How to read more every single day
Tips from a lifelong bookworm.
Hello! I’m Celine and I write about books, cooking, gardening and rewilding in an urban setting. Need some reading inspo? Paid subscribers get access to monthly round-ups of recommended reads.
Dear Reader,
Love to read but can’t quite figure out how to embed it into your everyday life?
This is a challenge worth embracing, as life continually ups its pace and forces us to run alongside it. Reading is time you gift to yourself – to learn something new, or to simply switch off from the world. It’s the ultimate form of escapism.
Why should you take advice from this gal? Well, reading happens to be one of the things I truly excel at. Some of the most common feedback I get from friends and family is “you’re a really busy person”. Yet, despite my extreme ‘busyness’, I manage to read over 100 books a year (my record stands at 200 in 2020, although I’ll attribute that to really not being busy during this time at all). Although I’m only on 39 this year so far, so I’ve a little catching up to do. 😉
I achieve this, largely because I schedule reading into my day. If I don’t read at least a chapter of something every day, I notice it. It’s been a habit for so long, it’s become almost as important to me as eating, exercising or I dunno, breathing?
So, if you are keen to embed a reading practice in your life, I’m here with a few tips and tricks.
Why should you read?
The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go.
-Dr Seuss, Oh the Places You’ll Go
Just like eating your veggies and getting a good night’s sleep, reading is good for you! Science says so, and so it must be true.
We’ve recently talked about how books have the ability to increase your empathy. A lifelong habit of reading exercises your brain in a way that can improve your cognitive function1, much like how movement such as jogging exercises your cardiovascular system (the adage, ‘use it or lose it’ is applicable here in both contexts). Not only does this keep the mind sharp as you age; it can lower the risk of cognitive decline into dementia or Alzheimer's disease.
Reading can also reduce stress. Flipping through a physical print book before bed can relax you to the point that it improves your sleep, unlike screens or eReaders.2
You know that soul-crushing feeling you get from having accidentally doom-scrolled on your phone for the last 45 minutes? You’d never feel the same way after spending that time reading a book.
A sentiment I recently heard and relate to, is that of books taking the place of Elders in Western society. We’re seriously lacking in making a place for Elders’ in this age of modernity, but at least we can turn to books for information, for advice, and for comfort.
How to read more: make it a ritual
Books and doors are the same thing. You open them, and you go through into another world.
-Jeanette Winterson
I’m personally not that into routines, for reasons I’ll blog about later on this year. If I’m trying to solidify any practice in my life, I much prefer to make a ritual out of it.
Many of us want to read more in our day to day lives. Yet we struggle to meet these goals.
Why is this? Well, I know we’ll both be familiar with the feeling of getting pushed and pulled in every direction. Our phones suck our time, as do work commitments, caring commitments, the minutia of everyday life.
I reckon that reading is also similar to meditation, in that what puts people off is the belief that there is only one way to read, just as people believe there is only one way to meditate.
That being, you need to be sat in your comfiest chair, with no distractions around you. Steaming cup of tea next to you, or maybe a glass of wine, depending on the time of day. Perhaps a cosy blanket on your lap. A doting dog sitting by your feet. It should probably be raining outside. Just like in meditation, where you allegedly have to be sat in a quiet room, preferably on a dedicated meditation cushion, candle burning, your mind completely empty of thoughts the entire time.
All these added extras are nice, sure. Yet, they’re not needed.
As I said earlier, if you want to read more, you need to treat it like any other commitment. You gotta schedule it into your day, like you would say a gym session, or yoga class.
The key factor is to start small. Don’t sit down and try to read for an hour, if you haven’t been reading for even five minutes a day. It’s something you can build on and get better at as you go. Practice makes perfect.
My own reading rituals
I’ll share my own reading rituals before I launch into some tips on how to cultivate your own.
Longtime readers might remember me mentioning the ‘Friday Night Thriller’. Friday night, alongside Sunday morning, are my two favourite times of the week. And so, I endeavour to fill them with gentle activities I enjoy, such as walking, swimming, yoga, cooking and reading.
I try to keep Friday nights clear, so I can make something easy and delicious to eat, then settle down with a thriller and read my way through it. It’s my favourite way to unwind for the week, particularly if I get in a session of yin yoga just before. Delicious.
Similarly, I like to keep Sunday mornings free for reading. I usually turn to non-fiction in the mornings, as my brain is a bit more switched on. Nature writing and travel memoirs often fit the bill.
I’m a full-time office worker, so my work schedule is fairly rigid. However, I still find time in the week to read. I generally always read before going to sleep – even if it’s only a chapter or two before the brain fade out begins. I also listen to a lot of audiobooks, normally borrowed from my local library. I’m lucky enough to be walking distance to the places I frequent, like work, the shops, the gym, etc, which is when I get most of my listening done.
Due to this, I usually have about three books on the go at once – a non-fiction, a fiction (have you seen the size of romantasies these days?) and an audiobook.
If you want to read more, I thoroughly recommend taking a book with you everywhere you go. You can whip it out at opportune moments (rather than reaching for your phone) – when you have to wait in line at the Post Office, your friend is running late to meet you to dinner, or you’re stuck at a boring sports game. It’s not time wasted, because you’re reading!
How to find books to read
Want to read more? Join a book club. It’s a low stakes way of finding books, as you’ll just have them recommended to you, month by month.
Not sure where to find one? Try your local indie bookstore or library. Some Substackers, such as
also run their own book clubs for paid subscribers.Or simply start your own. I run a small book club with two friends. We meet every month and talk about the book for about five minutes… then admittedly gossip about anything and everything over wine for another two hours. It is delightful. And hey… we do still read the books, so that’s a win.
Join your local library. Libraries often have shelves featuring new and popular books, and librarians themselves are obviously a wealth of knowledge on all things reading.
Ask people you know what they’re reading! Statistically, you’ve got to have some readers in your circle, right? Send out the word for recommendations and borrow books off them. Just remember to return them once you’re done.
Pop into your local indie bookstore to scan the shelves, or ask staff for recommendations.
Peruse book buying websites such as Booktopia, which feature ‘hot new releases’ on their front page.
Find a blog, written by someone who has similar taste to you. A bit difficult now that Google’s algorithms are impacting small publishers in search rankings. Thanks Google! But try looking up a book you read recently and enjoyed and see if anything other than trash websites come up. A favourite book blog of mine is Keeping up With the Penguins, which is very well-written, to boot.
If in doubt with where to stay, turn to the classics. Write a list of books that you’ve always wanted to read, such as:
Pride and Prejudice, etc.
Then start working your way through that list.
You could also look up a beloved literary figure and see what people have written about them. More on this soon.
Got any recommendations of your own on how to hunt down the perfect read? Please do share.
How to create your own reading rituals
TL;DR? – here’s my summary of tips for any wannabe bookworm:
Carry a book with you wherever you go.
Schedule it into your day or week like you would any other task.
Try to read before you sleep, rather than spending time watching TV or on your phone. Perhaps implement rules such as: ‘no TV after 8pm’ and ‘no phones in the bedroom’ (get an alarm clock instead!).
Set small goals of 15 minutes reading here and there, or perhaps a pledge to read a chapter a night. Then let these time frames grow as your levels of concentration improve.
Keep a running list of the books you’ve read for motivation.
Read a variety of books, across genres, and don’t feel like you need to finish one book before you pick up another.
Similarly, if you’re not enjoying a book, you do not have to finish it. There’s no rule on this! Don’t waste your time on a read that’s not right for you.
Reflect on what you’ve read so far. Did you enjoy it? Are you keen to read similar books?
Keep reading. It’s one of the most marvellous adventures that anyone can have.
-Lloyd Alexander
Well! Thanks as always for reading this newsletter. Of course there are five Thursdays in May this year, so I’ll be back next week with the usual free edition.
‘Til then, stay well and well-fed.
-Celine
If you liked this edition, heck, you may enjoy:
Stine-Morrow, Elizabeth A. L., et al. The Effects of Sustained Literacy Engagement on Cognition and Sentence Processing Among Older Adults, Frontiers in Psychology, vol. 13, 10 July 2022, https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.923795/full
Twenge JM, Hisler GC, Krizan Z. Associations between screen time and sleep duration are primarily driven by portable electronic devices: evidence from a population-based study of U.S. children ages 0-17. Sleep Med. 2019;56:211-218. doi:10.1016/j.sleep.2018.11.009
Most links in this missive will take you to YourBookstore.io. This very handy website allows you to shop and support independent Australian bookstores. Give your local some love, or request a copy from your nearest library.
Such good tips, and especially appreciate the TL;DR. The scheduling part always feels hard in trying to not make it feel like a job, but I understand it's the only way to build the habit.
Well, if getting to sleep is the goal, my bet is on audiobooks. The challenge the next day is determining where you were when you fell asleep! I had to go back three chapters this morning!