As someone who reads at least 100 books per year, the questions I get asked the most are, “How do you find the time?”, “What are your reading hacks?,” and “How do you read so much?”
It’s no secret that we’re all busy. We’re overwhelmed at work, we’re constantly trying to spend more time with our friends and family, and we also need to keep the house clean, eat right, and maybe even get a workout in. We all need to be able to unwind, no matter how busy our lives are. While it’s certainly easier to scroll through Instagram or rewatch a favorite TV show, there’s nothing quite as rejuvenating as curling up with a good book.
The hardest part of reading more isn’t finding the time to read; it’s finding books that make you want to read more than you want to do anything else. These five reading hacks will help you do exactly that.
1. Learn all about your reading preferences
Our favorite genres are the best way to define what we enjoy reading. For example, I most like to read women’s fiction and YA realistic fiction. But there are a lot of books in those genres, and within those genres, there are a lot of books that wouldn’t be for me. So how can I tell which books I will enjoy? I’ve taken the time to figure out the specifics of what I like to read.
In women’s fiction, I like multi-generational stories with both adult and teenage point-of-view characters. In YA realistic fiction, I prefer when the characters are at least sixteen, when the main character’s goals and opinions differ from those of her parents, and when romance isn’t the main plot. That gives me a lot more to go off of than simply women’s fiction and YA realistic fiction. It allows me to discover books I enjoy in other genres. Multi-generational stories are also my favorite genre of thriller. When I read adult romance, I seek out books in which the characters are dealing with more than their love lives.
Consider what you loved about your favorite books. Next, search for books that include these elements. A targeted search will likely bring up lists created by book lovers. A quick glance at the gists (short reviews on the Readerly app) will give recommendations on things such as romances that make your heart break and fake relationships tropes. The StoryGraph app will show you the moods of books that you enjoy reading, such as reflective, emotional, and lighthearted. You can also ask your local librarian or bookseller for recommendations. I promise you’ll end up with books you won’t be able to put down.
2. If you really want to read, only the big books are recommended.
As someone who used work in publishing, it is clear that each publishing division chooses between one and three books per season to get the most publicity and marketing. These are the books that you’ll definitely hear about. They’ll be all over the Internet. They’ll be at the front of bookstores when you walk in. Many of them will be on the New York Times bestsellers lists.
Recently, some of these books have been Beautiful World, Where are YouSally Rooney Harlem ShuffleColson Whitehead A slow fire burningPaula Hawkins Apples Never FallLiane Moriiarty. These books will be bought by thousands, and they will be loved by thousands. But if you don’t think you’ll love them, then let me be the person who gives you permission to not read them.
If you’re not a fan of character-driven books where the dialogue has no quotation marks, then don’t read Beautiful World, Where are You. If you didn’t like Girl on the Train, then don’t bother with Paula Hawkins’ latest. But if those books do sound like they’re for you, then absolutely pick them up! Read a book because it’s what you want to read, not because it’s what everyone else is reading.
3. You can fill your social media feeds with bookish accounts of people who share your taste in books
Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube are filled with book lovers who review the books they read and post about upcoming releases that they’re interested in. While there are many similarities in the content they share with their followers, no two Bookstagrammers will be alike.
You can also browse bookish channels on your favorite social media site and search for books you’ve read. You can read and watch reviews to see what BookTokker thought about the books. Did you love the fact that the book was written in one day? Did the witty dialogue pull you in as much? If so, hit the follow button!
While you’re at it, look up your favorite authors and follow them, too. One of the easiest ways to find books you’ll enjoy is to read other books by authors of books you’ve already loved. Authors will always let you know when they have a new book coming out, but they’ll also do more than that. Authors wouldn’t be authors if they weren’t readers, and that makes them excellent sources for book recommendations.
Emily Henry, New York Times bestseller author Beach Read People We Meet on VacationThis is evident in the example of. She is always posting about contemporary romance novels that she’s enjoyed, and she even mentions books that she thinks her fans will enjoy. She posted on Instagram that her fans of Beach ReadYou will be able to enjoy Love ScenesBridget Morrissey. She also shared thatLast NightMhairi McFarlane is the right fit for her.
Following your favorite authors will not just keep you in the know on their latest books; it will also give you a slew of recommendations of other books you’re likely to enjoy. With your social media feeds now filled with books from people whose recommendations you can trust, your TBR list will soon be longer than you could’ve imagined.
4. Start a book by reading the first 60 pages in one go.
You’ve taken the time to select your next book, and now it’s time to start reading it. Don’t read the first page and then get distracted. Don’t read the first chapter and then set it aside. Make a commitment to read 60 pages in one sitting. Why? Because that’s when you’ll be far enough into the story to understand the book’s structure, care for the characters, and want to know what happens next. You’ll no longer be thinking about putting the book down.
Even though I am a huge Sally Rooney fan, I would not have followed this rule if I was picking up a book.Beautiful World, Where Are You?It was too boring to continue reading. Rooney opens the novel with, “A woman sat in a hotel bar, watching the door.” This is a strong first line. We’re immediately curious, wondering who this woman is, why she’s watching the door, and who she might be waiting for. Rooney refers to this character as a female and the man who eventually talks with her at the bar, as a man. It’s not until almost the end of the chapter that we learn the characters’ names: Alice and Felix.
When we turn the page to the next chapter, we expect more of the same—but that’s not what we get. Instead, we discover we’re reading an email from Alice to her friend. We need to read another two chapters before we can see the entire structure of the novel. I wasn’t interested in the book when I was reading about four nameless people, but once Rooney moved on from that and I got used to the back and forth of narrative and email, I couldn’t wait to find out where the book was going to go.
5. Don’t be afraid to DNF
If you’re a reader, you have probably heard of the term DNF before. But just in case you haven’t, it stands for “did not finish,” and it’s a phrase Bookstagrammers have been using for years. You DNF a book when you start it but then decide to stop reading it.
This is the one area on this list where it is important to listen to my own advice. I am an admittedly terrible DNFer. Even though it is almost never worth finishing the books I want, it is a shame. Instead of putting down a book that isn’t working for me, I waste a week not wanting to read and then finally force myself to finish. I could have read more books if I didn’t DNF. So don’t be like me. If you aren’t enjoying a book, DNF it and pick up something else!
Source: The Every Girl
