Want to know how to flatter me? Comment on my reading habits. I love it when people comment on their perception of how much I read . I’ve had co-workers ask me, “So how many books have you read this week?” and I can’t lie, I love it. What they don’t know is that I don’t read as many books as they probably envision me reading, at least not in comparison to some of the heavy hitters in the reading realm. I usually read around 50 books a year. Give or take 5 or 10 books depending on what lengths of novels I chose to read that year. That’s almost a book a week which I don’t think is too terrible but it does however pale in comparison to the 100 to 200+ book readers that I envy on Goodreads.
With that being said, like many, I’m a busy individual. Which brings me to the number one question that I get asked: “How do you find time to read so many books?” Well, here are some easy tips on how to read more books:
- Carry a book with you everywhere. – Take your book off your night stand and start taking it with you. This way there is no excuse. Don’t want the bulk of a book? Get an eReader or download books onto your tablet or phone. Kindle and Kobo have apps that can be read on both.
- Turn smart phone time into book time – Waiting in line? Got 15 minutes to kill before an appointment or meeting? Before you pull out your phone, pull out a book instead. Not only is this time more productive, it’s also more enjoyable. Heck, it’s also super sexy to see strangers reading a real book in public.
- Take your lunches – A lot of people I know work through their lunches which can be detrimental to a person’s productivity and stress levels. Take a book break. Find a quiet corner or step out of the office and get some fresh air on a bench or lounge in cafe. Or better yet, a pub. I can’t emphasize enough how great local pubs are for reading (and you can drink beer).
- Turn off the TV – After a long day of work, most people just want to relax right? People default to the TV for this unfortunately. Did you know that reading is the one the best methods of reducing stress? Out of TV, video games, drinking a cup of tea or going for a walk, reading topped the list by reducing stress by up to 68%! Also, another study says that TV can lead to feelings of guilt and failure. Just thought I’d throw in another reason to read more…
- Make it a social event – Have any bookish friends or some that are willing to spend some time with you while reading? Give it a shot! I mean, we watch movies and play games with friends and family, so why not with books? Even better, turn it into a book club. You can also drink at these events well. Bonus.
- Join or start a book club – Looking for an incentive to keep you accountable to your reading goals? Start or join a book club. Most clubs have a set date a deadline the book has to be read by in order to discuss it.
- 20 pages a day – Set a goal to read a set amount of pages in a day. Make this goal attainable so that it doesn’t feel like a chore and if you miss a day don’t beat yourself up as you’ll be defeating the point.
- Set a time – Like all things that are important, you find the time in your day to make room for it. Like an exercise regime, make time to read. Make it your time, where you won’t be interrupted.
- Set a reading goal – If you get satisfaction in checking items of checklists and are goal driven, then setting a reading goal for the year might be a good idea for you. Goodreads has a goal setting feature that allows you to set the amount of books that you’re hoping to read in a year and will keep track of all of the statistics for you, including your previous year’s goal. Goodreads is also a great place to find recommendations and is highly addictive!
There you have it my book fiends. READ MORE BOOKS!
The Pluviophile Writer 