3 Tools I Use To Read More

When I was a kid, I constantly had my nose in a book. 

Then, I grew up. 

And life got busier. 

And I read less. 

And less. 

And less. 

A couple of years ago, I wanted to get back to a point where I loved reading, where I could focus on a book for hours. I’ve now made it to a point where I’m reading almost every day and knocking out book after book. But I didn’t get to this point by sheer willpower – I relied on a couple of tools. 

Here are three tools that help me read more: 

 

A Kindle 

 

Now, this might not be for everyone, but my Kindle has been a game-changer. I love hard copies of books as much as the next girl (and the books scattered around my house testify to this), but sometimes it’s nice to read from something that you can still highlight, but that is lighter, self-illuminating, and remembers your place. Affordable memberships like Kindle Unlimited also put hundreds of good books right at your fingertips. 

 

A Reading Tracker

 

Do you ever think you’re doing something often, but then realize it’s not nearly as often as you think? That can easily happen if you’re not actively tracking frequency. As the personal data nerd that I am, I like to track both the books I have read each year and how many days a year I have been reading. This system could be analog or digital – either format will help you put eyes on your own data and establish benchmarks.

 

A Library Card (But Not For The Obvious Reasons)

 

Libraries are wonderful places for allowing us to access so many books for free. But did you know that your library card can give you access to countless free eBooks and audiobooks too? I connected my library card to apps like Hoopla and Libby, and have been able to read and listen to dozens of books via my local library without ever having to actually go to the library itself. And the best part? They return themselves.

Happy reading – here’s to many more good books!