Even for us avid book lovers, getting in some leisure reading can be super difficult during any semester, but it seems completely impossible when it’s your busiest yet. You were assigned readings before syllabus week even started. You have a reflection paper due tomorrow. You have to watch a 90-minute TED talk tonight by some Swedish guy with an accent so strong that you need to put on subtitles even though he’s speaking English.
How are you ever supposed to fit in that new book that all your friends have been talking about? You gave up trying to finish Gone Girl before the movie came out, and then there was no pressure to pick it up at all. It’s still sitting on your desk, bookmarked at the three-quarter mark. It seems there is never any time to read for fun anymore.
But I promise that it is definitely possible – though not without a little effort. When you’re reading 30-page, dense, theoretical Project Muse articles that your professor posts on Blackboard, the last thing you might want to do to unwind is just read more, but reading can be so fun!
1. Read in the morning
If you’re anything like me, you probably wait to get all your schoolwork done once you’ve gotten settled on your Saturday morning – after you’ve showered, eaten breakfast, scrolled through all the BuzzFeed you’ve missed in the last 12 hours, and called your mom. Try to squeeze your reading in during this time, before you’ve already packed your backpack and are on your way to the library. It will feel less like homework if you do it when you’re not doing homework.
2. Or, set aside time before going to bedMaybe you get all your schoolwork done ASAP, right when you start your day. When you’re unwinding for the evening, pick up your book, even if it’s only for 30 minutes.
3. Read in the bathOne of the best places to read is the bathtub. (Be careful not to get your book wet, though!) It’s already an environment that’s relaxing and comfortable, and it’s perfect for just a little bit of reading. If you like to read in the bathtub, you might want to invest in a comfortable bath pillow. A favorite bathtub read for the unwinding feminsit is A Room of One’s Own by Virginia Woolf.
4. Take your book everywhereI always buy paperbacks because they’re far easier to carry than the heavy (and more expensive!) hard copy. Keep it in your bag everywhere you go, and instead of pulling out your phone while waiting at the doctor’s office, pull out your book. You don’t need to set aside a lot of time to get some reading done.
5. Read short storiesIf your goal is simply to read more rather than to finish a specific book, short story collections are a great way to go. You can finish a short story in, well, a very short amount of time and still feel accomplished. Short stories often go forgotten, but they’re some of the best. Some great collections to try out are The Illustrated Man by Ray Bradbury and Blow-Up by Julio Cortazar.
6. Keep up with book blogsIf you’re constantly seeing things pop up in your newsfeed about books, you’ll be more inclined to crack the spine on yours. Some great book blogs are Book Riot, Electric Literature, and BuzzFeed Books. It’s also a good idea to make a Goodreads account to help you keep track of the books you’ve been meaning to read.
7. Get familiar with the great literary scene in Washington, D.C.The District has some of the greatest bookstores, uhm, ever. Politics and Prose on Connecticut Avenue, NW is a local favorite. Books-A-Million and Kramerbooks in Dupont Circle are great go-to’s if you’re looking for something specific. Capitol Hill Books in Eastern Market and Books For America in Dupont are incredible used bookstores and great to browse when you’re looking for a new read for cheap.
If you have some extra time on a weekend, check out the awesome author readings some of these bookstores have! Immersing yourself in literary culture will definitely keep you motivated to squeeze in more reading time.
8. Start thinking of reading as entertainmentPart of the reason people don’t know when to fit in reading is because so many people are used to equating “reading” with “homework,” and no one particularly wants to try to squeeze in time to intentionally do more homework. Start thinking of it as fun and exciting adventures, like movies or video games or whatever fun things you do to relax.