On Christmas Day I posted that I had hit my 2019 goal of reading 60 books! It’s the most I’ve ever read and it was definitely a challenge. I had to stay on my toes and always be proactively choosing and acquiring books. I had to be reading more than one at once, sometimes three at a time! 60 books means you have to average more than a book a week. Unrelated, my sink was never free of dishes this year. Worth it.

I got a slew of comments on Instagram and Facebook basically saying “How do you find 60 books to read?” or “How do you decide?” or “How do you make time for that?”

I feel SO strongly about this, you guys. The first thing I will say is that, like anything else, you MAKE time. YOU decide how you’re spending your hours on this earth. If you have an iphone you can use the screen time analytics in settings to see how much time you’re looking at your phone this week. Then tell me you don’t have time to read. Hell, read ON your phone, homie! Replace a few hours of your social media time each week with reading an ebook on your phone and VOILA you can read a couple of books a month! (Here’s my post about reading ebooks/hard copies/audiobooks and here’s my post about finding ways to read more)

Don’t waste time reading books that you don’t like, no matter how virtuous or impressive they sound. Sometimes it’s really rewarding to push through a tough book, or to read something you would have NEVER chosen because your book club picked it… and then be pleasantly surprised. But there are unlimited amazing books out there and life is too short to read boring stuff.

As far as finding good books to read, whether you want to read 10 books this upcoming year or 100… that’s the easy part. I got you. Here are a handful of the ways that I find books to read and stay pumped on reading.

What Should I Read?

• Start with a Goodreads account. Add friends (add me!) and you can see what people are reading, which is always a great place to begin.
• Branch off from your favorite book. Head to your favorite book’s page on Goodreads and check out the “Readers Also Enjoyed” as well as other books by that author. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve realized a book had a sequel or an author had a ton of other books I didn’t know existed.
• Find a book list. Pinterest is totally pregnant with them. Even just Google “Books like ___________” and you’ll be able to find a list of options to get you up and running. You can try these or these to start. Goodreads also does a Best Books awards every year that is broken down by genre.
• Follow an online book club/book list. I have LOVED every one of the books I’ve read from Reese Witherspoon’s book club. Everyday Reading is probably my favorite blog/instagram account because she regularly posts what she’s reading and also creates a year of books list that you can follow along with. I follow these and other Instagram accounts and then every time they put up a new recommendation I head straight to Goodreads to put it on my Want to Read shelf or straight to my library account to put it on hold.
• Read something to solve a problem/meet a goal. Kids driving you crazy? Find a parenting book that look helpful. Have a financial goal you want to meet? Check out a finance book. Want to learn more about baking? Search for a baking-specific instructive cookbook. Redecorating your master bedroom? Walk through the interior design section of your library. There are books for whatever is on your mind right now, I promise.
• Library displays are actually dope. Wait, backup. You’ve got a library card right? RIGHT? Go do that, stat. (I’ll help you – read this.) And then physically go into your library. At many different locations in the library you’ll find display tables and shelves that are themed or feature recommendations from librarians or other readers. You can even walk right up to a librarian and say “Help me find something I’ll love” and they’ll be STOKED.
• Start or join a real book club. This is one of the very best ways to read more and stay committed. There’s a good chance you can find a book club in your community or through your library. If you’re too introverted to join a group of strangers, ask around in your neighborhood, ward, or workplace to see if people are interested in a book club. (A cool post here about how to start a book club.) It’s super easy, helps you read more, and creates fulfilling relationships.
• Max your holds!!! Reading slumps are real. Check out a few books at a time. Put a few books on hold! Always have something on deck. It’s a habit. A muscle. Staying in the habit of reading is so important and you always want to have the next book ready, especially if you get sick of one you’re trying.
• Text/email/slide into my DMs. I stand ready at any minute to give you recommendations of stuff I’ve read or want to read that I want to talk your ear off about.

There are so many great ways to create a 2020 goal to read more. Join a book club. Read a little every day. Read a book a month. Discover audiobooks.