One way I get over the hurdle of self-consciousness of reading my own work aloud is to read it to my dog.
I just have to carefully edit out the "Would you like a treat?"s before I submit final copy.
Nathaniel Comfort
Unsolicited writing advice, no. 3:
Reading your work aloud really helps. Try it: you'll spot at once the places where your dialogue is clunky and unnatural, or where your descriptions go on too long, or where you repeat your favourite word just a little too often...
