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Don't be afraid to add more books to your DNF (Did Not Finish) pile. Many readers feel compelled to finish every book they start, but in reality, this is quite counterproductive and can lead to poor retention. Not everyone needs to read every book there is.

When you read something that doesn't resonate with you, your brain zones out. You skim through the book without interest, flip pages without focus, and come away remembering almost nothing. And let's not forget that some books do have bad writing, which can significantly affect your ability to remember what you read.

Choosing the books you read should be about strategy and purpose, of course, not about endurance, so give yourself permission to stop reading. Over time, you’ll refine your instincts for picking good books that challenge and inspire you. Here are some tips that can help:

• Use the First 10% Test: read the first 10% of a book; if you’re not hooked enough, move on.

• Ask: Is this helping me right now in daily life/with personal experiences? If not, shelf it for later or let it go.

• Keep a Books to Revisit list for books you quit but may return to later when they’re more relevant.

3. Keep Notes on What You Read

Writing notes is one of the best ways to internalize what you read. It forces you to slow down, reflect, and translate information into your own words. All of these are essential for memory retention.

With print books, you can mark margins or use Post-it notes. With eBooks, highlight and export your notes to a digital system. For example, you may be able to export your Kindle highlights into Evernote and access them from multiple devices. For audiobooks, pause frequently to jot down what stood out or use voice memos.

The key is not to transcribe what the author says, but to capture what it means to you. What surprised you? What can you apply? What will you want to revisit?

You can create a simple note-taking structure: include key ideas, favorite quotes, takeaways, and personal insights. You can also include page numbers so you can later find it easier to connect each note to the original text. And don't forget to use apps like Notion, Obsidian, or Readwise to organize and save notes, making them instantly searchable.

After each chapter, open a blank sheet in your note-taking app and write a 3–5 sentence summary in your own words. However, don't always type notes; make sure to write them by hand once in a while as well–this also improves your reading comprehension.

4. Improve Your Cognitive Performance with Mendi Neurofeedback

Don't put the burden of reading comprehension solely on your memory's shoulders. Train other key cognitive functions, and you'll notice a change for the better! That's what Mendi can help you with.

Mendi is a neurofeedback device that can help improve focus, memory, and mental clarity by training your brain in real-time. It works by measuring blood flow and oxygenation in the prefrontal cortex—the area responsible for concentration and executive function—and giving you visual feedback as you learn to control it.

Using Mendi regularly can increase your ability to concentrate while reading and reduce the mental fatigue that often leads to poor retention. All in all, a stronger focus and attention span means fewer distractions, deeper comprehension, and better memory encoding. All of these can improve reading comprehension and help you remember things much more easily. You'll enjoy reading much more than before!

And unlike stimulants or hacks that offer temporary boosts, Mendi serves as a cognitive fitness that can lead to long-term results. Over time, you’ll notice that you can read for longer stretches, retain more from each reading session, and engage with more complex material without zoning out.

5. Get Some Context About the Topic

Jumping into a book without any context can cause you to miss some references, misunderstand the tone, and fail to see the bigger picture. On the other hand, having even a small amount of background knowledge before you start reading makes a huge difference in comprehension and retention.

For example, if you start reading a book written by Emile Zola without having a general idea about who he was and what kind of books he wrote as well as about the historical context of the book, you're likely to miss some important ideas.

Ultimately, context helps your brain categorize new information. You’re not learning from scratch—you’re adding to an existing structure. This primes your brain to absorb details more efficiently and make connections faster.

Plus, getting context doesn’t require deep research. Even a quick scan of Wikipedia, a short YouTube video, or a brief podcast interview can provide enough to orient yourself.

6. Create a Knowledge Tree

Your brain remembers better when it sees how ideas connect. That’s what a knowledge tree is: a framework where you can keep key points connected. The big ideas form the trunk, and the supporting details form the branches and leaves.

When you understand the foundational concepts first, you have a place to hang new information. This way, instead of writing down isolated points, you connect new thoughts to previous ideas. This makes it much easier to remember details because they’re anchored to something meaningful.

Knowledge trees can take the form of mind maps, written outlines, or even bullet point hierarchies. Just pick whatever method works best for you. The goal is to create a structure you can mentally walk through. Over time, you can return to that structure, update it with new books or ideas, and deepen your understanding of a topic.

7. Write Down Summaries

Seems like we're traveling back in time, right? We're back in school, always writing summaries of various texts. Well, it's no surprise teachers insisted on that.

Writing summaries–whether for one book or one article–is actually an incredible reading comprehension strategy that also improves retention. It's a process that requires you to distill complex ideas, recall key information, and rephrase it in your own words. All of these are excellent methods if your goal is to retain more of what you read.

Plus, instead of rereading entire books, you can later revisit your condensed notes and immediately recall the core insights. Don't forget that you don’t have to capture every point, just the parts that moved you, taught you something, or sparked ideas.

Here are some methods you may like:

• After finishing a chapter, write down just three sentences that summarize the main ideas from that chapter.

• After finishing a particular book, write a one-paragraph summary that includes the central theme and 3–5 key takeaways. Think of it as just a game, a reading game!

• Use your summaries to start conversations or explain the ideas to someone else (the Feynman Technique).

8. Read More Books About the Same Subject

Let's say you want to learn more about Mark Manson's ideas and decide to read one of his books about living a good life. If you want to see things from a broader perspective (which will also solidify retention), you could read other non-fiction books or essays on similar topics, such as David D. Burns' book "Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy" or some of Paul Graham's essays.

When you read several books on the same or similar subject, you find more answers and start to see recurring patterns, contrasting opinions, and layered insights, which are essential for building the foundation for an entire belief system. Each new book reinforces what you’ve already read, expands your understanding, and fills in the gaps.

This is especially useful for complex or abstract subjects like psychology, philosophy, history, or science. The key is to read different types of books on the same topic—a mix of academic works, practical guides, biographies, and essays. With enough exposure, you go from reading the information to thinking about it.

9. Use Active Reading Strategies

Active reading is the opposite of skimming. It means engaging with the text as if you’re having a dialogue with the author. Instead of just consuming words, you question them, challenge them, relate them to your experience, and mark them up with reactions.

This approach keeps your brain alert and dramatically boosts retention: you’re constantly analyzing, reflecting, and summarizing on the go. Active reading also prevents your mind from wandering. When you’re interacting with the book, you pay attention and stay present.

Active reading strategies include annotating in the margins, asking why? and how? as you read, making predictions, and linking new ideas to things you already know. Even highlighting can be effective, especially if you follow it up by turning highlights into notes or summaries. You can also pause every few pages to summarize aloud or in writing what you've just read.

10. Create Mental Pictures

If you turn abstract concepts into concrete images, you give your mind something to latch onto. This technique is especially useful when reading nonfiction, where ideas can be dense or theoretical. It can also be useful for fantasy or sci-fi books.

Mental pictures can be literal or symbolic. If you’re reading about economic cycles, imagine a rollercoaster. If you’re studying a historical event, picture the setting like a movie scene. Here's the secret: the weirder and more vivid, the better, because unusual images are more memorable. You can also practice linking mental images together in a story format for sequential retention (memory palace method).

And you don’t need to be an artist or have a good imagination to do this; you just need to see the concept in your mind’s eye.

11. Read Aloud What Is Worth Reading

When you read silently, your eyes do most of the work. When you read aloud, you engage your auditory system and speech pathways. This multisensory engagement can help you remember ideas easily.

Reading aloud does slow you down, but this is actually a benefit. It forces you to process each sentence and the entire text more deeply. You're also more likely to catch nuances you might otherwise miss. This strategy is especially useful for difficult or dry books that most people find challenging to comprehend. Here are some methods you can try:

• Read 1–2 key paragraphs aloud per chapter, especially the ones you find complex or important.

• Record yourself reading summaries or new notes and play them back later.

• Teach the information aloud to an imaginary student or friend to reinforce it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why do I stop forgetting what I read?

You may stop forgetting what you read because you don't use active reading strategies and reading comprehension strategies. This can also happen with books that you don't find interesting. Stress, burnout, and mental fatigue can also lead to poor retention.

What is the 2 7 30 trick?

The 2-7-30 rule implies that you should try to recall what you learn two, seven, and 30 days after you learn that new material.

How can I improve my reading retention?

You can improve your reading retention by taking more notes, using active reading strategies, writing down summaries, practicing selective reading to find great books you can link to your own experiences, and even training your cognitive performance with neurofeedback for better cognitive performance. Happy reading!