Nick's Random Gibberish (24) : How Do You Read So Many Books?

Nick's Random Gibberish is a weekly post here at Nick's Book Blog where I, Nick, will talk about random topics from personal posts to discussion posts.

Hi book lovers!

Today, I thought I would answer a question that many of you have asked me over the past year.

I get asked how I'm able to balance university, personal and blogging life and still manage to read about 20-30 books a month. I wish I could say that I had some magical power that I was bestowed upon which allows me to read like a maniac or that my days consists of 30 hours instead of 24 hours, but sadly, that's not really the case. I've just accumulated some habits over the years that allows me to read a book in a day or two. So, I thought I would share some tips with you guys. 

Setting aside time for reading is the most important part I think. When I first started college, I would only read a book a week because I was so disorganized when it came to my schedules. I've learned to set aside some time that I dedicate only to reading. For me, this works best about 2 hours before bed. Reading before bed time also helps you sleep better, so there is an added bonus to doing it. I think what makes this work so well is that it becomes almost like a habit when you're repeatedly doing it. Once you're fully into the habit and are regularly reading at the same time, then your reading pace also improves. In 2 hours now, I'm able to read almost 200-300 pages.

Bonus Tip: I'm stealing this one from Nereyda, but while reading, switch off your digital devices (other than your e-reader) or anything that distracts you. I know I get distracted a lot when I'm reading by my phone. Switching it off or putting it very far away from me usually helps. Nereyda has been really improving on her reading pace this month because of that, so it really does work! 

Mixing up your reading material is also really important, in my opinion. When I started college, I only read a bunch of ARCs that I had and let me tell you, it was not at all fun. I wound up hating most of the books that I was reading and I was so unhappy with reading. I actually dreaded having to pick up books! Currently, I mix up my books. I'll read ARCs, but I also try to read older published books to spice it up a little. I also try out different genres and age ranges. And you know what? It works really well! I find myself enjoying books more that way which means I'm motivated to read more and faster.

I know some of you may be wary of audiobooks. Trust me, I was too. But they have changed my life! Earlier this year upon Nereyda's insistence, I bought an Audible account and now, I actually enjoy doing household chores! Even though they seem incredibly long (12 hours for most YA books), you can actually listen to them in about 5-6 hours if you speed it up. I used the 3X speed setting, and I'm able to finish an audio in about 2-3 days. I listen to audiobooks while I'm walking to campus or when I'm cooking and cleaning up my apartment. Audiobooks have been all the rage lately and they are some fantastic narrators out there! I definitely enjoy them. Also, although buying audiobooks separate from your monthly membership might be expensive, Audible frequently has amazing sales and promo codes. I recently bought audiobooks for $6 or less because of a sale they had!

This is for those of you who are also students and have to study especially during the weekend. One thing that I do in between studying is reading. It helps me calm down and relaxes my brain. When I'm studying for an exam, what I usually do is study a chapter or two and then take a 10 minute break. During the break, I get reading done, so I'm basically using reading as treats. It not only motivates me to study harder and faster, but it also gives me reading time, which is always fun!

Now, this one might not work for everyone, but it does for me. Whenever I get the chance, I  join a read-a-thon. It's so helpful because it challenges you to push to your reading limits, especially when you set goals for yourself. It's very motivating because you also have other readers cheering you on. If read-a-thons are too overwhelming for you, try buddy reads. Now, buddy reads are awesome! I love reading a book together with a friend because not only does it push you to read the book, but it's also a fun experience discussing the book along the way. I jump on the buddy read train whenever I get the chance. If ever you wanted to buddy read something with me, hit me up!

I know this can be really hard when you're part of a community that has the tendency to be as competitive as the book blogging community is, but don't ever compare the number of books you read to others. It will make you so miserable. I've been there, so I speak from experience. It doesn't matter if you read 5 books or 500 books a year. Reading more books doesn't make you a better blogger or a bigger fan of books. You have to know that different people have different reading speeds and time availability. So you should just read whatever you can and enjoy what you're reading!

What about you? Do you have any tips to help readers read more books while leading busy lives? Do you do any of the things I mentioned above?
 
Let me know in the comments below!

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