So, you keep hearing about awesome books, but just wonder, in your busy schedule, how to make time for reading them? Between the chores and the church activities, work, and family responsibilities, I get it. Reading time is precious, and can get squeezed out if we’re not careful.
Maybe choosing to read isn’t always your first instinct, But if you take the time to read a good book regularly, you’ll be surprised how good you feel, and the cool things you’ll learn.
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How to Make Time for Reading More Books
If you want to find time to read, you have to filter your priorities and distractions and make some choices. It can be challenging sometimes, to make reading a habit. (Unless you’re already hooked, but then, you wouldn’t be reading this post, would you 🙂 !! Just take a moment to remember all the unusual benefits of reading, and then dive in!
11 Tips to Help Busy People Make Time to Read
Here are some of the ways I make time to read a book every day. Not a whole book every day (only sometimes), but consistently.
How do you squeeze in time for reading? Make it a priority, and try the following tips to build a habit of reading regularly.
Pick Books You Actually WANT to Read
First, start with books you really want to read. Whether it’s a subject or time period that fascinates you, starting somewhere comfortable will make all the difference. It doesn’t even have to be for adults. I like YA and Children’s books just as much.
Here are a few ideas to get you started!
- Biblical Fiction
- Christian Historical Fiction
- Christian Mysteries
- Christian Romance Stories
- Christian Time Travel Books
- Christian Allegory Books
- Christian Fantasy Books
Always Keep A Book Handy
Wherever you’re likely to find yourself with 5 minutes to spare, always have a book available. That might be:
- In the car (school pick up, doctors, etc)
- In the bathroom (yes, I went there)
- By your favorite chair
- On the treadmill or stationary bike…
- And on your phone
Set a Goal of How Many Books You Want To Read
Maybe you would like to start small, and read one book a month. Or maybe you’re able to read a book a week. That’s great. Set a reading goal, and then break it down. Some of us are able to fit 100 chapter books read in a given year, others, only 12. But as long as you’re reading good books, who cares how many you get through?
If you want to read a book a month, and the nonfiction book you chose has 12 chapters. So you need to read 3 chapters a week. Or you’re reading a book a week, and the novel you chose has 21 chapters, so you need to sit down and read at least 3 chapters a day. Or spend 4 hours Sunday afternoon, that’s cool too!
Get the Kids Involved Makes Reading More Books Fun
Yes, Picture books and chapter books count toward pages read. And modeling the importance of a reading habit with kids is a great thing! One of the benefits of reading with kids is the bonding experience. And if you’re reading with them, you know they’re not getting into something while you’re distracted!
You could alternate educational books with reading for pleasure, and there are often times the two overlap! Maybe even incorporate spinoff activities!
Start a Reading Challenge
There are lots of cool reading challenges out there, like my Bookish Bingo, or “read an author’s backlist” or even a read through historical time periods challenge.
I’ve even seen Alphabet challenges where you have to read a book that starts with A, then one that starts with B, or even one that starts with the last letter of the last book you read. Or the letters in your name… The possibilities here are endless!
Join or Start a Book Club
To Join or start a book club is a great way to start reading more. The community will give you the incentive to hold yourself accountable to read a few pages every day.
If you start your own book club, with friends, or even with your kids, you can have more say and pick books you’ll actually read.
It doesn’t have to be fancy, and many Christian books have discussion guides in the back or questions to consider.
Minimize Screen Time
Vegging out in front of a TV marathon, or mindlessly scrolling social media can be great, but if you want to make more time for reading, you’ll have to minimize that a bit. When you find yourself with a few minutes or an hour of free time, pick a reading session instead of a screen. You’ll be surprised at how easy it is to find the time if you start choosing a book even 25% of the times you reach for the remote or the social media app.
Although, free reading apps are a great tool to conveniently read books no matter how busy you are. Because for many of us, phones are always nearby. Apps like Hoopla, Cloud Library, Libby, and Librivox make it easy to get ahold of free books you would like to read. Even the Amazon Kindle app has a lot of free books!
Read First Thing in The Morning
What is the best time for reading? It depends. If you know your day is going to be busy, try to incorporate reading first thing in the morning. Maybe over breakfast or with your morning beverage. Even reading a little every morning will help you make progress on that new story you’re eager to read!
Reading Before Bed
Another great time to read is just before bed. Instead of a screen, which gives off blue light and messes with your circadian rhythms, many people prefer picking up a book before bed. Make progress on your reading commitment goal before bed, and keep your body from getting confused and keeping you from being able to fall asleep. (Unless it’s a murder mystery. Probably not a good idea to read those before bed!)
E-Books – Easy to Read
If you want to make time for more reading, I would encourage you to read ebooks. They’re convenient, always at your fingertips, lightweight, and have adjustable font size! And those apps I mentioned before? Hoopla, Cloud Library, and Libby? Those connect with your local library, so you can check out books from the library right on your phone, increasing the number of books you would have access to without increasing the book budget!
The question of E-reader vs physical book is more of a debate over situational appropriateness in my opinion. If you’re traveling, a fully charged e-reader is a must, plus 1-2 paperbacks. They don’t take up much room, but will fill plenty of moments when you need something to occupy you.
Don’t forget to try Kindle Unlimited, an Ebook library program.
AudioBooks – How to Read More Books On the Go
Listening to books can help you read a significant number of books in less time. You can listen to an audiobook while you drive, sweep, fold laundry, cook, rake leaves… You can get reading done at times when you never thought you would be able to! That’s my kind of multitasking!! Honestly, I saved the best for last, because this is one of the best tips for reading more! It’s taking the reading life to the next level!
Don’t forget Audible is always a good option!
You Hearby Have Permission, So Take Time To Read!
If you were waiting for someone to say it’s okay to make the time to read what you want, then here it is. Official permission to read a chapter (or 6) as often as you can. The desire to read instead of watching something might need to be cultivated, but you’ll be glad you made the effort.
You may not find yourself reading several books a week, but everyone who makes time in their busy schedule and grabs a book to read is ahead of the game!
How Many Pages Should I Read a Day?
That is a very personal question. If I read less than 50 pages a day, It’s a rough day. And some people very close to me would feel like it was the end of the world if they had to read a couple of pages.
I would focus on a chapter at a time, if you’re just getting started. In nonfiction, there are often subtopics within a chapter, so if you need to only do one chunk at a time, that’s perfectly fine. But you might find yourself getting super interested. If so, just keep reading!
How Long Does it Take to Read 20 Pages?
It really depends on the type reading material, but on average, 1-2 minutes per page. so it could take anywhere from 18-40 minutes to read 20 pages. The longer end would be for complex things or if you’re taking notes as you read. Fiction would be on the shorter end of the scale.
If you’re listening to audiobooks, you can tweak the playback speed, too!
There’s no wrong way to read, and I hope you found these tips and tricks helpful! Reading more is something that always gives me a little boost, and I hope it does the same for me!