Although my favorite hobby as a child was reading for fun, as I grew up, I stopped due to what I thought was a lack of time. However, in the last few months, I began reading for fun again and found ways to incorporate it even on my busiest days.
First things first: I want to talk about audiobooks. I can thank my mom and sister for getting me into them over quarantine. I’ll admit it, I used to be somewhat of a book snob. It took major convincing for me to read my first audiobook because, in my mind, it didn’t count as real reading since you’re listening to it. I’ve since gotten over this idea because whether you consider it real reading or not, it’s still better than not reading at all. As a matter of fact, I rarely read physical books anymore. Nowadays, I’m always either listening to audiobooks or reading on my phone through my Kindle app.
The point I’m trying to make is that everyone, most likely, has time to read even if they are convinced they are too busy. When I wake up in the morning, the first thing I do is turn on my audiobook, and I can usually finish a whole chapter just in the time I spend getting ready for the day and eating breakfast. If I’m commuting somewhere, I’ll turn the audiobook on for a few minutes. Instead of watching Netflix, I’ve started listening to books, and I’ll read before I go to bed at night until I fall asleep. You don’t have to be a major bookworm to be able to fit in a few chapters of reading every day.
A lot of people think you have to spend money on books and that there is a financial blockade when it comes to reading. I want to make it clear that this isn’t true. Occasionally, if I absolutely love a book, maybe I will go to the store and buy a copy so that I can keep it. Otherwise, I’m always loaning them for free from my public library. All it takes is signing up for a public library card and linking it to the apps “Overdrive” and “Libby,” and you can check out e-books and audiobooks from your library on your phone.
Part of the reason I’ve been able to keep up with reading as an adult is that there’s a certain social aspect to it that you don’t necessarily get as a kid. It’s actually more fun than when I was younger because I’ve found online resources to connect with others. I use an app called “Goodreads” religiously. It’s a social media outlet specifically made for tracking your books. I’m constantly looking at what my friends are reading, looking up reviews for books and adding more to my “to-read” list. There are quite a few Facebook book clubs I’m in as well, some of which are run by celebrities or public figures. For example, I’m in Reese Witherspoon’s online book club as well as former Bachelor contestant Caila Quinn’s.
I’ve tried to get more of my friends to join me on my quest to read more, but the truth is that it’s not something that everyone likes to do, and not everyone will share this passion. However, it really is as fun as you make it, and I challenge you to change up your routine by reading more and giving it a fair shot.