Last year my Goodreads goal was set to 30 books, this year I have set myself the challenge of 50 books and I’ve almost reached that goal already by June. I work full time and blog full time, so how have I had so much time to read?
In recent months I have been averaging ten books read and I’ve been really enjoying a good majority of them. Ten books equal out to two and a half books a week, which for me, is quite a lot! Today I’m going to break down how exactly I’m able to read fifty books in six months. You can also check out my blog post about how to read more books you love.
First and foremost, enjoy reading
We read for one of two reasons: because a course/teacher tells us we have to, or hopefully because we want to. I have always been a reader and have always loved it, so this step is easy for me. But I know it’s easy to get lost in Goodreads goals and book reviews and forget somewhere in the middle that you actually love reading. I try to always keep this in mind and if ever I feel it starting to waver, I make sure to pay particular attention to the beauty in my book and I appreciate the effort the author put in to create it.
Always have a book with you
I know this advice is everywhere, but make sure to always have a book with you, wherever you are. With the use of the Kindle app this could be easier than you think, but I also always have a physical book with me if I’m going anywhere that’s more than just a nip to the shops. This way if you’re stuck waiting to be served, picking someone up from the train station or stuck waiting for a meeting, you can be reading.
I find having a Kindle makes it easier to bring a book with me anywhere as it’s so light to carry and fit in my bag. It’s a good alternative if the Kindle App on your phone isn’t the best for your eyes.
Read whenever you have free time
By doing the above, you’ll ensure that whenever you have free time, you can read. I like to fill small minutes with books. When I brush my teeth or dry my hair I tend to read. It may only be a few minutes but it definitely makes a difference and gets me into the habit of fitting in more time to read.
Try to put your phone away and out of reach
I’m sure we’re all guilty of picking up our phones during the time we’ve designated to reading, an easy way to alleviate this issue is to make sure your phone is as far away from you as possible. Put it out of reach, put it in a draw, in another room. Turn it off or on do not disturb to make sure the sound doesn’t distract you. I guarantee I will read more when I try not to be quite so obsessed with my phone.
DNF books you aren’t enjoying
DNF stands for ‘do not finish’, so one of my suggestion to read more would be to DNF books you aren’t loving. This isn’t always something people want to do, so this step may not be for you. But I find when I’m reading a book I’m not loving, I never want to pick it up and it feels like a slog to read. This is much more likely to slump me and doesn’t really do much to remind me what I love about reading. So if I’m not enjoying a book, all aboard the DNF train!
Don’t set strict TBR’s
As a mood reader, I find TBR’s restrictive and limiting. I won’t deny that I have on occasion set a TBR for a readathon and therefore picked up different books from my TBR than normal. But generally, I prefer to stray from them. So you’ll usually only see me setting a TBR for a readathon or some sort of challenge. I won’t say I’ll never set one, but I tend to find I read more when I don’t have a strict plan in my head. Not to say I don’t make a vague plan of what to read next, but that can easily switch around.
Read in an environment you’re comfortable in
This might sound silly because of course, you’ll try to do this. But for me, I read the most when sat outside in the sunny. I’m comfy and relaxed, it’s distraction-free and there’s no pressure on me to do anything but reading. Maybe for you, your bed might be the perfect spot, or perhaps a coffee shop offers a break from the distractions of your home? By finding a space to read in that you feel your most productive reading self, you will always get more read.
Find time to read every day
I personally would recommend trying to read every day. Find a dedicated time you know you can read, for me this is before I go to bed. And tell yourself you will always read then. I like reading before bed because it calms me down from my day, activates my imagination for some awesome dreams and it’s a nice end to my day with a good book.
I guess lockdown has helped a little…
Being stuck inside with nowhere to go but a daily walk has definitely helped me when it comes to improving my reading life. Once I organise my blog time and make sure I have all my to-do’s done, my free time is really mine. I have no obligations to see anyone or do anything or go anywhere. I am free to just sit at home and read, which really has helped me read a lot more!
Great job reading so much already! I think lockdown did help some with a lot of readers but for some, it interrupted the desire to reading. Not finishing a book you aren’t enjoying really helps as well, because there is no reason to keep reading when you aren’t liking it – unless it’s required reading for school of course.
Good for you! I don’t know if these methods would work for me because of my dyslexia. I figure as long as you’re enjoying your reading and not feeling pressured, then it doesn’t matter how many or few books you read!
Congrats for reading so much! I really like your tips, as I’m doing much of them already, but sadly I’m one of the readers that didn’t do well during the lockdown as it really pushed me into a reading slump. But I’m back at reading again and thanks to your post I’ll try to remind myself to read more and spend less time on my phone! 🧡
Wow! That’s a lot of books in just half a year! 🙂 I definitely read more during lockdown too, especially with the nice weather. I like how I’m 15 books ahead of schedule for my Goodreads challenge, but I agree that it’s more about the joy of reading.
I’m curious if you (want to) reach 100 books by the end of the year! 🙂
Wow! Beth, this is amazing, congratulations on reaching your goal so soon 😊
I am really struggling with reading these past few months, the monotony of the lockdown has had me not wanting to do anything and reading was the first thing to suffer. I guess it is mostly because when I used to be busy reading was a reward at the end of the day but now since I have a lot of time, it feels more like a chore than anything else which is very unfortunate since I love reading, sorry for ranting on here
Haha, I love the last point! I work remotely half the year with no Internet access and that has definitely helped with focusing on reading. I’ve also read 51 books so far this year and the DNF tip is also really useful for me. Now that I’m back home with Internet, I make a point to read for an hour a day and joining a read-a-thon has also helped!
Rachel || http://anotherstationanothermile.com
Congrats!