I'm rounding out 2021 with a total of 102 books finished! This breaks every record for me. It wasn't even the fact that we were experiencing a global pandemic with loads of time at home. I barely read 40 books in 2020, and this year was almost normal times level busy. I've it narrowed down to a few suggestions I have for you today, in case you'd like to read more books this year!
Set A Goal
This might just be me, but having a numerical goal works really well when setting out to do something new. This goal needs to be realistic, but feel free to reach high! If you read 5 books last year, you might not make it to 100, but you could certainly go for 2 books a month right? Set the goal and write it down somewhere you will be reminded of it often. I personally love to use Goodreads to keep track of books, and they've already got a goal tracker set up within the App.
Listen to Audiobooks
Want my real secret? It's audiobooks. I love to listen to books! I have a set of wireless headphones and I'm constantly listening to a book while doing chores, taking a walk, or in the car over Bluetooth.
Not all audiobooks are created equal, but if you want a personal suggestion, I love anything narrated by Julia Whelan. She's got an amazing reading voice, and you'll get sucked in right away.
Swap TV Time
Most people unwind at night by watching TV. My suggestion is to swap this time with reading instead. Let's be real, I scroll on my phone while watching TV anyway, so it's not like I'm missing anything by reading instead. Most nights I'll read on the couch, snuggled up with the pugs, while my husband watches something I'm not interested in anyway.
Set Aside 30 minutes (or less)
Take a look at your daily schedule and try to find 30 minutes (or less if necessary) to do a little reading. You can squeeze this in before bed, during your lunch break, or while you wait for your kids at soccer practice. I can almost guarantee you'll get so engrossed in your book 30 minutes will disappear.
Know When To Give Up
I can tell within a chapter or two if I'm in to a book. If I'm not, I don't waste my time! Why torture yourself with something boring? If you didn't like a TV show, you'd change the channel. I say, know when to give up on a book and move onto to something you'll enjoy more.
This is super hard if you've invested money in a book! Just another reason why I get 95% of my books through the library. If you aren't into it, no problem, just return it.
I have a shelf on Goodreads for books I DNF (do not finish). That way I don't accidentally pick it up again.
Read What You Like
If you love romances, read romances! Don't let anyone shame you into reading books that make you look smart. What's the point of reading if it feels like homework? Which is why I think High School reading lists should be a little more varied. I remember only being really into a single book that was required reading in school. This is a personal theory why people think they don't like to read.
One way to find great books is to ask friends! Ask your close friends what their all time favorite books are, and see if any of those look interesting to you. I did this when I was getting close to book number 100, and found some great ones that helped push my total up, all because of friend's recommendations!
Join (Or Start!) A Book Club
A friend of mine invited me to join her book club in the fall, and it's been so fun! It's the first book club I've ever been a part of. Because of this club, I'm reading 1 extra book a month and it's super fun to discuss it afterward. Plus, we all take turns recommending novels so I'm reading things I wouldn't normally pick up.
If you need recommendations, I'm your girl! I post Recent Reads (monthly is the goal) her on the blog, and you can follow me on Goodreads or Instagram!
Let's Chat!
Leave a comment below and tell me what your reading goal is for this year! How do you squeeze in time to read?
-Kristen
This post contains affiliate and referral links! | Blog Disclosure
Post a Comment