How to Read More Books in a Year

So, you want to read more books in a year. Keep reading to find out how!

First things first, I’m a book blogger. That must mean that I read books every second of free time I get in a day, right? Wrong. I juggle my time between working full time, updating my blog, creating content, and making my best attempt at having a life.

When I look at other book bloggers’ social media or websites, I am absolutely taken aback at their ability to read 5+ books a week. How the heck do they manage that? I’m trying to get on their level. Reading more books means having more inspiration for content, books to review… you get the picture.

After some contemplation, I came up with a list of things to do to read more books in a year.

Utilize Goodreads

Goodreads is slowly becoming my holy grail. It is an all-inclusive hub of bookish news, newly published books, book reviews, discussion groups, and more. You have the ability to save books to “bookshelves”- the premade shelves include Want To Read, Currently Reading, and Read. You can also create your own shelves to add to, such as “Read in 2022” for example.

Goodreads is an immense help when it comes to finding what to read next. While you’re browsing, be sure to add any books that interest you to the “Want to Read” shelf so you can find it later. When you’re ready to pick your next book, simply browse what you have saved to find what whets your appetite at the moment, and voila.

Don’t Rely Heavily on a TBR

A TBR, or a To Be Read, is a pile of books that someone makes in order of which books they want to read in order. TBRs can make or break your reading experience. Every time I’ve tried to make one, the books just sit on my bookshelf, mocking me. Something about having my books already picked out for me makes me not want to read them right away. When I finish one book, I like to think about what genre or style of writing I want to immerse myself in next, and not be chained down to a specific novel. Sure, have an idea of what you want to read, but don’t feel obliged to entirely stick to it.

Try Out E-Books

I know this is a heated debate between book lovers. Real books or e-books? Personally, I love both, and recognize that both can be useful at different times. There is no doubt in me saying that I can absolutely devour e-books, usually a lot faster than real books.

Not to mention, you can get millions of e-books for free. If you have a library card with your local library, download apps like Libby and link it to your library account. This is an extremely simple (and free!) way to check out books and get them sent directly to your phone, Kindle, you name it.

Give Audiobooks a Shot

I’ll be honest, this one has been a little hard for me. With Audiobooks, it is entirely circumstantial if it catches my interest or not. Once you get used to the idea of someone reading to you, though, it is extremely useful to utilize in order to get some reading in. You can hit play on an audiobook while you’re cooking, cleaning, driving, showering, and more, and before you know it the hours will pass and you’ll complete one more book. And yes, audiobooks do count as reading. Don’t let anybody tell you differently!

Carry a Book With You

I carry a book or my Kindle on me at all times. It doesn’t matter where I’m going or who I’m with. You never know when you’ll have a spare few minutes. Having something to read with you at all times may encourage you to pick up a book instead of scrolling on your phone when you have some unexpected wait time.

Carve Out Daily Reading Time

This one is important. On most days, I try to read every morning with breakfast and every night before bed. Having these designated reading times not only encourages you to read more, but also gives you time to wake up at the beginning of the day or wind down at night with a good novel. I always feel much better in the morning when I read instead of sitting on my phone, and can always sleep better at night when I don’t scroll through social media until it’s lights out.

Set a Reading Goal

Setting a reading goal can definitely urge you to read more. It gives you something to work towards, and can arouse a little bit of competition to catch up to the standard you have set for yourself. If you don’t read much in a year yet, start out small with 12 books a year. That’s just one book a month. When you reach that goal, try bumping it up a little bit the following you to 15 or 20 books.

What methods help you read more books in a year?

I hope these methods help you get a better idea of what you can do to increase your reading count each year. Just remember, take it one step at a time, don’t compare your progress to other peoples’, and you’ll make it to your goal in no time.

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