- I have read at least 70 books each year for the last seven years.
- There are tricks that help me to keep the pace up without compromising my enjoyment.
I love books.
I don't mean in the sense that I will pick up a paperback for the beach or get a hardcover to sit on my bedside table in an effort to encourage myself to read more.
I mean — I devour books.
Since 2016, I have consistently read at least 70 per year. In 2017, I reached 89.
I have always loved books: I followed bookish accounts on Instagram during the app's infancy, curated my Goodreads to-be-read shelf, befriended and nerded-out with booksellers, and see authors when they come to town. Each time I go on a trip, I make an effort to seek out the best local bookstore.
Of course, reading is more possible for me than some: I'm 22, have no children, and my friends are spread out enough that I don't have an over-demanding social life. But while this means I have more time than some people to devote to reading, it also doesn't happen like magic. It takes effort.
Here's how I prioritize reading and — if you want to read more — how I recommend you do too.
Make it a routine
When I was in high school, I preferred to read a book with my lunch. Every day, I would make it through about 30 pages as I ate, before saying hi to my friends. These days, I'll likely go on a walk and listen to an audiobook and then, before I go to bed, I'll read my paperback. It means that every single day, I'm reading. It's reliable and comforting and something I know I can do.
I've created reading associations when I'm on the move, too. As much as I love a Taylor Swift jam session in the car — my rendition of "The Way I Loved You (Taylor's Version)" is legendary (to me, at least) — it's easy to switch in an audiobook instead. That way, I'm always "reading" something new.
I don't hold myself to a daily page count — reading any number of pages lets me feel accomplished. As long as I read a couple of words, I can move on to other things, like a podcast or finishing up an episode of a TV show.
Don't dismiss audiobooks
There are few trivial causes I care enough about to debate with you at the dinner table, but the validity of audiobooks as reading is one of them.
Here's the fact of the matter: Audiobooks are infinitely more accessible than the printed word from a paperback. For some, it is the only way that they can read, perhaps because of accessibility challenges or time constraints.
I got into audiobooks during the spread of COVID-19, when I started taking more walks. A fast talker myself, I like when a narrator moves through the prose at a similar pace, so I took to listening to books at either 1.5x or 1.75x speed, much like some people enjoy listening to podcasts. It meant that I got to devour books at an even faster rate.
Audiobooks are also easier for the average person on the move. If you're a commuter, if you have a job that requires less focus, or if you need something to listen to when folding laundry, it's an easy way to get your reading in.
You still get the benefits of reading without eye strain or having to get comfortable with a hardcover book.
Quality is in the eye of the beholder
Not all of the books I read are award-winners. Many of them are silly with the kinds of covers that I might be tempted to hide on public transport.
Although you might feel pushed to read books that better your mind, the bar doesn't have to be that high. Instead, I'm a proponent of reading a book — any book — that gives you joy, through the material itself or the simple act of reading it.
Recognizing that took a lot of pressure off what I chose to read and increased the number of books that I tore through.
Among the almost 30 books I've read so far this year were a romance novel, "Happy Place" by Emily Henry, and an 800-page biography on J. Edgar Hoover. Both are of equal validity and both got five stars from me. Just because a book is erudite doesn't mean it's good and just because a book is about a frivolous subject doesn't mean that you won't learn something from it.