63 Super Simple Tips to Help You Read More Books

Every single day, I get asked how I read so many books. (I guess that's what happens when you read between 10-20 a month usually!) I wrote a post about a year ago with some tricks to help you read 100+ books a year (like I did in 2016 and have already done so far in 2017!) but I wanted to share even more practical advice since I know many people don't have HUGE goals, they just really want to read more than they currently do!

Here is all the best advice I can come up with on how to read more books:

1. Put your phone down. (tip seconded by Ashley!)
2. Don't watch so much TV/Netflix/Hulu/YouTube/etc.
3. Read on your breaks at work.
4. Read for a few minutes in the morning.
5. Read before you go to bed (instead of scrolling!).
6. Read a variety of genres. (tip seconded by Olivia!)
7. Listen to audiobooks on your commute (or any other time).
8. Join a book club.
9. Follow bookstagrammers on Instagram (shameless plug for mine!).
10. Take the pressure off. (tip from Amber!)
11. Listen to bookish podcasts to hear about new books (like What Should I Read Next?).
12. Set a yearly goal for how many books you want to read.
13. Track your reading on Goodreads.
14. Keep a stack of books you've finished. (It's motivating!)
15. Set mini-goals as you read (like I'll stop once I finish this chapter).
16. Challenge yourself to read a certain number of pages a day.
17. Feel free to skim or skip sections that aren't interesting to you.
18. Give up on books when you're bored or bothered by them. (tip from Emma!)
19. Get a library card.
20. Picture the story as you're reading it. (tip from Cheryl!)
21. Hit up used bookstores for good deals.
22. Read books on an e-reader (I find I read faster that way!).
23. Keep a book on you at all times (and read it when you're waiting places).
24. Read more than one book at once (I mix up genres so it's not confusing).
25. Keep a running list of everything you've read and what you thought.
26. Ask friends for recommendations.
27. Set monthly goals for how many books you want to read.
28. Listen to audiobooks (or read) while at the gym, or while cooking, or cleaning, or anything mindless.
29. Carve out dedicated reading time on the weekends.
30. Change the audiobook speed (you can listen at 1.25, 1.5, 1.75, etc). (tip from Caroline!)
31. Keep your books where you see them every day so they're easy to pick up.
32. Read on airplanes and in airports.
33. Read in the car on road trips (if you can! I get so sick).
34. Read while you're on the toilet. (We're all adults here, we can handle this.)
35. Read in the bathtub.
36. Keep a book in your car at all times. (tip seconded by Sara!)
37. Talk about the books you're reading (Hearing feedback from other readers is encouraging.)
38. Don't always read the same kind of book. (You'll burn out or get bored.)
39. Don't feel pressured to read every word, every page, or remember the book completely.
40. Get the Kindle app for your phone. (tip from Caroline!)
41. Read when other people around you are reading. (Like your kids!)
42. Push yourself to read all your library books before they're due. 
43. Use a fun bookmark to track your progress.
44. Read fast when you can.
45. Read out loud to yourself (especially with poetry!).
46. Underline the parts you love so you can revisit them later.
47. Treat yourself as you read (like enjoy a glass of wine while you read, or sit in your favorite cozy spot).
48. Try a reading challenge. (Just google them and you'll find a bunch.)
49. Keep a to-read list so you always have books to look forward to.
50. Don't read things just because you feel like you SHOULD. (tip from Shalese!)
51. Read more books by authors you love.
52. Use Goodreads recommendations to find similar books to ones you've enjoyed.
53. Remove any distractions while you're reading so you can truly focus.
54. Make daily reading a habit. Routine helps!
55. See reading as a treat not a chore. 
56. Read books of different lengths. (All 500+ page books in a row will kill your momentum!)
57. Write down your reading progress as you make it (I do this in my monthly PowerSheets tending list!).
58. Read books with other people (even if it's not a real book club, just you and a friend tackling the same title at the same time). (tip seconded by Brandy!)
59. Share books with friends (some of my favorite reads have been passed along to me this way).
60. Make library trips a routine thing.
61. Give yourself a book budget (even if it's $1 for a new ebook!).
62. Make reading a priority. (tip from Amy Jo!)
63. Find what you love and read lots of it. (tip from Kaitlin!)

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psst-- we reached 500 followers over on my new bookstagram and I'm doing a giveaway! Go here to enter!