5 Tips to Get You Reading More

Over the last two years, I have intentionally worked to get more reading in. I truly love reading and I didn’t like that I wasn’t doing more of it. There are times of the year where I don’t get as much reading in, but by making it more of a habit than something I do haphazardly, I have managed to increase the amount I read by a LOT. In 2021, I set a goal for myself of 21 books, and I ended up reading 32! 

Here are some tips to get you reading more.

1. Keep your reading material accessible! I use my Kindle a lot. I keep it on my nightstand, and I almost always toss it in my purse before I leave the house. When I am waiting in the pickup line, I read. If I have to wait at a doctor’s office, instead of mindlessly scrolling on my phone, I read. The big one – once I get in bed at night, I plug in my phone and read. It has taken a lot of discipline to do this, but reading at night is the biggest chunk I get. 
2. Always have your next read selected, so you have something to look forward to. I use both Goodreads (follow me!) and Libby (some library systems use Overdrive, so check yours) along with my Kindle (read more about why I love my Kindle so much and how Libby works here). I also am always looking out for recommendations. (Maria Tettamanti always has good ones!) The Target book section always has some good selections, so I will snap a photo while I am in store to come back and check some of the titles out later. I will usually hop on Libby and search for the books I want to read and add myself to the waitlist. If I can’t find it, I’ll mark it as a “Want to Read” book in Goodreads. 
3. Set a goal! I loved the idea of a reading challenge, and Goodreads helped me keep track of it. If you read using a Kindle, you can automatically sync what you are reading to Goodreads. Otherwise, you can input it manually. 
4. Figure out what you like to read. I love romance, thrillers, and historical fiction. I devour books in those categories. I’m not a huge fan of nonfiction and biographies, so I know those books will usually take me a while to get through. Find what you like, and make sure you always have those in rotation. If a book takes me a while to get through, I will often follow it up with an easy romance read so I can get back into the habit again quickly. 
5. Start small. If you think a book a month is doable for you, then go for that. If you know you can dedicate 10 minutes per day to reading, then do that. The important thing is to find what works for you!

You can check out some of my book recommendations on the blog here. 

What other tips do you have? Share them below! 

xoxo,