Is there anything that needs to be done before reading the Qur'an?

I've been trying to read the Qur'an for some time now but it has been very confusing. I assume this is due to having had been raised around only Bibles, because the Bible is written like a story. To better read and understand the teachings in the Qur'an, as an Atheist, is there anything I should be doing before I start reading? I don't mean wudu, as I already do that, but more along the lines of a mental preparation.