Cancel your cable service
Log in to your Goodreads account regularly to remind yourself of all the amazing books out there that you have not yet read
Get a library card and remove the financial obstacle to reading a lot
Be interested in a variety of topics
Read the ‘new books’ sections of magazines (they’re everywhere from US Weekly to Vanity Fair) and find something new to get excited about
But be OK with quitting books partway through and moving to something that interests you more
Carry a purse/bag large enough to hold a book (or ereader) – and carry one with you all the time
Keep a pile(s) of to-read books visible in your home (I have 3 piles throughout the house)
Build 10 minutes of in-bed reading into your nightly routine
Always have a book at work for your lunch breaks
Know which writers you love and seek out all their works
Borrow books (from friends or the library) with a deadline to have them read and returned
Find enjoyment in many different styles of writing (be easy to please)
Revel in those guilty pleasure books (for me it’s true crime)
Tweet/Instagram/blog/Facebook whatever you’re reading and get encouragement and moral support in return.
Take public transportation (or carpool) when you can, and read while someone else drives
Give entire days off over to reading when possible
Pick out a ‘reading chair’ or other corner of your home where you can comfortably curl up for any length of time, secluded, with a spot for your beverage of choice nearby
Commit to a reading goal (like a book a week or learning everything you can about the Revolutionary War)
Read even more. The more you read the faster you get at it.
What are your tricks for reading more every week?
In 2012 I read 68 books – more than a book a week. 2013: here I come!
omg! I am glad you wrote about this especially since I am embarking on a 52 books in 52 weeks journey… I wanted to write about things to do and here you have done it. Would you mind if I link back to your post?
“Be OK with quitting books” is a really good one. I always used to feel bad if I abandoned a book, and I would hold off on starting a new one because “ugh, I gotta finish that OTHER book first”. But now I just blame it on the book and move on.
“Revel in those guilty pleasure books” is another good one! It’s a lot easier to whip right through those books you’re really enjoying. I remember once when I was reading Twilight while waiting for class to start and a teacher came over and asked “what are you reading?” I felt embarrassed and sort of dismissed the book, like, “oh, nothing, it’s just Twilight, I know it’s stupid…” and she said, “Reading is good, no matter what book it is! It’s still reading.”
There is always a book in the bathroom- I read one a week or so just while soaking in a hot tub!
Use public transportation. I read at least a book a week while commuting to/from work. I also still read to my 15 yr old at night; he says it’s a soothing way to wind down and go to sleep. I always choose a book I’m interested in; young adult novels are really great!
all good ideas, ladies!!
I definitely concur with always having a book with you and public transportation! I also bring my phone (thank you, nook app) and read on the treadmill at the gym. The downside of this is that sometimes I get too involved in the book and don’t exactly push myself on the machine. Oops!
Did you see the post by Michael Bourne on The Millions about reading fewer books this year?