After yesterday's post about some of my favorite books read in 2017, I got a couple comments about how I read so many. Looking back, it doesn't actually seem like that many, (especially with how many fiction books I read...they are like candy!), but as I thought about it, here are a several things that helped me:
- Try to read at least a little bit every day. I have a lot of hobbies, but I would definitely say I rediscovered my love of reading in 2017. Trying to read at least a few pages, or one chapter, every day helped fuel that. I have a bad habit of immediately turning on the TV when I get home...cutting my cable helped solve that. Remembering I am in the middle of a great book also dissuades me from jumping on Netflix as a default. - If you can handle reading multiple books at once, go for it! I’m usually reading 3 to 4 at one time. I get in a mood where I want to read a fiction book, or a biography, or nonfiction, or personal development/spiritual formation. Those are probably my four favorite types of books. This reminds me of a favorite scene from Gilmore Girls where Rory, a notorious bookworm, is packing her backpack for school and can't fit everything in. "I need all my other books!" she explains. A phrase I've uttered many times :) - Always bring a book with you everywhere you go. So easy to do if you have a kindle app on your smart phone or tablet. I usually have a paper copy of a book in my purse, just in case. I like to call it pulling a Rory Gilmore, and I'm not ashamed to admit it. - Make reading your default, instead of checking social media accounts or playing games on your phone. This is probably the hardest for me to do, but I’ve definitely seen benefits to trying this. Instead of turning to Instagram or Churchill Solitaire while waiting for my car at the mechanic, or waiting at the doctors office, I’ll read instead. Usually fiction, because if I get interrupted it’s easier to jump back in. - Get a library card! I LOVE my local library. I'm lucky enough to live in a metro area with a county library system that boasts 41 different locations. I can get any book I've ever tried to find, I just may have to wait a few days. I like to browse through the "staff favorites" list or check out authors in the fiction section who have written a lot of books. - Start your next book right away after finishing one (unless you stayed up WAAAY too late to finish a book...) :) - If you're attempting the 52 books per year goal, don’t freak out if you don’t hit one book every single week. Aim for 4-5 books per month. It seems easier. I have been known to finish a whole book in the course of a weekend (or in one sitting if I have a Saturday with no plans...!) I usually feel guilty after I set a ridiculous goal and don't accomplish it...but this time, I don't. Also, if you really don’t like a book, don’t finish it. It’s not worth suffering through it just to try to get to your goal. Now if it’s just tough to read, but you are enjoying it, I'd say try to stick it out. - Join Goodreads. It will give you book ideas to add to your "must read list," you can see what your friends are reading, and it keeps track of what books you read and what you want to read. I discovered today that it even tracks how many pages you read! Can you think of any tips to share? What works for you?
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Amy WellnerEncouraging others to intentionally live out their God-given identity. Archives
September 2022
Categories
All
|