How I Increased The Amount of Books I Finish By 500%
I have a lot of books. I love shopping at used bookstores and library book sales, and I can't seem to make myself pass up on a good deal. I own plenty of memoirs, books on spirituality, Japanese literature, Czech short stories, horror, sci-fi, history, you name it.
I'm always happy to show my collection to friends and family when they visit, but there's one little problem:
I haven't read 99% of them.
I own way more books than I read in a year, and I’m not alone. According to YouGov, 89% of Americans say they own at least one book. This sounds promising until you realize that, according to the latest polls, only 54% of Americans say they read a book in the entirety of 2023.
So, if you're like me, and want to get back to being a reader, not a collector, of books what can we do?
Well, if you're anything like me, you might be apprehensive to this, but the answer is pretty simple: Audiobooks.
I always stuck my nose up when someone mentioned audiobooks. Looking back, I'm not entirely sure why, but I always felt that they were "beneath" me. "I am a real reader," I thought. "I like the feel of a real book in my hands."
And maybe that's partly true. I do like the feel of a physical book in my hands. I like to mark them up and take notes in them. I like seeing them on my shelf.
But was I really a reader? Are audiobooks really not real books? Does it even matter?
After 2 months of listening to audiobooks while at work, on my commute, doing chores, and any other moment of spare time, I can say confidently: I was wrong. Audiobooks are, in fact, real books and no, I wasn't really a reader.
Since picking up the habit, I read more(finishing 500% more books in fact!), retain it better, and can finally say I’m chipping away at my collection.
So, you're probably wondering why should I trust this guy, and even if he's right, I already own all these books. I don't want to buy them all again. These are valid concerns, and I'm going to address them both.
Let's start with the why and work our way to the how.
Why:
From what I’ve found, there is one major reason people give for not picking up, or never finishing, their books: time.
Everyone is busy. Between work, household tasks, and errands, I often don't have the energy to sit down and focus on a book. This is the benefit of audiobooks. You can fit them with your other obligations. I do most of my listening in the car or while working.
What really matters in the end is getting to experience the story or learn about the subject, isn't it?
I think a lot of us stray from that key point. We romanticize the act of reading to the point of forgetting what the point was in the first place.
Alright, maybe audiobooks are more convenient, but is it really as good? Am I even going to remember what I've listened to?
Yes and yes. Audiobooks are a massively growing industry and there has been a lot of focus put on increasing the quality. I've even found some books to be massively improved by the format. Norm Macdonald's Based On A True Story, for example. Getting to hear Norm himself deliver the jokes gives the book an amazing charm.
Most studies show that retention is just about the same as a traditional book. Some even show an improvement.
I initially started my journey with audiobooks to reinforce what I had read traditionally, due to not having a lot of time to dedicate to it. I would listen to what I had already read to keep it fresh in my mind.
I generally mix both like this. I like to read traditionally when I can and when I can't, I listen. This has helped my retention to no end. Since I am experiencing different parts of the book in different ways, they stick in my mind a lot more clearly.
How:
Now on to the how. Assuming you're like me and don't want to drop a ton of money rebuying every single book you own, there is a great solution: Libby.
This isn't a paid post. I don't get anything for recommending Libby, other than knowing I've helped some folks out.
Libby allows you to enter your library card number and get immediate access to your libraries entire collection of digital offerings.
If you find that your library doesn't have certain books available, you have a couple of options. A lot of libraries offer e-cards to nonresidents for very low, annual fees. Some even offer(or tolerate) it for free.(If you know how to sleuth a little bit you can figure this out pretty easily.)
Audiobooks were the key for me to be able to get through my collection, and they might be for you too. I wish I would have set my preconceived notions aside much earlier and allowed myself to take advantage of this great resource.
I’ve been able to quintuple the amount of books I’ve finished, remember them at least twice as well, and have a lot more fun. I hope you give it a try.
