I’m a little bit obsessed with stories. I guess you already know that, seeing as I write it every chance I get: every story matters.
And so it should really be of no surprise, how my love of stories connects with my deep love for a good book. As far back as I can remember, I’ve been a book-lover. Yeah, I was that girl who showed up to the dinner table with a book in her hand. Sometimes I read straight through the meal. Listen, I make no apologies.
Maybe you’re like me with your nose always in a book. Maybe you’re more like many of my good friends and could go years without cracking open the spine of a book.
But here’s the thing: You need to read. You need to get those stories deep inside you, letting them wedge their way into who you are. You’ve got to open a book so you can soak in the words that you’ll find inside. Because stories? They change lives. But you’re going to have to open the book and begin.
I’ve read 32 books in 2015 and we’re only in July. And yes, I was in college and working part-time until May. If I could find the time in between working, classes, homework and starting a , then trust me… you can too. No excuses, people. No excuses. You can always find the time to open up a new world. {<– Click here to tweet}
If you aren’t sure where to begin, here are 6 tips that work for me.
1. Download books to your phone (or Kindle/Nook).
Nothing compares to the smell of a new book or the feeling of turning the paper-thin pages, but a Kindle (or Nook, etc) or the free Kindle app (for phone or computer) make it so easy to read a few pages when you find yourself with fringe hours or “extra” unexpected time — like when you’re waiting at the doctor’s office or in the school pick-up line or in between classes. It isn’t practical to always carry a paperback with you throughout the day, but how often are you apart from your phone?
Of the 32 books I’ve read this year, 11 of them are from my Kindle app. Most of that reading happened in small, unexpected pockets of time. But if you know you’ll have a short break every week, you can set that time aside to read another few pages. Somehow, it’s like giving yourself a gift. Every Wednesday from January-May, I had a twenty-five minute break between class and grabbing lunch with a friend. It wasn’t much, but it was enough to read another chapter. Multiple books were started and finished on those Wednesday mornings.
P.S. Kindle Unlimited is currently free. You’ll receive unlimited access to over 1 million titles, unlimited access to audiobooks, and can browse popular (brand new) magazines. Click here for a free month (or two months for $0.99) and see if it’s worth it! It’s really easy to cancel, if not.
Updated to add: I now have (and really like!) the Kindle Paperwhite (waterproof). I reach for it all the time in my daily life, but I appreciate it most when I’m traveling (so many titles in one space, and no more saving room in the suitcase for books).
2. Join a book club.
Online. In person. Whatev.
3. Highlight, underline, and star the heck out of those pages.
There’s a decent chance that if you read a book and absolutely love it, you’ll read it again down the road. But if you only somewhat like the book, are you truly ever going to read the entire thing again? Doubtful. So how do you retain the parts you loved, the ideas that grabbed you, the words that moved you?
It’s so simple. Highlight them! Or underline. Or put little stars or brackets around paragraphs. It will not only be easy to find what you loved when you look back at the book later, but it will encourage you to keep reading. The more I underline a book, the more I love it and want to turn the next page. And then when you finish, you’ll easily be able to look back and see what moved you.
4. Connect with authors online.
This makes book-reading so much more fun! Tweet a quote from the book and tag the author. Comment on an Instagram post related to their book and let them know what you’ve enjoyed so far. Most of the time I receive a response and this often builds a more personal connection in my mind next time I read their words, as they aren’t just “that author out there somewhere” but a real person. (This is always true, but can be easy to forget.)
5. Sign up to receive advance access to upcoming books.
I’ve been a member of NetGalley for several years and it’s one of the ways I’m able to read books before they come out. (Keep in mind that if you sign up and download a book, you’re agreeing to write a review on NetGalley.) There’s something really fun about reading a manuscript before it’s widely available, which might keep you turning the pages more so than a title on your nightstand.
6. Purchase an audio book and listen as you drive to work or run errands.
This one is self-explanatory, but much like reading a page or two on your Kindle (or Kindle app) when you find yourself with an unexpected few minutes in your day, this is one way to utilize time that can’t otherwise involve a book. Reading while driving is a terrible idea… but an audiobook coming through your speakers? Perfect! If you commute to work — or even just listen to a book on your way to and from the grocery store — you’ll read more books every month/year as time goes on. If you enjoy listening to audiobooks, you’ll love Audible! (If you have Amazon Prime but you aren’t using Audible, you actually already have TWO free books in your account.)
Photo source: 2 {text added}
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Excellent suggestions. I love your quote, “You can always find the time to open up a new world.” It’s going in my commonplace book. C.S. Lewis said, “We want to see with other eyes, to imagine with other imaginations, to feel with other hearts as well as our own.” I operate a library of my own to help families do that. Thanks for encouraging us to just make the time. It will change our lives.
Ooh I love that you have a ‘quote book’!!! I’ve written about mine a few times and I actually sat down to add a few new quotes to it this evening. Tell me more about your library?
Great ideas!
Great post! I love reading but sometimes I feel guilty, because I feel I should be doing something else (like cleaning etc.) Audio books are awesome! I’ve “read” Jane Austen a lot :)
I love reading too!! I have been working on adding more reading to my life for the last few years. It was the first thing to go when I got a job and had my son. I was so excited to add it back to my life. I have read 88 books this year and make it my goal to read over 100 every year. Sadly, this is not a problem for me and I don’t even read the kindle books or the books on my phone but you will see me always carrying a book. I have been known to pull it out at long read lights… why not if the light is 3 minutes long. Perfect time to pick it up and get a couple pages read. I love our library and have started reserving all the books that I want in order so I can start a series and read straight through. I haven’t bought any books in ages with the library and the blogging for books outlets from Litfuse, Blogging for Books and Bethany House. I get lots of free books from the piles in the library too and recently through the summer reading programs. Great post and I hope that people add lots more reading in their lives!!
Oh, I’ll have to check out Litfuse! Thanks for the tip!
Great ideas! I love to read and feel like it is a treat that I look forward to hopefully each day. I am thinking that like with any new habit, I will need to practice getting better at reading more books more often. Sounds like a great excuse to read more doesn’t it??? Thanks for linking this to the Weekend Brew.
I love to read too! Maybe not to the point of bringing a book to the dinner table, but I know the joy of reading a book that you just can’t put down!
I loved to read “mentoring” books. I tend to read about fellow believers lives or books that are fiction but have a Christian world view. I find they inspire and spur me on!
I LOVE to read a good ole fashioned book. I like to see the progress I’ve made as I turn the pages. The thought of reading on a kindle never appealed to me, but I certainly see your point that if you have it on your phone, there are indeed pockets of time in a day where you could sit and read a chapter because our phones are usually always with us. I just may have to give that a try!
I am also one who will mark up a book to highlights those areas I found worthwhile to highlight.
Thanks so much for all these great tips!
Yes, give it a try! Just today I was waiting in line and found myself thinking – oh, I have time to read a few pages!
Great tips. Please share on Literacy Musing Mondays when it goes live on Sunday at 6 p.m. I am a member of Revell and Tyndale too. ;)
Will do. :)
For years I seldom read anything other than school books – I would simply fall asleep if I sat down to read! But with my children getting older, I’m finding a little more mental focus to read again. The Kindle app on my phone has been the best thing for me. Although I will prefer the feel, sound and smell of books, I will admit that digital has made more reading an easier thing for me. Thanks for stopping by my linkup and sharing this!
Thank you for hosting!
I love audiobooks in the car.
Hi Kaitlyn,
I’m visiting you from the Reflect link-up and I really love your post! You have some fabulous suggestions to encourage us all to read more books each month!
Among other things, I host a community and party called The Book Nook at Create With Joy for the bibliophiles in my creative community. I’d love it if you would share this fabulous article with us (along with any other books, reviews, etc you think we’d enjoy reading!)
Have a wonderful weekend!
Create With Joy
http://create-with-joy.com
I’m clicking over right now to see if I can find it. :)
I love reading (in Dutch). You motivate me to read more.
oooooh… now that is one language I certainly do not know. very cool.
This is such great advice! Thank you so much! I love reading, but have had a hard time fitting it into my schedule lately. But I need to!! And I’m with you on the Kindle thing. I have been very against it. But if it can help me read more, maybe I should give it a chance. And because there’s not enough physical space for all the books I would want to read! :)
I can’t even tell you how against using a Kindle/Nook I used to be. And truthfully, I’m still against it simply because nothing compares to an actual book in your hands. But… that being said… it helps me read more and to me, that’s worth it. I always have my phone around, so now I always have a couple books around! (And yes, my bookshelves are overflowing. I totally get you on that!)
I LOVE reading but find that I have so little time.
Recently, however, I’ve been trying to combine my reading time with my exercise time. I walk slowly with the treadmill on an incline and read while I walk.
It’s not quite as enjoyable as curling up on the couch with a cup of hot tea, but it is a great time management tactic.
Happy reading, Kaitlyn!
That’s a good idea! I’ve started to listen to my Bible app while working out… because to be honest, it can sometimes be real hard to keep up with One Year bible reading plan, you know? But that’s a great idea also with audio books!
Love love love! My problem is I’ll start one book, then another, then another… you get the picture. I’m a serial starter. Lol.
I have a nook. I CAN NOT do the books on the phone: it’s so small and I have miserable eyesight, reading on such a small screen usually gives me headaches. A nook/kindle are pretty lightweight and easy to tote around in a purse or backpack. If you can read on that small of a screen though, more power to ya :)
I used to never be able to read more than one at a time… which meant I read books in 1-2 days. I just fly through them because I can’t help myself. But in college I couldn’t do that because, well, multiple classes = multiple homework assignments all with different readings. So now I read multiple books at a time. :)
I totally get the whole nook/kindle thing. I just can’t bring myself to spend money and buy one.
True about reading for different classes. I’m an English major so I know alllll about that life! Reading for fun, though, I tend to start one book then drop it when another rolls around. Gotta work on that. and fair enough! My nook was a gift for graduating high school (4 years ago, bless it). I need to upgrade soon, but maybe I can swing it for a college grad gift in december ;)
I used to have my nose in a book ALL the time. In fact, I’d often get in trouble for reading too much! ;) A few years ago, though, I ran into some health issues & reading time turned into research time. I still love it & am setting goals this year to read more books. As much as I love the smell of a book, I have been able to read quite a few more on my kindle – mostly free ones from Amazon :) I am definitely going to come back here during lunch & check out those links! I’m currently on a book launch team & would love to connect with more authors or do reviews! Thanks for all the awesome tips & resources!!!
I’m happy to share the tips! The programs I linked are some of the best ones I’ve found on the Internet.. NetGalley is great if you’re looking for ebooks.
Okay, now I’m motivated to read more. Gotta get out of “want to” and make it happen more often. Great suggestions. Linking with you at Coffee for Your Heart.
Girl you can do it! Try downloading an ebook or an audiobook so it’s always with you.
Love BookLook!! I do the Bethany House program as well. And, as much as I hate to say it too, my Kindle and my phone help a lot. Plus, tons of free books. I buy maybe one book a year between using the library, the book review programs, and free e-books. I loved my Kindle when my 3yr old was a baby and nursing. I read a lot while nursing. Easy since I only needed one hand. I find reading while eating is one of the best ways to get it done.
My library is part of a network of libraries that have a website for downloading e-books and audiobooks. I love that I can download an audiobook straight to my phone. It’s 15 minutes to the store and 25+ to get anywhere else. I love that I can “read” while I drive. I’m only on book 32 of the year. My goal was 35 (used to be 50-75 pre-child). Goodreads makes me pretty obsessed over keeping track of my reading. lol (visiting from A Little R & R Wednesdays)
I rarely buy books now! I think I’ve maybe purchased three this year? It’s fantastic. And your library system sounds AWESOME.