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Books, Life

How To Like Reading More

It’s pretty obvious that I love to read. Every month, I share all the books I’ve read that month. And anytime I do, I get asked A LOT about how do I find the time to read. If your goal for the year is to read more, hopefully this post will help you to like reading more.

Ever since I was a little girl, I loved to read. I remember when I was little, I would always walk to the library and spend hours there picking out my books. It was the highlight of my day and I was so very lucky I lived so close to one. As I got older, I rarely made time to read. It was always on my ‘goals list’ to read more books, but I never did. I felt like I was too busy to read. It wasn’t until one summer, I decided to pick up a book again. And from then on, I have been sharing with you all the books I’ve been reading every month.

Reading has affected me positively and now I’m addicted. I’m back to that little girl who can’t stop picking up a book haha. Reading has helped me de-stress, fall asleep easier, advance my vocabulary, put my phone down, and give me a sense of adventure (especially during quarantine). Hence why I think it is great idea to develop the habit of reading more often.

How To Like Reading More

Several of you mentioned to me that you don’t have the time, don’t know where to start, or are just not a fan of reading yet it is your goal to read more books. So I thought I’d share what has helped me develop a love for reading. Hopefully my tips are able to help you cultivate the habit of reading and actually enjoy it.

Eliminate The Pressure

If “reading more” or “starting to read” is on your goals list, remove it. That type of pressure just feels forced. I’ve tried that and I didn’t end up picking up a book. I’m sure most of you have felt this way – when you are forced to do something it is no longer fun but more of a chore. To enjoy reading, you have to want to read, not feel like you have to read.

Figuring Out What Your Interests Are & Finding Books You love

It doesn’t have to be a particular genre. All you have to do is read a book that seems like you would enjoy whether it is an autobiography, fiction, self-help, etc. Remove that idea that your book has to be on the bestsellers list, a highly recommended book, etc. If anything, this is how I found out what I like and don’t like. A lot of people recommended self-help books because it inspired and motivated them about life. I tried and quickly realized that I don’t enjoy reading those kinds of books.

While I primarily enjoy fiction, I do enjoy a good celebrity memoir here and there. The tea in those books is great and it’s my guilty pleasure along with romcom books.

If you don’t know where to start to find a good book, I really enjoy books from Book Of The Month. That’s where I purchase a majority of books. Here is my blog post on my Book Of The Month review. Another great place is bookshop.org. It’s an online bookstore that supports local bookstores. But if you live right by a bookstore, definitely go check them out!

I share what I read every month in the books section of my blog. Hopefully you’ll find some great books. But I also occasionally categorize my book recommendations. For instance, I have book recommendations for summer reading (although I think they can be read all year round), holiday reading, books by black authors, etc.

How to achieve your reading goals

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Start Reading

Just pick up the book and start reading.  That’s the first step to reading more. Read a chapter. See how you feel about it. If it doesn’t catch your attention, then don’t bother. It also doesn’t need to be a particular month, time of year, etc. Most people I know have been setting goals to read more and want to start right at January. Well let me tell you, that doesn’t always work. Again it is back to that added pressure that takes away the fun.

Dedicate Time

Everyone is busy. There’s work, kids, personal matters that take time away from doing what we want to do. However, adding time to read is a lot easier than you think. All you need is 30 minutes and that 30 minutes will fly by so quickly. Sometimes I say 30 minutes and as I keep turning a page, I realize I dedicated 2 hours of reading!

For me, the best time to read is right before bed. It’s when my mind is relaxed and I know I don’t have any other obligation. And I no longer feel guilty that I have this time for myself. The best part is that it has helped me get better sleep. Before I knew it, I was able to find time to add reading to my daily routine.

Join A Book Club Or Find A Reading Buddy

A book club is a great way to get you to want to read and choose books that you enjoy. From my personal experience, I like to create a book club with people I know. One time, I had a friend ask me to join a book club. But I only knew her and one other person, and the rest were strangers to me. I’m such an introvert and don’t feel comfortable talking or engaging with people I don’t know well. So it never got me to want to read, finish a book, or continue the book club.

Now I do have a book club. It’s dedicated to a small number of people. It made it easier to choose books we all would like to read and I felt comfortable speaking my mind and sharing. It also helps having a reading buddy. One of my cousins is my reading buddy. We bounce ideas about our thoughts on a particular book, share books that we want to read, books we found on social media, etc. It made reading an even more positive and enjoyable experience.

Keeping A List Of What You Want to Read

My To Be Read list (TBR list) is constantly growing but it also excites me! Whenever you come across a book that you think you’d like to read, add it to your list. I either write them down or keep track of them at Goodreads. This site is a great way to discover books and create a TBR list.

Tracking What You Have Read

Maybe it is just me but it feels good when I can cross things off a list. I find the same enjoyment when I am able to cross off a book from my TBR list. I feel so accomplished. Again, Goodreads makes it easy to track what you have read and can review them as well.

Always Keep A Book With You

If it is possible, always have a book with you. Instead of idly playing with your phone, pick up the book with you. Make it a reading habit. It’s a great way to stimulate your mind and have less screen time.

I hope these tips help and really get you to love reading as much as I do! Like I said, the first step is to remove that pressure that you have to read more. You want to enjoy reading and not make it a chore. Before you know it, you will become as addicted to reading as I am haha!

xo RD

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Comments

  4. Maureen says

    These are great tips Rach! I love reading. It’s an escape for me! One of the things that helped me is to lessen the pressure of reading one book in a certain amount of time. Sometimes a book can really be a fast read and others not so much. My day can also be busy or it may be light. Either way, instead of saying 1 book in 1 week. I tell myself 3-5 pages per day. If I can do more, then I do. I also make a list of books that I want to read. It helps me feels excited to dive in!

    Maureen | http://www.littlemisscasual.com

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  6. Ashley says

    These are all fantastic tips, Rach! I already love to read, but just go through phases that I want to read a ton and then sometimes I can’t pick up a book, haha. But these tips are very helpful and I definitely agree that it’s so satisfying to cross of a book off of my TBR list!

    Make Life Marvelous

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