Get 45% off the Magic Mind bundle here: magicmind.com/pbbjan ✨Thank you to Magic Mind for sponsoring this video! 📚What's the number one most game-changing thing that has helped you read more? 👀
Join your local library if you have one. One of my biggest hurdles in reading isn't actually the time or inclination, but not being able to afford to buy all the books I want to read. I've recently joined my small, local library and not only do you get to go and borrow books, you also get to enjoy their displays and see new titles without feeling stressed that you can't buy them.
Bring👏🏻your👏🏻book👏🏻where👏🏻ever👏🏻you👏🏻go👏🏻 I read so much in college because even though I was busy with classes and work, I read during every break and every moment of down time. Always having a book with me meant always having something to do while I waited for my next class; waited to clock in to work; waited to meet up with friends; waited waited waited.
This is such a great tip! I always have a paperback book with me for reading while waiting for appointments, on the commute or other small moments where I otherwise would mindlessly scroll. I also sometimes go out for a coffee or breakfast by myself and just bring a book and read. It's my best type of self care.
YES! I totally agree! I actually took my kindle with me when I wanted to buy a new purse (I'm a small-purse gal) to make sure I could easily fit it in there and take it with me!
swapping my bedtime scrolling with reading has been life changer. i sleep better and i went from reading 3 ish books a year to 53 in 2024. so thankful to have rediscovered reading as an adult after university. book tube also has been such a lovely safe space to learn in ❤
And you should be! 😊 Reading is reading… A few years ago, I wasn’t reading at all (I used to read regularly when I was a teenager and young adult) and then I started reading again, 2 to 3 books a year, now my average is about two books a month and I read more with audiobooks that I said I would never read a year ago😅, so whatever the number, it really doesn’t matter as long as you’re read because you like it😊
@@maevajesse @LoveSierraAnastasia I feel u. I'm also getting into reading again. I used to be a voracious reader in my teenage years but got out of touch kinda. It was only frm last yr I got into reading again. My average is also about 2 books a month. I mostly listen to audiobooks now, saves a lot of time. Read 23 books last yr and proud of it, 'cause i read what I liked and am super satisfied about it. 😊
Haha I would also have questions about that! I’m baffled by my bookish friends who manage 300 or so in a year - I don’t think I have it in me but I’m happy for them 😂❤️
I know people who read that much in a year, but they mostly read romance and smut. I read 420 books last year but not romance or smut. I will say, I counted 1 children’s book because it was required for a challenge and I counted 10 novellas, which altogether might have been the size of 2 books.
So many great tips here! A few things that helped me read more: 1. adding in audio and e-books 2. Reading books through Libby - knowing I had a hold coming in and that I had a limited amount of time to read before it was automatically returned is a huge motivator! 3. Becoming involved in Bookstagram - seeing others' reviews of great books always inspires me to keep reading and have an ongoing TBR list that can match my mood at any time.
Libby is so helpful for reading more! I’m terrible at remembering to go to the library in person, but I read books from my library digitally every single day ❤️
Libby greatly increased my reading opportunities, too! I’m so glad libraries have included a digital option for checking out books for free. Libraries are just awesome.
So happy to listening how you feel about audiobooks and the speed you listen them. Sometimes I must lower my speed to 1.7 (type of book and narrator style) and I get anxiety at how slow it is. I can listen to a book at a 3.7 speed perfectly, my friend thinks I am crazy, lol.
I don’t think I’ve gone faster than 3x very often, but I can definitely relate that slower speeds can feel painful once you acclimatize to a faster speed! It also seems like narrators tend to read slower on purpose to be more legible and accommodate more people, which is great, but they certainly speak a lot slower than we typically would in conversation, for example!
i like to listen to an audiobook while also reading it physically and i can to speed it up to my reading speed. it’s often 2.5-3 times and if it’s too slow it’s so painful
There are a lot of these types of videos on youtube about how to be more productive in reading habits, and I must say this is a really great video! I'm for sure going to try the tip of reading a physical book and an audio book simultaneously! ❣
It’s a favourite routine of mine since childhood! My parents bought me a tape player and a bunch of classics on tape when I was four or five because I struggled so much with falling asleep, and I don’t think I fell asleep without an audiobook after that until college with the exception of sleepovers and camp 😂 I love getting all cosy in bed and picking out what I’m going to listen to then just laying there with my eyes closed letting someone tell me a story until I drift off 🥰
I can confirm that the audiobook sleep timer is a game-changer! I had no idea about sleepphones, and will definitely check those out. Excellent, thoughtful, and encouraging tips! Happy reading! ❤
Oh yes, I forgot to mention the sleep timer but that’s essential! I spent a lot of time rewinding tapes as a kid to figure out where I fell asleep 😂 technology has come so far! lol
I read 18 last year and I was super happy w that and I just added a couple of my friends at college on Goodreads which im really excited abt 😌 we didn’t know we all had Goodreads and it’s fun comparing books together
Last year I read 98 books. I have full-time job, kid and home to take care of but what helped mi the most was taking my book everywhere with me! I read at bus, whenever I wait for something or someone. Also, a great idea was to mindfully put my phone away befor bed and read instead. Now I am discovering the app Fable and reading is even more fun!
These tips are actually really realistic and doable. I think I’m going to make a spread in my reading journal this year with all of these tips. Obviously, with credit to you, Elizabeth 😊 Side note: Anyone else remember when DVDs used to come with a free digital copy of the movie? Publishers should start doing that with books. At this point I can’t afford a copy of a book and the audio version. Unless I’m just clueless to whether or not this is already a thing.
I’m so glad it was helpful! I’d love to see the spread when it’s finished 🥹 and oh my gosh, I so agree - right now, I rely heavily on my library to be able to get a second copy of a book so I can do a mixed media read, but I would love if buying a book in any format got you the same book in the other two! Especially considering how ridiculously expensive books are these days 😭
I even thought of asking for a video like this in your comments. Guess I won’t have to do that anymore. Thank you so much!! Looking forward to watching it. Love your videos and hope you are doing great! 💕
I love audiobooks, some books work so well for me in audio form! Also depending on the person giving voice to the book of course. F.i. I have tried reading 'The Haunting of Hill House' several times and it felt very bland to me, but in a way that made me feel like I missed something and I would love it when I found that something. I tried the audiobook, and the way the narrator nudged the emotions into the words by her tone of voice, reading speed etc. indeed helped me truly get the unreliability of Nel as the person whose point of view we follow. For me it helped to not push myself to read, but to instead find enjoyment in my reading again whenever I read, and watching youtube videos of people who enjoy reading (like you) and are not afraid to put aside books that/when they do not work for them. I was in a massive reading slump because I thought I 'had to' read enough, and because I was in a reading slump I felt guilty over not finishing books, which made it harder to pick up other books. I had to re-learn that it's okay and normal to DNF books, and that reading should be fun.
Oh yes, I can relate to this so much. There’s magic and storytelling and the emotion that a human voice can evoke! I’m sure I’m biased as a theatre person, but I love it ❤️ DNFing can help so much with avoiding reading slumps - but it’s something I struggle with so much, especially when I’m trying to read something specifically for a video and it’s not working! I think I need to let myself DNF more often in my personal reading to try to keep reading slumps at bay 😅
@@PlantBasedBride DNF-ing is hard. And on the other hand I also know from when I had a book blog that reading becoming a job instead of just a hobby (even more so for you when you earn your income with this channel) and the idea that 'I need to have something to say about this book' doesn't help either. Sending as many joyful reading vibes as possible your way!
Excellent video Elizabeth. I prioritise quality over quantity plus I am a very slow reader. I read around 30 books a year and this is also thanks to audiobooks. At the beginning I hated it but then I discovered that, although I mostly read in English (English is not my mother tongue) I absolutely cannot listen to an audiobook in English, but only in Spanish, my mother tongue. So now in my commute, I only listen to audiobooks instead of carrying my book, bookmarks, reading glasses, pens, etc😂😂 and also when I am doing chores at home. Life changing. Take care❤❤
That’s so interesting! I find I understand my second language (French) better in audiobook form than reading with my eyes, but I vastly prefer mixed media reading whenever I can manage it while reading in French (especially when I’m trying to tackle classics!) ❤️
This video was so practical and thoughtful but also the editing! This was a delight for my eyes to watch; thank you for making it so dynamic and fun! Hope you’re well :)
Great video! Great tips! I often have a book in both Kindle and paper versions bc my husband wants me to turn off the light, and I can't read as easily with the clip-on book light. I usually only listen to audiobooks in the car. I never thought of adding an audiobook on top of paper or ebook to help me focus or even just listening to it until I'm tired enough to fall asleep. I kind of felt like an audiobook was cheating. So this tip is really going to help me, and I need to get those sleep-phones. My headphones that block out my husband's tv noise are not comfortable enough to lay on my side. I like the tip of trying different genres as I tend to gravitate towards the same few but am interested in expanding my horizons. I do enjoy watching your videos and a few other YTers to get recommendations. ❤ The tip of reading more than one book at a time should also be helpful bc sometimes I'm not in the right mood for what I'm reading. Then I might start a different book, and when I go back to the previous book, I feel like I need to restart it or at least go back far enough to refresh my memory. So I'm finishing nothing, and then I feel bad dnf'ing.
wow you've made some really good points I must admit...... I've already implemented some of these, 30min screen limit on my phone, my book is right next to my laptop cause that's where I sit everyday, and I've added some audiobooks to listen to falling asleep as I have terrible insomnia. thank you Elizabeth xx
Audiobooks were a real game-changer for me too, because they give me something fun to do while I'm doing household chores, my daily exercises, or going for a walk. It also means I've read a lot of books I wouldn't have picked up otherwise, because I listen to very different types of books to the ones I read physically.
Last year I read mostly romance, loved it and it provided some fun escapism. This year I wanted to try and read more genres, so already I've gotten thrillers, a memoir, non fiction, romance, horror and short stories! Loving the variety.
Awesome! Are you enjoying any genre in particular or really just loving a little bit of everything? I definitely go through phases of one genre or another!
@@PlantBasedBride I just checked my holds shelf at the library and it's about half mysteries and science fiction/ speculative fiction haha. I think the variety is keeping me more engaged, kind of like you said, I can have like 3 or 4 books going at a time in different genres and change it up based on mood
Such a helpful tips video for reading more! Once I started using audiobooks, it definitely helped me consume more books each year. All the audiobook tips you gave are very helpful to crush those goals!
I’m always sad when I hear people saying they want to listen to audiobooks but can’t seem to focus on them/absorb the story, so I really wanted to take some time to focus on them a bit to try to help because audiobooks are the best!
I am having such a hard time reading throughout the academic year. Every time I read for fun I feel like I could or should be studying and then I just end up scrolling on tik tok so this really resonates. Thank you!
It can be so hard when you feel like you have other responsibilities you should be doing, but we also deserve time to rest and recharge and time to spend on ourselves and our hobbies, so I hope you’re able to be kind to yourself and allow yourself to read for your own enjoyment a little more often ❤️
For Christmas I received an e-reader remote and I love reading with it so much. It means that I can be entirely covered in my weighted blanket and don't have to move to turn a page. It's silly, but it means that it's very attractive to stay in there reading for longer. (Especially here in the cold winter days.)
@PlantBasedBride yeah, I already had a case that propped it up. I'm sure there are other ways of making it work, but I'm fully horizontal on the couch, Kindle by my face, arms under the blanket.
I usually have one fiction and one nonfiction going at a time. When I'm wanting more information, or feeling like I want to learn something, my nonfic is what I read. When I want story, characters, and escapism, it's fiction.
@@PlantBasedBride 5 or 6 books is too many for me to keep track of at once, but sometimes if something is too heavy to read all at once, I'll read a bit, pause for bit and read something else in that same genre while I'm on break with the first, and parcel the heavy book out like that. I also sometimes have an audiobook on the go, as I work as a shelver in a used book store, and need something to listen to to pass the time. Music is great, but sometimes I need to vary it with podcasts and audiobooks. I usually find free ones on TH-cam.
Thanks for the video. I have never had a problem with reading more. i was always the one with her nose in a book. Your suggestions were great, especially reading audiobooks. I walk every morning and I'm always listening to an audiobook. It's a great motivator to get out and exercise. Also, my husband does not understand the idea of listening at a faster speed. I even do that with videos and it drives him crazy. The only thing that I lack is that no one in my circle reads as much as I do (and I'm a librarian) and so I miss the social aspect of reading. Your videos are always such a great help and motivator. Thanks!
I honestly never thought the media I use to read would make a difference to me, but I’ve had a few years of really struggling to focus on and finish or even sometimes enjoy reading physical books - I think I read a grand total of 5 books over 2024 and that was a slog. However my husband got me a kindle for Christmas and for whatever reason, it’s been a game changer - we’ve not even finished January and I’ve already finished 4 books, the literal only difference has been the kindle. Don’t underestimate the difference that finding the right medium for you can make.
My love of reading returned strong this last year mainly because of audiobooks. It was easier to fit listening in while doing other things like driving or doing errands since I didn't have the time to devote to long chapters of books anymore. Two things that helped were DNFing, continuing in a book that wasn't working for me would usually put me in reading slumps. So the quicker I walk away, the less time I waste on a book that I don't want to read. Keeping a book journal of the book I was reading and doing book challenges with myself helped me focus on reading and not let it fall by the wayside. Making a competition with myself tricks me into reaching my goals faster. For example, I had sticker pictures of all my unread audio/kindle, to be present, so it wasn't out of sight, out of mind. Keeping reading and the books in the forefront of my mind, instead of being pushed aside.
You're so kind with your recommendations Not gonna lie, I do housework as part of my incomes and most of the times I don't have the feeling of reading, but watching this and you give me the inspiration to keep listening my audiobook 🥰 Also that you are so nice in how to motivate others, not putting pressure and reassuring that it's fine if it doesn't always work but its worth every read if we enjoy them ✨ thanks for that ^-^
Love this video! Many of the things you suggest I also do, especially the one about having multiple books on the go. Most of my friends think that’s a lot, but rarely are my concurrent reads of the same genre so it’s quite natural to keep them separate in my mind! Some other interesting tips I’m keen to give a go though. Here’s to a good year of reading!
I have definitely been guilty of reading multiple books of the same genre at the same time, but usually at least in different formats which helps somehow! But varying the genres is the best way of differentiating them 😅
Fantastic tips!!! One tip I would add regarding listening to audio books in bed... if you fall asleep it can be a bit of a frustration to go back to try to figure out where you left off. I resolved this by using a sleep timing in my audio book app... I pretty much always set it for 30 minutes that way, if I dose off, I know that I left off in the last 30 minutes and have a much easier time figuring out where I was. Plus, if the sleep timer turns it off while I'm still wanting to listen, it is super easy just to reset it for another 30 minutes. :)
Yes!! I should’ve included this, but I totally forgot. I always bookmark where I am when I start the sleep timer and then set the sleep timer for either 30 minutes or till the end of the chapter/track, and if I’m still awake, I can do another bookmark and start another sleep timer. That means I never have too much to scrub through to figure out where I actually passed out 😂
Commute! Ever since I changed jobs, and have to communte 45 mins each way, I read sooooo much! However, it is important to choose the right book, the one which will be more enticing, than just scrolling. Whenever I take a book with me, and for a day or two don't really make good progress, it probably means it is not a right book. Also, kindle app on the phone. Yes, I do have kindle, and I do use it (usually when travelling), but with an app on the phone I can read everywhere I want. When I have five minutes waiting for the bus, at the doctors offico or even in particularily busy grocery store - intead of being annoyed I jump into a story. This one also has to be a very easy, a romance or young adult, or else I could loose track.
Oo yes, I find I like being able to read an ebook on my phone or my kobo so I can keep reading even if I left my kobo at home! That’s a great tip. I no longer have a commute but they were great for making progress! I actually learned this from my mom, who always listened to audiobooks on tape in the car where used to work back in the 90s/00s ❤️
I've joined a book club for the first time in my life. I'm getting the book read because there's a deadline, and I'm excited to discuss it at the book club meeting at the end of the month.
I live about 3hrs from my parents and visit once a month so I replaced listening to music on those drives with listening to audiobooks! I read 5 more books than I would have otherwise and it didn't completely replace listening to music cause I still play music on all my other drives - super helpful!!
@PlantBasedBride oh I've been wanting to read that, I've heard such good things about it! It's one I was thinking of getting on audiobook. I'll check it out, thanks
I always keep "easy" reads around. For me, typically manga, graphic novels, and middle grade novels. They're like stretches to keep the reading muscles warm and help me feel accomplished when I don't have a lot of time or energy. Re-reading is similar, for the comfort and ease of consuming something familiar (and finding new things to love! Or hate, depending lol).
I tend to try an read 2 hours most evenings if my mood or daily grind will facilitate but I started leaving my phone across the room because I sometime clock watch which spoils my immersion or if I'm starting to feel too tired I then start scrolling. Moving the phone far away means I'm reluctant to get it so better habits can happen haha. I also started to struggle to read in busier environment due to my chronic illness and that's taking some adjusting too as I'm more sensory now and find it hard to zone in with louder surroundings which used to be my preferred. So a good old ambience video and pretending I'm at a café in the house works wonders haha.
Those are great suggestions. I'll try out the audiobook tips as I've found the content for me goes in one ear and out the other, so I just lose all context. Probably the biggest tip I've used is to commit to 30 minutes a day, or 3-4 hours/week if that works better. It's like what my meditation teacher said: thirty minutes is better than ten, but ten is always better than zero. (I also prefer to read one fiction and one non-fiction book at the same time, max, to maintain a lower cognitive load from trying to remember each book in progress.)
A new subscriber over here. I just discovered your channel and I loved it instantly. Mixed media reading has helped me so much especially with my masters in literature required reading and other classics.
Your tips for enjoying audiobooks are spot on! I tried reading via audiobooks several years ago and the book I chose just wasn't the right fit. A dense, textbook like nonficiton with a narrator that made it feel even more like a drag to get through. I was so turned off by that experience that I didn't try audiobooks again, until last year. A friend of mine recommended The Babysitter by Stephen Graham Jones and I was hooked on audiobooks ever since! It's all about the narrator and sometimes even the genre you're reading from.
I read 293 books over the last two years. And I’ve already read 23 this year. I rarely watch tv anymore because I just can’t find anything that piques my interest or holds my attention. And I’ve deleted most of my social media accounts. It’s amazing how much time I was wasting on constantly scrolling.
Fun fact - sometimes I tend to speed up youtube videos because I get a bit distracted/bored when some peeps talk soooo slow so I get that part where you speed up so much in audiobooks lol Great video with sound tips and advice! Been trying to read at least one book a month now ever since I stopped reading since around high school. I do struggle getting back to it - mostly with the motivation. I don't have a very strong intrinsic 'why' so sometimes I have to push myself but this gave me motivation to keep going and try some of what you suggest! I think setting the mood might help some people too - like while building a habit, they can also add something that helps get them in a 'reading mood' like lighting scented candles, snacking on something they like, etc. Might make some people feel like they are relaxing and rewarding themselves rather than making it a chore to read. I'm gonna try using scented candles next time I read! Oh wow! i never thought of trying to read multiple books at the same time and start on the next one immediately tbh - i've been trying to complete one book at a time for some reason but this makes more sense since i tend to read multiple webtoons, manga at once and start another one right away even if I've got 30+ ongoing and still finish them! Such an obvious tip but i never thought of applying it on my physical reading. I should try an audiobook and even the mixed media method - I think the mixed media one might help me but I gotta hunt the audiobook and physical from my local library... which i'm finding it a bit hard for some reason...
I love the idea of setting the mood even more with a scented candle! I need to do that, too ☺️ and I’m so glad some of these tips are new to you/things you’d like to try! I rely on my library a lot to get a second copy of a book in a different format for mixed media reading ❤️
@@PlantBasedBride Thank you for sharing them. UwU Yeah, noticed someone mention about libby - did a bit of research and turns out my local library has access there for the other formats! Now I can try the mixed media method! Wohoo!
hi! can you please make a video/give tips about how to find enjoyment in reading for school? as someone who loves reading, I find it difficult to enjoy books/not get bored if the book is for school. it would help a lot, I've loved and used all your tips so far! I don't know if you remember the comment on your annotation video, but it helped me be more conscious about reading - I started a reading quotes book to "annotate" my books in until I build up to writing IN the book, and I also bought a neutral, light colored marker to highlight; I love your idea. great video!
Yeah, that's what I do too: 1 audio, 1 electronic and 1 print. Every now and again I read something for a live show because it's great motivation. Some of those discussions are not what I expect but I adjust. Basically it's just nice to be in a room with other people interested in the same story, even if it's only for an hour or two.
This year I'm trying to avoid reading X number of books because there are a lot of longer works I've been avoiding for years because they'll drag down my total count. I can't listen to audiobooks by themselves, but I will use audio assistance on occassion just to get through a book faster that I don't want to DNF but I'm not particularly enjoying. You're the first person that listens to audiobooks regularly that acknowldeges it's not always easy to process audio. I've only been able to listen to two books on audio and actually feel like I read the book. Usually I can't remember anything about the book afterwards, and I'm certain it has to do with narration style. I need a more conversational tone in my narrator. I can listen to podcasts no problem.
21:23 et al., listening to audiobooks before sleeping. This one made me chuckle, because I started doing that, and it worked a little too well?? I fall asleep after a paragraph or two and remember next to nothing of the little I've "read." I must be the kind of person who has to be at least somewhat alert for audiobooks to work. But that's okay, I'm happy that I've found a way to settle down the mental churn and get some rest. As for my own advice, there's that saying courtesy of Theodore Roosevelt, "Comparison is the thief of joy." I think turning away from social media, as you mention earlier in your video, is an important part of this, since glamour and ambition are much of what draws our eyes there.
That definitely happens to me some nights! Honestly I’m always happy when it does, because I’m usually a 45 minutes to an hour to fall asleep kind of gal 😅 I think balance is really important, there’s so much inspiration and camaraderie to be found in online bookish spaces, but sometimes you just have to log off and do the reading ❤️
This is the only reason I’d want a longer commute 😂 I made way more progress when I had to take the streetcar and walk to work than I do now walking down to my basement lol
something that has helped me is deleting any books apps to track my reading and what not. i’ve left so many book groups online because surprisingly it doesn’t encourage me to read. i noticed that i was becoming superior with books to make sure i reached a “goal” each year. my only exception is goodreads. i even over consumed with buying books that i still haven’t read. basically, don’t surround yourself with unnecessary distractions to your enjoyment of reading and only read books you are interested in. there are so many books in a lifetime that you will read and won’t read. so choose wisely, bookworms.
I just discovered listening to audiobooks and have added them to my reading journal. I just add a little headset icon to denote audio. I have to be honest, I do not consider audio book as “reading.” However, Audio books are a legitimate way to devour a great story, but its separate from reading on an e-reader, physical book or stone tablet ( if I ever get my hands on one; the journey matters😊 In conclusion, I do love devouring stories in ALL formats whether I'm reading or listening to an audio book while I'm in my garden. Cheers!
Audiobooks are great. U know some people look down on it as "not reading" but it is. You get engrossed in a long-form story which is so important in this world of tiktok videos 15-30sec increments.
i think the best tip someone gave me was: if you're not enjoying the story, you don't have to read it, just change the book! and that changed my reading habits, because I was making space to read what I was actually genuinely interested in
This is so vital!! It can take months to push through a book you’re not enjoying, ending up in a reading slump with no motivation because all the fun has been drained out.
After watching your video on annotating, i find reading more interesting and it helps me focus a lot. Though I personally prefer physical books, I would love to try audio books this year. 😊
I think my problem with audiobooks is that I’m used to playing dialogue in my head almost as slow as a person would actually talk. So if I speed it up to where the narration sounds normal for a book, the dialogue is way too fast
I read an average of 2-3 books a week ( usually totalling about 1k-1.5k pages/wk). I'd read more (because I want to) but I work full time and was also doing videos (will be back to it once I'm re-settled). I read chonky books too so my goal isn't # of books read a month/year but rather 100 pages read a day.. I definitely exceeded that this past year - and it ended up being 127 books total. I have other hobbies (art, music, writing, puzzles, etc) but my #1 favorite thing in the world is reading physical books. I read on all of my work breaks, read at home for hours a day instead of watching TV (don't even have a TV), take a book with me wherever I go (read in line at DMV or waiting for auto repair, for example), and usually listen to audiobooks while on my daily 3 mile-long walks. Another tip for reading more is reading from the library if you have access - I am more willing to DNF a book and DNF it quicker if it's just not working for me in the moment.. the months where I DNFd the most, I actually finished the most books and had a higher read page count, and with overall higher ratings.
I would love to read along with a long 'reading together or read with me' video from you. Even if it's not in realtime reading together, it motivates me to read seeing someone who is also reading, with or without soft jazzy music or ambient sounds 📖 Just a thought ☺️
I’ve recently started doing reading sprints with my patrons on Discord! It’s definitely motivating to read along with other people and have that accountability not to pick up your phone and start scrolling😅
My mother loved to read and she nurtured my love of it early. During college where the required reading was high, I didn't read for pleasure at all outside of fan fiction. I took a year off to just be once I graduated and the following year, I got back into it. I average about 200 to 250 books a year and the only reason I read so much is that I don't watch much TV and since temporarily disconnected from Instagram, I don't do much social media outside of TH-cam so the time people normally spend on watching tv/streaming services, I am usually reading. The only time I open my streaming apps is when a friend or family member goes on and on about a show I JUST need to watch, otherwise I rarely bother. Audiobooks have been a HUGE reason on why I read so much, although statistically I've been reading more e-books than anything the last few years. I have an office job that isn't "customer facing" so most of my day is spent going over spreadsheets, reviewing contracts, and just listening to audiobooks.
I went through a similar slump in college! I was studying theatre, so we were mostly reading plays, but it took me years after graduating to realize I missed reading and to build it back into a daily habit. I would definitely read more if I didn’t watch TV! But my husband and I love cuddling up on the couch in the evening and watching a few episodes of our favourite shows together ❤️ I tend to get a lot more reading done when he’s away since I don’t really watch TV on my own!
Definitely gonna try the "ambiance reading" technique... 🎧I get distracted sometimes while reading even with the slightest noise or "disturbance" ...😢 Thanks for the tips friend 🙏
@PlantBasedBride It is really helpful to get me both focused and get me in the mood for reading. Thank you so much! 🙏💚 Currently reading A HOUSE AT THE BOTTOM OF A LAKE by Josh Malerman, and the deep water ambiance sounds are really effective to create an "immersive environment"... I'm getting constant goosebumps while reading it. It's gonna be a 10/10 reading for me, i think 🤗
In 5 years I have read 1,443 books. And some of those are multibooks in one book. I take my book with me everywhere. I also read multiple books at one time. I don't really do Audiobooks because they lose my interest too fast. I think the thing is many people can't read due to life issues. For instance new mom's read less, students tend to read less, and people who work 50 hours a week read less. Since there are now Audiobooks those numbers are coming up since now even a new mom can sit down and read a book while still taking care of their new baby. But I do agree ALWAYS carry a book with you. At bare minimum on your phone. :)
If you have kids, read with them! In the last weeks, I started reading a novel with my two youngest kids (7 and 10). We read a chapter together (I read aloud) at bedtime, a couple times a week and we really enjoy that time. We are almost cover with our first book, so that habit is going to add up to my reading this year, but most importantly, I share good times with my kids and also the pleasure of reading stories! If you have older kids, you can start a “family book club” where you are read the same book and talk about it at the dinner table, again sharing fun moments and discovering what everybody thinks about many subjects!
I can't do audiobooks. I end up tuning out after a while and missing things so it doesn't actually help me to read more. I have the same problem with podcasts, i just tune out the voices after a while and then it's just background noise so I'm not actually absorbing anything that's being said.
The exact same thing happens to me! I thought audiobooks would be perfect for me since I love multitasking, but somehow I always lose focus and everything becomes background noise 😂
I don't physically read a lot this days, but I propose to a friend that we could read together while we wait for another friend to be ready (we have a rutine together 😅) the sundays, where is practically death time, and he agreed and now he's been reading his favorite book (he's about to finish it) and I've been studying ^-^ and he always says that he has no time to read so that's why I came up with the idea in a time I know we share and we do nothing :3 is about an hour but it's great 🖤 We plan to read Game of Thrones together one day, so now I can finally have a buddy read 🥰
Half a year ago I was still saying that listening to an audiobook is not as reading a book and that I was not interested in doing this, but I was sometimes not interested in listening to music on my daily commutes to work and I thought why not try audiobooks because when I’m driving I’m not doing anything else and wow, it has more than doubled the number of books that I’m reading even if I’m listening to them, I still need to have a physical book in my hand, I love wandering in libraries and discovering books, but with audiobooks I’m still discovering a story so it’s never too late to change one’s mind 😂😅 My main issue is that I need to reduce my time on social media, well, Instagram because that’s the only one I use now, one hour a day watching my favorite accounts is fine but the rest of the time it’s just stupidly scrolling and then I complain to myself I don’t have enough time to read books, but I have it indeed…
I’m so glad you discovered the joy of audiobooks! I feel like we humans have a natural affinity for being told a story, and that’s really all an audiobook is. Someone with a (usually) lovely voice telling you a story! ❤️
I am so glad to hear a serious reader support audiobooks. I think the debate over _is reading audiobooks _*_actually_*_ reading_ is such a childish _virtue signaling_ type of argument. You are still _consuming_ the book. It's *reading* no matter how one takes in the material. I am usually around 70% physical and 30% audio but that could be reversed, and I would still feel the same about how much I read for that year. I decide between physical / audio much like most people do I think - 1. The type of book. 2. What my life is looking like that week - if I am really busy then I'll opt for more mobile reading. And even, 3. Who is narrating the audio book (there are some narrators who "perform" a novel so beautifully that I will follow them as narrators) Tom Lake is a great example. This was narrated by Meryl Streep so I knew I wanted to experience that. By the way, I adored _most_ of her narration - the book wasn't quite as good as I expected it to be. This video is really great work. It will be a fabulous resource for people who want to step up their reading skill / process / habit.
I love the idea of annotating but I don't own most of the books I read. I mostly go to the library. I wonder if writing what I would be annotating in a journal might work as well. It would be harder (handwriting full notes vs highlighting or making brief notes in the margins) but I dunno what other option would exist in that situation.
I think I may have read upwards of 500 books each of my undergraduate years in college - cause lit major…. I have learned that speed reading is overrated, especially for novels, & should never be employed with poetry. I now reserve it for any research I might be doing.
My thing is: If I'm constantly reading on-the-go, or habit stacking while having breakfast, decompressing on the couch or in bed before sleeping, how can I do things like write notes on the book and/or highlight/bookmark? This is a very minor issue but I think many of us do that… Reading becomes another thing I have to do sitting down, on a desk. Guess I could just bookmark it and then go back to it later once I have some "desk time" (which is my current approach), but that means relying too much on my faulty memory :/
Currently struggling with the same…. I enjoy tabbing books and occasionally doing notes but I find that it really requires me to get up and sit at a desk, which then makes me feel like I’m doing more work instead of having that escapism feel.
I am able to annotate and take notes while sitting in bed or on the couch - I don’t need a table! It can take some getting used to, though. Maybe a small lap desk could help so you can be comfortable and have a more solid surface?
My only question is, how do you go from doing an audiobook and a physical book, When annotating is involved? Do you take notes while you’re listening to the audiobook if you don’t have a physical book so that way you can write the annotations later? How would you go about that process?
i leave bookmarks and notes through the tool on the audiobooks. the thing that's annoying is idk how to mark the page thru the audiobook. it only shows the percentage. i can of course calculate it by figuring the percentage of the page count.
I use the bookmark feature as horror babe said, but I also just take notes in my Notion reading tracker while I listen to an audiobook. I’ll just flip between the apps and jot down thoughts or snippets of a quote to properly transcribe later (or get from an ebook copy if I can get one from the library!)
9:54 re noise cancelling headphones does anyone have any recs? I want one soooo bad & i think i have my eyes on bose QC but i want to be sure about it before i break bank for it
How do you keep your place listening to an audio book while going to sleep? I feel I would just stay awake listening and never go to sleep. But I'm willing to try it. 💜
Sleep timers are great! I usually use the bookmark feature to mark where I am when I start listening and then set it to turn off at the end of the chapter/track.
Even though I do track what I read because I like to, I've never counted how many I ever read/own. It would be such a hassle with 10 bookshelves in the apartment but I MAY do it one day to see if between myself and my parents we reached the 1k number to qualify as a library. If you counted all your books how did you do it, how long did it take?
I counted them when I got my new bookshelves and was putting my books away, and at the time it was a little over 400 but I’ve definitely purchased more books since then. I might be hovering around 500 now? Not including books donated for my little free library, which I keep on different shelves and don’t consider mine.
Does anykne have like an audiobook online library they like? I tried Spotify but i find the monthly hour limit doesn't work for me. I do use audible but I'd like something I don't have to pay for every book separately
Libro.fm is my favourite! You can choose a local independent bookstore to support with your purchases ❤️ edit: and Libby to get audiobooks from my local library, as Mike mentioned below!
@ That's the brilliant thing about Libby: it's a phone app that you tie your library card to, so you can access e-books and audiobooks if the library participates. It works well in the USA; not sure about other countries.
I've tried reading while listening to the audiobook, and my brain couldn't process... It felt like I cannot concentrate on what I hear, and I can not process the words I see at the same time. So no mixing for me. 😅But now I'm kind of jealous that other people can do that.
Oh that’s too bad! Mixed media reading is my absolute favourite way to read. What kind of book was it? This can definitely be impacted by the genre and narrator, but it’s also possible it just doesn’t work for you ❤️
@PlantBasedBride It was a fantasy book! But I'll definitely try again with some other books. Could be that the narrator or the ebook letter type or something else was the problem! I'm curious now to try! Thanks for the video!
Well, I just spent 33:54 minutes watching this video, meaning 40 minutes less to read. I am always watching Ybers describe their experiences with books, buy those books and the cycle repeats.🤣😂 Last year I read 97 books without a goal.
Reading has only really become part of my job in the last two years or so, but yes, it certainly helps if you can read during work hours! Though if I could genuinely spend 40 hours a week reading and not worry about all the other pesky parts of my job, I would read way more books than I do currently 😂
I personally prefer quality over quantity.. I don't feel that reading a lot of books is a positive thing per se. I like to read slowly and enjoy every word, especially when I'm reading classic novels, or something written by someone who knows how to write impeccably. I also like to read for knowledge, like historical or scientific essays, but when I read for pleasure I prefer something classic because the sentence structure is just different.
I totally agree with you. For example, I don’t put anymore a specific number of books to read as a yearly goal because I was finding myself hurrying to finish books just for finishing them and even picking up shorter books over longer ones for meeting my goal…😢However, some of the tips are useful for me.
Same, I'm going for quality over quantity this year. If it takes a week for me to pick something i know i will love, so be it, rather that than a book i will forget about a couple weeks after finishing it!
@@rosarodriguez8984 I've never had a monthly/yearly goal. I really can't think of reading as a to-do activity, unless we're talking about studying, but that's a completely different topic. Have you ever heard of Daniel Pennac's 10 rights of the reader? 1. The right not to read 2. The right to skip pages 3. The right not to finish a book 4. The right to read it again 5. The right to read anything 6. The right to Bovaryism (mistaking a book for real life) 7. The right to read anywhere 8. The right to dip in 9. The right to read out loud 10. The right to be quiet Speaking of Madame Bovary... How can I think about "reaching a goal" when I can immerse myself in Flaubert's genius and Emma's complex inner world? I can't, I read because great literature makes me feel good.
I think that’s great! I certainly value quantity over quality, as well. My personal concern is that there are more incredible books in existence already than I could possibly be able to read in my lifetime - so I want to read more/more often to read as many of those incredible books as I can while I’m here (and spend less of my time on unrewarding hobbies). I think about if I’d read 200 books in the last 5 years instead of 600, how many of my favourites would I have missed out on, you know?
Join reading sprints or Silent Book Clubs if, like my spicy ADHD brain, it helps to have a body double in real time. If it doesn't have to be in real time, I also love the "Read With Me" videos here on TH-cam and use those a lot. (I'd love to see one from you, if that's ever content you'd be interested in making! 💜 ) . Thanks for this video, Elizabeth! You, talking about reading 4-6 books at time, made me feel more "normal" because I always have 3-4 books going at a time in different formats and my partner supports me but doesn't understand it, LOL. Though to be fair, he listens to audiobooks at 1.5x speed like you, which is something I support but also do not understand. Different funs for different ones, I suppose 😆
A few people have asked for read with me videos! Maybe that’s something I could try 🤔 I have recently started doing reading sprints in my discord server with my patrons, which has been really motivating! I need to get into a more regular routine with that for sure ❤️ I love that! We all have to find what works best for us, whatever that looks like! I used to struggle so much when I tried to make myself only read one book at a time. I had to embrace the chaos of my brain a little bit 😂
I honestly never thought the media I use to read would make a difference to me, but I’ve had a few years of really struggling to focus on and finish or even sometimes enjoy reading physical books - I think I read a grand total of 5 books over 2024 and that was a slog. However my husband got me a kindle for Christmas and for whatever reason, it’s been a game changer - we’ve not even finished January and I’ve already finished 4 books, the literal only difference has been the kindle. Don’t underestimate the difference that finding the right medium for you can make.
I never thought I’d like ebooks but they’ve really started to grow on me. Being able to change the font size and essentially turn any ebook into a large print edition is a game changer and it has definitely helped me read a bit faster.
@ it’s mad what works isn’t it. For me it’s being able to see how long is left in the chapter and how far I am through the book, as well as being able to put it in dark mode. It’s been a game changer.
Get 45% off the Magic Mind bundle here: magicmind.com/pbbjan ✨Thank you to Magic Mind for sponsoring this video! 📚What's the number one most game-changing thing that has helped you read more? 👀
and remember reading is a hobby, you don’t have to feel pressured to read as much as booktubers or booktokers!!!
Join your local library if you have one. One of my biggest hurdles in reading isn't actually the time or inclination, but not being able to afford to buy all the books I want to read. I've recently joined my small, local library and not only do you get to go and borrow books, you also get to enjoy their displays and see new titles without feeling stressed that you can't buy them.
Yes this is vital! I use Libby/my library daily ❤️
Bring👏🏻your👏🏻book👏🏻where👏🏻ever👏🏻you👏🏻go👏🏻
I read so much in college because even though I was busy with classes and work, I read during every break and every moment of down time.
Always having a book with me meant always having something to do while I waited for my next class; waited to clock in to work; waited to meet up with friends; waited waited waited.
Yes this helps so much! ❤️
This is why it takes me forever to read chunky hardcovers, I don’t want to take them anywhere
This is such a great tip! I always have a paperback book with me for reading while waiting for appointments, on the commute or other small moments where I otherwise would mindlessly scroll.
I also sometimes go out for a coffee or breakfast by myself and just bring a book and read. It's my best type of self care.
Miss 👏 I 👏 Don't 👏 Work 👏 Here 👏
YES! I totally agree! I actually took my kindle with me when I wanted to buy a new purse (I'm a small-purse gal) to make sure I could easily fit it in there and take it with me!
swapping my bedtime scrolling with reading has been life changer. i sleep better and i went from reading 3 ish books a year to 53 in 2024. so thankful to have rediscovered reading as an adult after university. book tube also has been such a lovely safe space to learn in ❤
That’s incredible! Reading before bed is such a great way to wind down and calm your mind after a busy day, too. I love it so much ❤
I read 17 last year and was proud😂
And you should be! 😊 Reading is reading… A few years ago, I wasn’t reading at all (I used to read regularly when I was a teenager and young adult) and then I started reading again, 2 to 3 books a year, now my average is about two books a month and I read more with audiobooks that I said I would never read a year ago😅, so whatever the number, it really doesn’t matter as long as you’re read because you like it😊
That's more than 1 a month!!! that's really good! congratulations!
You should be! That’s more than I read from 2013-2019 😂❤️
Less than this creator but more than probably 70 percent of the population, that's still something to be proud of!
@@maevajesse @LoveSierraAnastasia I feel u. I'm also getting into reading again. I used to be a voracious reader in my teenage years but got out of touch kinda. It was only frm last yr I got into reading again. My average is also about 2 books a month. I mostly listen to audiobooks now, saves a lot of time. Read 23 books last yr and proud of it, 'cause i read what I liked and am super satisfied about it. 😊
See I read the thumbnail wrong and thought you read 609 in a year and I was like "how tf does one even have time for that??"
"i simply read two books a day, keep up." lol
Haha I would also have questions about that! I’m baffled by my bookish friends who manage 300 or so in a year - I don’t think I have it in me but I’m happy for them 😂❤️
There is a booktuber who claims to have read 600 books in 2024.....the nonsense is strong in that one
I know people who read that much in a year, but they mostly read romance and smut. I read 420 books last year but not romance or smut. I will say, I counted 1 children’s book because it was required for a challenge and I counted 10 novellas, which altogether might have been the size of 2 books.
i saw someone post that they read over 700 books in a facebook group and i was very confused lol
So many great tips here!
A few things that helped me read more:
1. adding in audio and e-books
2. Reading books through Libby - knowing I had a hold coming in and that I had a limited amount of time to read before it was automatically returned is a huge motivator!
3. Becoming involved in Bookstagram - seeing others' reviews of great books always inspires me to keep reading and have an ongoing TBR list that can match my mood at any time.
Libby is so helpful for reading more! I’m terrible at remembering to go to the library in person, but I read books from my library digitally every single day ❤️
Libby greatly increased my reading opportunities, too! I’m so glad libraries have included a digital option for checking out books for free. Libraries are just awesome.
@ Yes! It has saved me well over a thousand dollars the last few years.
@ Yes absolutely! It really is a gamechanger for readers and for the library systems themselves.
So happy to listening how you feel about audiobooks and the speed you listen them. Sometimes I must lower my speed to 1.7 (type of book and narrator style) and I get anxiety at how slow it is. I can listen to a book at a 3.7 speed perfectly, my friend thinks I am crazy, lol.
I don’t think I’ve gone faster than 3x very often, but I can definitely relate that slower speeds can feel painful once you acclimatize to a faster speed! It also seems like narrators tend to read slower on purpose to be more legible and accommodate more people, which is great, but they certainly speak a lot slower than we typically would in conversation, for example!
i like to listen to an audiobook while also reading it physically and i can to speed it up to my reading speed. it’s often 2.5-3 times and if it’s too slow it’s so painful
Girl, I feel you on fast audiobooks. I read so fast and audiobooks at 2.25 speed has been the thing that helped me read over 150 last year
Thank you for validating my fast listening 😂 my husband always looks at me like I have two heads! haha
There are a lot of these types of videos on youtube about how to be more productive in reading habits, and I must say this is a really great video! I'm for sure going to try the tip of reading a physical book and an audio book simultaneously! ❣
This was so useful! I never thought of turning on an audiobook before going to bed; such a great idea!
It’s a favourite routine of mine since childhood! My parents bought me a tape player and a bunch of classics on tape when I was four or five because I struggled so much with falling asleep, and I don’t think I fell asleep without an audiobook after that until college with the exception of sleepovers and camp 😂 I love getting all cosy in bed and picking out what I’m going to listen to then just laying there with my eyes closed letting someone tell me a story until I drift off 🥰
This is so well thought-out and detailed! Thank you Elizabeth for all your hard work! 📚❣
You’re so welcome! I had so much fun making this video 🥰
I can confirm that the audiobook sleep timer is a game-changer! I had no idea about sleepphones, and will definitely check those out. Excellent, thoughtful, and encouraging tips! Happy reading! ❤
Oh yes, I forgot to mention the sleep timer but that’s essential! I spent a lot of time rewinding tapes as a kid to figure out where I fell asleep 😂 technology has come so far! lol
I read 18 last year and I was super happy w that and I just added a couple of my friends at college on Goodreads which im really excited abt 😌 we didn’t know we all had Goodreads and it’s fun comparing books together
Last year I read 98 books. I have full-time job, kid and home to take care of but what helped mi the most was taking my book everywhere with me! I read at bus, whenever I wait for something or someone. Also, a great idea was to mindfully put my phone away befor bed and read instead. Now I am discovering the app Fable and reading is even more fun!
These tips are actually really realistic and doable. I think I’m going to make a spread in my reading journal this year with all of these tips. Obviously, with credit to you, Elizabeth 😊
Side note: Anyone else remember when DVDs used to come with a free digital copy of the movie? Publishers should start doing that with books. At this point I can’t afford a copy of a book and the audio version. Unless I’m just clueless to whether or not this is already a thing.
I’m so glad it was helpful! I’d love to see the spread when it’s finished 🥹 and oh my gosh, I so agree - right now, I rely heavily on my library to be able to get a second copy of a book so I can do a mixed media read, but I would love if buying a book in any format got you the same book in the other two! Especially considering how ridiculously expensive books are these days 😭
@PlantBasedBride right?! It would be so useful if publishers did that. Also, I’d take a picture for you, but I don’t know how I’d get it to you 😆
Super practical tips, appreciate the consideration for different reading styles here.
Also your little smart girl outfit for this video is so cute ☺️
Haha, thanks! I fell in love with this sweater (it's from Kotn, a sustainable brand!), and I DO feel smart every time I wear it 😂
I even thought of asking for a video like this in your comments. Guess I won’t have to do that anymore. Thank you so much!! Looking forward to watching it. Love your videos and hope you are doing great! 💕
Thank you! I hope the video is helpful 🥰
I love audiobooks, some books work so well for me in audio form! Also depending on the person giving voice to the book of course. F.i. I have tried reading 'The Haunting of Hill House' several times and it felt very bland to me, but in a way that made me feel like I missed something and I would love it when I found that something. I tried the audiobook, and the way the narrator nudged the emotions into the words by her tone of voice, reading speed etc. indeed helped me truly get the unreliability of Nel as the person whose point of view we follow.
For me it helped to not push myself to read, but to instead find enjoyment in my reading again whenever I read, and watching youtube videos of people who enjoy reading (like you) and are not afraid to put aside books that/when they do not work for them. I was in a massive reading slump because I thought I 'had to' read enough, and because I was in a reading slump I felt guilty over not finishing books, which made it harder to pick up other books. I had to re-learn that it's okay and normal to DNF books, and that reading should be fun.
Oh yes, I can relate to this so much. There’s magic and storytelling and the emotion that a human voice can evoke! I’m sure I’m biased as a theatre person, but I love it ❤️
DNFing can help so much with avoiding reading slumps - but it’s something I struggle with so much, especially when I’m trying to read something specifically for a video and it’s not working! I think I need to let myself DNF more often in my personal reading to try to keep reading slumps at bay 😅
@@PlantBasedBride DNF-ing is hard. And on the other hand I also know from when I had a book blog that reading becoming a job instead of just a hobby (even more so for you when you earn your income with this channel) and the idea that 'I need to have something to say about this book' doesn't help either. Sending as many joyful reading vibes as possible your way!
Excellent video Elizabeth. I prioritise quality over quantity plus I am a very slow reader. I read around 30 books a year and this is also thanks to audiobooks. At the beginning I hated it but then I discovered that, although I mostly read in English (English is not my mother tongue) I absolutely cannot listen to an audiobook in English, but only in Spanish, my mother tongue. So now in my commute, I only listen to audiobooks instead of carrying my book, bookmarks, reading glasses, pens, etc😂😂 and also when I am doing chores at home. Life changing. Take care❤❤
That’s so interesting! I find I understand my second language (French) better in audiobook form than reading with my eyes, but I vastly prefer mixed media reading whenever I can manage it while reading in French (especially when I’m trying to tackle classics!) ❤️
@@PlantBasedBride Minds work in mysterious ways 😂❤️
This video was so practical and thoughtful but also the editing! This was a delight for my eyes to watch; thank you for making it so dynamic and fun! Hope you’re well :)
Thank you so much! I spent way too much time editing this but I got carried away and was having fun with it 😂 I’m glad you enjoyed it!
Great video! Great tips! I often have a book in both Kindle and paper versions bc my husband wants me to turn off the light, and I can't read as easily with the clip-on book light. I usually only listen to audiobooks in the car. I never thought of adding an audiobook on top of paper or ebook to help me focus or even just listening to it until I'm tired enough to fall asleep. I kind of felt like an audiobook was cheating. So this tip is really going to help me, and I need to get those sleep-phones. My headphones that block out my husband's tv noise are not comfortable enough to lay on my side.
I like the tip of trying different genres as I tend to gravitate towards the same few but am interested in expanding my horizons. I do enjoy watching your videos and a few other YTers to get recommendations. ❤
The tip of reading more than one book at a time should also be helpful bc sometimes I'm not in the right mood for what I'm reading. Then I might start a different book, and when I go back to the previous book, I feel like I need to restart it or at least go back far enough to refresh my memory. So I'm finishing nothing, and then I feel bad dnf'ing.
wow you've made some really good points I must admit......
I've already implemented some of these, 30min screen limit on my phone, my book is right next to my laptop cause that's where I sit everyday, and I've added some audiobooks to listen to falling asleep as I have terrible insomnia.
thank you Elizabeth xx
I hope you’ll find audiobooks help you sleep like they do for me! ❤️
Audiobooks were a real game-changer for me too, because they give me something fun to do while I'm doing household chores, my daily exercises, or going for a walk. It also means I've read a lot of books I wouldn't have picked up otherwise, because I listen to very different types of books to the ones I read physically.
Last year I read mostly romance, loved it and it provided some fun escapism. This year I wanted to try and read more genres, so already I've gotten thrillers, a memoir, non fiction, romance, horror and short stories! Loving the variety.
Awesome! Are you enjoying any genre in particular or really just loving a little bit of everything? I definitely go through phases of one genre or another!
@@PlantBasedBride I just checked my holds shelf at the library and it's about half mysteries and science fiction/ speculative fiction haha. I think the variety is keeping me more engaged, kind of like you said, I can have like 3 or 4 books going at a time in different genres and change it up based on mood
Such a helpful tips video for reading more! Once I started using audiobooks, it definitely helped me consume more books each year. All the audiobook tips you gave are very helpful to crush those goals!
I’m always sad when I hear people saying they want to listen to audiobooks but can’t seem to focus on them/absorb the story, so I really wanted to take some time to focus on them a bit to try to help because audiobooks are the best!
I am having such a hard time reading throughout the academic year. Every time I read for fun I feel like I could or should be studying and then I just end up scrolling on tik tok so this really resonates. Thank you!
It can be so hard when you feel like you have other responsibilities you should be doing, but we also deserve time to rest and recharge and time to spend on ourselves and our hobbies, so I hope you’re able to be kind to yourself and allow yourself to read for your own enjoyment a little more often ❤️
@@PlantBasedBrideAbsolutely thank you so much for the reminder!
What a fantastic video!!!!!!!!!! Thank you for putting this together and sharing it 💜
For Christmas I received an e-reader remote and I love reading with it so much. It means that I can be entirely covered in my weighted blanket and don't have to move to turn a page. It's silly, but it means that it's very attractive to stay in there reading for longer. (Especially here in the cold winter days.)
I bought a remote for my kobo but keep forgetting to try it 😅 do you use a stand/holder for your ereader when you do this?
@PlantBasedBride yeah, I already had a case that propped it up. I'm sure there are other ways of making it work, but I'm fully horizontal on the couch, Kindle by my face, arms under the blanket.
I usually have one fiction and one nonfiction going at a time. When I'm wanting more information, or feeling like I want to learn something, my nonfic is what I read. When I want story, characters, and escapism, it's fiction.
That’s a great way to do it!
@@PlantBasedBride 5 or 6 books is too many for me to keep track of at once, but sometimes if something is too heavy to read all at once, I'll read a bit, pause for bit and read something else in that same genre while I'm on break with the first, and parcel the heavy book out like that. I also sometimes have an audiobook on the go, as I work as a shelver in a used book store, and need something to listen to to pass the time. Music is great, but sometimes I need to vary it with podcasts and audiobooks. I usually find free ones on TH-cam.
Thanks for the video. I have never had a problem with reading more. i was always the one with her nose in a book. Your suggestions were great, especially reading audiobooks. I walk every morning and I'm always listening to an audiobook. It's a great motivator to get out and exercise. Also, my husband does not understand the idea of listening at a faster speed. I even do that with videos and it drives him crazy. The only thing that I lack is that no one in my circle reads as much as I do (and I'm a librarian) and so I miss the social aspect of reading. Your videos are always such a great help and motivator. Thanks!
Haha yeah my husband’s face is pure bafflement if my headphones disconnect while I’m listening to an audiobook 😂 he finds it super stressful!
I honestly never thought the media I use to read would make a difference to me, but I’ve had a few years of really struggling to focus on and finish or even sometimes enjoy reading physical books - I think I read a grand total of 5 books over 2024 and that was a slog. However my husband got me a kindle for Christmas and for whatever reason, it’s been a game changer - we’ve not even finished January and I’ve already finished 4 books, the literal only difference has been the kindle. Don’t underestimate the difference that finding the right medium for you can make.
My love of reading returned strong this last year mainly because of audiobooks. It was easier to fit listening in while doing other things like driving or doing errands since I didn't have the time to devote to long chapters of books anymore. Two things that helped were DNFing, continuing in a book that wasn't working for me would usually put me in reading slumps. So the quicker I walk away, the less time I waste on a book that I don't want to read. Keeping a book journal of the book I was reading and doing book challenges with myself helped me focus on reading and not let it fall by the wayside. Making a competition with myself tricks me into reaching my goals faster. For example, I had sticker pictures of all my unread audio/kindle, to be present, so it wasn't out of sight, out of mind. Keeping reading and the books in the forefront of my mind, instead of being pushed aside.
You're so kind with your recommendations
Not gonna lie, I do housework as part of my incomes and most of the times I don't have the feeling of reading, but watching this and you give me the inspiration to keep listening my audiobook 🥰
Also that you are so nice in how to motivate others, not putting pressure and reassuring that it's fine if it doesn't always work but its worth every read if we enjoy them ✨ thanks for that ^-^
Love this video! Many of the things you suggest I also do, especially the one about having multiple books on the go. Most of my friends think that’s a lot, but rarely are my concurrent reads of the same genre so it’s quite natural to keep them separate in my mind! Some other interesting tips I’m keen to give a go though. Here’s to a good year of reading!
I have definitely been guilty of reading multiple books of the same genre at the same time, but usually at least in different formats which helps somehow! But varying the genres is the best way of differentiating them 😅
Fantastic tips!!! One tip I would add regarding listening to audio books in bed... if you fall asleep it can be a bit of a frustration to go back to try to figure out where you left off. I resolved this by using a sleep timing in my audio book app... I pretty much always set it for 30 minutes that way, if I dose off, I know that I left off in the last 30 minutes and have a much easier time figuring out where I was. Plus, if the sleep timer turns it off while I'm still wanting to listen, it is super easy just to reset it for another 30 minutes. :)
Yes!! I should’ve included this, but I totally forgot. I always bookmark where I am when I start the sleep timer and then set the sleep timer for either 30 minutes or till the end of the chapter/track, and if I’m still awake, I can do another bookmark and start another sleep timer. That means I never have too much to scrub through to figure out where I actually passed out 😂
Commute! Ever since I changed jobs, and have to communte 45 mins each way, I read sooooo much! However, it is important to choose the right book, the one which will be more enticing, than just scrolling. Whenever I take a book with me, and for a day or two don't really make good progress, it probably means it is not a right book.
Also, kindle app on the phone. Yes, I do have kindle, and I do use it (usually when travelling), but with an app on the phone I can read everywhere I want. When I have five minutes waiting for the bus, at the doctors offico or even in particularily busy grocery store - intead of being annoyed I jump into a story. This one also has to be a very easy, a romance or young adult, or else I could loose track.
Oo yes, I find I like being able to read an ebook on my phone or my kobo so I can keep reading even if I left my kobo at home! That’s a great tip. I no longer have a commute but they were great for making progress! I actually learned this from my mom, who always listened to audiobooks on tape in the car where used to work back in the 90s/00s ❤️
I've joined a book club for the first time in my life. I'm getting the book read because there's a deadline, and I'm excited to discuss it at the book club meeting at the end of the month.
I live about 3hrs from my parents and visit once a month so I replaced listening to music on those drives with listening to audiobooks! I read 5 more books than I would have otherwise and it didn't completely replace listening to music cause I still play music on all my other drives - super helpful!!
Long drives are perfect for audiobooks! ❤️
This video was so needed thank you!!!!
You’re so welcome! I hope it’s helpful ❤️
I didn’t realise you do buddy reads on your Patreon - I’m off to join right now!
It’s a new thing I added in the summer! We’re doing quarterly buddy reads and are now on our third, Babel by R.F. Kuang ❤️
@PlantBasedBride oh I've been wanting to read that, I've heard such good things about it! It's one I was thinking of getting on audiobook. I'll check it out, thanks
I always keep "easy" reads around. For me, typically manga, graphic novels, and middle grade novels. They're like stretches to keep the reading muscles warm and help me feel accomplished when I don't have a lot of time or energy. Re-reading is similar, for the comfort and ease of consuming something familiar (and finding new things to love! Or hate, depending lol).
I tend to try an read 2 hours most evenings if my mood or daily grind will facilitate but I started leaving my phone across the room because I sometime clock watch which spoils my immersion or if I'm starting to feel too tired I then start scrolling. Moving the phone far away means I'm reluctant to get it so better habits can happen haha. I also started to struggle to read in busier environment due to my chronic illness and that's taking some adjusting too as I'm more sensory now and find it hard to zone in with louder surroundings which used to be my preferred. So a good old ambience video and pretending I'm at a café in the house works wonders haha.
Those are great suggestions. I'll try out the audiobook tips as I've found the content for me goes in one ear and out the other, so I just lose all context.
Probably the biggest tip I've used is to commit to 30 minutes a day, or 3-4 hours/week if that works better. It's like what my meditation teacher said: thirty minutes is better than ten, but ten is always better than zero. (I also prefer to read one fiction and one non-fiction book at the same time, max, to maintain a lower cognitive load from trying to remember each book in progress.)
A new subscriber over here. I just discovered your channel and I loved it instantly.
Mixed media reading has helped me so much especially with my masters in literature required reading and other classics.
Welcome! Happy to have you here 🥰 mixed media reading is my absolute favourite way to read - it’s so immersive! ❤️
Your tips for enjoying audiobooks are spot on!
I tried reading via audiobooks several years ago and the book I chose just wasn't the right fit. A dense, textbook like nonficiton with a narrator that made it feel even more like a drag to get through. I was so turned off by that experience that I didn't try audiobooks again, until last year. A friend of mine recommended The Babysitter by Stephen Graham Jones and I was hooked on audiobooks ever since! It's all about the narrator and sometimes even the genre you're reading from.
I read 293 books over the last two years. And I’ve already read 23 this year. I rarely watch tv anymore because I just can’t find anything that piques my interest or holds my attention. And I’ve deleted most of my social media accounts. It’s amazing how much time I was wasting on constantly scrolling.
Great tips! I found that I do many of these things and they do help me read more than I would otherwise
Amazing! I love finding new habits or methods of reading that click into place perfectly in my brain 😂
Fun fact - sometimes I tend to speed up youtube videos because I get a bit distracted/bored when some peeps talk soooo slow so I get that part where you speed up so much in audiobooks lol
Great video with sound tips and advice! Been trying to read at least one book a month now ever since I stopped reading since around high school. I do struggle getting back to it - mostly with the motivation. I don't have a very strong intrinsic 'why' so sometimes I have to push myself but this gave me motivation to keep going and try some of what you suggest!
I think setting the mood might help some people too - like while building a habit, they can also add something that helps get them in a 'reading mood' like lighting scented candles, snacking on something they like, etc. Might make some people feel like they are relaxing and rewarding themselves rather than making it a chore to read.
I'm gonna try using scented candles next time I read!
Oh wow! i never thought of trying to read multiple books at the same time and start on the next one immediately tbh - i've been trying to complete one book at a time for some reason but this makes more sense since i tend to read multiple webtoons, manga at once and start another one right away even if I've got 30+ ongoing and still finish them! Such an obvious tip but i never thought of applying it on my physical reading.
I should try an audiobook and even the mixed media method - I think the mixed media one might help me but I gotta hunt the audiobook and physical from my local library... which i'm finding it a bit hard for some reason...
I love the idea of setting the mood even more with a scented candle! I need to do that, too ☺️ and I’m so glad some of these tips are new to you/things you’d like to try! I rely on my library a lot to get a second copy of a book in a different format for mixed media reading ❤️
@@PlantBasedBride Thank you for sharing them. UwU
Yeah, noticed someone mention about libby - did a bit of research and turns out my local library has access there for the other formats! Now I can try the mixed media method! Wohoo!
@@PlantBasedBride Glad I was able to give you an idea too. Thank you for all your tips! =D
hi! can you please make a video/give tips about how to find enjoyment in reading for school? as someone who loves reading, I find it difficult to enjoy books/not get bored if the book is for school. it would help a lot, I've loved and used all your tips so far! I don't know if you remember the comment on your annotation video, but it helped me be more conscious about reading - I started a reading quotes book to "annotate" my books in until I build up to writing IN the book, and I also bought a neutral, light colored marker to highlight; I love your idea. great video!
Yeah, that's what I do too: 1 audio, 1 electronic and 1 print. Every now and again I read something for a live show because it's great motivation. Some of those discussions are not what I expect but I adjust. Basically it's just nice to be in a room with other people interested in the same story, even if it's only for an hour or two.
This year I'm trying to avoid reading X number of books because there are a lot of longer works I've been avoiding for years because they'll drag down my total count. I can't listen to audiobooks by themselves, but I will use audio assistance on occassion just to get through a book faster that I don't want to DNF but I'm not particularly enjoying. You're the first person that listens to audiobooks regularly that acknowldeges it's not always easy to process audio. I've only been able to listen to two books on audio and actually feel like I read the book. Usually I can't remember anything about the book afterwards, and I'm certain it has to do with narration style. I need a more conversational tone in my narrator. I can listen to podcasts no problem.
21:23 et al., listening to audiobooks before sleeping. This one made me chuckle, because I started doing that, and it worked a little too well?? I fall asleep after a paragraph or two and remember next to nothing of the little I've "read." I must be the kind of person who has to be at least somewhat alert for audiobooks to work. But that's okay, I'm happy that I've found a way to settle down the mental churn and get some rest.
As for my own advice, there's that saying courtesy of Theodore Roosevelt, "Comparison is the thief of joy." I think turning away from social media, as you mention earlier in your video, is an important part of this, since glamour and ambition are much of what draws our eyes there.
That definitely happens to me some nights! Honestly I’m always happy when it does, because I’m usually a 45 minutes to an hour to fall asleep kind of gal 😅 I think balance is really important, there’s so much inspiration and camaraderie to be found in online bookish spaces, but sometimes you just have to log off and do the reading ❤️
An audiobook on daily commutes is my favorite 🥰
This is the only reason I’d want a longer commute 😂 I made way more progress when I had to take the streetcar and walk to work than I do now walking down to my basement lol
something that has helped me is deleting any books apps to track my reading and what not. i’ve left so many book groups online because surprisingly it doesn’t encourage me to read. i noticed that i was becoming superior with books to make sure i reached a “goal” each year. my only exception is goodreads. i even over consumed with buying books that i still haven’t read. basically, don’t surround yourself with unnecessary distractions to your enjoyment of reading and only read books you are interested in. there are so many books in a lifetime that you will read and won’t read. so choose wisely, bookworms.
I just discovered listening to audiobooks and have added them to my reading journal. I just add a little headset icon to denote audio. I have to be honest, I do not consider audio book as “reading.” However, Audio books are a legitimate way to devour a great story, but its separate from reading on an e-reader, physical book or stone tablet ( if I ever get my hands on one; the journey matters😊 In conclusion, I do love devouring stories in ALL formats whether I'm reading or listening to an audio book while I'm in my garden. Cheers!
Audiobooks are great. U know some people look down on it as "not reading" but it is. You get engrossed in a long-form story which is so important in this world of tiktok videos 15-30sec increments.
i think the best tip someone gave me was: if you're not enjoying the story, you don't have to read it, just change the book!
and that changed my reading habits, because I was making space to read what I was actually genuinely interested in
This is so vital!! It can take months to push through a book you’re not enjoying, ending up in a reading slump with no motivation because all the fun has been drained out.
After watching your video on annotating, i find reading more interesting and it helps me focus a lot.
Though I personally prefer physical books, I would love to try audio books this year. 😊
I think my problem with audiobooks is that I’m used to playing dialogue in my head almost as slow as a person would actually talk. So if I speed it up to where the narration sounds normal for a book, the dialogue is way too fast
That’s so interesting! I don’t have an internal monologue so this isn’t a factor for me at all 😅 I love how differently our brains work!
I read an average of 2-3 books a week ( usually totalling about 1k-1.5k pages/wk). I'd read more (because I want to) but I work full time and was also doing videos (will be back to it once I'm re-settled). I read chonky books too so my goal isn't # of books read a month/year but rather 100 pages read a day.. I definitely exceeded that this past year - and it ended up being 127 books total.
I have other hobbies (art, music, writing, puzzles, etc) but my #1 favorite thing in the world is reading physical books. I read on all of my work breaks, read at home for hours a day instead of watching TV (don't even have a TV), take a book with me wherever I go (read in line at DMV or waiting for auto repair, for example), and usually listen to audiobooks while on my daily 3 mile-long walks.
Another tip for reading more is reading from the library if you have access - I am more willing to DNF a book and DNF it quicker if it's just not working for me in the moment.. the months where I DNFd the most, I actually finished the most books and had a higher read page count, and with overall higher ratings.
I would love to read along with a long 'reading together or read with me' video from you. Even if it's not in realtime reading together, it motivates me to read seeing someone who is also reading, with or without soft jazzy music or ambient sounds 📖 Just a thought ☺️
I’ve recently started doing reading sprints with my patrons on Discord! It’s definitely motivating to read along with other people and have that accountability not to pick up your phone and start scrolling😅
My mother loved to read and she nurtured my love of it early. During college where the required reading was high, I didn't read for pleasure at all outside of fan fiction. I took a year off to just be once I graduated and the following year, I got back into it. I average about 200 to 250 books a year and the only reason I read so much is that I don't watch much TV and since temporarily disconnected from Instagram, I don't do much social media outside of TH-cam so the time people normally spend on watching tv/streaming services, I am usually reading.
The only time I open my streaming apps is when a friend or family member goes on and on about a show I JUST need to watch, otherwise I rarely bother. Audiobooks have been a HUGE reason on why I read so much, although statistically I've been reading more e-books than anything the last few years. I have an office job that isn't "customer facing" so most of my day is spent going over spreadsheets, reviewing contracts, and just listening to audiobooks.
I went through a similar slump in college! I was studying theatre, so we were mostly reading plays, but it took me years after graduating to realize I missed reading and to build it back into a daily habit. I would definitely read more if I didn’t watch TV! But my husband and I love cuddling up on the couch in the evening and watching a few episodes of our favourite shows together ❤️ I tend to get a lot more reading done when he’s away since I don’t really watch TV on my own!
Definitely gonna try the "ambiance reading" technique... 🎧I get distracted sometimes while reading even with the slightest noise or "disturbance" ...😢 Thanks for the tips friend 🙏
I hope it helps! I get distracted so easily so I need all the help I can get 😂
@PlantBasedBride It is really helpful to get me both focused and get me in the mood for reading. Thank you so much! 🙏💚
Currently reading A HOUSE AT THE BOTTOM OF A LAKE by Josh Malerman, and the deep water ambiance sounds are really effective to create an "immersive environment"... I'm getting constant goosebumps while reading it. It's gonna be a 10/10 reading for me, i think 🤗
In 5 years I have read 1,443 books. And some of those are multibooks in one book. I take my book with me everywhere. I also read multiple books at one time. I don't really do Audiobooks because they lose my interest too fast. I think the thing is many people can't read due to life issues. For instance new mom's read less, students tend to read less, and people who work 50 hours a week read less. Since there are now Audiobooks those numbers are coming up since now even a new mom can sit down and read a book while still taking care of their new baby. But I do agree ALWAYS carry a book with you. At bare minimum on your phone. :)
Wow, that’s very impressive! I think I’d have to eliminate all my hobbies other than reading to get anywhere close to that number 😂 ❤️
If you have kids, read with them! In the last weeks, I started reading a novel with my two youngest kids (7 and 10). We read a chapter together (I read aloud) at bedtime, a couple times a week and we really enjoy that time. We are almost cover with our first book, so that habit is going to add up to my reading this year, but most importantly, I share good times with my kids and also the pleasure of reading stories!
If you have older kids, you can start a “family book club” where you are read the same book and talk about it at the dinner table, again sharing fun moments and discovering what everybody thinks about many subjects!
I read 10 books last year and that was new high for me!
If it’s 1 or 100 Any book read is a good day
That’s amazing, congrats! I hope you had several 5 star reads ❤️
I can't do audiobooks. I end up tuning out after a while and missing things so it doesn't actually help me to read more. I have the same problem with podcasts, i just tune out the voices after a while and then it's just background noise so I'm not actually absorbing anything that's being said.
The exact same thing happens to me! I thought audiobooks would be perfect for me since I love multitasking, but somehow I always lose focus and everything becomes background noise 😂
I don't physically read a lot this days, but I propose to a friend that we could read together while we wait for another friend to be ready (we have a rutine together 😅) the sundays, where is practically death time, and he agreed and now he's been reading his favorite book (he's about to finish it) and I've been studying ^-^ and he always says that he has no time to read so that's why I came up with the idea in a time I know we share and we do nothing :3 is about an hour but it's great 🖤
We plan to read Game of Thrones together one day, so now I can finally have a buddy read 🥰
Half a year ago I was still saying that listening to an audiobook is not as reading a book and that I was not interested in doing this, but I was sometimes not interested in listening to music on my daily commutes to work and I thought why not try audiobooks because when I’m driving I’m not doing anything else and wow, it has more than doubled the number of books that I’m reading even if I’m listening to them, I still need to have a physical book in my hand, I love wandering in libraries and discovering books, but with audiobooks I’m still discovering a story so it’s never too late to change one’s mind 😂😅 My main issue is that I need to reduce my time on social media, well, Instagram because that’s the only one I use now, one hour a day watching my favorite accounts is fine but the rest of the time it’s just stupidly scrolling and then I complain to myself I don’t have enough time to read books, but I have it indeed…
I’m so glad you discovered the joy of audiobooks! I feel like we humans have a natural affinity for being told a story, and that’s really all an audiobook is. Someone with a (usually) lovely voice telling you a story! ❤️
I am so glad to hear a serious reader support audiobooks. I think the debate over _is reading audiobooks _*_actually_*_ reading_ is such a childish _virtue signaling_ type of argument. You are still _consuming_ the book. It's *reading* no matter how one takes in the material. I am usually around 70% physical and 30% audio but that could be reversed, and I would still feel the same about how much I read for that year. I decide between physical / audio much like most people do I think - 1. The type of book. 2. What my life is looking like that week - if I am really busy then I'll opt for more mobile reading. And even, 3. Who is narrating the audio book (there are some narrators who "perform" a novel so beautifully that I will follow them as narrators) Tom Lake is a great example. This was narrated by Meryl Streep so I knew I wanted to experience that. By the way, I adored _most_ of her narration - the book wasn't quite as good as I expected it to be. This video is really great work. It will be a fabulous resource for people who want to step up their reading skill / process / habit.
Am getting back to reading and trying to manage 1 book before the end of the month 😂
You can do it! 🙌
Can you please link the headphones you have? Thank you! 😊
Oh sure! I’ll add a link now ❤️
@ thank you!
I love the idea of annotating but I don't own most of the books I read. I mostly go to the library. I wonder if writing what I would be annotating in a journal might work as well. It would be harder (handwriting full notes vs highlighting or making brief notes in the margins) but I dunno what other option would exist in that situation.
I talk about some options for this in my annotating video! There are definitely ways to annotate without permanently altering a book ❤️
I think I may have read upwards of 500 books each of my undergraduate years in college - cause lit major….
I have learned that speed reading is overrated, especially for novels, & should never be employed with poetry. I now reserve it for any research I might be doing.
My thing is: If I'm constantly reading on-the-go, or habit stacking while having breakfast, decompressing on the couch or in bed before sleeping, how can I do things like write notes on the book and/or highlight/bookmark? This is a very minor issue but I think many of us do that… Reading becomes another thing I have to do sitting down, on a desk. Guess I could just bookmark it and then go back to it later once I have some "desk time" (which is my current approach), but that means relying too much on my faulty memory :/
Currently struggling with the same…. I enjoy tabbing books and occasionally doing notes but I find that it really requires me to get up and sit at a desk, which then makes me feel like I’m doing more work instead of having that escapism feel.
I am able to annotate and take notes while sitting in bed or on the couch - I don’t need a table! It can take some getting used to, though. Maybe a small lap desk could help so you can be comfortable and have a more solid surface?
Get audible and that will do it!
My only question is, how do you go from doing an audiobook and a physical book, When annotating is involved? Do you take notes while you’re listening to the audiobook if you don’t have a physical book so that way you can write the annotations later? How would you go about that process?
i leave bookmarks and notes through the tool on the audiobooks. the thing that's annoying is idk how to mark the page thru the audiobook. it only shows the percentage. i can of course calculate it by figuring the percentage of the page count.
I use the bookmark feature as horror babe said, but I also just take notes in my Notion reading tracker while I listen to an audiobook. I’ll just flip between the apps and jot down thoughts or snippets of a quote to properly transcribe later (or get from an ebook copy if I can get one from the library!)
9:54 re noise cancelling headphones does anyone have any recs? I want one soooo bad & i think i have my eyes on bose QC but i want to be sure about it before i break bank for it
babe this feels like an intervention LOL. also what kind of kobo do you have?
lol 😂 it’s a libra colour!
How do you keep your place listening to an audio book while going to sleep? I feel I would just stay awake listening and never go to sleep. But I'm willing to try it. 💜
Sleep timers are great! I usually use the bookmark feature to mark where I am when I start listening and then set it to turn off at the end of the chapter/track.
@@PlantBasedBride Ah, I don't usually use the bookmark function, but that makes sense. Thanks so much.
May I know where's your nail polish from?
Cirque Colors! They’re my favourite.
Even though I do track what I read because I like to, I've never counted how many I ever read/own. It would be such a hassle with 10 bookshelves in the apartment but I MAY do it one day to see if between myself and my parents we reached the 1k number to qualify as a library. If you counted all your books how did you do it, how long did it take?
I counted them when I got my new bookshelves and was putting my books away, and at the time it was a little over 400 but I’ve definitely purchased more books since then. I might be hovering around 500 now? Not including books donated for my little free library, which I keep on different shelves and don’t consider mine.
Does anykne have like an audiobook online library they like? I tried Spotify but i find the monthly hour limit doesn't work for me. I do use audible but I'd like something I don't have to pay for every book separately
Libro.fm is my favourite! You can choose a local independent bookstore to support with your purchases ❤️ edit: and Libby to get audiobooks from my local library, as Mike mentioned below!
If your local library has Overdrive/Libby, they'll have audiobooks to borrow.
@mikeschumacher my local isn't very good for being open. I'm hoping to get to the big one in town regularly soon. Fingers crossed 🤞
@ That's the brilliant thing about Libby: it's a phone app that you tie your library card to, so you can access e-books and audiobooks if the library participates. It works well in the USA; not sure about other countries.
I've tried reading while listening to the audiobook, and my brain couldn't process... It felt like I cannot concentrate on what I hear, and I can not process the words I see at the same time. So no mixing for me. 😅But now I'm kind of jealous that other people can do that.
Oh that’s too bad! Mixed media reading is my absolute favourite way to read. What kind of book was it? This can definitely be impacted by the genre and narrator, but it’s also possible it just doesn’t work for you ❤️
@PlantBasedBride It was a fantasy book! But I'll definitely try again with some other books. Could be that the narrator or the ebook letter type or something else was the problem! I'm curious now to try! Thanks for the video!
Well, I just spent 33:54 minutes watching this video, meaning 40 minutes less to read. I am always watching Ybers describe their experiences with books, buy those books and the cycle repeats.🤣😂 Last year I read 97 books without a goal.
Well I hope you got value from the video to make it worth it! I never try to make content that’s just a waste of time ❤️
Step 1: make reading part of your job. 💁🏻♀️
Reading has only really become part of my job in the last two years or so, but yes, it certainly helps if you can read during work hours! Though if I could genuinely spend 40 hours a week reading and not worry about all the other pesky parts of my job, I would read way more books than I do currently 😂
I personally prefer quality over quantity.. I don't feel that reading a lot of books is a positive thing per se. I like to read slowly and enjoy every word, especially when I'm reading classic novels, or something written by someone who knows how to write impeccably.
I also like to read for knowledge, like historical or scientific essays, but when I read for pleasure I prefer something classic because the sentence structure is just different.
I totally agree with you. For example, I don’t put anymore a specific number of books to read as a yearly goal because I was finding myself hurrying to finish books just for finishing them and even picking up shorter books over longer ones for meeting my goal…😢However, some of the tips are useful for me.
Same, I'm going for quality over quantity this year. If it takes a week for me to pick something i know i will love, so be it, rather that than a book i will forget about a couple weeks after finishing it!
@@rosarodriguez8984 I've never had a monthly/yearly goal. I really can't think of reading as a to-do activity, unless we're talking about studying, but that's a completely different topic.
Have you ever heard of Daniel Pennac's 10 rights of the reader?
1. The right not to read
2. The right to skip pages
3. The right not to finish a book
4. The right to read it again
5. The right to read anything
6. The right to Bovaryism (mistaking a book for real life)
7. The right to read anywhere
8. The right to dip in
9. The right to read out loud
10. The right to be quiet
Speaking of Madame Bovary... How can I think about "reaching a goal" when I can immerse myself in Flaubert's genius and Emma's complex inner world? I can't, I read because great literature makes me feel good.
I think that’s great! I certainly value quantity over quality, as well. My personal concern is that there are more incredible books in existence already than I could possibly be able to read in my lifetime - so I want to read more/more often to read as many of those incredible books as I can while I’m here (and spend less of my time on unrewarding hobbies). I think about if I’d read 200 books in the last 5 years instead of 600, how many of my favourites would I have missed out on, you know?
@@PlantBasedBride I think we have two different approaches to reading, but the beauty of life lies in diversity :)
Join reading sprints or Silent Book Clubs if, like my spicy ADHD brain, it helps to have a body double in real time. If it doesn't have to be in real time, I also love the "Read With Me" videos here on TH-cam and use those a lot. (I'd love to see one from you, if that's ever content you'd be interested in making! 💜 ) .
Thanks for this video, Elizabeth! You, talking about reading 4-6 books at time, made me feel more "normal" because I always have 3-4 books going at a time in different formats and my partner supports me but doesn't understand it, LOL. Though to be fair, he listens to audiobooks at 1.5x speed like you, which is something I support but also do not understand. Different funs for different ones, I suppose 😆
A few people have asked for read with me videos! Maybe that’s something I could try 🤔 I have recently started doing reading sprints in my discord server with my patrons, which has been really motivating! I need to get into a more regular routine with that for sure ❤️
I love that! We all have to find what works best for us, whatever that looks like! I used to struggle so much when I tried to make myself only read one book at a time. I had to embrace the chaos of my brain a little bit 😂
I honestly never thought the media I use to read would make a difference to me, but I’ve had a few years of really struggling to focus on and finish or even sometimes enjoy reading physical books - I think I read a grand total of 5 books over 2024 and that was a slog. However my husband got me a kindle for Christmas and for whatever reason, it’s been a game changer - we’ve not even finished January and I’ve already finished 4 books, the literal only difference has been the kindle. Don’t underestimate the difference that finding the right medium for you can make.
I never thought I’d like ebooks but they’ve really started to grow on me. Being able to change the font size and essentially turn any ebook into a large print edition is a game changer and it has definitely helped me read a bit faster.
@ it’s mad what works isn’t it. For me it’s being able to see how long is left in the chapter and how far I am through the book, as well as being able to put it in dark mode. It’s been a game changer.
@ Yeah, the time left works really well for me too. Haven’t tried dark mode yet.