How I read 50 books in a year as a Full Time College Student
First, let me say,
Hi, my name is Georgia and I’m a bookaholic.
I’ve been a “reader” for about three years now (I put “reader” in quotes because I’ve always read, I’ve just accepted the title around that time lol") and one of the things people ALWAYS and I mean always ask me, is how I read so many books even as a full-time college student.
If you’re a reader you know this question kinda makes you uncomfortable because the truth is most readers read so much because they simply can’t not read.
For me reading is like breathing, I simply must do it.
With that being said, it took years to build the habit to get to the point.
There are ways to increase the number of books you read even if you don’t classify yourself as a “reader”. So if you’re looking to increase the number of books you read, just sit here and let me tell you how it’s done.
I’m going to go over
Tips and tricks for reading more books
Tips for finding books for cheap or FREE
Some great book reviewers for reliable book recommendations
Read book reviews
I know this might sound counterproductive to someone who’s having a hard time reading- I mean reading a review for books before you read it sounds like a lot of work… it is, but if you’re serious about wanting to read more you just have to read reviews.
I increased the number of books I read from about 20 something to almost 50 in a year (granted that was because I had more free time, that is not the norm) because reading so much made me realized this is an integral step; Vetting books to make sure you’ll like them before you read is so helpful, nothing is more discouraging than reading a string of books that you hate.
So if you’re really want to encourage this new habit you got to constantly be enjoying the books you read. My favorite place for book reviews is, of course, Goodreads.com.
Pro tip: Don’t only read the top review but scroll down and read the other reviews that may not be as popular. Trust me, this helps.
Go digital
As a bibliophile, it pains me to say this. In a perfect world, you could walk around with a crazy amount of books and not be affected- but let’s just face it, in day to day life, physical books aren’t that convenient.
So if you’re looking to read more you need to find some kind of digital library, kindle is a popular one. Also, it’s so so important to make sure to have a variety! so you’ll always have something to read that fits your mood.
There are tons of ways to get free or discounted books on kindle if money is an issue, just type it in on google and your options to save are endless.
Find your genre
Every reader has their favorite genre and while there’s something to be said for reading widely, nothing encourages good reading habits like having books that you consume without feeling like you’re working.
If you love sci-fi, it’s probably gonna be way easier for you to read 30 sci-fi novels compared to finance. While you can sprinkle in some oddballs every now and then, if you’re trying to build a habit, there’s nothing wrong with sticking to what you love until you get the hang of it.
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Find cheaper books
You probably laughed at this one, but funding this new hobby doesn’t have to leave you broke. The difference between people who read a lot and others is: if you read enough you start to figure out ways to get cheaper books and trust me, there are cheaper ways.
If a struggle for you is not enough funds, there are so many ways to get virtually free books. Some off the tops of my head are:
A lot of classics are free online if you have an epub reader or pdf file
libraries offer a lot of free books and EBOOKS! Try your local library database
Amazon has a ton of heavily discounted books (especially if you're a romance reader, you’ll want to check it out!).
Not all readers a rich (I know I’m not!) but as they say; where there’s a will, there’s a way! p.s. I might make a separate blog post on where I find cheap/free books.
Related: 10 Books All 20 Somethings Should Read
Have a long TBR pile
A “tbr” is book speak for books you wanna read. Translated = To be read
When you’re getting in the habit of reading you want to be constantly inspired. You need options, not just one or two, but a whole list of books that you’re interested so there’s never a lag.
My favorite way to grow my reading list that I discovered when I was just getting into books, is to watch booktubers (book YouTubers); They usually have all the good info on new releases and what’s hot and what’s not.
Some of the best Youtube book reviewers are:
Abookutopia- Mostly Fantasy
Hailey in Bookland- Fantasy & Young Adult
Caleb- Young Adult
Left on Read- Non-Fiction
You just need to find a couple of people who like the same genre as you and you’ll have an endless supply of recommendation, and weirdly enough, just the enthusiasm of the book community will probably inspire you to read. Books nerds go hard and it’s hard to not develop that fangirl/fanboy spirit.
Books are hands down one of my favorite topics and I hope these five tips help some of you on your reading journey.