How To Read More

You’re probably here at my blog because you love to read. Big surprise: I like to read too! I like to think of myself as a mediumly fast reader- I read 7-10 books a month, and 100+ books a year. I’m not stating these facts to brag about my “reading skills”, because I am not a reading goddess! I mean, there are people that read 300 books a year, which seems crazy to me, but maybe to you, 100 books is crazy.

This post isn’t going to tell you how to actually make you read FASTER, because everyone has a unique reading speed, and you’re not “more” of a book lover if you read more or less books than others. Instead, I’m going to list ways you can read more, because so many people have asked me this, both in real life and online.

Read between classes.

I understand that if you have 5 minutes between classes like I do, it’s hard to read. But if you have thirty minutes until your next class, pull out your book and read instead of going on Twitter.

Make reading a priority.

Instead of spending ten minutes on your phone, read! This is like what I said in the last tip. You probably go on your phone a lot (I know I do). Instead, you could be using that time to read! I know that ten minutes might not sound like a lot, but it can really add up. Or, if you’re watching Netflix and finish an episode and want to watch another, consider reading instead! If you do three ten minute chunks throughout the day, that’s already 30 minutes more.

Read before bed.

I do most of my reading right before bed. It calms me down, makes me happy before going to sleep. It also makes me fall asleep faster. Besides, even though it’s hard, studies have shown that being on your phone right before bed is not healthy. If you replace that phone time with a book, woooo! You’re being healthier and getting more reading time in.

Bring a book everywhere.

I mean EVERYWHERE. Even places that you think, Oh, I won’t have time to read, do it anyway. I do this, and it surprisingly helps a lot.

Don’t force yourself, but push yourself.

If it’s two o’clock in the morning and you’re holding your eyelids open to keep reading (okay, slight exaggeration), that’s not good. You don’t want to force yourself to read, you just want to push yourself as much as you can. Reading is for fun, it’s a hobby, it’s something you should do if you like it. Don’t make it not enjoyable for yourself!

Audiobooks!

Audiobooks are perfect if you don’t have much time to read. You can listen to them on your way to work or school… There are a lot of amazing books narrated fabulously that you might love!

Download the kindle app on your phone and read ebooks.

I personally read ebooks so much faster than physical books, although I still don’t like them as much. Maybe this could work for you too! Plus, you won’t ALWAYS have a book with you, but usually you have your phone, so you could get reading time in easy!

Read books you know you’ll love.

If you have a favorite genre that you know you love, read books from there, or books that appeal to you! It’ll just help you not pick up books that might not be your style.

If you’re not enjoying a book, don’t keep reading.

DNF. Do-not-finish. Don’t force yourself to read a book you’re hating- it’ll just go slower and keep you from reading more! DNF-ing is not bad AT ALL.

I hope these tips might help you with reading more! I know that I’ve used a lot of them recently, and they definitely help me read more books.

How many books do you read a month? Are you happy with that speed, or do you wish you could read more?

Thanks for reading!

Ava