30 Posts in 30 Days Challenge
18 Ways to Make 2024 The Year You Stopped Worrying and Love The Books
Join me and become the reader you were always meant to be.
Do you want to read more?
If you can’t find the time or the energy to read as much as you’d like to, you’re a lot like me: an avid reader looking for a way back in.
How can you find the time and space for reading? How can you fight back against the power of social media apps and other distractions? You’ve come to the right place. Here are 18 tips on fitting more reading into your life and becoming the unstoppable reader you were meant to be. All of them were tested and approved by me.
1. Manage your expectations.
If you want to get back into reading, take it easy. Small goals are helpful to get you started. Don’t overcommit too early.
Set an achievable goal like reading several pages every day, or reading one book a month. Easy wins will help with your motivation. Once you are on a roll, increase your load and read two books per month, and so on.
“Until I feared I would lose it, I never loved to read. One does not love breathing.” ― Harper Lee
2. How about short stories?
No one expects you to read doorstoppers. Relax. Why not give a short story the benefit of the doubt? Lorrie Moore and George Saunders are wonderful entry points; turn to David Foster Wallace if you want to turn it up a notch.
Have you heard of flash fiction? These are ultra-short stories of up to 2–3 pages at max. I recommend this anthology.
3. Re-read books you like.
Sometimes you have to start somewhere you’ve already been. You know your favorites — a second read can reveal things you haven’t noticed the first time. This is why people love the so-called classics: They have great re-read value.
4. Dare to quit.
Listen: You are not married to a book.
Some works may look promising at first and lose you after about 50 pages. That happens. Forcing yourself to plow through a boring book is counter-productive and punishing.
Put it aside. A better book will come.
5. Read multiple books at once.
There’s a book for every mood out there. Sometimes you feel like an intellectual, at other times you need a crime novel. Reading several books at the same time gives you the freedom to pick whatever suits your current mood best.
This is where short story collections come in handy!
6. Try a graphic novel.
Just because they have pictures in them doesn’t mean they don’t have any literary qualities. You’d be surprised!
Pick up Maus, Ghost World, or Black Hole, and thank me later.
7. Join a reading group or a book club.
It can be easier to get into reading if you’re part of a community.
Book clubs help you find reads that weren’t on your radar. At the same time, you can share your thoughts and impressions with others and get extra motivation to finish the book!
“For my whole life, my favorite activity was reading. It’s not the most social pastime.” ― Audrey Hepburn
8. Challenge yourself.
Have you ever heard of Goodreads?
The mobile app has a friendly interface and makes it easy to track your reading progress. Every year you can join their Reading Challenge and decide how many books you’d like to tackle in the next 12 months.
I am humble, I am doing only 12 books in 2024.
Another reading challenge I have done in the past is the 24 in 48 Readathon. Let me tell you, reading for 24 hours out of 48 is taxing as hell but uplifting as nothing else. Maybe you have a friend who would like to spend a crazy weekend like that?
9. Change your mindset.
Studying literature at the university almost killed my drive to read. I had to step back and figure out what I liked instead of reading something because somebody told me to.
It might take a moment to reframe reading as an enjoyable activity. Be patient with yourself.
10. Read so you don’t scroll.
We’ve been trained to reach for our phones whenever we feel bored, or insecure. Try grabbing your book the next time the doom-scrolling demon comes over you.
Give yourself permission to read small sections (flash fiction is your friend). This is a hard one, so don’t despair if you fall back into your patterns.
11. Set up a dedicated reading time.
Rituals help form new habits.
Instead of watching Netflix or zoning out on YouTube make it your new habit to read before bed. Switch your phone to airplane mode, turn your electrical devices off, and dive into the rich world between the pages.
12. Celebrate your wins!
Ideally, reading is its reward. Before we get there, however, you should celebrate small wins. Finished reading another book? Go on you beast! I respect you.
13. Bring a book with you everywhere.
You will always have some downtime. Public transit, waiting in the doctor’s office: Use this time to dip your eyes in literature. Or non-fiction, as you wish.
14. Set up your reading space.
Once again, rituals.
A lovely reading nook at home is an easy way to prime yourself into curling up with a new book. By the way: If anyone would like to donate me an armchair, get in touch!
“I can feel infinitely alive curled up on the sofa reading a book.” ― Benedict Cumberbatch
15. Find your favorite library.
There’s nothing like getting lost in a public library and turning up with a stack of books you had no idea existed. Most bigger cities have at least one library; setting up your library card is a matter of minutes.
Fuel your growing book addiction.
16. Invest in an e-book.
Books can be big, and heavy. I’m not an e-book fan myself but I see their use, especially when packing for a holiday. Convenience is king.
17. Experiment with different genres.
A good way to stimulate your mind is to try new things. This goes for books, too. If you usually gravitate towards hard-boiled crime fiction, try a poetry book. Readers of biographies, how about a sci-fi novel?
18. Keep a reading diary
Finally, track your progress.
You can either use Goodreads and leave a review on a book you’ve read or scribble down your thoughts in your diary. No need to stress yourself out — but taking a moment and reflecting on what you’ve consumed helps digesting.
Let me know if these tips help and share your current reads in the comment section.
“Today a reader, tomorrow a leader.” ― Margaret Fuller
Part of my Medium challenge — 30 Posts in 30 Days
Day 11/30
