5 Ways to Read More Books in 2022
When we make our New Year’s resolutions for 2022, many of us will be putting ‘read more books’ at the top of the list - I know I certainly will! We know how good books can be for us - the benefits of reading include stress reduction, creating space for imagination and even improving your memory and focus.
Whatever our positive intentions though, work commitments, to-do lists and everyday hassles mean that spending half an hour curled up with a good book too often gets pushed by the wayside.
These easily actionable tips can help you build a reading habit this year, whatever life throws your way:
Set goals
No matter how committed you are to reading more books, sometimes at the end of a long day, it can just feel easier to mindlessly scroll through social media. Having a reading goal can give you the gentle nudge needed to pick up that novel waiting on your bedside table - you know you’re going to love it once you make the effort to start!
My favourite goal-setting tool is the Goodreads Reading Challenge, which lets you decide how many books you’d like to read in the year and then track your progress. Don’t be over-ambitious and don’t compare yourself to others either. The trick is to choose a target that’s easily achievable but enough to motivate you as well.
Join a book club
Another way to stay motivated is to join a book club and surround yourself with like-minded readers.
I’ve also found that sharing recommendations with others encourages me to try reading a book I never would have chosen on my own, and discover new favourites in the process! Introducing plenty of variety into your reading life will make it even more rewarding and stop you from getting stuck in a rut, picking up the same author or genre over and over.
Most of CGN’s cities have a book club, so take a look at your city’s Facebook page to find out how to join.
Listen to audiobooks
This is one of my favourite tips - I have no idea how I motivated myself to clean until I discovered audiobooks! Turn your commute, jog or meal prep into valuable reading time and you’ll find that you can enjoy more books than you ever did before.
To start listening, sign up for an audiobook subscription service like Audible. Or, if you join your local library, you can borrow audiobooks for free with an app such as BorrowBox or Libby.
Read multiple books at once - and shamelessly DNF!
I always thought that reading multiple books at once would become confusing, but I’ve found it not to be a problem as long as they’re all very different from each other. It’s hard to get the plot of a crime thriller tangled up with a feminist memoir!
Having a variety of books on the go means that I can pick up whatever suits my mood at the time, so I’m always excited about my next chance to sit down and read. Another pro of this approach is that it’s easier to filter out the books I’m not gelling with. If I keep skipping over a particular title in favour of my other current reads, it may be time to give up and move on.
Don’t feel obliged to finish a book just because you started - shifting it to the DNF (did not finish) pile means you can move on to a story you’ll be much more enthusiastic about reading.
Always have a book with you
If you like appearing erudite on the bus, you can still carry a book in your backpack, but technology has made it easier to have a whole library with you on the go, whether it’s through an e-reader or just the Kindle app on your phone.
Waiting for a friend, a rainy lunch break, or a delay at the train station are all opportunities to devour another chapter. Dipping into a story throughout the day means it takes me less time to ‘catch up’ on what’s going on with the characters or plot, so I can immediately get absorbed back into the story.
Remember that reading, like most New Year’s resolutions, is about quality rather than quantity. All of these tips will not only help you to meet your reading goals but to fall back in love with books again.
As long as you’re enjoying brilliant stories, finding comfort or excitement between the pages, and discovering new favourites, then 2022 is going to be a wonderful reading year.
Written by Florence Edwards
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