How I Read More in 2016

As I mentioned in my favorite books of 2016 post, I read more this year than I probably have in any other given year of my adult life.  There were a few lessons I learned this year that contributed to this bump in reading.  I thought they might be worth sharing…

Keep a list of books to read…

This year, in the back of my planner I used one of those precious few pages for notes to keep a list of books that I want to read.  Anytime I heard someone mention a book that sounded interesting, or I stumbled across a “best books” list I’d add to the list.  And when I finished something from the list I crossed it off.  Previously I’d had random notes on my phone or in my email with books that I might want to read, but I’ve never had them in one concise place.  My planner goes with my pretty much everywhere so whenever I was at a bookstore or the library I always knew what I might be looking for.

Keep a list of books that I did read…

Next to my list of books to read I also kept track of what I’d finished.  There was something so satisfying about seeing that list grow and I think it kept me reading.  In 2017 I want to include the dates of when I finished the book because I think that would be interesting to track.

Utilize the library and its book reserve system…

I started using the library more this year.  I think because I had that ever growing list of books to read at my fingertips, each trip to the library for kids books also included a trip upstairs to get some books for me.  And for the first time ever I found myself putting books on hold that were currently unavailable (rather than just trying again another time).  This meant I was constantly getting emails about books that were waiting for me.  And in a lot of ways it motivated me to read them more quickly, partly because a book with holds on it can’t be renewed, and partly because I knew that there were other people waiting and I felt bad taking my sweet time.  As a result I would fly through books.  There were times I had to let go of books I was dying to read because all the books I’d put on hold came up at once, but they’re still on my “To Read” list so I’ll get back to them eventually.

Audiobooks for the win…

I’ve always been a fan of audiobooks but have fallen out of it in recent years because they’re expensive to buy and a pain to try and take out from the library.  This year only 7 or 8 of my read titles were audiobooks, but interestingly, I found that audiobooks are really great for titles that I may have a hard time getting into, but ultimately really enjoyed reading.  If I could listen while I washed dishes or worked out, I was less likely to put the book down and before I knew it I was into it.  This was how I managed to read the 800 pages of “A Little Life” and how I discovered that I loved the Robert Galbraith series.

And finally, reading begets reading…

That old adage we throw around when our kids are babies, sleep begets sleep, also applies to reading, I’ve found.  When I’m in the practice of reading books I read more.  I realized this about a month ago when I wasn’t reading.  I’d run out of books coming through from my hold list, there wasn’t anything screaming to be read on my “To Read” list and I realized it had been a week or two since I’d picked up a book.  I was in a reading rut.  On a library run for my kids I took a tour of the new fiction section and grabbed three books that I’d heard nothing about but based on my knowledge of the authors, or, frankly, the covers, I figured I might like.  These were easy books, the reality t.v. of literature, but they were quick reads and entertaining stories and within a week or so they had helped break my rut and I was moving on to other literary endeavors.  The more you read, the more you read.

So those are my tips.  Or at least what helped me be a better reader in 2016.  I’ve got my lists going for 2017 and a goal to read 50 books this year.  I’m also going to try and finally figure out my library’s digital selection and try to check out books directly to my kindle or phone.  I don’t always love reading on the kindle, but for certain books it works, and if I can figure out the library audiobook app that could be pretty awesome.

Happy Reading in 2017!