For me - it is a visceral thing, I don't try too hard to remember anything.

But I end up retaining some associations, a kind of mood, and I also tend to grasp the tendencies and attitudes of the author.

So in a way I read between the lines a lot. I am able to read with a kind of generosity of spirit (forgiving, listening, giving charitable interpretations, etc)

This way - I end up forming the most profitable kinds of memories - something that may help me live my own life and solve problems of interest better.

Reading transports you to a different reality than your present (in psychological/experiential dimension).

Which is very important for invention and such.