How To: Read More

Hey hi hello friends, and welcome back to my blog!

Today, I thought I'd give some tips on how to optimize your reading time so you can read more books per month. I average about 12 books per month, so roughly 3 in a week. However, I've been able to read up to 20 books a month, roughly reading one every day. This is, in part, due to the fact that I grew up reading; it was always a hobby of mine, and I often-times would leave my local library with a wagon of books, a la Matilda.

(Well, it wasn't an actual wagon. But a tote bag, yes.)

And that habit hasn't changed in the fifteen years I've been reading more than Dr. Seuss books. Now, I want to preface this by saying that a considerably large factor of my being able to read so much is that I literally don't do anything else. It's summertime and I'm not taking any summer courses for college, and I'm very privileged and lucky enough to be able to live with my parents without having to worry about income, so I (currently) don't have a job either. I volunteer a couple times a week at my library, and that's pretty much it. So my days are completely surrounded on me finding something to pass the time with. And the majority of the time, I choose to read. I do a lot of other things to pass the day away (archery, swimming, writing, watching TV, etc. etc.) but reading is the main thing I do. You can ask anyone I'm friends with--if they call me and ask what I'm up to, chances are I'm going to say I'm reading. So yeah, that's a big factor in my monthly tally. 

But you don't have to have seven days a week of free time in order to get a lot of reading done. So here are a few things I like to do to increase my book count. 

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1. Audio, audio, audiobooks! 

Yes yes, it's the classic answer that everyone has to this question. Audiobooks are so helpful because they give you opportunity to read in circumstances you normally wouldn't be able to. On a long drive and have no one there to switch off driving with? Instead of listening to the radio, you can choose an audiobook instead! I've often listened to audiobooks when making the drive to and from my college, which is about two and a half hours away from my house. I make some good progress that way! Plus, I also listen to my audiobooks on at least double speed. I know some people aren't able to keep up with that speed, but I find the regular audiobook speed far too slow. 

Currently, I use Libby for audiobooks, which is an app that connects you to your local libraries e-book database. All you need for Libby to work is a library card, so it's completely free! (Yes, library cards are free! So many people are always so surprised when I tell them this.) Because of this, Libby is a great alternative for other audiobooks that are a monthly subscription or a pay-by-book service. The only downside is that sometimes e-books and audiobooks will be checked out by other people, so there can be a wait on certain books. However, Libby does have a feature where it shows you books that are currently available, so if you're just browsing and not looking for something in particular, that is a great thing to keep in mind. (By the way, this is in no way sponsored by Libby, I just really like their service. I've saved so much money by not using monthly subscription service audio/e-book apps.)

2. Optimize your reading time.

What I mean by this is, find a way to maximize reading time while also minimizing effort. A lot of people don't realize that the little times during the day you feel like are too short to do anything can be spent reading! For example, I always bring a book with me when I have doctor/dentist/therapist appointments. I may be in the waiting room for only two minutes, but I may also be there for twenty. Having a book can not only keep you from fidgeting or getting bored, but you can also get a few pages out of the way of your current read. A few pages might not seem like much at the time, but you'd be surprised how quickly they all add up. 

Have you ever picked up your phone to check a notification on something and then end up sprawled across your bed three hours later because you sucked into a game, or social media? Yeah, me too. It happens to all of us. But telling yourself that you could instead use that time reading instead of scrolling on your phone is actually super helpful. After all, choosing to do something first begins with a want for it. Plus, picking up a book instead of your phone not only saves electricity and money, but it also cuts down your media time if you're wanting to cut back on data usage. 

Even short drives to the grocery store/the mall/the library can be spent reading, whether you're in the passenger seat or driving yourself (see above). I hardly ever leave the house without a book in hand, because you never know when you're going to get a few minutes of nothing to do. 

3. Participate in buddy reads/book clubs.

I know that setting up a reading schedule in high school with your classmates was actual torture, but hear me out. There are a ton of monthly read book clubs out there, even weekly read book clubs. You can find them on Goodreads, Twitter, YouTube, and even Instagram. Some libraries even host summer book clubs for students, or you can always form your own. These keep you responsible for reading at least one book a month, and then getting a chance to talk about your feelings about it and discuss it more in depth with other people. 

In the same way, buddy reads are a great way to get through a book that might be a bit daunting. They keep you responsible for reading a certain number of pages every day/week/month, depending on how you set it up. And you can find practically anyone to buddy read with. I've done so many buddy reads myself organized through Twitter, where I had never met the person reading with me, and I didn't even have their number, we just discussed chapters of the book through Twitter DMs. You can decide how many chapters or pages you want to read per interval, and you can even choose question prompts to discuss if you don't want to have an open-ended conversation about the book. (Buddy reads are also great for readathons!)

4. Readathons!

Like the last point, readathons are great for keeping you accountable for how many books you read during a set period of time. Readathons can range from 24 hours (those are super fun, and you'd be surprised how many books you can actually read in a day!) to months long. Typically readathons last between a week and a month. Again, you can find them through all sorts of social media, though most are organized between Twitter and YouTube. Most of the time (24-hour ones exempt) readathons come with book prompts, so you can organize your TBR for the time the readathon is running. 

I like to use readathons as a chance to knock down my TBR as much as possible, especially my owned TBR. If I can use a book I own that I haven't read yet for a prompt, that's an automatic win in my book. It can also give you a chance to read some more backlisted titles, as I know some people (myself included) have a problem with remembering to read older books when there are so many interesting new releases waiting on my shelves. 

Some of my favorite readathons include Witch-a-Thon (hosted by Rhiannon from the YouTube channel Crescent Moon Reads), the Reading Rush (hosted by Ariel from the YouTube Channel ArielBissett and someone else I can't remember the name of I'm so sorry), and the Buzzword-a-Thon (hosted by Kayla from the YouTube channel BooksAndLala). On average I think I participate in three to four readathons a year, but these are the ones I try and focus on the most. 

5. Use your library.

Guys. Libraries are awesome. I don't get how some people don't see it. There is this massive building that is there for the residents surrounding it to use completely free, to check out and read as many books as you desire to, as well as movies, music, audiobooks, and games. They also have free WiFi, computers available for use, and private study rooms. Some libraries even have cafes and little store fronts in them, so you can get your caffeine fix, and where you can browse books that have been donated by other people or the library itself being sold for one to two dollars each. Probably half of my book collection has come from library sales. 

Once again, library cards are completely free. All you have to do is spend five minutes with a librarian setting one up, and then you have complete and total access to the library. You're allowed to check out up to fifty items at a time (at least at my library) and you have two weeks to read/watch/listen to them before returning them so another person can use them. And even then, if you didn't get to all the books that you checked out before those two weeks are up, most of the time you have the option to renew items, so you can have them for another two weeks. How sweet is that? I tell you, I own about forty books that I haven't read yet, and yet I read over a hundred books a year, and that is because so many books I get from a library. 

The best part about using your local library is that it gives you the opportunity to decide whether or not you want to own a certain book. I've seen so many people buy books they think they'll really like, read them, and end up hating them and therefore either reselling them at a loss or donating them or even just tossing them out. Libraries can help you figure out what books are worth your money. If a book has been on your radar for a while but you aren't sure if you want to own it or not, you can request it from your library and see if it's something you want on your shelves. Or, if you love reading but don't like owning books, libraries also help you out with that problem. One YouTuber that I watch only owns four books, because every book she reads she gets from the library (check her out, her channel is Read With Cindy and she's hilarious). 

6. Love to read.

Obviously none of these are going to help you if you don't have a love for reading. And if you don't, that's okay! It's not for everybody, no hobby is. No one is going to look down on you for not, say, liking to macrame or not collecting enamel pins, and those are hobbies just the same as reading is. So if reading for pleasure isn't your thing, don't force yourself through it! You'll find that you'll just end up disliking the book you're trying to read, because the experience wasn't good. (That's why so many books I had to read in high school I despise--Catcher in the Rye is my all-time least favorite book and it's because the experience of reading it was terrible.)

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Okay, I think that's all I have for you guys today! Do you have any different tips or tricks on how to read more? If so, leave a comment down below or tweet at me @AllyEmReads!

Until next time!