How to find the time to read more books

Tonight, when I’m curled up in bed with my 12th cup of tea of the day, I’ll close the cover on the 16th book I’ve read this year and we’re still in April.

I’m not bragging, I promise – I’m shocked. I never set out on 2019 with a reading target, they feel too much like a new year’s resolution to me and they never end well. If I don’t adhere to them meticulously (which I never do) I feel like I’ve failed so I give up. If you listen to the little chapters podcast you’ll know I read a lot because I’m always dropping recommendations, but this wasn’t always the case. Reading used to be one of those lost childhood pleasures I longed for, but could never seem to find the time to reclaim. Because reading fuels my writing I’ve had no choice but to hunt out some strategies that have helped me reignite my reading habit.

As such, here are a few tricks to try when you find yourself longing for that irreplaceable smell of the fresh page. 

Make it a priority

This feels obvious but if you want to read, read. I purposely didn’t title this post how to make more time for reading because we cannot make more time. We all have 24 hours in a day. This means saying no to other things so you can say yes to reading. Maybe you don’t need to spend 3 hours on Instagram or maybe you could turn the telly off half an hour earlier? Figure out what you’re not so bothered about so you can say yes to what you are bothered about. It all counts. Putting your phone on airplane mode can be the gift of time you never knew you had. 

Carry a book with you everywhere

Maybe not war and peace but keep a book with you at all times and you’ll find yourself reaching for it while you’re on your commute, waiting to see the dentist or even stood in the queue at the post office waiting to send out your eBay parcels. Every spare minute adds up to something significant.

Start a Goodreads account

I was sceptical about Goodreads for a long time but I’ve found tracking my reading progress a tad addictive. You can follow me here. It’s a great way to store up those recommendations too. I get my book recommendations from podcasts like the high low and writers I love to follow. I find reading books that have inspired writing that inspires me to be a window into my idol’s brains.

Try audiobooks 

Audiobooks have been a gift to me. If you’re someone who thinks they’re cheating feel free to skip ahead. I get those giddy butterflies whenever my monthly Audible credit pings into my inbox. I like to listen to audiobooks when I’m in the car on my way to and from the stables. I like to listen while I’m riding sometimes too. I have a friend who listens to them at 2x the speed so she can fit more in! I only ever listen at regular speed but tuning in regularly definitely boosts my books read score.

Take the pressure off

Imagine feeling like unless you read perfectly for one hour each night you’re not doing it right? You’ll never read at all with that kind of attitude. Literature should be a messy affair. You don’t have to read for an hour, you don’t have to read for 20 minutes. You can do whatever the hell you like. I’m a messy reader and embracing that has been freeing. Sometimes I’ll read a lot and others I’ll hardly read at all. As long as I’m reading just a little each day I don’t beat myself up when it comes to the ebb and flow, I embrace it. 

Read what feeds you 

Forget the latest jaw dropping book cover everyone is posting on their Instagram. If you’re into weird sex novels, you’re into them. Indulge. Allow yourself to follow your interests too. If you’re not feeling a book, give yourself permission to put it down and move on. You don’t have to read something cover to cover. Think of it as reading books you want to have an affair with and you’ll always find the time for them. 

What tricks do you use to gobble up as many books as possible?