How I Make Time to Read: 9 Tricks that Work For Me

by Jen Collins Moore

I love reading. I always have, but somehow the time available for reading seems to shrink as I get older. You’ve probably experienced the same. Work, volunteer activities, children, partners, and all the little things that go into running a life – you know, all that pesky cooking, laundry, grocery shopping, and yard work – intrude on the time left for a solitary pursuit like reading.

But as a writer, reading isn’t a luxury. It’s mandatory. 

If I’m not reading, I lose touch with the current world of publishing. I miss out on the inspiration that comes from reading a great book and the lessons of a not-so-great one. I know a lot of writers, and I want to read their books so I can cheer them on. I know a lot of readers, and I want to read their favorite books so I can understand what other people love.

As you can see from what I’m reading, I manage to read a lot of books each month. How do I make the time? I use a few easy tricks to carve out time for this activity that I love. I hope you find them helpful too.  

1) Audio books count as reading
I’ve written about my love of audiobooks before because I’m a firm believer that listening to books is just as good as reading them. The difference is that you can multitask while you do it.

Sure, audiobooks are great for car rides. But you don’t have to save them for road trips.  Are you a crafter? Listen to a book while you knit. Do you cook? Listen while you prep your ingredients. Do you have laundry to fold? Same drill.

Once you start looking for available “ear” time, you’ll be amazed at how many books you can get through. And while paid services like Audible have a great selection, be sure to check out your library’s free collection on the Libby and Hoopla apps.

2) Always have a “next book” ready to go
One of the most common reasons people don’t read is they aren’t in the middle of a book. They’ve finished one and choosing a new book seems like a big commitment, so they dither and end up streaming Netflix instead.

My trick is to always have my next book ready to go so that as soon as I finish one book, I have another to dive into. That next book often serves as an incentive to finish my current read so I can move onto the new one.

Don’t mistake this as being the same as having a 15-book tall to-be-read stack. Often those books just sit and sit, waiting for the moment to be right. And more often than not, it doesn’t come.

My advice is to choose one that you can’t wait to read and have it ready and waiting.

3) Quit a book I’m not loving
This is a tough one, but I mean it. Our time is simply too precious to spend reading books we don’t love. Quitting a book doesn’t make you a quitter, it means you’re clearing the decks to get to a book you are really excited to read. (See above.)

There’s an oft-quoted formula for how many pages you should give a book: one hundred minus your age. I think about it differently. If I find that I’m doing other things rather than reading, it means the book I’m reading needs to go. It doesn’t mean the book isn’t wonderful and it’s not an indictment on my character. It’s just a signal that there’s a book-reader mismatch at that moment. Best to cut bait and move on.

4) Don’t save reading for the end of the day
This realization was a game changer for me. Like many people, I thought reading was a treat to be saved for when I collapsed into bed, my tasks for the day completed. But here’s the thing: after a long day, staying awake with a good book can often be too much. You’re as likely to fall asleep in five minutes as you are to get really immersed.

I give myself permission to read for twenty minutes after lunch each day instead. It feels like a wonderfully indulgent activity, but it’s only twenty minutes, and it’s just the same as taking that time at the end of the day, only this way I’m awake enough to appreciate it.

5) Try something new
There are certain books that are right up my alley. English country village mystery with quirky characters? I’m in. But sometimes I get tired of my own taste.

Maybe you’ve felt the same. There’s nothing wrong with the book you’re reading, you’re just having trouble getting excited about it.

When that happens to me, I try something new. I read something that’s completely not my taste, and more often than not, I find it completely energizing. Check out the S&S Book Club picks and the lists of books we’ve been reading for ideas.

6) Have multiple books going at once
Sometimes a single book doesn’t cut it. I can fall in love with a dark disturbing book, but there are times when I need something lighter. Rather than put the book aside for some carefree TV, I’ll pick up a different book instead, switching back as the mood takes me. 

But if I find that I never go back to the first book, I put it aside for good. (See tip  #3, above.

7) Read with someone else
There’s a reason why book clubs are popular. In addition to the social benefits of the general chit chat, there’s a lot of pleasure to be had in discussing a book with someone you care about.

I’ll find myself reading a passage and thinking, “I wonder what my sister thought of this,” when I’m reading a book we plan to discuss. It adds a spark that pulls me through.

This doesn’t apply only to book clubs. I still read aloud to my highly literate 13 and 8 year olds because I love the bond the reading together creates. We can react to the plot twists in real time, we might pause to discuss if we would do the same thing as the main character, and we’ll find ourselves squeezing in a few extra pages at night just to see what happens.

I also read many of the books my middle schooler reads for school because they sound so interesting. It gives us something in common to talk about, even when we are reading separately.

This would work for a romantic couple, siblings, or close friends just as well. Read the same book as the person you want to connect with and you’ll be amazed at what new things you have to talk about.

8) Always have a book with me
There’s been plenty written about how our society isn’t comfortable with boredom. Just look around the grocery store checkout line or waiting room at a doctor’s office and it seems like everyone’s engrossed in their smart phones doing something that looks completely pointless. (They could be checking an important email, but I’m guessing they are just as likely to be scrolling a social media feed or playing a time-sucking game.)

I carry a kindle at all times so that I don’t let that bonus time go to waste. I can read a few pages while waiting at the doctor’s office, on the bus, or waiting at carpool. I’m less in the loop on social media than the scrollers out there, but I like to think I’m enjoying myself more.

I know lots of readers who have e-reader apps on their phone so they can have a book at their fingertips without needing to carry a separate device. I’ve even heard of one who made her screen saver a copy of the book she was reading so she’d remember to read instead of checking social media. How clever is that?

9) Use the library
It sounds obvious, but I don’t limit myself to books I own. If there’s a book I want to read, I put it on hold at the library right away. That helps keep the book top of mind and, when it comes in (either physically or eBook form), I feel compelled to read it quickly so I can get it back for others. It ups my reading and allows me to read beyond my book budget. (See all of my tips for getting the most out of your library.)

How do you make time for reading? I’d love hear your tips and tricks.

Photo by Robert Anasch on Unsplash