How To Read More: 12 Tips & Tricks by 6 Bloggers

Hello, friends! Last year, I did a collaborative post on prices of YA content with the help of three teens and two adults. (You can – and should, if I may say so myself – read that post by clicking here.) I enjoyed working with others and creating something that was made up of combination of multiple person’s input – it felt more nuanced, more valuable than anything I could have written on my own.

Thus, after being asked about how I read so much, my first thought was going to some of my blogger friends and asking them for their own tips and tricks, as opposed to simply jutting down my own.

Today, I’ve brought you five bloggers – all of whom contributed with 2-2 tips – who I look up to for their dedication to reading. As a bonus (lol) I shared two tips as well, so altogether you’ll get 12 tips in this post.

Roberta @ Offbeat YA

🌿 tip #1: try allotting a certain number of pages per day

As everyone who’s familiar with my blog knows, I’m a big scheduler. Making monthly plans has helped me a lot with blogging, and I ultimately decided to apply the method to my reading as well. So, I usually break down my current book into a certain number of pages per day, a relatively small number that I know I can meet – and if I end up reading, say, a hundred pages instead of the allotted 50, more power to me  🙂. Believe me… if you start small, you’ll find it easy to top yourself.

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🌿 tip #2: read at night

I mostly read before I go to bed, because it’s either reading or blogging or watching TV at that time (well, unless I have to iron the clothes I have been avoiding all day, that is. 😉 But I digress). The night (from 9 to 11 PM, in my case) is the perfect time to be reading – next to no other activities competing for your attention, no phone calls, no visitors (unless you’re friends with a vampire 😂), silence, and an overall relaxed mood. Just put your comfy pyjamas on and open your book of choice – and happy reading!

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Olivia @ Olivia’s Catastrophe

🌿 tip #3: take reading breaks between studying

This one is a student tip. It can be hard to read while studying, but I take reading breaks while doing my essays. I make my plan, then write a paragraph, read a chapter, write a paragraph and repeat. It avoids me getting burned out from working and makes sure I have time to do what I love too!

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🌿 tip #4: read in different formats

This helps me so much. By constantly having one physical book, one ebook and one audiobook on the go, it means whatever the situation, I can read. Walking? Listen to a book. On the bus? Read my book. On an overnight coach in the dark? Read my ebook. It keeps me reading whenever I can squeeze in the time!

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Sam @ We Live and Breath Books

🌿 tip #5: read during your commute

If you use mass transit, use the time to get through some of your current read. My commute is about 4.5 hours daily, which equates to many pages. If you drive, consider listening to an audiobook. It’s a great way to pass the time, especially when sitting in traffic.

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🌿 tip #6: prioritize reading

I used to “watch” a lot of TV, but once I no longer had papers to grade, I found it sort of boring to sit in front of the TV, and often, found myself falling asleep. I have shifted a lot of that TV time to reading time.

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Meeghan @ Meeghan Reads

🌿 tip #7: carry a book with you everywhere

I carry a book (sometimes two) or my ipad (with kindle app and iBooks) with me all the time, so I can read a few pages while I’m waiting at the Drs office, in line at the supermarket, or eating lunch. It’s not always great if you get into a really gripping part of the book, because then you don’t want to stop, but a few times a day really adds up. If you don’t have an ereader, then your phone also works!

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🌿 tip #8: schedule “alone time” on weekends

After I’ve done my housework or chores, I set aside a couple of hours for me, to recharge after a long week working with people (I highly recommend this for all the introverts)! I make a cup of tea, sometimes I run a bath or go get a pedicure, but I always spend some of that time reading. I find it especially relaxing if it’s something I want to read, as opposed to a review book that you have to read!

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Sabrina @ Wordy and Whimsical

🌿 tip #9: rotate between books

Most of the time, you’ll find me in the middle of reading several books at once and I swear, this helps me read more. Often I think that I don’t feel like reading, but it’s just that I’m a little tired of my current read. Instead of watching TV or going on YouTube, I pick up a different book and find that I can keep reading for longer. Sometimes I’ll pick out a few books and switch every chapter or so. It’s not for everyone, but it works well for me!

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🌿 tip #10: try turning off your wifi

Have you ever sat down to do something, but you keep getting interrupted by your phone? I know it happens to me all the time – I’ll barely get one sentence read at a time, because I keep getting notifications. It helps me a lot to turn off my wifi for a little while, so I’m not constantly distracted. If anyone needs to contact me immediately, they’ll text or call. (PS – make sure you switch off your data too!)

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Veronika @ Wordy and Whimsical

🌿 tip #11: learn to give up on books you hate

Y’all, this tip has proved to be so, so, so useful for me! I used to force myself to continue a book even if I detested it, and that oftentimes pushed me into a full-blown reading slump. Obviously, that wasn’t ideal, so I had to become braver with abandoning books. Even so, as a curious person, I do struggle with wanting to know how a book will end – the solution to that is skimming, or speed-reading novels you dislike. This way, you are giving the benefit of the doubt to a novel – if it gets better, you’ll know – but you’ll be able to wrap it up faster than normal. Pro tip: putting a book on hold is not a crime if you cannot enjoy it at a given moment!

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🌿 tip #12: partake in reading challenges and read-a-thons

These are not for everyone, they certainly didn’t used to be for me, but they can be a huge push to read more. Challenges, such as Start on Your Shelf hosted by CW, and readathons, such as the twice a year 24in48 read-a-thon can boost the number of books you tackle. They can also help you meet and talk with new bookish people, with whom you can cheer each other on, or even buddy read books.

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Let’s chat!

🌿 Do you have any tips for reading more? Do you even care how much you read each year? Do you like to challenge yourself? Also! Don’t forget to check out all these bloggers, because they are awesome. 🌿