How to read more

Reading has always been a huge part of me. I can remember getting super excited whenever the Scholastic book fair came into town, meaning an entire hour of the day would be spent browsing and reading new books. I still remember the first time I got my hands on a hardcopy of the first Harry Potter book, and how excited I was to come to own the entire series.

I’ve always been a bookworm, but as life starts to get in the way, it’s easy for reading to take fade into the background. Reading for leisure definitely wasn’t an option during college, when I had tons of required readings I could barely finish.

Since graduating, I’ve definitely put reading back to the top of my list of priorities, for many reasons. I can’t seem to even walk past a Barnes and Noble without popping in to see what’s new, and leaving with a few new titles.

Still, somedays I still find it hard to squeeze in a few chapters between working, writing for the blog and trying to get a handle on this whole adulting thing. A few small life hacks have made it easier to consume more books without sacrificing a ton of time.

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Carry along for easy access.

Channel your inner Rory Gilmore and toss a book into your bag before you head out each day. You’d be surprised how much reading you can fit in while you’re waiting for the train or during your morning commute. Keeping a book at the ready ensures it’s never hard to get a good chapter in.

Trade some screen time for page time.

One of the reasons I’ve prioritized reading so much is because such a large part of my days are spent staring at screens. I don’t have to preach on the harm overconsumption on our devices can do, we all know. If you have time to scroll through Instagram or fall asleep watching Snapchat stories, pick up a book instead. Your eyes will thank you.

If you don’t like it, leave it!

I’ve heard lots of friends say they would read more, but they’re still trying to finish that one book that they can’t quite get into, but everyone loves. Reading shouldn’t be like sitting at the table until your veggies are done. If you’ve been fighting to get through a book and haven’t gotten invested a chapter or two in, put it aside and grab something else. Don’t waste time or energy reading books you don’t like!

Find your favorite medium.

Nothing feels better to me than holding a book in my hands. And nothing in this world can beat the smell of new book! But that’s my thing, it may not be yours. Maybe you prefer a Kindle, or the ease of being able to read on your computer, phone or tablet. All of those are fine — find whatever suits you best and go for that. (But note, if digital books are your thing, you shold find some way to avoid all of that blue light before bed!).

I’ll be sharing a roundup of what I’ve read lately at the end of this month. You can read here to see what’s on my reading list for 2016.

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