Five Ways to Get More
Reading Time in Your Life
Everyone’s time is precious—and it seems we’re all trying to
squeeze in a few minutes more for our families, our jobs, and those
extracurricular activities we really adore.
For bibliophiles, it’s especially crucial. Reading is like
breathing, after all. Words and stories are sustenance. Books help us think,
they make us feel emotion more deeply. Characters become our friends. Great
novels sweep us away to new places, and we crave that feeling—that high—which
only comes from discovering a really spectacular story. We love the feeling
that comes from an insatiable need to turn page after page just to find out
what happens next.
So, how to get more reading time in your life? Here are five
ways:
1.
Turn off the
Television. I don’t have cable. And while it might sound strange, my
children don’t complain, and I have a more peaceful home. If we want to indulge
in a TV show or movie, we use Netflix or go to Red Box. I also have the
television hidden in an armoire, so it’s not the first thing everyone sees or
thinks about when they walk in my front door.
2.
Listen in the
Car. I sneak in hours or reading
time in the car. I am an Audible member and subscribe to the Daily Deals, which
allows listeners to snag incredible books priced below $3.95. Nook owners can
check out the Nook App for deals, too! I easily make it through one new book
every two weeks, just at carpool, going to the grocery story, running errands,
and on trips to visit family and friends. (I even listen when I am folding
laundry!) NOTE: Free audio books are also available on Apps like Overdrive,
LibriVox, and Hoopla.
3.
Carry a book
with you. During the day, there are five minute snippets of time that often
go wasted…waiting in line, waiting on hold, waiting for a meeting to begin,
etc. On my smartphone, I’ve loaded the Kindle App and the iBooks App, so I
always have a book ready to go. If, by chance, I’ve just finished a novel, I
can download as many book previews as I like and decide (during that time) what
will be up next on my reading list. That said, you can always pop a “real” book
in your bag and carry it wherever you go!
4.
Join a Book
Club. When you belong to a book club, you are expected to read a book and
contribute to a monthly discussion, whether online or in person. This creates a
sense of urgency, responsibility, and ownership. I love the exchange between
readers and often, if the whole group chooses the title of the month, I find
that I’m reading and enjoying books that I never would have picked up in the
first place!
5.
Shop at the
Library. Once a week or once a month, get yourself to the library. If you
want to get in and out, before you go, shop the library website for your new
selections. The library will hold your selected books, put you in a queue if
there is a waitlist, and notify you by email, phone, or text when your books
are ready and waiting! If you have a pile of new books by your bedside, ready
and waiting, it’s more likely you’ll be tempted to get in a quick chapter.
6.
Get in your
Steps. Like to exercise? Have a Fitbit? Listen to audiobooks while you’re
walking outside or on the treadmill at the gym. Getting in those 10,000 steps
means you’ve just logged 5 miles and burned lots of calories. Think of how many
chapters you can sneak in every day! Listening to a great audiobook seems to
make the time go by faster…and just think, you’ll probably walk even more
quickly when you’re listening to a great thriller or suspense book!
I especially like taking thirty minutes on a Sunday morning,
especially in the Spring, to sit outside, listen to the sounds of nature, and
lose myself in the pages of a wonderful story.
There are so many ways to squeeze in more reading time. I’d
love for you to share your ideas about getting in an extra chapters each day.
What works for you?
Want to connect with Laura McNeill?
Social Media for Laura:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/LauraMcNeillBks
Link to Sister Dear on Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26371025-sister-dear
Laura McNeill is the author to Center of Gravity (July 2015) and Sister Dear (April 19, 2016). When Laura is not writing or reading, she makes time to run, share pictures to Instagram, and adores the color pink!
