So…I read a lot. I read every day. I also read quickly. Sometimes I slow it down a little when the poetry/prose is really good, the same way I take smaller, slower sips/bites when I want to savor a particularly delicious glass of wine or a decadent meal. But I spend several hours each week reading, and my normal reading pace – where I’m still getting all the details, as I don’t consider skimming reading – is fast. So it’s not unusual for me to finish 12-15 books a month.
I have several reader friends who set yearly goals and encourage their followers on social media to do the same. When their check-ins are posted – “How are your reading goals going this year?” – I often refrain from commenting. There’s a good chance that it would come across as braggy from me, and that’s not the point of reading. That’s not how I feel about reading. Because if you set a goal for reading 25 books this year, and you have finished 20 of them, you are doing great. If you set a goal of reading 12 books this year, and you have finished 1 of them, you are doing great. I bet it was a really good book. Any amount of reading is great, and I’m happy for you!
I do enjoy beating my own record, though. A little healthy competition with my ownself is fun for me. Also, there are so many books I am interested in that I want to get to as many of them as possible before I die.
If you are interested in upping your own reading goal or just finding time to read more, there are many tips on the internet for how to do so. Everyone’s life/schedule is different, so some of those tips will work for you and some of them will not. I have two jobs, I make time to work on my own short stories or novel, and I’m active in my art community and church (plus – I have all those book clubs). So if I want reading to be a integral part of my life (and I do), I have to intentionally set aside time to do it. Here’s how I make time to read:
- I always have a book with me. If I’m trying to finish up a book for a discussion that’s happening soon or a book that’s due at the library in the next few days, that book is in my bag. Or I intentionally choose the ebook copy so that it goes everywhere my phone goes…which is everywhere I go. Which leads me to…
- I read via multiple media. Home decor to me is buying another bookshelf. I love the feel of a printed book in my hands. When I’m at home, that’s usually how I read. It’s part of my nightly ritual. I also love the convenience of ebooks and audiobooks, though. I have five reading apps on my phone, so I’m never at a loss for something to read no matter where I am.
- I schedule blocks of time to read. That trick that I learned in college where, for every hour spent in class, I scheduled 2 hours outside of class to complete the reading/homework? I just kept doing that after I graduated (albeit on a smaller scale). In addition to my nightly 20-30 minutes, I have at least 2-3 hours every week that I specifically set aside to read. That is, I put it in my planner as an actual appointment. Do I have plans tomorrow night? Yes, I do. I plan to finish the book due at the library on Saturday.
- I have reading marathons. Sometimes, a few hours a week are just not enough. About four or five times a year, I hunker down for a whole weekend (or as part of my vacation) and read like it’s my job. Sometimes I participate in an organized online marathon such as Dewey’s Readathon or the 24in28 Readathon [Aside – this is where not being snotty about whether listening to audiobooks is really reading (IT IS – do not get me started – or maybe do get me started. Maybe that will the topic of its own post this month because I have strong opinions) comes in handy, because 24 hours in just two days is a hell of a long time to be sitting down.]. But most of these reading intensives are just me vs. the TBR list. Speaking of…
- I have huge TBR lists. I mark books as “want to read” on Goodreads, and I have large virtual libraries saved on all five apps. I have a handwritten book journal where I keep lists and highlight them when I’m finished. I subscribe to many email lists that send out notifications of new and upcoming things I might be interested in, and I add the ones that intrigue me to at least one of my TBR lists. I have several books checked out from the public library at any given time. I have an enormous book collection in my apartment, and it just keeps growing. There’s no way I’ll ever finish all of them, but that’s not the point. The point is that the question is never “Is there something I want to read next?” but rather “Which one of these hundreds of books do I get to start today?” That question always has an answer.
- I read several books at a time. I listen to an audiobook during my commute (or almost any time I’m in the car alone). I read one of the ebooks I’ve started during my lunch break or when I’m waiting on a virtual meeting to begin. I have several books stacked by my reading chair because I’m not always in the mood for the same genre every night, and staying interested in what I’m reading is crucial for keeping it a regular habit. At any point, I likely have at least four books that I’m reading a bit of each day.
Do you have tips on how to read more? What are some of your habits?
M. Suzanne Terry 