My reading speed is about 50 pages/hour. As a standard, I try to read at least one book per week. Usually, I read that book over a couple days. If time permits, I can easily read a typical fiction novel in about 5-6 hours.
Reading books is part of my job here online. I write book reviews. I dabble in bookstagram. I work with authors, publishers, and book sellers. And I freaking love it! If I could have my nose permanently glued to a book, I would.
However, reading at such a high volume means that you can easily burnout. Reading takes a lot of concentration, time, and energy. However, reading is knowledge and “knowledge is power”. For many of us, reading will put us ahead of the crowd.
So far in 2019, over 450,000 books have been published. I’m sure that number is even higher at this very moment. If you’re a true bibliophile, that number can seem pretty daunting. How are you going to read 450,000 books with only 365 days in a year?
Truth be told, and you already know this, you don’t have to. Regardless, most of our TBR (“To Be Read”) lists and stacks are massive. You don’t have to dial it back. In fact, here’s how to go full steam ahead and how to read more without burning out.
Follow the 100 Page Rule.
The 100 Page Rule is something that I made up for myself in order to get through more books without sacrificing quality. Here’s the gist: If by the time you reach page 100 in your book and you’re not enjoying it, ditch it.
I think the camps of people who don’t finish books and the people who have to finish books is pretty cut and dry. I used to be the latter. However, I just didn’t see the point anymore. The reality was that I was giving up my time to stumble through a mediocre book instead of thoroughly enjoying a fantastic work of art.
Life is too short. There’s too many books. Marie Kondo that shit and drop the book if it’s not bringing you joy after 100 pages.
Let's get through that TBR list without ever having to put a book down. 🤓 Click To TweetTry a non-visual approach.
What would you have to give up to get more reading time in? Cleaning? Errands? Work?
So many people shrug off services like Audible simply because the book is not physically in your hand. Audible is doing more than just providing audio. They’re making it possible to read books during your commute, while you do paperwork at work, while you workout, and while you clean your home.
There’s a monthly subscription option that gives you 1 credit/month, which will buy you 1 book/month. If you’re an avid reader, keep an eye out for bargains. They have them frequently where you can buy 3 credits for the price of 1 and scoop up books at $1.99 a piece.
You can sign-up for Audible here.
Turn reading into a ritual.
You brush your teeth every day because that’s just what you do. You change your clothes every day because that’s just what you do. The trash. The dishes. The roads you take to work. The days you do your errands. These are all habits.
What if reading was a habit? You wouldn’t even have to think about it because it would be automatic. Automatically, you pick up a book and read for an hour in the morning and an hour at night. Or, you read during your lunch break. Or, you designate one of your days off to reading.
You catch my drift. By turning reading into a habit and daily ritual, you make it a no-brainer. No stress. No debate. If you do this automatically and your brain considers it a habit and expects it, you’ve greatly reduced the likelihood that you’ll burn out from reading and improved your chances of plowing through more books than you’ve ever read.
Join a subscription service to build your library quickly and affordably.
If you’ve been around, then it’s no secret that I’m a Book Ambassador for Book of the Month. Essentially, I’m gifted any books of my choice in exchange for an Instagram post.
Don’t check out yet, though. I would not have stayed with this company for over two years if I did wholeheartedly believe in what they do. They make it extremely affordable for anyone to build up their library. I get 3 books every month, which totals to about $35/month. When I go into a bookstore, there are some books where it alone costs $35.
I’m now having to install more bookcases in our home to hold all the new incoming novels. All of the novels from Book of the Month are pre-read to make sure they’re good. In addition, you’ll only see new releases as options. So, you don’t have to waste time deciding which new “it” book to tackle next. BOTM does the work for you.
You can check them out here.
If you got value from this post, I would love it if you shared it with someone you think would value it, too.
