„How do you manage to read so much books?“

I get this question a lot and to be honest I don’t think I read so much books compared to my friends and other readers in the bookish community. But I still want to share some tips (or advices if you will) which totally work good for me.

I also want to make it clear that no one is forcing you to read a lot of books. Reading is not a competition so don’t feel bad or sad if you only read 1 or 2 books in a month. The important thing is you’re reading and having fun! So let’s get started.

Make time.

Even if it’s only 15 minutes a day. You can always find time that works for you. I read straight for an hour then take a break to do other stuff (or procrastinate) then continue reading again. I have a short attention span and get sleepy so fast so I need to take breaks in between. I also read in bed before going to sleep but I think you can already guess how it always ends. One time I fell asleep while reading on my Kindle and my face accidentally highlighted the whole page. lol But hey, at least I read even for 5 minutes.

Set your goal.

For example, my goal is to read at least 50 pages or one hour per day. When setting your goal, you have to consider your daily routine and reading speed. The important thing is to make your goal realistic.

Put away your phone.

This will help you a lot to accomplish your goal. You can put your phone far from you or turn the silent mode on. An app that helps me to focus more on reading is Forest.

Always bring your current read with you.

I don’t go out without a bag so I don’t have a problem bringing a physical book. If i’m reading an ebook, I make sure that I also have a copy of that ebook on my phone so I can still read in case I don’t have my Kindle with me.

Listen to audiobooks.

This is now part of my everyday routine. I listen to audiobooks when I’m doing chores, during my afternoon walk, while i’m crocheting or while playing Animal Crossing. I personally use the Libby app which is for free. You just need to connect your library card to access (or request for) ebooks and audiobooks from your library. This is helpful especially if you want to go to your libraby and borrow some books but you can’t because of the pandemic. I’m also a Scribd subscriber. It’s an audiobook subscription service. My only problem with Scribd is most of the new releases are only available for a limited time so I have to wait for them to be available again. One alternative I have is Audiobooks.com. If you want to try their 30-day free trial, you can use my code AUDIOKATH and choose 3 audiobooks to listen to. You can cancel it anytime.

Join a book club.

This will encourage you to read more especially if you know that you have friends you can talk to after (or while) reading the book. You can also ask some of your reader friends (or people in the book community) to buddy read a certain book with you. You can post about it on your bookstagram/twitter. This is a great way to start making new friends.

Read short books.

Finishing a book always makes me feel accomplished so it motivates me to pick up a new one and read more. Short books (or novellas) are perfect especially if you don’t have much free time. There are a lot of incredible short reads out there. I have recently read Pet by Akwaeke Emezi and Ghost Squad by Claribel Ortega. They’re both amazing and less than 300 pages.

Use a fun and creative way of tracking your reading.

This one is quite tricky because not everyone has time. It can also be stressful to some. But there are a lot of simple ways to track your reading. You can use Goodreads, The StoryGraph, or the BookSloth app. If you’re into bullet journaling (or the analog way) I recommend you to check my Reading Journal video. I track how many pages and hours I read on a daily basis. I’m also using the Read More app if I’m lazy to do the actual writing on my reading journal.

Read multiple books at once.

I’m doing this for a long time already. I make sure that the books I’m reading do not have the same genres. For example, I’m currently reading three books. I’m reading a romance novel on my Kindle, listening to a YA Contemporary on audiobook, and reading a physical copy of a non-fiction novel.

It’s okay to DNF a book.

In case you didn’t know, DNF means „did not finish“. I’m happy to say that I got better on this. It wasn’t easy but it definitely helps. So far, I have dnf a handful of books already but it doesn’t mean that I’ll never read them again. I’m a mood reader so finding the right book at the right mood is challenging. I think it’s also best to dnf a book than force yourself to continue reading it because it will just affects your reading experience. And if you’re sure that you don’t want to continue reading that book, pass it to others or donate it.

and lastly…

Make sure you’re having fun!

This is pretty self-explanatory. Reading should be fun so don’t force yourself to read. It’s okay and acceptable if you don’t feel like reading.

That’s pretty much it!

I also want to say that my advices/tips might not work to all and it’s okay. Feel free to share yours on the comment! Happy reading!

Always,