How to Read More Books
‘Tis the season for resolutions and new reading goals! Last year at this time, I resolved to read 100 books all in one year. Even though I’m an avid reader and enjoy books enough to write my own, it was still a hefty task and honestly really helped me grow a lot as a bookworm. Because of this crazy New Year’s Resolution though, I also learned a lot about how to increase my reading capacity so that I could actually meet my high reading goal. So even if you’re aspiring to read 2 books or 200 books, here are some of my tips on how you can also learn how to read more so you can meet your reading goals
Accept that there’s more than one type of book
I feel like this might be the most controversial tip, but physical books with spines and words on the pages are not the only books in the world. Shocking, I know. There’s also audiobooks, e-books, and graphic novels. For some reason, this is a point of contention within the book community on what exactly defines a book and what defines the act of reading which is just silly. Limiting your definition of reading to only physical books also limits your reading options. There are some books that are best told in audiobook, like Sadie by Courtney Summers. There are some books only available in electronic form, like most indie novels. Then there are some novels that should only be told through graphics, like 95% of superhero stories.
No matter what format they come in, all of these books are valid and don’t let the bookworm gatekeepers limit your reading because of their narrow definitions of what constitutes a book. Personally, I’m particularly defensive when people claim audiobooks don’t count for reading. Audiobooks are incredible and with my busy schedule, they’ve saved my reading goals many times over. They’re the only format I’ll read classics in because, let’s be real, classic novels are dry AF 70% of the time. But I’ve also listened to some other incredible books that I never would have interacted with if the audiobook wasn’t available on my Libby app. Btw, if you’re interested in getting into audiobooks, check out my blog post about using Libby vs. Audible to find the best audiobook player for you. I also have a list of my top 10 favorite audiobooks of all time to help get you started!
Set a tangible goal
“Don’t let your dreams be dreams,” -Shia Labeouf
It is probably a proven science that you’re more likely to accomplish a goal if you set a tangible finish point. Rather than say “I’m going to read more” try “I’m going to read five books” or “I will read one 400 page novel this year.” I live and breathe by the Goodreads challenge every year. Mainly because there’s no real punishment if you don’t accomplish your goal and they even do the math on how many books you need to read per week to finish your goal. It’s an easy way to accomplish the vague goal of “read more” while also exposing yourself to hundreds of other enthusiastic readers all sharing their thoughts and goals about books at your side! Also it’s completely free! Free stuff is always nice.
Find some accountability
I’ll be honest: this method might not work for everyone. A lot of people enjoy reading because of the rare solitude it provides. But having an audience keeping track of your reading goals at your side can definitely serve as a good motivation to stick with it. Whether it be through challenging yourself alongside other readers on Goodreads, joining a local book club, or even engaging your current social media followers and friends to follow your reading journey, it’s always nice to have a buddy to check in with to make sure you’re accomplishing what you want to accomplish! If you need that buddy, I’m happy to be that person to geek out with books with you on YouTube, Goodreads, Instagram, and even Twitter!
Don’t be afraid to stop reading a book
The art of DNFing (or Did Not Finish-ing) is one I encourage all bookworms to master. There’s a delicate balance in discovering if a book has a slow beginning or just isn’t for you (or both) and once you find that balance, do NOT be afraid to drop any books you’re not enjoying like a hot bag of coal. It’s very easy to let a bad book ruin your reading momentum. Once you start feeling dread when you realize you need to finish a book, drop it. Sometimes the timing just isn’t right or the format of the book isn’t how the story was supposed to be told to you.
Switch things up! Start a new book or pick up where you left off in a new format. This will help your reading habit in the long run too by ensuring reading remains an enjoyable activity for you rather than a chore.
Speaking of switching it up, if you’re finding that reading is becoming a chore, try reading in a different genre from your usual rotation. If you’re a Science Fiction fan, try a contemporary romance. If you only read YA thrillers, try an adult fantasy. Sometimes it just takes something a fresh new kind of book to revitalize your love for reading.
Re-claim your time from social media and binge-watching TV shows
One of the biggest factors in increasing my reading time was decreasing my TV and social media time. I’m already not the biggest fan of binge-watching TV so that was an easy enough transition for me to make. I just held off on watching my usual episode of Kitchen Nightmares until I caught up on my reading challenge.
The tough habit for me to break was using social media as my go-to entertainment method. I had to train myself using a variety of app-blocking softwares such as Forest and Google Pixel’s built-in “well-being” settings to convert my endless social media scrolling into book reading time. This conversion of time, however, also got me into a great habit of carrying a book with me everywhere so I could solidify my new habit of reading books instead of scrolling through social media. The books I carry around at work have been great conversation starters with my co-workers and we all get to share in the magic of books and reading together. Yayyyy reading is magical!!!!
Utilize your library!
Books are expensive and if you’re sticking to a budget, it can be tough to become the reader you wish to be. Luckily, most locations in the world have a magical place called a “library” that allow you to borrow books for free! I have a YouTube video about the best ways to utilize your local library, but a good library can really make a simple reading goal to read more into a regular reading habit. You get practically unlimited access to an entire collection of books and resources with a library and it’s easy to explore different reading formats and book genres when you don’t have to pay a single dollar for it. You can find your local library with this super neat and also free resource. If your public library is lacking or inaccessible, you can always use online library resources such as Libby for electronic check-outs or even see if there are any free Little Libraries in your area. Little Libraries operate a lot like regular libraries, but they’re ran by people just like you and the trust system.
Let me know what your reading goal is and how you’re hoping to accomplish it by hitting me up on most social media networks! I also have a whole playlist of videos about books if you’re looking for inspiration for your next read.