am more focused, more drawn in, more consumed by the plot. It honestly feels like I am in there, right between the pages. It is truly a different way to get lost in the plot — and something that I discovered by chance.

Today, I’m an avid audiobook listener — but it wasn’t always that way. My first attempts were frustrating, I kept zoning out and losing track of the story. Then, I had a breakthrough with Red Rising. I struggled with the first half, so I switched to the audiobook, and suddenly it clicked. That experience opened the door to audiobooks, but immersive reading? That came later — by accident.

It was not until the pandemic hit that I fell into immersive reading. I had an evening where I was really just struggling getting my mind into what I was actually reading. It was one of those moments where I wanted to read, but my mind kept jumping from thought to thought, breaking my focus. Ironically it was happening with a book, I absolutely adore, The Blade Itself by Joe Abercrombie.

At the time I had also just started subscribing to audible, and I figured why not listen to it and read the book at the same time. It took some tries, mainly due to the reading speed but then I found something that worked — and before I knew it, it was way past midnight and I had not even noticed.

I just remember the feeling of being very surprised. I am used to getting lost in books, hours can fly by and I am just reading, not moving, not eating, just reading — but this experience was completely different. It hit deeper. It completely consumed me and I was not even aware of where I was until I stopped. All my senses were in this book. So that’s where it all started. Immersive reading has been something I do from to time to time, when I just feel like I have shut the world out, even the sounds of my surroundings. It almost feels like I am forcing my mind into letting go of my current existence and just be in the book.

I have done this with multiple books but my favourites to do this immersive reading experience with are with out a doubt all within the fantasy genre:

• The Lord of the Rings

• The Hobbit

• Legends and Lattes / Bookshops and Bonedust

• Everything by Abercrombie

• Red Rising

• Star Wars from a Certain Point of View

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The past few weeks, I’ve been struggling with my daily read of War and Peace. Mr. Tolstoy and I are just not vibing. More than once, I’ve had to force myself through a chapter, only to finish feeling grumpy and disconnected. Worse, everyone else in my reading group seemed to love it — while I was stuck, wondering what I was missing.

Then it hit me, what if I tried immersive reading? Yes, it would take more effort, but I wasn’t ready to give up just yet. War and Peace is far outside my comfort zone — not just because of its length, but because it is also outside my usual genres. But one of my personal goals this year is to challenge myself, to embrace discomfort, and try something new. And Tolstoy? He is definitely new and still a bit uncomfortable, but I was willing to give it another go.

It’s been three days (and counting), and…I can actually see a difference! It dosent feel as hard to get through now. The narrator is good, making it surprisingly easier to block out distractions and focus on the story. Another thing that has helped me, is my bookish diary. I use a Hobonichi Techo (A6) to jot down thoughts on my current reads, and lately, it’s been filling up with War and Peace notes. The first few days? All negative (lol). I was frustrated by the sheer number of characters, the endless conversations and the feeling that nothing was really happening.

But yesterday, I noticed a shift. My notes were a little more positive . I even wrote myself a small encouragement — proof that things are slowly changing. I’ve promised myself four more weeks of real effort. If I still don’t like it, I’ll DNF it. But at least I’ll know I gave it my best shot.

What about you? Have you ever struggled through a book that just wasn’t clicking? Did you push through, take a break, or try something new — like immersive reading? I’d love to hear how you handle tough reads!

Until next time,
happy reading! ✨