There is no shortage of advice about reading more. Most of it assumes you have hours of empty evenings and a will of iron. The reality is messier: work runs late, children need feeding, and the stack of books by your bed becomes a monument to good intentions. The habits below are not about speed-reading or sacrificing sleep. They are about fitting books into the life you already have, one small decision at a time.
Ambitious reading targets are a trap. Pledge to read fifty books and you will likely spend more time feeling guilty than turning pages. Instead, pick a number that feels almost embarrassingly modest. One book a month is twelve a year. If that sounds like a stretch, aim for six. The point is to build a habit, not to win a competition.
Track your progress simply. A note in your phone, a tick on a calendar, or a list in the back of a notebook all work. When you finish a book, write the title down. Seeing that list grow is quietly motivating. If you miss a month, no drama. Adjust the goal and carry on.
Seasonal goals can help, too. Maybe winter is your slow season, when evenings are dark and staying in feels natural. Or perhaps summer, with its long light and lazy afternoons, is when you read most. Notice when reading already happens easily, and lean into that season instead of fighting your real life.
Library loans remove two barriers: cost and commitment. You can borrow a book you are curious about without paying for it, and if you do not enjoy it, you simply return it. Most libraries now offer digital loans through their apps, so you can borrow ebooks and audiobooks from your sofa. If your library uses a reservation system, place holds on the books you want. They will arrive when they arrive, which is a pleasant surprise rather than a chore.
Make the library part of your routine. Choose a fixed day each fortnight to visit or to check your loans online. Return books on time to avoid fines. Charity shops and second-hand bookshops are also good for low-cost paperbacks, but the library is unbeatable for trying before you buy.
Use your library’s hold list strategically. Keep a few titles reserved at once, so a new book lands in your hands just as you finish the last one. This removes the blank moment when you might otherwise reach for your phone instead of a story.
Audiobooks count as reading. This is not a loophole; it is a different way to experience a story or an idea. Listen while you commute, wash up, walk the dog, or fold laundry. If you find the narration too slow, increase the speed slightly. Many people settle at 1.25x or 1.5x after a few chapters.
Ebooks are useful for the odd five minutes you would otherwise spend scrolling. Keep a book on your phone for queues, waiting rooms, and the school pick-up. Some readers like to pair an audiobook with a print copy, switching between them depending on the moment. There is no wrong way to do this.
Try matching the format to your mood. A memoir read by the author can feel warmer as audio. A dense nonfiction book may be easier to absorb in print, where you can underline and flip back. A fast thriller might be perfect on your phone in short bursts. The more formats you use, the more moments become reading moments.
Habit stacking means attaching a new behaviour to an existing one. You do not need to find extra time; you need to claim a moment that is already there. The trick is to be specific. “Read more” is vague. “Read two pages while the kettle boils” is a plan.
Here are some stacks that work well:
Keep the book visible. A book on the arm of the sofa will be picked up; a book inside a drawer will be forgotten. The two-page rule is powerful: you can always read two pages. Often, you will read more.
Your surroundings shape your behaviour. If your phone is on the table, it will win. Put it in another room, or at least face down and out of reach. Create a small, comfortable spot for reading: a chair with good light, a cushion, a blanket. It does not need to be a dedicated library; a corner of the sofa works.
Carry a book with you. A paperback in your bag means you can read in a café, on a bus, or while waiting for an appointment. If you prefer ebooks, make sure your phone or e-reader is charged and the book is downloaded. Reduce the friction between you and the page, and you will read more without noticing.
Consider a separate e-reader, or at least a reading app with notifications turned off. A device that does not tempt you with email and social media becomes a quiet doorway into a book. Even a small change, like a warmer lamp beside your chair, can make reading feel more inviting than scrolling.
One of the biggest obstacles to reading more is the belief that you must finish every book you start. You do not. If a book has not grabbed you by page fifty, put it down. Life is too short to slog through something you are not enjoying. This is not failure; it is editing your reading life. Donate the book, return it to the library, or pass it to a friend. Your time and attention are precious, and the next book might be the one you cannot put down.
You are allowed to abandon a book that is not serving you. Reading should feel like a pleasure you choose, not a punishment you endure.
Reading can feel solitary, and that solitude is often the point. But a little social pressure can also keep you going. Join a book club, even a casual one. Start a buddy read with a friend and check in by text once a week. Use an app like Goodreads or StoryGraph to track what you read and see what others are enjoying. Libraries often run seasonal reading challenges with simple prompts, and those prompts can pull you toward books you would never have picked up otherwise.
The key is to keep the community light. If a book club turns into homework, skip a month. If a challenge makes you dread reading, drop it. The goal is momentum, not obligation. A good reading community makes you curious, not guilty.
Not every reading session needs to be an hour. Five minutes with a poem, an essay, or a short story still counts. Micro-reading is especially useful on busy days, because it lowers the barrier to starting. Keep a collection of short pieces nearby, or download a magazine app that offers quick reads. Graphic novels and illustrated books can also be satisfying when your attention is fragmented.
Mood matching matters, too. If you are exhausted, a dense philosophical tome will lose. Keep a few books on the go: one absorbing novel, one nonfiction book you can dip into, and one lighter option for difficult days. There is no rule that says you must finish one before starting another. Reading more is not about discipline alone; it is about making the right book easy to reach at the right moment.
Photo: Dongdilac / Pexels
