Finding time to sit down and immerse ourselves in a good book can often feel like a challenge in today’s nonstop world, which eats at our attention span like a brain-sucking, capitalistic monster. But with a little help, we can actually read more books than we think.

If you’ve been struggling to make a dent in your TBR and want to make the most out of your reading time, you’re in the right place. I’ve compiled a list of 12 ways to read more often and with more enjoyment. Let’s get into it!

Listen to Audiobooks

If you’re privileged enough to work from home, or have a job where you can use headphones and you’re not having to use your analytical brain to work, utilizing audiobooks to get you through the work day is a wonderful way to increase the number of books you read.

I’m a full-time graphic designer, once I have my assignment, I can shut off all communication channels and just enter my happy little zone to work. And since I’m a designer, I’m using a different part of my brain than someone who works with data or customers. I can both design and listen to a narrator without becoming distracted from work so this is one of my fave ways to read more books.

My favorite places for audiobooks are the Libby app, Everand, and the Read Me Romance podcast. (You can also find cheap audiobooks over at Chirp Books or if you’re on Spotify Premium, you get 15 free hours of audiobook time included in your plan each month.)

Spend Less Time on Social Media

Like most people in the world, social media has ruined my attention span. Getting away from it, and only using it sparingly throughout the day, was one of the best choices I’ve ever made. It hasn’t been easy, but I’ve managed to win back pieces of my brain I thought were gone forever.

Listen, I promise I’m not hassling you with this recommendation. However, it has worked wonders for me. When I’m less concerned what everyone else is getting up to, I have far more time and energy to spend on what I want to do instead of playing the comparison game, doomscrolling, or allowing the Discourse of the Day™️ to get under my skin and ruin my mood—whether as a reader or a writer.

I will say this, however: the book community (at least the side I’ve witnessed on socials) is absolutely in a toxic relationship with negativity and the accolades (i.e., likes, reach, engagement) being an edgelord brings them. And it’s never made sense to me. Why would you waste time online, complaining about things you don’t want to see in books when you could be spending that time… reading the things you do want to see more of? A big portion of this lies in how social media algorithms work: they reward negativity and hot takes.

But maybe people’s 100+ yearly read lists wouldn’t bother you so much, Book Twitter, if you got offline and read more yourself 😉 … Okay maybe I’m hassling some of you a little.

Make It a Habit

This is another one that will annoy those who like to live their life on a whim, but being intentional about your desire to read will help you read more books, more often.

I’m in the beginning of burnout and not prioritizing things that give me energy, like reading, is one reason I’m here. I’ve been such a workaholic that I didn’t give myself any margins for me-time. I said yes to every paying gig that came my way. And I stopped reading 🥲 I’m now massively behind my goal and also struggling mentally.

Give yourself margin and schedule time to actually read. You have to be intentional about this if you want to create a sustainable habit and use this as a way to better your mental health. Start choosing reading over being online. Start choosing reading over numbing out with Netflix. Start choosing reading over working yourself to the bone. Start choosing a book over reaching for your phone or watching TV during your mealtimes. I get it. I’m a millennial. It’s difficult not to need that stimulation for company, but let’s work harder at having the book be a source of dopamine.

Set a Goal to Read More Books

The last point about habits leads well into this next tip: set a goal or goals. Decide on what your goal for the year (or quarter or month or even week) is and back plan a way to reach it. “I want to read 2 books this week.” Okay, look at your schedule, what can you do to reach that goal? If you wanna go even further, spend a week or two tracking your time so you know exactly where it’s all going. Use that data to help you come up with a plan/changes you need to make.

You don’t have to be as strategic as me. My nerdy goal-orientated self loves to take the page number of a book and divide it by 7 to see how many pages I have to read a day to finish it in a week. I then mark off those stopping points with page flags (see below). This helps break down a book into manageable bits that I can read during my lunch break or before bed. That equals a book a week, or 52 books a year as a baseline goal if I read everyday. That’s incredibly doable.

Add in the anthologies I read during breakfast (more on that later) or the audiobooks I’m consuming during work, and that 52 easily grows. I’m not saying this is foolproof. Mood, life, and work can easily derail me, and has. But during the times everything is going okay? This is so simple to do. Last year I read 75 books, for instance!

If you love data, apps like StoryGraph and Goodreads can help you track your progress and set yearly reading goals. Book Riot also releases a free reading tracking Google spreadsheet every year. And if you want something fancier than what Book Riot offers, loads of creators on Etsy sell them as well.

Choose Books That Interest You

This sounds a little obvious, but I think far too many readers pick up something only because it’s popular, or because their friend group is reading it, and they don’t want to be left out of the conversation. But this often leads to them being disappointed or dissatisfied with the books they read. I’ve seen it happen time and time again with friends and family.

But don’t make that your main source of reading—especially if you know you never jive with certain tropes or genres. Stop putting yourself through that. Reach for something you know you’ll have a higher chance of loving. It makes the reading go faster and the TBR grow smaller (metaphorically… we all know TBRs are never-ending lol.)

Carry A Book With You

This is so easy to do these days. Kindle (or any other retailer) is right there on your phone. Stuck at the DMV? Read your book instead of scrolling on socials. Attending a family gathering that you know will be a pain? Pack a book or two and slip away when things get uncomfy or use your phone/tablet. Commuting? Read or listen to an audiobook (please use headphones unless you’re alone in your car). Keeping something on you at all times ensures you can turn to reading at any open chance.

Make Reading a Ritual

Light a candle. Put on your comfiest loungewear. Make yourself some tea or get some snacks. Create an environment that celebrates reading as an event, as something special you do to pamper yourself. By turning it into a form of self-care (and reading is self-care), it makes it something that recharges you and relaxes you. (Theoretically. I can’t do anything about authors stressing you out with cliffhangers or characters making dumb decisions. Sorrrrry.) But make reading something you yearn to do and you’ll be more apt to do it. Romanticize that shit, or whatever the Youtubers say. Be the aesthetic “book girlie” if that makes you wanna read more often.

Embrace the DNF

Some people wear slogging through a book like a badge of honor. Not me. If something isn’t resonating with me, I don’t waste my time. I either abandon it forever or set it aside for a time when my mood matches the book (hi, I’m a mood reader). I will always suggest this as a way to move more quickly through books. Don’t force yourself to finish something you’re not wild about. Embrace the DNF (“did not finish”) and move on to something new.

Buddy Read

I know. I know. I said four headings ago to not just read a book because your friends do if it’s not something that interests you. But that’s the operative phrase: if it’s not something that interests you. However, do you have a friend who loves the same brand of books you do? Make it more fun by buddy reading!

Pick something you’re both excited for (bonus points if it’s a book you both already own and you get to mark it off a read!) and set dates to discuss/gush over it. The accountability will help push you along, and you can keep doing this for as long as all parties are enjoying it.

Read Shorter Books

Not every book you consume needs to be a doorstopper. You can pepper in novelettes, novellas, comic books, graphic novels, and even short story anthologies to help both cleanse your palette between longer books and also to beef up your TBR if you’re wanting to hit a certain number goal. Fell short of your goal for a month? You got two days left, you can easily tackle a few novellas which would count as 3 versus the 1 a novel would. This boosts that wonderful feeling of accomplishment rather than bringing you down when you miss the goal.

Contrary to what the snob side of bookland thinks, this isn’t “cheating” 🙄 These are legitimate forms of fiction and reading—as much so as audiobooks are. Anthologies are one of my favorite things because I can read a story every day during breakfast, feel like I’ve accomplished something because it’s a complete story in itself, and before I know it, the book is finished.

There’s short fiction everywhere, but I find Everand and Kindle Unlimited are excellent places for it. Especially, if you read romance and erotica.

Utilize the Library

Join a book club hosted at your local library. See if they offer co-reading events so the parallel play helps you stay more engaged with your book. Accountability can be a massive help—especially for those of us who are neurospicy. Libraries are often untapped resources to help you in your goals. Not only are they great places to get books for free, but they’re always hosting some sort of event. Get on your library’s newsletter so you can stay abreast of their offerings.

Also, did you know you can get non-resident cards at other libraries across the US? Book Riot has a great list here. If money is something stopping you from reading as much as you’d like and your library is smaller or doesn’t carry much in your preferred genre, this is a great, affordable option.

Participate in Reading Challenges

Reading Challenges are a great way to light a fire under your ass and get you reading again, especially if you have the personality type that loves “competition” and ticking off boxes. These challenges give you specific goals and themes to follow, making reading more exciting and varied. It also makes you think of books in a different way by matching them to the prompts given. Instagram is a great place to find some challenges to participate in.

So, there we have it. There may be loads of books in the world and only so many hours to devour them, but following some or all of these tips will put you on track to crushing your TBR!

Need more books for your TBR? Check out the rest of my blog where I have a ton of themed lists.

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