Simple Ways To Start Reading More

I've always been a major lover of books. Even as a child, my parents could never tear me away from whatever book I was reading at the time, and I hold many of the books I read as a child near and dear to my heart.

This love for reading definitely continued well into my adult life, but it got a little harder to dive into a book when I got swamped with work in college. I'd spend months on end reading nothing but academic articles and textbooks, and then spend my winter and summer breaks staying up all night reading books (I swear I'm not a nerd!) like it was my job. I learned that I'm an all-or-nothing reader: I'm either reading 5 books in a week, or I'm reading one book a year.

But obviously, this year, I wanted to change that. One random day in September, I picked up a book and finished it – and then started a new one right away. I picked up book after book, somehow reading 30 books since then, and up to 34 for the year so far (told you I'm all or nothing, I'd only read 4 books from January to September!).

So, somehow through it all, I learned a few techniques that helped to make reading a part of my life again. Here's what I do:

ONE // When I realized how much I was enjoying getting through those first few books back in September (I started easy, with a made-to-movie book that I knew I'd enjoy), I knew I would have to carve out time every day to read more. I decided to go simple: I'd get in bed half hour earlier than usual, and commit 30 minutes to reading. I found that just those 30 minutes would make a huge difference, and I found myself opting to go to bed earlier and earlier just to read (or stay up later and later, which is a dangerous game on a work night lol).

TWO // While I love a paperback, using an e-reader has changed the reading game for me. I first bought a Kindle almost ten years ago, and have since upgraded a few times (and am certainly due for an upgrade now!), but using the e-reader has made it so much easier to take my book with me, no matter where I'm going. Recently, I went on a weekend trip, and instead of lugging actual books with me, I was able to use my Kindle and read more books than I was even planning to!

THREE // One thing I found that really helped me to read more was to make the best use of my free time, meaning I bring my book almost everywhere I go (again, this is why I use an e-reader mostly). There are so many situations where I find myself waiting aimlessly, and I resort to scrolling mindlessly through Instagram or playing dumb games on my phone, and once I started reading again, I realized I could be using this time to read. So, that means that when I'm getting my nails done, waiting in line at the bank or even just eating lunch in the office, I'll read a chapter or two. Not only do I get a chance to read, but it helps to pass the time faster.

FOUR // Goodreads was instrumental in my reading more this year. After I read that initial book back in September, I logged into my account to update it, and found so many books I'd put on my 'want to read' shelf. From there, I kind of dove headfirst into it, finding new books and reviewing them as I finished them. It also helped to read real reviews from other readers – there's nothing worse than reading a blah book, and I didn't want to risk falling into a slump, so I always made sure the books I were choosing had mostly good reviews.

FIVE // One thing that always kept me motivated was having friends who liked to read alongside me. My cousin Shannon and I would trade book recommendations, my friend Sabrina lent me a book she thought I'd like, and following a friend's bookstagram, Book of Cinz, on social media always encouraged me to keep going. Seeing their progress, or just having someone to discuss a book with, kept me on track whenever I felt like not reading.

SIX // Perhaps the most important thing that's kept me so interested in books over the last few months is that I never forced it. There are times when the last thing I want to do is pick up a book, and I go through mini-slumps of not reading for a few days, but when I feel like I'm ready – and the time usually comes when I am – I jump back in in full swing.

Hopefully I've inspired you to pick up a book, or to read more as part of your 2019 Resolutions.

Do you read a lot of books? What do you do to make sure you're reading? Let me know in the comments!