Social Proof

How to read more books in a year

Speechify is the #1 audio reader in the world. Get through books, docs, articles, PDFs, emails - anything you read - faster.
Try for free

Featured In

forbes logocbs logotime magazine logonew york times logowall street logo
Listen to this article with Speechify!
Speechify

Looking to read more books a year? Read on to learn about how to improve your reading habits and fall in love with reading again.

How to read more books a year

Each year there are more and more books written and published. As much as you want to read them all, this goal will remain unattainable. You can, however, increase the number of books you read in a year by changing your reading habits. Book lovers can increase the amount of time they spend reading by taking on a reading challenge. In this article, we’ll share some tips on how to read more books in a year than you did last year.

Read more by using these tips

If you’re a bookworm, the idea of reading a lot of books probably sounds like paradise. However, you may have no idea how to increase your reading time. It doesn’t matter if you prefer physical books from your local library over those you downloaded from Amazon to an e-reader—great books of both fiction and non-fiction book varieties can be found on both. The key to reading more books is finding the time to read them while making a conscious effort to do so. Sometimes less Netflix and social media and more time reading bestsellers are what you need. Here are some suggestions on how to read more books a year.

Read before sleeping

A great way to increase the number of books you read each year is to set aside some time each night before bedtime. You can adjust your reading time to whatever works best. Snuggle up in bed a bit earlier than usual and grab your favorite paperback from the bookshelf. Try setting up a notification on your phone when it’s time to get in bed and start reading. It’s best not to use a Kindle, Nook, or other e-readers at night before you sleep. The light could keep you awake much longer unless you have a version that offers a soft glow. Settle in with a good book each night, and soon you’ll read more books a year. If you’re a morning person, try reading a few more pages instead of reaching for your phone to check your socials.

Make short-term reading goals

You can up your reading challenge by setting short-term reading goals. Slight adjustments to the amount of time you spend reading each day can, in the long term, help increase the number of books you finish each year. For most book lovers, this is easily attainable. Challenge yourself to increase your reading time each day. Even a mere 15-minute daily increase adds up to almost an additional 2 hours a week. If you enjoy reading short stories, you can set a goal of reading a few each day. They’re easily digestible, and you won’t be left hanging in the middle of a chapter.

Always carry a book with you

During a typical day, many readers have opportunities to sneak in a couple of pages. When you have time to spare, consider reading. Perhaps while waiting for an appointment or on your work break, carrying a physical book or using a reading app on your Android or iPhone will increase how much you read. You can use your spare time wisely by reading books when you’d typically be scrolling through your social media. Change your spare time into reading time. Before heading out, grab an unread book from the bookshelf and bring it with you.

Enlist the help of reading lists

Bookish types are usually interested in book recommendations from a variety of sources. If you’re stuck on what to read next, reading lists can provide you with new title options. Goodreads is a free website that can make excellent suggestions based on your interests. Another option is the New York Times Best Seller list. Books that make it to its list are more interesting than the most popular TV show. Independent bookstores can also be a valuable resource for reading lists, as can researching online book reviews. Lastly, joining a book club can open up a world of new books. Utilizing book reading lists can help to keep you excited about exploring the best books for you.

Use Speechify to listen as well as read

Reading books is how most people absorb and retain information. It doesn’t matter if it’s from a Stephen King book, a romance novel, or a book about self-improvement. However, it’s important to note that simultaneous reading and listening can help improve focus and retention of information. Speechify is a TTS (text to speech) service that can help a reader improve their reading habit. With high-quality AI voices, readers can listen while reading. The app offers reading speeds up to 9x faster than the average speaking voice, so you can choose a pace that you find comfortable. Using this method, not only can you increase how fast you read, but you’ll also improve how much information you remember. You’ll be able to choose between a variety of different voices and select one that suits you. You can also use it for physical books by taking a photo of the page and utilizing the app’s optical character recognition (OCR) technology. The app is compatible with Android, iOS, and Chrome. Speechify can help you to achieve your goal of improving your reading habits. Give Speechify a try today.

FAQ

Is it possible to read 100 books in a year?

Reading 100 books would require reading approximately two books per week. Depending on the length of each book and a person’s reading habits, reading 100 books a year is possible.

How many books does the average person read in a year?

According to a Gallup poll, the average person reads 12.6 books yearly.

Why do people read books?

People’s reading habits vary greatly. Some read solely for pleasure, while others read for knowledge. It’s fair to say that most do a little of each.

Cliff Weitzman

Cliff Weitzman

Cliff Weitzman is a dyslexia advocate and the CEO and founder of Speechify, the #1 text-to-speech app in the world, totaling over 100,000 5-star reviews and ranking first place in the App Store for the News & Magazines category. In 2017, Weitzman was named to the Forbes 30 under 30 list for his work making the internet more accessible to people with learning disabilities. Cliff Weitzman has been featured in EdSurge, Inc., PC Mag, Entrepreneur, Mashable, among other leading outlets.