By popular request (aka one or two people have asked), today I’m sharing my ~hot tips~ for reading so many books! For the past two years I’ve read 100 books. And this year I’m on track to (fingers crossed) hit 120 books!!
Right up front I’m going to tell you my top secret: I’m a fast reader. Yes, I have other tips and tricks that I will share below, but I have to be honest and just let you know that I am naturally a very quick reader and always have been. You can ask my family if you don’t believe me. So, while I do have tips, I’m not 100% sure they’ll get you to 100 books. Just a warning.
Okay, now that we got that out of the way, here are my real tips.
First, I read a LOT of ebooks on my Libby app. I’ve mentioned it before, but Libby is the library version of the Kindle app. You can check out ebooks and audiobooks from your local library with your library card. I probably read the majority of my books on here. Having a book (or two) on my phone lets me read any time, any where. This was more revolutionary pre-pandemic when I actually went places, but even now it lets me read a few pages while I wait for my couscous to cook or for my to go order to be ready.
Related, I put so many books on hold via Libby and they tend to come available all at once. Not really sure why but they always do. So as a Virgo I feel a lot of pressure to finish all of the books I’ve been waiting weeks (sometimes months) for before my time limit is up. Libby gives you a 21 days to read a book and the countdown really pressures me to prioritize reading over other things.
I am also a member of Book of the Month (here’s my referral link) and getting a new book (or two, or three) every month for pretty cheap is so motivating! I have a group text with some friends and we pick our books together and then read them around the same time. This makes reading a bit more social for me since I know I’ll have someone to talk to about the book I’m reading.
Another thing I do is I set aside intentional time to read. I read a chapter or two every night in bed before I go to sleep. Making this bedtime ritual helps me relax while also helping me work towards my goal. (I also read when I can’t sleep–which is way too often.)
On that note, making my goal public via this blog, Goodreads, even just telling my friends makes me more motivated to stick to my goal and prioritize reading. I hate not hitting my goals, so telling everyone about my reading journey helps me read more.
A few years ago I also gave myself permission to DNF (did not finish) books I was not enjoying. (Libby helps with this since I didn’t have to purchase the books.) I give a book between 20 and 50 pages and if I’m simply not feeling it I stop reading. This was a huge mental block for me since I don’t like leaving things unfinished, but I’m much happier and much more likely to actually read if I’m truly enjoying the book I’m reading.
Finally, I’m usually reading at least two books at one time. It’s usually a nonfiction book and a fiction book but sometimes it’s two novels. Having some variety in my reading is helpful for my brain so I don’t get bored (especially with the nonfiction). Pro tip: I never read nonfiction right before bed.
I track my progress (my book list) in Goodreads and in my bullet journal (and here, I guess). I put way too many books on hold via Libby and I always order add ons for my BOTM box. I have an ever-growing stack of books in my TBR pile no matter how many I read so I never run out of books.
Hopefully these ~tips and tricks~ for reading more are helpful, but once again I want to just add the disclaimer that I do read quickly so don’t come for me if you do all these things and don’t read as many books as I do. I firmly believe that reading anything is a wonderful thing. And that audiobooks count as reading. And that as long as you’re having fun and/or learning things you’re doing amazing, sweetie!
xoxo,
J
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