How to Read More + Your Favorite Books

Growing up, I used to read 24/7. I read in the car on the way to the grocery store, under the covers, just all the time. I would go to the library to get new books every week. Then the high school sports and AP homework came into the picture, and then photography became my new passion, and then college and clubs, and I totally stopped reading for fun.

In quarantine, I found myself with a lot more free time. I made it one of my New Year’s resolutions to read 16 books after basically five years of no reading. It’s July and I’m proud to say I’ve finished 10 books! Here are some tips that have helped me read more.

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6 TIPS THAT HELPED ME FALL BACK IN LOVE WITH READING

1. Read an objectively good book
It’s really hard to get back into reading if you can’t get into the book you’re reading. Choose a book that’s been vetted by celebs from Reese’s Book Club or Oprah’s Book Club. Any book with over 4 stars on goodreads.com is also a safe bet. If you don’t already own any books, I’ve been liking the selections from Book of the Month. Click here to sign up and have a new book mailed to you each month!

2. Mix up your genres
If you find yourself getting through one type of book faster, try alternating. I like to read autobiographies, self-help, business, and chick lit fiction. It takes me 3-5 weeks to get through a self-help or business book, but I finish a good fiction book in 1 or 2 weeks. To make myself feel more productive, I’ll read one business book, and then one fiction book.

3. Keep a book literally within arm’s reach
The hardest part of reading for me is just opening the book. I often end up sitting in bed scrolling on my phone, so I’ve started to keep a book on the other side of my bed. When I look up from Instagram, I see the book right there and put my phone down. If you end up waiting in your car a lot, keep a book in your passenger seat, in your bag, or some other place where you can easily access it when you have time.

4. Incorporate reading into part of your daily routine
I use reading as a relaxation tool in the evening and have incorporated it into my nighttime routine. I usually only read about 15-20 pages before getting tired and going to bed. It doesn’t sound like much, but it adds up! If I read every night, I’ll get through a little over 100 pages a week. If you like reading in the morning, incorporate it into your morning routine and read while drinking your morning coffee, while you walk on a treadmill, etc.

5. Find ways to hold yourself accountable
You can join a book club that expects you to finish the book by the end of the month or just have your friend remind you to read. I like crossing stuff off a to-do list, so I use the Goodreads mobile app to keep track of the books I’ve read and enter the amount of pages I read each day. I love stalking my friends to see what books they’re reading, if you want to add me, here’s my profile!

6. Follow bookstagrammers on social media
I didn’t know this was a thing until last year, but there are a bunch of book influencers and now I’m obsessed. I love following book influencers and seeing their posts every day really does keep reading top of mind. To keep up with the newest books, I like to follow @yuki.reads, @authenticbooks, @byamberburns, and of course @bookofthhemonth, @reesesbookclub, and @oprahsbookclub. I’m not on TikTok that much, but I’ve heard #BookTok is a pretty big thing as well!