How to Read More Books Throughout the Year
So, you have decided to up your reading game. That is awesome! There is nothing more satisfying than finishing a great book. Denise and I are big time readers. I’m talking 100 plus books-a-year readers. We definitely have that Big Book Energy about us. You may be telling yourself, there is no way I can read that many books in a year, let alone five years. What if I told you, it is way easier than you may think. What if I told you, you could read over 100 books a year, and still have time for more! I promise, with my tried and true strategies you will be cruising through your book stacks in no time.
Steps to Reading More Books This Year
Step One: Get Yourself a Library Card.
If you already have a library card, congratulations, you are ahead of the game! If not, march yourself over to your local library and get yourself a library card. Once you get that card you can thank me…and you’re welcome. I just saved you hundreds of dollars a month on book purchases.
Next, you will need to download the Libby app on your smart device. You can also utilize Overdrive on your computer or device. Libby will open up your world to reading like no other app. It is a magical app that houses thousands of amazing ebooks and audiobooks, and not only are they FREE, they are also available at anytime of the day. Can you say, instant gratification?
Step Two: Become Open Minded about Audiobooks.
Repeat after me…listening to audiobooks is not “cheating.” Don’t believe me? There is a reason that audiobooks are the fastest growing book format since 2013. Matthew Traxler, a professor of psychology at the University of California, Davis states that “most psycholinguists (they study language the psychological and neurobiological aspects that allow humans to process language) agree that the “mental machinery” involved in the higher-level understanding of a narrative, plot, and so on, is the same regardless of how you consume the book.”
There are two fundamental processes that contribute to reading: decoding and language processing. Decoding is when we have to figure out words from print. Language processing is the same mental process you use for oral language. The two work together. Since reading is a “newer” mental process, it must “piggy-back” on mental processes that have already existed. Spoken language is one of those processes. So, with that said reading a book is a lot like listening to one…except reading a book requires decoding, while listening does not.
Once you open your mind to audiobooks, your time for reading will expand exponentially.You can read while performing so many of your daily tasks. Not only that, but those boring daily tasks become so much more enjoyable! You may begin to even look forward to all those menial tasks like folding laundry and doing the dishes.
Step Three: Get More Than One Library Card
First, get yourself a library card at the closest library to you in your county. You will most likely have to go to the library to set up your account. You will need a driver’s license or some form of identification, as well as proof of residence. However, some libraries do allow you to sign up for a card online, so check your library’s main page to see. Next, search to see if any city libraries in your state offer a library card just for living in the state. In our state of California, the San Francisco Library allows any resident of California to receive a free library card. They have a huge selection of ebooks and audiobooks, and most of the books I read come from the San Francisco Library.
There are also many libraries that offer Non-resident Borrowing Privileges. These library cards are not free, but for a small yearly fee, you can open up a variety of more book, magazines, and services offered by the library. Plus, the yearly fee you are paying goes directly to support that local library. Think of it as the best donation ever, with a ton of added benefits.
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Step Four: Put Multiple Books on Hold
While using the library to devour a ton of books is seriously one of the best life hacks ever, it does require some patience at times. The brand new books that are just released can often take weeks, if not months, to become available. This is why it is really important to put as many books as you can on hold. The more library cards you have, the more holds you will receive, as some libraries restrict the amount of books you can have on hold at any given time.
Another key feature of the Libby app that is a must use, is the “deliver later” option. Sometimes you will have multiple books become available at the same time. If you are not ready to read or listen to the book that is available, have no fear, just use the deliver later button and postpone the delivery of the book for as long as you think you will need.
Another thing that I like to do is to place a hold on the ebook and the audiobook version of the same book. That way, if they become available around the same time, I have the option to either listen to, or read the book, or both. It’s great to have options!
Step Five: Create a Goodreads Account
With all the new books that you will be reading, it will be imperative that you begin to log the books you have read. Otherwise, you may find yourself halfway through a book that you have already read before you realize you have read it (been there, done that). Another great feature is that Goodreads allows you to keep a list of books that you want to read. Whenever you find yourself at a loss of what to read, you can log into your trusty Goodreads account and see what books you have placed in your “To Read” section.
Goodreads also has a ton of book recommendations under the books that you have already read. If you liked the book you just finished and can’t think of another book to check out, the book recommendations are a great way to find your next great read.
Step Six: Set up a Reasonable Reading Goal
Now that you are ready to up your reading game, create a realistic reading goal for yourself. If you have yet to finish a book this year, set your sights at maybe 10 books this year. However, if you know that you love to read and are willing to try our audiobooks, set that goal high. The sky is the limit, and I promise you will be walking around with that Big Book Energy just like us in no time.
Happy Reading!