How to read many books

I enjoy reading, and I read a lot. As a child, you could always find me tucked away in a corner of the garden, reading a book. As I went to university, I experienced “letter fatigue”, and only picked up reading again during my PhD years.

Since 2012, I’ve been logging my reading in Goodreads. In 2020, I read 67 books, and in 2019, 65. It’s fair to say that I average more than a book per week.

So, how do I get to reading so much? Here’s what works for me:

1. Have several books going at the same time: I always have multiple books going at the same time. I like to switch between books, instead of reading one book after the other one. Your mileage may vary, but I always have a print book, an audiobook, a fiction book, poetry, a nonfiction book, and a kindle book going at the same time.
2. Use different formats. In line with what I discussed in the previous point, I like switching up my format. I like to alternate between fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. Besides that, I like to switch between audiobooks and written format books. For the written format books, I like to switch between a print book, books on my ereader (Kobo), books on the Kindle app, and sometimes scanned library books.
3. Always carry a book. If you take a book with you, you will always have your reading with you if you need to wait for a bit. If you have a reading app on your phone, or carry your ereader with you, it’s very easy to read while you wait somewhere.
4. Actively plan what to read. I plan at least 12 of the books that I want to read in a year in advance, using the prompts of Modern Mrs Darcy. This practice makes my reading life more balanced, helps me put more thought in what I want to read, and generally helps me be a better reader.
5. Read daily. If you want to be reading a lot, it should be a daily habit. Find a time during the day that works well for you, and make it a habit. I read in bed before falling asleep.