How much do you read?
Well, I read a lot! I am the person who is reading everywhere, a few pages here… a few pages there… in a bus, in a train, in the doctor’s waiting area, in a queue, in bed, while eating alone and sometimes even in the loo. There are some days (I wish I have more such days!) when I have read from morn to night and have left the bed just for bare necessities. I read all the time, and I love it. You may like to know why I love reading so much. Well, you may check out this earlier post of mine which shares just that!
The other day, a friend asked me in an almost accusatory tone, “How do you read so much?” I’d like to answer that today in this post.
Before, I share my strategies to read more, let me clarify that this is a post for only those who want to read more than their current reading pace but are not able to do so due to various reasons and is for those who want to enhance the quality of their reading experience.
Here are some strategies that I use to read more:
9 Simple Ways to Read More
1. Read what you like
If you are getting back to books because you know it’s good for you, or you’ve challenged yourself to read more, the last thing you should do is pick up a bestseller which everyone is reading. The probability of you abandoning it even before you reach chapter 2 is high if it’s not of your liking. Read what you like, not what you’re told to like. Pick up an entertaining and engaging book, you will finish it faster and you will bask in the joy of achievement too.
2. Follow the cat rule
It is said that a cat carries her newborn babies wherever she goes. You should do the same with your book. Take books with you everywhere… to work, business meetings, shopping, travel, vacations even when resting on a couch in front of the TV. Have a book with you. Sooner or later, you’ll open it and start reading and in no time you will be hooked to the book and would read even if you have a free time of 5 minutes. Reading like any other thing requires practice and dedication.
3. Make a public commitment.
There is this social norm called the rule of commitment. According to this norm, you typically feel obligated to follow through with something after you have made a public commitment. Making an open pledge would give you internal psychological pressure and of course you have that social pressure too, to stick to your commitment. It is an effective way of bringing urgency back to your goal. So sharing your goals on Goodreads or your blog is a good way to make your resolve to read more a bit stronger.
4. Track your reading
Our brain loves lists. Mine is truly, madly and deeply in love with lists. Keeping a record of what you have read will not only give you instant gratification but will give you a renewed sense of purpose too. I have an excel sheet where I track the books read for the various prompts of the various reading challenges. Also, Goodreads is a good way to record your reading. A tip – Record the entry immediately after you have finished reading the book. This link for Reading Log – Spreadsheet will get you started and you can make your own variations too. The idea is to record your reading!!
5. Buy cheap books
Now don’t get me wrong here. You know that, books cost money and if you plan to read a lot, your book budget is certainly going to shoot up. Buy books online to get better discounts. Amazon is my go-to store for books and it has changed my book buying habit completely. I keep adding the books I want to read in my wish list on Amazon, so whenever there’s a price drop, I get a notification for that. Also go for Kindle books which are economical than physical books. Join groups like eBook Deals for Broke Bibliophiles – India or Book Deals for Broke Bibliophiles – India and get information on some amazing book deals. Buy second hand books from sites like BookChor and of course, join a local library.
6. Get your priorities right
If you want to read more, reading has to be high on your priority list. So, it has to come before watching TV or spending time on Facebook/ Twitter or simply wasting time.
7. Find a few trusted, curated lists
We all have different likes and dislikes. The genres and authors your friend reads may not interest you. Also there are SO MANY books to read, and you can’t possibly read all of them. So, it makes sense to pick books which aligns with your taste. There are quite a few curated lists to follow like Amazon’s list of 100 books to read in a lifetime or 74 Essential Books for Your Personal Library or Bill Gate’s Reading List. You can find a lot many such lists on the internet. I follow some voracious readers on Goodreads who have reading taste similar to mine and pick books from their reading lists.
8. Do reading sprints
There are times when you don’t feel like reading or have poor attention span. During such times, set a timer of 15 minutes on your phone and read for these 15 minutes. Take a 5 minute break and go for the next reading sprint of 15 minutes and you would have better reading focus and of course your reading mission would be accomplished too.
9. Set aside some specified time for reading
This helps make reading a habit. While I read anytime and anywhere, but I always read for 30-45 minutes before sleeping.
Leafing through a few pages all through the day adds up to a lot of reading and before you know it, reading will become a part of your daily routine.
Happy Reading!
These are my strategies to read more. Which of these would you like to adopt? Would you like to share your strategy to read more?
26 Responses
Mine would be exactly the same!!
Those are some amazing tips! May I suggest to skip SM (not the work part but the mindless scrolling part) and TV and put in that time into reading?
Shilpa, your lists are just making me happy. If one thing I’ve loved about the blogging circle and some mad list makers (including you), it’s making me find the happiness in making lists and achieving them too. Thanks to that. I love the new idea of your blog posts with an index. Though I don’t need it to read your posts, it might definitely help to reach out to points when needed.
I love this post just like the one I read about Goodreads. You make reading simple and I’m glad I have picked pace than before. I wish I had spent more time reading books way back in time. Anyway, nowadays with the little one, these are the tips I follow. I spend 5 minutes on a book, even if that’s the only time I get that day.
I’d highly recommend this post to my girls wanting to read more. Happy Reading!!
Happy 2020 too.♥️
I agree with all your points there Shilpa though I’d never thought of reading sprints. Sounds good. Mercifully I rarely have to push myself to read. I almost always am in the middle of a book. The only reasons why I can’t read enough is either chores (which are unavoidable) or TV and Social Media which are completely avoidable. So the minute I cut down on that my reading goes up.
Love your ideas. My main culprit is Netflix now. I do spend a lot of time watching and rewatching series. Love the 15 min trick too. I think it’s a great way to make a habit. I too carry a book everywhere. And have books on my phone. Hopefully this year I get to read more.
Another fab list, Shilpa. I loved the ‘cat’ idea. The Kindle makes it easier to be one!
I’ll be bookmarking this post for life 😀
I started reading really seriously in December 2019. Last month I read two books, and this month again I am reading two books–simultaneously. The one on KIndle during day time and the paperback at night, after I go off screens.
Thanks for sharing the sites that share book deals for broke bibliophiles. It will be useful to me! 🙂
Shilpa I LOVE reading and I used to read often – pre-kids that is anyway. Now I find it so hard to find the time to read. I love your idea of carrying a book with me everywhere and this is something I am going to implement immediately. Until recently I had a tiny handbag which would never fit in a book but I just bought a new handbag that could fit in a book or two! I also read on the toilet – its one of the few moments I have to myself. My all time favourite reading place though is in the bath! It is where I manage to get most of my reading done. Thanks for this fabulous post.
Such fabulous tips. I would really like to do 15 minute reading sprints between chores. At present, the trouble is I fear if I go about reading and get engrossed then I will not be able to keep the book down and the chores will suffer.
I love the idea of reading sprints. I will try that. I also read before sleeping. That’s my favorite time to read. It’s quiet and makes me feel like I am home. Weird but true.
I also sit with my kindle infront of TV and recently I was waiting for someone at a restaurant for good 20 mins. I knew they will be late so I opened the phone, synced the Kindle app and read. It was fun! The waiters were intrigued on why I wasn’t restless.;)
I do read a lot, but shy away of public commitment or may be I’m lazy. So this year I’ve decided I’ll add to Goodreads and write review for every book I read.
Last year i developed some interest in reading and ever sincd the interest has just grown.
My little Collection of books is slowly increasing. I am more into motivational books .
Oh gosh, I am a cat! 🙂 I agree wholly with all your tips. Another strategy I am trying to come to terms these days is audio books – easy when you’re busy doing routine things and can afford to hear. While walking, etc. Turning off the TV – yes! I spend the bare minimum time on social media and who knows how much time I’ve saved thanks to that!
Fantastic list, Shilpa! I could never survive without reading.
And oh, an addendum to point #1, if I may: do not be pressurized into reviewing books you don’t feel like reading. <3
I really liked the tip on reading sprints! I’ve never tried that before; I think I’ll give it a try this year.
I find the points you made about carrying books with you everywhere and setting aside some time daily everyday very useful. They help me a lot in reading more. I have never tried reading sprints though.
Thanks to your inspiration, I too have plunged head-on into 2020 with a massive reading challenge list. (See my post). I have nailed points 1 to 6. Need to focus on points 7, 8 and 9 now. 🙂
Great post! This is definitely a post after my own heart. I am definitely going to share this a lot!
Thanks for inspiring me to read more. Your points are all so very true
What lovely tips you have shared here Shilpa. I agree with the carrying the book everywhere- that helps a lot.
I have kept a limit of reading 40-50 pages each day, that gets me through books a lot easily without any pressure. Plus I know that this book will take me x number of days to get through. So I have a kind of track of how much I am reading and when I am behind. I have already read 4 books in Jan and still 10 days to go. I might be able to squeeze 2 more books this month and really looking forward to it.
Also planning to read the whole day on 26th Jan and just laze in bed and do this.
I think you wrote this post for me shilpa:) I used to follow the cat rule, need to get back to it. I do read now but mostly academic and that which helps me prepare for my sessions. I am afraid to make a public commitment lest I may fail. I must cut down TV before bed time and get hooked with books to read something different from the usual reading. Thanks for sharing ! great tips.
Books make ordinary into extraordinary which is why it is necessary to stay always in touch with them
Making a public commitment is very important as it actually propels you to read more and more books.
And buying cheap books is another key to reading more books in 2020 as cheap books always encourage you to read more and more.
] keep digging for websites from which I can find rare books or books that entertain me
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I congratulate you for this article and encourage you to write many more.
Great article Shilpa. Just love the cat rule. Definitely going to do this in future.I love reading but I tend to forget to make time to read. You have inspired me to make reading more of a priority for me.
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