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There is one thing you can do to combat this problem. Learn to read.

I have a professional degree, and still do not understand a good many words in novels. I always wonder why they choose the words that no one uses in normal life. I do keep a dictionary by my side, but don't look up every word.

If I were you, I'd go for some adult English courses, or go to a library that has free literacy tutoring. A friend of mine (a retired teacher) is now helping a young girl, with the same problem you're having.

You also might ask the librarian for books geared toward adolescents. There's some excellent books, appropriate for adults, but easier to read. Try to find a book with subject matter that you're interested in. A good mystery can keep you going.

Don't give up. You learn a great deal from books. And they can be a source of joy and comfort. . Good luck.

This is a very thoughtful question, I applaud you! There are not many people who honestly care enough to understand things outside of their current frame of knowledge. When tutoring, i've found that a few of these ideas were helpful...

Read the summary on the back of the book- This gives you a general overview, which helps tie together the plot and characters.

I understand how difficult language can be, and how annoying page-thumbing through a dictionary is. Use your computer! I use dictionary.com, as well as their thesaurus to get the full idea of the word. Once you look up and understand these words, they are stored in your brain for future reference; this is called learning.

After each page, summarize in your head using 'who what where when why': Who was this page about?What was this about? Where did this scene happen? When did it happen? Why is it important?

Even if you don't know the exacts of these questions (many mystery novels keep you in the dark), you can at least guess and make your own conclusions even if they are wrong!

It is time consuming to read things that you don't understand right away, but it is well worth it. Think of how much you will have learned, and take pride in continuing to expand your mind!

Read stuff you're familiar with. Fiction authors are going to have different terms as their books are most often based on worlds other than Earth. Also, you may start with simpler, shorter novels and build your way up to the longer ones.

Start at the end.