Ok, it’s the middle of January. Perhaps you’ve made a couple of New Year’s resolutions that you are maintaining, or perhaps you would prefer to forget you made any at all (that’s me). However, one goal I am passionate about for 2017 is to read more books. In this digital age, it is so hard for me to feel motivated to open a book. If I have free time apart from class and homework, I’m usually not in the mood to open a book for fun when I’ve spent so much time reading for a class. Sitting on the couch and catching up on an episode of TV show just seems easier and more relaxing. However, TV can only be interesting for so long. There are few things more wonderful than being so engrossed in a book that you simply cannot put down. These are a couple of things I plan to do to read more this year as well as some tips if you struggle with the same problems I have.
1. Join GoodReads
GoodReads is a website devoted to reading and books: from logging what books you read to rating books to discovering new books to read. I recommend creating a goal for the 2017 Reading Challenge. It will allow you to have a goal to follow, and you will feel accomplished when you can log a book after you have finished it. I’m starting small with a goal of 12 books for the year, so it equals out to one book a month.
2. Find books you are interested in
This is another thing GoodReads is great for. The website has different genres you can explore, and if you find a book that interests you, you can add it to your “To Read” list on your account. I also recommend going on Pinterest for book ideas; there are many lists of books within different genres so you can get many ideas. Also Buzzfeed has its own Buzzfeed Books website with lists of books that fit different topics and themes. Think of finding books as a similar process to searching for a show or movie on Netflix: in order to start a new show, you have to be interested in the central plot line. By finding books that seem interesting, you’ll be more excited and motivated to read.
3. Carve out time to read
This is the hardest one for me to do. I can find lots of books that I am interested in, but when it comes to sitting down and opening a book, I struggle with motivation. That’s why I am going to work on giving myself a certain amount of time to spend reading (almost) daily. I’ll probably shoot for 10 minutes each evening, and if a book really draws me in, that time will probably increase.
Now that I’ve listed a few reading tips, here are a few suggestions of books that were so good even I was motivated to finish them this past year. Opening Belle is a fictional story based on the author’s real life working as a top businesswoman on Wall Street. It mostly deals with the struggles of sexism on Wall Street while questioning how to stand up against the norm, balancing family and work at the same time and how to stay true to oneself in and out of the workplace. Luckiest Girl Alive is a psychological thriller that I absolutely loved. It’s about a young woman who seems to have her whole life figured out from the outside with a perfect career and fiancé. However, deep down she has a secret that us readers cannot figure out. It kept me engaged the entire time. Lastly, Firefly Lane is a wonderful story about a friendship between two women and how their friendship changes, both in good and bad ways, from childhood to adulthood. It is painfully realistic at points and also very moving.
I hope I am able to follow these tips throughout the year, and I also hope it serves as inspiration for all of the ladies wanting to read more! Let’s make 2017 the best year yet, collegiettes!