A no-pressure quest to read more books.

I always try to read a few articles each day.

This reading helps bridge my knowledge gap when I cannot make progress with my booklist. I have over 350 books on my Kindle, but I’ve read around 30 titles. All are romance novels.

So, now I’m attempting to read from other genres. It’s a battle even though I have a formula for reading a book within a week.

Today, I’ll share my new strategy for reading lengthy e-books; so we can help each other out of this.

Read book reviews for knowledge, not influence.

Reviews are an unobliging and helpful decision-maker for readers.

If you let book reviews influence your decisions, you could miss out on pleasant surprises. Some people will hate a book others love. You could be the one to dislike a novel loved by many.

Use your experiences, ask a friend with similar tastes in books, or let your feelings guide your book choices. There’s a book for everyone. Perhaps you are listening to the wrong influencers.

Have you ever felt like there’s nothing new or entertaining on your device to watch?

Rather than acknowledge the feeling, you ignore it. You keep searching for reruns. Or open and close the same apps several times.

Every time you choose to look for something to watch, you miss a chance to read your book. This moment is perfect. You already feel bored, so the novel may feel more exciting than it usually would.

If you’re only watching old videos to pass the time, you can redirect your boredom into your booklist.

I’m not suggesting you avoid your device. Everyone has a time suck hobby. I recommend you switch activities when the first gives you less joy.

Loosen your definition of reading

Book summaries count. Forget the critics — movies are also a good option for advancing down your booklist.

Movies, shows, and summaries are short forms of novels. They lack the details and non-essential storylines of the book, but they are valid. Plus, the visuals could awaken your desire to read the book cover to cover.

Remember how an author made you feel.

You may forget character names, places, and scenes, but it is difficult to forget how an author made you feel.

If a book grabs my attention from the first page, I note the author’s name. Then, read more of their novels. This way of choosing my next title makes me excited to crack open another book after finishing one.

Some plot elements will stand out more to some than to others. When you connect with something, look for similar books to recreate those feelings.

Remove expectations

You won’t always finish a book in one sitting, yet you feel you must. Sometimes, I forget what was happening in a scene when I’ve put down a book for an extended period.

So yeah, you’re not the only one. Reread a few paragraphs back before going ahead with new chapters. Some books need days and months to finish, and it’s doable if you keep an open mind.

Read when you can, start over, or join a book club to stay accountable for your reading goals. A book you love or need to further your career is worth the effort. Accept your progress to motivate yourself to keep going.

I hope you enjoyed reading this piece.