It’s no secret that I read a lot – I even wrote an article a few weeks ago about how I was reading eight books at a time. Knowing I am a big reader, a lot of people ask me how they can read more. They want to be able to learn more and relax with a book, but they don’t feel like they have the time. Here are eight tips to follow if you want to read more books.
- Track Your Reading
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One of the best ways to read more books is to track the books you do finish. Many readers keep journals where they write down the books they finish; with this, you may write the date you finished it, a favorite quote, or how much you liked the book. This works as a sort of diary – you can tell a lot about your emotions and interests at a certain time by seeing what you read at that time. Keeping track of the books you read helps you get into a routine, and you will want to fill up your journal! You don’t need to use a physical notebook to track your books – you can list them in the notes app on your phone, or you can track them on Goodreads, a social media site for readers, as I do.
- Listen to Audiobooks
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I have to admit, I’m new to this one. I have always been against audiobooks, saying I prefer to read a physical book, but during quarantine, I have fallen in love with audiobooks. I never really used audiobooks before, so when quarantine freed up my schedule, I decided to try them out. I’m glad I decided to try audiobooks. Audiobooks are perfect for multitasking – they have allowed me to clean, go on a walk, and even play Animal Crossing while reading.
- Read Before Bed
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One perfect way to read more is to set aside time in your schedule for reading; before bed is the perfect time for this. The Cleveland Clinic says that in order to sleep well, you should not look at your phone for an hour before bed. Instead of scrolling through social media before bed, you can read. Instead of keeping you awake as a phone does, reading a book or e-reader can actually help you fall asleep. By reading before bed each night, you will read more, thus finishing more books.
- Read Every Chance You Get
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If you want to finish more books, you are going to have to read more. The best way to do this is to start reading during your free time. Instead of wasting time scrolling through Instagram or Tik Tok, pick up your book, ebook, or audiobook. This way, you can learn something instead of wasting time scrolling through social media. By deciding to start reading every time you are bored or have a few spare minutes, you will be able to finish books a lot quicker!
- Keep a “To Read” List
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One of the best ways to finish a book quicker is to keep a “to read” list. If you keep a list of books you want to read, you will finish reading each book quicker. Nothing makes you want to finish your book quicker than having a list of books you can’t wait to read. You will want to finish your book so you can get to the next one!
- Make a Goal
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Wanting to finish more books is one thing, but actually having a specific goal will help you read more. You can create a yearly goal on Goodreads, or you can keep track of your goal in your reading journal. Currently, I have a goal on Goodreads to finish 50 books this year, but your goal doesn’t need to be that big. You can start with a smaller goal like finishing one book per month and make larger goals later.
- If You Don’t Like a Book, Drop It!
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Dropping a book you don’t like is the key to reading more. It has happened to all of us: you read a book that you can’t seem to finish. No matter how hard you try, you cannot seem to finish that book. You DO NOT need to finish it! Put down that book and pick up a different one. There is absolutely nothing wrong with deciding not to finish a book, and you will pick up your reading speed when you move to a book that you enjoy more.
- Use Your Library
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In order to read a lot of books, you need to get them. Buying a lot of books can cost a lot of money, but you don’t need to buy them. Instead, you can get them from your local library for free. Even though you can’t physically go to the library right now, you can still get library books. By using the Libby app, you can get free ebooks and audiobooks from your library so you don’t need to worry about buying all of the books you’re reading. With Libby, you can read from your phone, iPad, laptop, or e-reader.
I hope these tips will help you read more books. With the semester ending and quarantine continuing, you have a lot more time to read, and I hope you use it.
This is my last article of the semester, so I hope you all have a great summer!!! See you in the fall!
HCXO, Riley