When do you find time to read??!

That is the one question I’ve been asked a lot, recently from friends and families who get to see my reading updates on Instagram and Facebook.

Now let me clear out two things, because I’m sure most of the readers in our reading community must be getting asked the same question and most of us already have a million hacks to make the most of our reading lives. So here are the two things:

Most of the people who ask me this question are not avid readers. Some of them don’t like to read at all and some of them like to read but maybe a book a month at most.
I don’t read as much as I would really like to! I manage to read 4-5 books a month if they are a reasonable size, meaning not more than 400 pages. So it’s not like I’m reading a 100 books a year and people are surprised how I do it📚🤔😉

So, for people who are still interested to know my reading hacks, or budding readers who want to read more, or for experienced readers who might enjoy reading about my bookish life and sharing with me their own hacks, you’re welcome to read on😊

📚1 – I am never, ever without a book, or a type of book. I learned this trick from other fellow readers and bloggers who keep saying that the trick to read more is to always have a book on you, in the kitchen, or the loo, in your bag, your backpack, your office drawer… you get the drill

📚2 – I read in all formats. This was hard work for someone like me who was set in her ways of reading only paper books. I found it really hard to get into reading on the kindle device or on the kindle app on my phone. I had prejudices against audiobooks and used to think that listening is not reading. Until I earnestly gave them all a try. And I’m telling you, it works wonders for my reading life. So I told myself, to stop being a stuck up snob, and use that kindle and that audible app and enjoy reading! (I still love my paper books the most.. hehehe)

📚3 – Don’t have reading slots assigned. Don’t plan your reading thinking, I’ll read over the weekend or on my vacation by the beach or in a cabin in the woods. You might not be able to finish that book if you encounter an evil psychopath in the cabin in the first place. I read anytime and every time I feel like. I listen to my audiobook on my 15 minute runs sometimes or on the bus ride to work, I read my kindle or paper book during coffee break or general breaks at work, I read at home when my daughter is watching Peppa Pig and my husband is watching football, I sometimes sneak in a few lines in a crowded party on my kindle app on the mobile the pretext of posting pictures!

So those are my three hacks really! And even after all these tricks, I’m unable to read as much as I would like to read. But everyone has their normal chores and responsibilities, family, work that pays and cannot be ignored, children or pets to listen to, husbands or partners who can definitely be ignored but not for too long, taking out time to exercise and do other things like socialising.. so it’s absolutely OK I think even if we read a book a month I guess.