As students, it can be hard to find the time to read for pleasure, as well as difficult to know where to source cheap copies of books you will enjoy. This list contains 5 ways that you can read more this year, including tips to save money when book-buying and ways to read more regularly even when working around a busy schedule.
1. Book swaps with your friends
Books can be very expensive, especially when your student loan doesn’t cover much more than your accommodation. Instead, try to arrange book swaps with your friends and family! I’m very lucky that I have a few friends who share very similar tastes to me, and we regularly recommend and lend books to one another, which gives me a never-ending supply of great books for free! It’s also fun to borrow books from people with different tastes to you, to try a new genre and read something different.
2. Buy books second hand
Again, buying new books can be ridiculously expensive! Instead, try searching websites like eBay, World of Books, Vinted, Depop, and Facebook Marketplace for specific books, where you will find lots of second-hand copies for a fraction of their RRP! Make sure to also check out charity shops and used book stores, as you can often find books you’ve never heard of before, or ones that you’ve been keeping an eye out for a while, again for a good price and with the knowledge that the money is going towards a worthy cause.
3. Give yourself designated reading time
Building reading into your daily routine is the best way to guarantee you read more this academic year. This could be before you go to bed, first thing in the morning, or on the bus to university. This is effective because you get into the habit of reading, and therefore read more regularly than before. You could try to read every night before bed as it’s a great way to unwind instead of scrolling on your phone or watching a TV show.
4. Read books that actually excite you
You don’t need to read all of BookTok’s most hyped books, or solely reach for classics, to consider yourself a reader. Instead, try to read books that you find interesting and are excited to actually start and continue reading. For me, I love crime and thriller novels, and find them hard to put down, so I want to read them. However, if I picked up a romance book, I would find it much harder to get enthused and feel motivated to read, so I try to choose books that I know I’ll get stuck into.
5. Track your goals and books you’ve read
This is my favourite way to motivate myself. This year, I’ve used GoodReads to set myself a reading goal and track each book I’ve read in my attempt to reach it. Being able to see all of what I’ve read in one place has encouraged me to read more and continue reading to achieve my goal. Similarly, Storygraph is another way to record what you’ve read and receive data like your top genres and average length book.
Conclusion
Hopefully these tips have inspired you to set aside some time to achieve your reading goals, as well as try out some new websites and shops to source some books. Happy reading!