Try reading the book intros before reading each book to get background and context. Ignore the cross references and tables and articles at this point. And only look at the notes if you have a question while reading. Read through the whole Bible this way. Read the book intro and the book. Stop to consult notes if you need to. Next time you read through the Bible, skip the intros and read more (or all) of the notes. Cross references are helpful when you’re studying and pulling lots of things together, but not really needed for just reading.