How to Read More: Four Easy Tips

First, you need a good reading chair

Instead of wishing I read more (NYE resolution for the last 100 years), I actually have been reading more. I read 44 books in 2024 and 34 in 2025. Impressive numbers I am certain I have never before attained, including in college while I was acquiring degrees in journalism and English literature. 

I plowed through Yesteryear last week, finishing it in a few days. (I was hooked.) So I've tried to capture how I "did" all this reading so my future self cannot make excuses. 

1. The Kindle Paperwhite — Lil boo thang. 

Getting the Paperwhite was a huge game changer. It kickstarted my reading habit in a way physical books hadn't. It's so much more convenient than a physical book in a way that I cannot explain, though part of that is the ability to get books from the library stat. 

That hasn't stopped me from buying physical books, but I buy way fewer, and I do buy "trophy copies" of the books I read on my Kindle that I love and want to a copy of. I still have 400+ physical books and I love them too, but I like reading some of them on the Kindle. Crazy. 

2. The Cincinnati Public Library and Libby— ILYSM, queens. 

It's like a shot clock above my head. Libby giveth and Libby taketh away. And that is motivating. Also, did you know many Ohio libraries have reciprocity, so you can get cards from various libraries with your CHPL card? I have about six library cards on my Libby account, so if one library has a super long wait or doesn't have the book I want, it's likely one of the other libraries has a shorter wait time or the book. 

3. A reading nook/reading chair — A seat of own's own. 

I've also become being less precious about where/when I am reading. I read at the kitchen table while eating, sitting on the back porch, etc., whereas before I felt like I had to be in a certain headspace to capital R Read. Nonsense. Anywhere, anytime works great, but having a space to devote more time to it is wonderful, and I love this little corner of our light-filled dining room. 

4. Audiobooks — Speak to me.

Before Libby, I rarely listened to audiobooks, and then only during long trips. But now that I can get pretty much whatever I want via the library, I've found that having an audiobook and a "reading" book at the same time is perfect. 

I typically do memoirs on audio since they are easier to follow and often shorter, so I can listen when I'm cooking, painting, driving, etc. Then I devote reading time to the book-book. I put up big numbers this way.