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I've read almost 50 books so far and the year is not halfway over. Here's how.

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  • I read a lot as a child but had slowed down significantly for years, and I wanted to change that. 
  • When I set a goal at the beginning of 2023 to read 52 books this year, I wasn't sure I could do it.
  • Now, it's only May, and I've already read nearly 50 books. Here's how I've done it.
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When I was younger, I would read constantly. I was never without a book; in fact, even for the shortest of car rides, I'd often bring two books with me, in case I finished one along the way or decided that the first one I picked wasn't quite right for my mood. I needed options. But as I got older, I stopped reading so much. A habit of four or so books a week turned into one book a week, and over time, I was reading a book a month — or fewer.

I started to miss the feeling I got when I'd lose hours to a good novel. While my job is, essentially, reading and I spend a lot of time scrolling articles online, it's just not the same. So I set a goal of reading 52 books in 2023 — a book a week — and I worried at first it might be a bit ambitious, since I could count on my fingers and toes (with a few to spare) the number I'd read in 2022. Soon, though, it became clear that I had nothing to worry about. As of today, I've read 46 books this year. Here's how I've changed my reading habits.

I dusted off my library card

If I had bottomless pockets, I'd buy every book I wanted to read — which I actually did the first few weeks of my reading challenge. But when it became clear that I would be reading a lot this year, I needed a more financially sustainable way to do so. Thankfully, the library exists. I downloaded the app for the Brooklyn Public Library, put a few of the books I wanted to read on hold, and hopped on the bus. Within a few hours, I had a nice to-be-read pile on my nightstand for the price of bus fare.

I also started using Libby, the digital-library app

OK, I never thought I'd be a Kindle convert, but the Libby app is a game changer. It's the library but digital, and it has pretty much everything — it also has audiobooks for anyone who prefers those. My branch of the public library is beautiful, and I love a physical book, but it's not the most convenient to get to, and a Kindle is just so easy to use; with the Libby app, you can check out up to 20 digital books at a time, place holds on an additional 10 titles, and, again, it's free. Like I said: game changer.

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I buy books that have long library wait times and preorder books from authors I love

While I'm getting the majority of the books I read for free from the library, there are some books I will buy, including newer titles that have long wait times at the library and books that aren't out yet from authors I love. After all, preorders make a difference, and if I can send a message with my money to a publisher to help out an author, I'll do it. 

I post about what I'm reading and use apps to find my next read

I post about what I'm reading on Instagram, and I rate my books on Goodreads. On Instagram, friends often respond and recommend similar titles. Goodreads does the same; after I mark a book as "finished," I get recommendations of books other users read and rated highly, often with similar thematic elements. I also use curated lists on both Goodreads and Libby to find my next reads. There are lists of top-rated books by genre, books you might like based on books you've already rated, and so on.

I let myself quit books I'm not enjoying

I used to finish every book I started, no matter what. It made reading feel like a chore sometimes. Now, if I'm not enjoying a book, I let myself quit — and I've probably quit about six to eight books this year. Sometimes, I can tell a book isn't for me about 20 pages in, and sometimes I'll get more than halfway through before deciding to cut my losses. I know now that there are so many books in my "want to read" list that I don't need to waste my time on something that I don't feel excited to return to.

I read whenever I'm commuting and during the time I'd normally be watching TV

This one feels obvious, but it still has to be said — I read, plain and simple. I live in New York, so I commute to appointments via train, rather than by driving myself, and I'm always reading while doing so. These days, I'm reading while standing up next to my stove waiting for my water to boil in the morning so I can make my coffee. I find myself choosing a book over my comfort TV shows — and I'm not reading because I've challenged myself to do so. I'm reading because I want to.

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