HOW TO READ MORE BOOKS | 9 TIPS

In today’s post, I will share 9 of my own tips on how I read more books in 2020 than I had in my life so far before followed by some of my thoughts around reading faster. Of course, our girl Ms. Rona, had a part to play in why I read so many books. Reading was and still is a form of escapism.. for me.

Ease yourself (back) into long form literature

Are you able to read long articles or blog posts ? These can help you exercise & build your reading muscle. If you ask my twin , this time last year, I couldn’t get through one of those long articles she always sent me to read . Before I hopped into novel reading, I started there. It built my attention span . You can also find short stories online in different genres. This will also help you get an idea of what kind of books you would like.

Read short books

This is sort of linked to the first point. Start small , literally. Being able to read and complete short books makes you feel capable of reading longer novels or even series. Build your reading muscle before tackling giant books.

Set better reading goals.

Most people set a number of books goal per year/ month. You need to figure out what your actual goal is. To read more . More what ? More books? More consistently ? More intentionally ? And why ? I think reading with purpose on a consistent basis is a good goal. If I have a lot of research material to get through, then reading faster on a consistent basis might be the goal. If I am reading for leisure, then reading more of what I like at an enjoyable and reasonable pace would be my goal.

A good place to start is a fixed amount of pages/ minutes per day . So just get into the habit of reading for 30 minutes daily e.g. in the morning, during your lunch break or in the evening before bed. Or just 10 pages daily. 10 pages a day every month can easily get you to read 12 books a year.

listen to audiobooks

Is this really a “how to read more” post if I don’t include audiobooks ? I know many people are apprehensive about audiobooks and some purists say they don’t count as reading but that’s a them problem . It is also potentially ableist because many people cannot read for one reason or another. Audiobooks are so convenient. You can read in transit, at the gym, while doing house chores or even while doing your hair. Plus, audiobooks can really bring a book to life when the narrators do it right!

Read only books you’d enjoy

You don’t have to read self help because that’s what everyone is reading . If your thing is romance or fantasy or classics ..whatever it is, read to your heart’s delight.

Don’t feel guilty for not finishing a book you did not like.

You don’t have to finish every book you start. If you don’t like it, drop it and move on to something else. You can always revisit it when you’re in a different headspace and be able to consume it then.

Read more than one book at a time

It’s nice to have 2 books to jump between provided it doesn’t confuse you. When you’re bored with one or just aren’t in that mood, you can easily switch to the other. I usually read 2 books at a time, often either different genres ( fiction vs non fiction) or formats ( audiobook vs paperback).

Pick writing that is easily digestible to you

Don’t ignore children’s books , middle grade , young adult novels and manga/graphic novels. Maybe even reading in a different language might be easier for you as well. Remember, it’s all for you!

Find community

There are entire channels on YouTube popularly dabbed booktube and pages on Instagram (bookstagram) dedicated to talking about and reading books. You could also join an online or in person book club. There’s something about reading in a community that gives it a magic touch. Some of my favorite booktubers are BookishRealm, OnyxPages and Hey It’s Shey.

Do you need to read more?

There are some scientifically proven tips to read faster. These include removing the voice in your head when you’re reading (sub-vocalization) or using a finger/tool to scan through words. However, you actually don’t have to read more or faster. The truth is that for many people who read a lot, it’s their hobby. It is an entertaining and informative pass time. They also forgo other activities to prioritise reading.

There are other mediums of quality entertainment & information e.g. YouTube, podcasts , documentaries and even shows and movies . Don’t feel pressured to read more especially if it is not your preferred mode of content consumption. That said, if you would like to get into the habit of reading, I hope these tips help you out!