I can’t believe it’s almost halfway through July! This year’s really been flying by. In the past I’ve really struggled with completing my yearly reading challenges, but this year I’ve been flying through books. I originally challenged myself to read 35 books this year, which was 5 more books than I challenged myself to in 2018 (I was only able to read 29). But by the start of June, I had already completed my yearly reading challenge.
Since I’ve had such a great success in my yearly reading challenge, I thought I would pass on my tips to my fellow book lovers to help you reach your reading goals!
1) Read while you commute
I know this isn’t for everyone. Some people get motion sick when they read while in transit, or maybe you walk or drive to work. But if you’re a commuter who is able to read in a moving vehicle, this is a great way to add in more reading time. In all honesty, I do the majority of my reading while I’m on the streetcar to work. My commute is longer than it used to be at my old place, but because of it I’m able to read, uninterrupted for at least 2 hours a day. So at minimum, I’m able to read for 10 hours a week. Then I can usually fit in more on weekends or in the evenings if I want to. But even if I don’t have time outside my commute to read, I am able to fit more books into my schedule.
2) Listen to audiobooks
Again, I know this isn’t for everyone but if you’re having trouble finding the time to read (or if reading while on the train makes you motion sick) this is a great way to be able to read more books. Since I started taking out audiobooks from the library, I’ve been able to read twice as many books! At work, I spend a lot of time at my desk because I’m a graphic designer so I usually am listening to audiobooks while I work. It makes the time more enjoyable but I do find it easier to listen to books I’ve already read before or simplier books since my attention is split between listening and designing. I’ve also heard that some people love to listen to audiobooks while they drive or do chores. Regardless of when you do it, audiobooks will allow you to fit more reading into your current schedule.
3) Track your progress
A really good way to motivate you to complete your yearly reading goals is to keep track of your progress. Sites like Goodreads are great way to keep track your progress. I use both sites to keep track of my progress. I use Goodreads because I love participating in the reviewing community I’ve built there.
Related: How I Organize My Goodreads Shelves
4) Read genres you enjoy
The best way to make progress on your yearly reading challenging is to read books from genres that you enjoy. The more you read from your favourite genres, the faster you’ll be able to read and the happier you’ll be. I typically mix up what I read because I sometimes get bored of reading the same genre all the time, but for the most part I read speculative fiction (fantasy, sci fi, dystopia, etc.) because that’s what I enjoy. If you are reading things you enjoy, you’ll read faster and want to read more!
5) Do not finish (DNF) books you aren’t enjoying
When you’re reading a book that you’re not really enjoying, your reading pace really slows down. I used to force myself to finish reading every book I started and it started to take the fun of reading away from me. So now if I don’t like a book, I DNF it and move on. I try to read at least a 100 pages of the book before making the decision to DNF it but if you really aren’t enjoying the book, DNF as soon as you realize you don’t. It’s okay to do so and you’ll find you’re able to read more books when you’re enjoying them.
6) Create mini-reading challenges
The best way to help yourself complete your yearly reading challenge, is challenging yourself to read a certain amount of books in a shorter amount of time. Readathons are a good way to complete mini challenges. I try to challenge myself to read a certain number of books each summer. It’s okay if they’re not as successful as you want them to be, if you’re trying to read more than you’re on the right path to completing your yearly reading challenge.
7) Participate in readathons
I’ve only started doing this recently, but committing to participate in readathons is a really great way to finish more books. Readathons are a great way to push yourself to read more books and be involved in a community of passionate book lovers. I didn’t really start participating in them until this year but next year I’m definitely going to be participating in as many as I possibly can! There’s a readathon that happens twice a year called the Magical Readathon. It’s a lot of fun and is in the style of Hogwarts exams! You can even choose what career path you want to follow to help you pick your prompts.
Related: I’m in Love With Readathons