Primarily, I read to learn. Enjoyment is a reason, sure. But even when I am reading genre fiction, like fantasy or romance, I want to learn something about myself or the world.
When I first began to read, the internet was not a thing. Dial-up appeared at our house when I was thirteen years old and smartphones didn’t appear until I had graduated college. It’s true I used technology while pursuing my English degree, yet incorporating it into my everyday reading life didn’t happen until I purchased a tablet. Having a device with easy access to technology has enhanced my reading life in so many ways.
One of the exquisite joys of reading digital books is the seamless integration of technology into my reading life. While it’s true you do not need an electronic device to use technology—any search engine will work just as well—my tablet made it easy. I still read physical books for the smell, the feel of the paper, and the satisfaction of seeing my progress as I turn physical pages, but having a device nearby gives me the best of both worlds.
One of my best books of summer was The Lost Masterpiece by B. A. Shapiro, which follows the life of artist Berthe Morisot. (I discussed it in our What Should I Read Next? bonus episode More team’s best books of summer.) As I often do, I relied heavily on search engines to enhance my reading experience. Here is what the process often looks like for me, with this novel and others:
1. The definition and pronunciation of words
While reading physical books in the past, in order to find out the definition of the word, I had to stop reading, find a dictionary and look up the definition. (To be honest, I never did this all that often.) Plus, I was too interested in my story to stop and define the word and figure out the pronunciation phonetically. This led to a number of pseudo-embarrassing moments of mispronouncing words, even though I could define them. Now I love the handy way that I can tap the word on my tablet and have the dictionary tell me what it means and even say it for me. With The Lost Masterpiece, that’s how I was able to pronounce Berthe Morisot’s name somewhat accurately.
2. The sense of place
I often look up landmarks and locations, which enhances my understanding of place. Having never visited Europe, countries and settings are my favorite places to look up on maps. While reading The Lost Masterpiece, I looked up Berthe’s house in Paris which features predominately in the story: 40 Rue de Villejust. And when the novel’s second protagonist Tamara travels to Paris, I used my tablet to stroll around the Grand Palais with her, looking up through the glass dome. I never would have known that there was a glass dome if I hadn’t looked that up. But because I did, I felt like I was there.
3. All of the artwork
I love books about painting and artists almost as much as I love books about books and reading. Nothing is more gratifying than when looking up a historical piece of art and seeing what it actually looks like. While the main artwork in The Lost Masterpiece is not real, all the other paintings by Morisot, Manet, Degas and others actually exist, and I think I looked up every one of them. I have discovered some of my personal favorite art pieces that way, as well as new-to-me artists like Henri Matisse.
4. Historical people and incidents
While I was reading The Lost Masterpiece, I kept asking myself, did this event actually happen? Was it widely known that Morisot and Manet were having an affair? The Author Note, an extra section in books where an author gives insight into their research process and the liberties they may have taken with a story, generally clears up some of my questions. However, I always enjoy finding other sources of information and reading about the individuals more deeply. Some authors will list their reference material and even include further reading recommendations. These Author’s Notes are a gold mine, filled with threads to follow.
5. World languages and all the food
Foreign (to me) words are always prevalent in my reading because I like to read about different countries and cultures. I’m a foodie so nothing piques my interest more than a dish I have never heard of before so most of these words have to do with food. And while The Lost Manuscript did not have food references, my other summer selection, An Inside Job by Daniel Silva, had a lot. Silva’s characters eat a lot of good food, most of which I am unfamiliar with. What’s a cornetto? Basically, the Italian equivalent of a croissant. While I could often surmise the meaning of these words based on the context, it’s great to be able to look them up and find out.
Are there other ways I can use technology to enhance my reading experience? How do you use it while reading? Let me know in the comments and I will (read) you there.
P.S. A trick for when you’re in a reading rut, Elevate your reading experience with these favorite bookish things, and 8 fine arts thrillers you won’t want to put down.
About the author
Shannan Malone is our MMD Cohost and What Should I Read Next? Patreon Community Manager. Her go-to genre depends on her mood! You can find Shannan on Instagram @shannanenjoyslife.
43 comments
Shannon, I read Ex Libris recently and I had to look up 45 words!! Thankfully, I was reading on Libby, so they were easy to track down. I, too, love looking up maps, food, clothing items, foreign words, etc. Makes reading even better.
Yes, Sally. Thank you for sharing.
Thanks for the great article, Shannan. I do all of this, too, and agree that it greatly enhances what I take away from a book.
Thank you, Tabatha. Happy reading!
A really good article! I like to know the geographic locations, so I always look up maps. And when it comes to food, I check out recipes for dishes that sound interesting.
Thanks, Becky. Happy reading!
All the joy and wonderment that books bring!
My husband and I are trying to incorporate no tech before bed. Currently he is reading The Secret of Secrets and has said several times”I have to look up this word” or “I need a visual of this place”. When authors take us to unexplored places, it’s just the best!!! We want to explore with them.
I am waiting for my library hold of Secret of Secrets to come in. Can’t wait. Thank you for sharing.
I regularly look up references from the books I am reading – historical figures or events, places (love to see photos of where I’m reading about), clothing, furniture, house styles, food, unfamiliar words, and definitely pronunciations. I’m not good at visualizing in my head while reading so looking up actual references helps immerse me in my books.
Nice, Carol. Thank you for sharing.
Shannan, I can relate all too well! At times, I have become so engrossed in reading about the reading that I forget I was reading a book in the first place. I am currently experiencing this with a book by Bill Bryson, “Sunburned Country.” I am not terribly familiar with Australian history, geography, or politics, and I may never finish the book at this pace, but I will know much more about Australia! Another artist from the same time period to explore is Gustave Caillebotte. I was able to attend an outstanding art exhibit by him in Chicago. You inspired me to read more B. A. Shapiro. It has been many years since I last read one of her novels, good thing I have a trip to the library already planned today.
Let me know which one of Shapiro’s you chose and what you thought of it.
I have never even considered googling locations and landmarks of books. What a revelation! Now I won’t been struggling so hard to imagine spaces and locations. Thank you Shannan!
You’re welcome, Danielle. Hope it helps. Happy reading.
YES!! I’m a huge fan of my e-reader’s ability to define words instantly, especially with a book that has non-English language words or phrases. I’m just trying my hand at annotating my favorite books including adding pictures into chapter ends and paragraph breaks when I can. I’m saving my Jules Verne for when I have more practice. 😅
Wow, Heather. You are going all-in. Thank you for sharing.
I have grown so accustomed to long pressing a word on my Kindle when I don’t know the exact definition that I occasionally find myself doing the same thing on a physical book. *facepalms* Yep…this felt like a safe place to admit that.
Hilarious! If it makes you feel any better, I recently tried to unlock the door to our house by pointing my car remote at it, and pressing repeatedly.
LOL. Thanks for sharing, Ruthie.
Yes, this is a safe space, Nichole. Thank you for sharing.
I will admit to doing the same thing! And getting frustrated when the definition didn’t pop up.
My mother always read with a dictionary at her side. What an amazing thing that we can just press the word now!
Shannan – thanks for this! I try to do a mix of physical books, digital and audio. When reading physical books I have my iPad handy to look up definitions and pronunciations of unfamiliar words – or sometimes, familiar but I want to verify that I have a good understanding of meaning or pronunciation. I’ve not thought about looking up places on maps. Looking forward to using street view to see the real places that are mentioned in what I read.
Great, Lois! I”m glad to hear it. Let me know how it goes for you.
I love this post Shannan!!! Thank you! I read to learn too and being carried away by stories! The Art Forger, also by B.A.Shapiro, is a favorite book of mine! I can’t wait to read The Last Masterpiece! I just finished a fun and interesting book called The Amalfi Curse by Sarah Penner. It has magic realism, history and a bit of romance. In the story there is an 1821 timeline where some women collect Hagstones. I had heard the term, but didn’t know exactly what that meant! I googled it and down the rabbit hole I went!!! They are stones with natural holes in them that are/were believed to have magical powers. They were worn on leather thongs and used for sea incantations! I have always collected them on beaches and have a jar of them as I thought they were beautiful! Now I know exactly what they are!!!! The magic of books! How lucky we are!
Yes, Dorothy! Which part of the world are you finding these Hagstones?
This is wonderful, Shannan! While I’ve frequently done word definition/pronunciation searches, I have not often searched locations, food, architecture, etc. That will be my new MO! Thank you!
Also, is it just me, or have you noticed how often the word “detritus” is used these days? That is one I had to look up when I first encountered it. I’ve read many books in my lifetime. I’m 70 now, and I don’t remember ever seeing/hearing the word until maybe 10 or 15 years ago. Now it pops up in nearly every book I read! I’ve wondered if there is an editor at every publishing company dedicated to scanning manuscripts for places to insert the word!
Interesting. I learned that one from reading some old, classic novels. What books are you reading?
My son gifted me Otter Country by Miriam Darlington for Christmas and my reading of this natural history book was greatly enhanced with the use of maps and a search engine! I searched lots of locations and landmarks throughout the UK, and any unfamiliar terms. It’s the best when I own the book, because then I annotate in the margins.
I have also learned much about Quebec geography and culture, and about poetry and history from reading Louise Penny’s cozy mysteries—and I always write in the margins with these, enhancing future rereads.
Thanks for this post, Shannon. We are most certainly kindred spirits!
I was all over Quebec while reading Louise Penny. Thanks for sharing.
I haven’t used it for a book festival yet, but I have used Chat to create film festivals with food pairings (one of my favorites is an Italian film and food festival with wine pairings that I had Chat create earlier this summer). I also use the internet to look up recipes that are mentioned in books but the recipe itself isn’t included (The Briar Club had some great food and baking mentions throughout).
Yes to the artwork, both in fiction and non-fiction books.
Cultural references like poems and songs! Especially for older classics where cultural references from back then are no longer commonly known. It’s cool to be able to read a book from a century ago where they reference a folk song or something playing on the radio, and to find it and listen on YouTube.
Thank you for this article. I do the same, I always look up places and things and even events that I read about. In the last few years I have read so much WW2 historical fiction, but I wanted to know more about the war outside of Europe and even after the war. It was so interesting to look up places and events that I didn’t know anything about. Luckily I have been to many places myself, but I always like to read about places I am either going to go to or want to visit one day. I love that you show how using tech can enhance reading not destroy it.
I totally agree with looking up details from books online, particularly when I’m reading historical fiction. What would they be wearing? What would this place have looked like back then? Etc.
One thing that I use quite often that you didn’t mention is the x-ray feature on my Kindle. Especially if there’s a ton of characters and I can’t remember who’s who. Tap on their name and it will give you a short reference from a previous page of that character. Thanks for the great article!
I had never looked at the X-ray feature in my Kindle app…WOW. So much information.
I was in my mid-50s when smartphones were born! Our first cell phone was the size of a large shoebox.
I had to stop reading the physical books I love because of neck injuries. I always read on the Kindle app on iPad. I have only left the States once, and grew to love a travel trailer journey.
Google Earth is my go-to for finding places and the topography of the locations. I also save memorable quotes in a Google words doc, not a physical journal. Cut-and-paste is great as my old lady tremors worsen.
I have also enjoyed being able to look up words and phrases that are familiar. I find myself recognizing that I sort-of know a great deal. Now I can easily find precise definitions and information about the origins of words. I use this for all kinds of reading– newspapers, magazines, random emails.
I was an RN and healthcare leader for 50+ years. I often think the 2 years spent in Latin class in junior high school was, over my lifetime, the best investment I ever made.
DuckDuckGo is my search engine of choice for security purposes — but it often takes me to Google sites.
One of my daughters has moved to Connecticut recently. I’m a Californian (currently living in Iowa, which remains a foreign land) and I’ve never traveled in the northeast. The geography constantly surprises me, and I’m intrigued by the fact that you can cross many state borders in the time it took to drive from Orange County to San Francisco.
Thanks for your insights.
Thank you, Shannan for the great reminder that one of the main reasons I’m reading is to learn, not just devour a book! I recently started rereading a favorite book of mine and this time around, after your encouragement, I’m going a little slower to find the locations, and cross-reference the historical bits that I am unfamiliar with. Thank you!
Great article, Shannan! I love anything that will enrich my reading life and this was right up my alley!
Another confession………. Looking up to the top left corner of a physical book to check the time. Sigh.
Also, so helpful to use the “notes” feature on the Kindle / iPad to remember favorite words to share at book club.
When I read a book with “real” people, I am always curious about what they look like, and I type in images next to their name and curiosity satisfied. I recently read Barbara Isn’t Dying and googled “sand cake” which was featured. I found a recipe and was able to make this German treat for my book club.
I’m a geography nerd, so I’ve been using search engines to view maps and other geographical information for years, but it never occurred to me to look up the pronunciation of a foreign word while reading. Why?! In fact, I’ve often favored audio books precisely because I knew I’d slaughter the pronunciations. I’m going to have to give this a go because lately holding a book or kindle in my hands has been highly satisfying.
Wonderful article Shannan. I’m the same way when I read a book. So many nuggets of extra information that adds to the reading experience. One thing that I would love for publishers to add is a map with every book published.
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