I’ve been a voracious reader most of my life, but when I write, my reading goes by the wayside because I can only get “lost” in one book at a time.

One of my favorite apps on my iPhone is called **Serial Reader which facilitates reading in this same way as your first method describes. Download a classic book from the library and it will present to you a new edition every day, providing indicators to your progress & badges (should you like kind of thing) every time you finish an edition or book.

In this way, I can still write without distraction, but still maintain the reading discipline without binging.

** No affiliation with the app or its author. Just a friendly acknowledgment of a great little program! :-)