To remember what you read, close the book after each chapter and try to say or write what it was about from memory. That small habit beats rereading and highlighting. In one experiment, people who practised recalling a text remembered 61% of it a week later, while people who only reread it remembered 40%. Below: seven habits that help, how long they take, and how to adjust them for novels and for non-fiction.

Why we forget books so fast

Forgetting is normal, and it’s fastest right after you finish. Hermann Ebbinghaus showed this back in the 19th century, and Murre and Dros replicated his forgetting curve in 2015: most of the loss happens in the first hours and days, then it slows down. The study used lists of nonsense syllables, not books, but the pattern holds: if you never come back to something, it fades.

The good news is you don’t need to cram. A few short check-ins at the right moments do most of the work.

7 ways to remember more

1. Recall it from memory

This is the best-studied method. In Roediger and Karpicke’s 2006 study, students either reread a passage several times or read it once and then wrote down what they remembered, several times. According to the university’s summary, rereading did better five minutes later (81% vs 75%), but a week later the result flipped: 61% for the recall group and 40% for the rereading group.

With a book: after a chapter, close it and answer, in your head or in a note, “what actually happened here?”. With non-fiction: “what was the main idea, and what example backed it up?”.

2. Come back a few days later

Recalling a book a day, three days and a week after reading works better than one long review straight away. In Dunlosky and colleagues’ 2013 review of learning techniques, practice testing and spacing reviews out over time got the highest rating of the ten techniques they looked at.

For a book, that can be one question on your commute: “what was that book I finished on Monday about?”.

3. Put the highlighter down, or use it sparingly

In the same review, highlighting, rereading and summarising all rated low. Highlighting feels productive, but on its own it leaves little behind. If you like marking passages, mark a few, then do something with them: rewrite one sentence in your own words.

4. Read as if you’ll explain it to someone

In a 2014 study by Nestojko and colleagues, some people read a passage expecting to teach it to someone else, others expecting a test. Those preparing to “teach” remembered more and organised the main points better, even though everyone ended up taking the same test.

In practice: tell a friend about the book over coffee, record yourself a one-minute voice note, or set up a buddy read, where talking after each section is built into the plan.

5. Write short notes in your own words

Long notes are a chore, and you rarely reread them. A few lines after each book is enough:

  • what it was about, in one sentence;
  • one thing that surprised you;
  • one thing you want to remember or try;
  • one quote, if it really earned it.

Ideas for a notebook like this are in our guide to keeping a reading journal, and there’s a ready-made sheet in the printable reading log.

6. Connect it to what you already know

A new idea sticks longer when you hook it onto something familiar. Ask yourself “where have I seen something like this?” or “does this match what the last author said?”. With a novel: “who does this character remind me of?”.

7. Pay attention, even if it means reading less

It’s hard to remember something you never really read. Twenty minutes without your phone leaves more behind than an hour broken up by notifications. We collected ways to do that in how to focus while reading.

A plan for one book

When What to do Time
After each chapter 2–3 sentences from memory, in your head or in a note 1 minute
When you finish a note: one sentence, one surprise, one thing to keep 5 minutes
2–3 days later recall the main ideas without looking at your notes 2 minutes
A week later tell someone about it, or reread your note 5 minutes

That’s around fifteen minutes per book. You don’t have to do it for every one. Pick the books you really want to keep.

Novels or non-fiction?

With a novel, it’s usually enough to remember the story, the characters and how the book made you feel. A short note at the end covers it. With non-fiction and how-to books, do a bit more: recall the main idea of each chapter, and write down one thing to try right away.

Format matters for dense material too. Audiobooks are great for novels, but with a book full of numbers, it’s easier to remember when you read at your own pace. More in do audiobooks count as reading?

How Talemi helps

Talemi, the app we’re building, has no flashcards or book notes. What it does is help you come back to your reading regularly: you log progress in pages or minutes, set a daily goal, and see in your stats what you read and when. That’s a handy prompt for which book to think back on. Keep your notes wherever you like, in a notebook or on your phone. For a wider look at the options, see our guide to picking a reading tracker app.

Want to come back to books more often? See how Talemi works and join early access.

FAQ

Why can’t I remember what I read? Because most forgetting happens in the first days after reading if you never return to it. That’s normal, and it doesn’t mean you have a bad memory.

Does taking notes help you remember a book? Yes, when you write in your own words and from memory. Copying passages out and highlighting help much less.

How much time should I spend reviewing? A few minutes is enough. Coming back after a few days matters more than how long each review is.

Does speed reading help you remember more? Usually not. Reading faster tends to mean understanding less. More on pace in average reading speed.

Sources