How I read more books

I used to devour books as a kid but slowed down after I graduated college for some reason. I think it's partially because I read an article once-upon-a-time that your bed should only be for sleeping (and spousal appreciation). I used to read before bed every night, but stopped after reading that article.

I just found a great article on HN about how to read more books. I've been reading more books than I ever have before using a lot of these same techniques.

Years ago, I realized I haven't read a full novel in quite some time, so I started reading in bed again. Using a Kindle with a backlight (and a strap to comfortably hold it) made it a lot more convenient. I generally read until I start falling asleep, and my sleep scores are typically quite good. I'm very thankful for sleeping soundly and try not to take it for granted.

Since I can read in bed without negatively affecting my sleep, I've been able to read a lot more. I use the Libby app to borrow most of my books. I maintain a list of books I want to read with an Amazon wish list. When I come across a recommendation, I add it to my wish list. When I'm ready to read a new book, I go through my wish list and search Libby until I find something that's available to read immediately. If I can't finish the book within the 21 day borrowing period, I put my Kindle on Airplane mode, and I'm able to finish the book without Amazon automatically returning it.

I've tried reading fiction books on my phone, but it's hard to get into the flow of reading when I have notifications interrupting me, or I lose concentration and switch to a different app. Because of that, I've dedicated fiction novels to my Kindle, and I read non-fiction books on my phone.

If I notice I'm scrolling TikTok/Instagram mindlessly, I switch to reading a non-fiction book instead. I put the Kindle app in a prominent place on my home screen next to my social media apps to make it easier to reflexively reach for it instead. I'm currently reading Morgan Housel's The Art of Spending Money, and it's easily interruptible if I get a notification.

There was a period of time where I tried reading the Wheel of Time series. Around book five my reading habit ground to halt. I didn't want to read another book, because I considered it a personal failure if I didn't finish what I started. After months of feeling guilty, I finally started reading something else, and have read many more books since then. Reading anything is better than not reading at all.