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Hot Reading Challenge Tips from Pros Who Read More Than 100 Books a Year
More than 2.8 million readers have pledged to finish more books in the 2018 Goodreads Reading Challenge. For those stuck in a midyear slump, we asked avid readers Dan Schwent, Julie Ehlers, Bill Kerwin, and Kathy Habel for advice. These pros have read more than 100 books a year, so of course we asked them for their recommendations as well. Make sure to add their picks to your Want to Read shelf!
Goodreads: How many books did you read last year?
Dan Schwent: In 2017, despite getting married, vacationing in Maine, and remodeling three rooms in my house, I managed to read 137 books.
Goodreads: What tips do you have for someone stuck in a Reading Challenge slump?
DS: One thing I learned the hard way is that there’s no shame in not finishing a book that you’re not enjoying. If there’s one thing you’re definitely in control of, it’s the books you’ll spend time reading! The book-finishing police probably don’t know where you live anyway...
Sometimes, change is good. If your genre of choice isn’t doing it for you anymore, try something else! Switching it up every once in a while is healthy and fun. Or it will be disastrous and you’ll go running back into the comforting arms of your genre of choice. It’s win-win!
Lastly, time is your biggest enemy in your Reading Challenge. If you’re behind on your count, maybe it’s time to look at what else you’re doing and make some changes. Scouring social media* for info on the newest Marvel movie might be fun, but reading about what some curmudgeon in Kansas hates about Avengers: Infinity War isn’t getting you any closer to your reading goals.
*This does not apply to Goodreads, of course.
Goodreads: What Reading Challenge busters do you recommend?
DS: Nothing will bust you out of a reading slump like a fantastic book. Here are a few I enjoyed quite a bit over the last few years:
Goodreads: How many books did you read last year?
Julie Ehlers: In 2017, I read 141 books (my Reading Challenge goal was 101).
Goodreads: What advice do you have for someone stuck in a Reading Challenge slump?
JE: Follow your bliss! I think sometimes we read particular books because we feel like we should, or we dutifully plow through books we’re not enjoying because we feel bad about setting them aside without finishing them. Don’t do any of this! Read what calls out to you from the shelf. If something’s not working, quit it and don’t feel guilty.
Also, when you have a spare minute, pick up your book instead of scrolling through your phone. Not only will you get more reading done, but you’ll be improving your focus and concentration…and then you can get even more reading done! In my experience, it’s also much more rewarding.
Finally, make sure your goals are realistic! I’ve exceeded my challenge goal every year, but I’m not interested in setting a higher number—I don’t need that kind of pressure. The Reading Challenge should be fun and motivating, not make you want to change your name, move somewhere where nobody knows you, and start your life over again.
Goodreads: What Reading Challenge busters do you recommend?
Goodreads: How many books did you read last year?
Bill Kerwin: 240 books.
Goodreads: What advice do you have for someone stuck in a Reading Challenge slump?
BK: Diversify. Read books of different types and genres, lengths, and levels of difficulty. Just make sure they are all from genres you like. Every month I read 18 separate works. The variety is what keeps my interest alive.
Read more than one book at a time. If I’m not in the mood for one book, I quickly shift to another. With four or five books at hand at any time, I can satisfy my reader’s mood, whatever it may be.
Always take a book with you when you leave the house. If the book is small, the inconvenience is, too. Even better: Take your Kindle along. Waiting is always easier when you have a book.
Read books you want to read, not books you think you should. Just because a book is on somebody’s “great list” doesn’t mean it’s the book for you. And if a book doesn’t please you after 50 pages, cut your losses and move on.
Goodreads: What Reading Challenge busters do you recommend?
Goodreads: How many books did you read last year?
Kathy Habel: In 2017, I completed my fourth Goodreads Reading Challenge, completing a total of 161 books. I'm hoping to double that number this year!
Goodreads: What tips do you have for someone stuck in a Reading Challenge slump?
KH: Reading slumps are a real thing, especially for an avid reader. Life happens to all of us, and sometimes things get too stressful. I think it's healthy to take a break when it's needed, but if your slump goes on too long, here are a few suggestions to get back to reading:
No required reading. I used to force myself to finish every book I started. However, it's been years since I was in school, so there is no longer any "required reading" in my life. So give yourself permission to only read books you love.
Audiobooks. Try listening to audiobooks. While I love professional narrations and often listen to them through Audible or Overdrive, not every book I want to read has been professionally narrated. I often take advantage of my Kindle Fire's text-to-voice feature. Listening to audio versions of books while driving, exercising, and cleaning helps boost my book count.
Reread. Go back to an old favorite. What's the best book you've ever read? Which book elicited strong emotion when you read it? What is an unforgettable scene that is burned into your memory? Maybe it's time for a reread of an old favorite or maybe try another book written by a favorite author.
Compare books. If you have not yet found trusted friends with similar reading tastes, then choose your favorite book and find someone who has posted a five-star review similar to yours. Go to their profile and use Goodreads' "compare books" feature to see how compatible your reading tastes are.
This feature has led me to find a couple Goodreads friends who I am nearly 100 percent compatible with. Our ratings and reviews on books are so similar, I know that if they give a book five stars, I'm going to love it, too. When I'm in a slump and looking for something to pull me out of it, a great way is to choose a book one of these trusted top friends has raved about.
Goodreads: What Reading Challenge busters do you recommend?
KH: Anything by Amy Harmon (Making Faces, The Law of Moses, and From Sand and Ash are my favorites) and anything narrated by Jim Dale (The Night Circus, Harry Potter, Peter and the Starcatchers). Also, I'm with You by Taylor Dean and The Sidelined Wife by Jennifer Peel.
Dan Schwent: In 2017, despite getting married, vacationing in Maine, and remodeling three rooms in my house, I managed to read 137 books.
Goodreads: What tips do you have for someone stuck in a Reading Challenge slump?
DS: One thing I learned the hard way is that there’s no shame in not finishing a book that you’re not enjoying. If there’s one thing you’re definitely in control of, it’s the books you’ll spend time reading! The book-finishing police probably don’t know where you live anyway...
Sometimes, change is good. If your genre of choice isn’t doing it for you anymore, try something else! Switching it up every once in a while is healthy and fun. Or it will be disastrous and you’ll go running back into the comforting arms of your genre of choice. It’s win-win!
Lastly, time is your biggest enemy in your Reading Challenge. If you’re behind on your count, maybe it’s time to look at what else you’re doing and make some changes. Scouring social media* for info on the newest Marvel movie might be fun, but reading about what some curmudgeon in Kansas hates about Avengers: Infinity War isn’t getting you any closer to your reading goals.
*This does not apply to Goodreads, of course.
Goodreads: What Reading Challenge busters do you recommend?
DS: Nothing will bust you out of a reading slump like a fantastic book. Here are a few I enjoyed quite a bit over the last few years:
Julie Ehlers: In 2017, I read 141 books (my Reading Challenge goal was 101).
Goodreads: What advice do you have for someone stuck in a Reading Challenge slump?
JE: Follow your bliss! I think sometimes we read particular books because we feel like we should, or we dutifully plow through books we’re not enjoying because we feel bad about setting them aside without finishing them. Don’t do any of this! Read what calls out to you from the shelf. If something’s not working, quit it and don’t feel guilty.
Also, when you have a spare minute, pick up your book instead of scrolling through your phone. Not only will you get more reading done, but you’ll be improving your focus and concentration…and then you can get even more reading done! In my experience, it’s also much more rewarding.
Finally, make sure your goals are realistic! I’ve exceeded my challenge goal every year, but I’m not interested in setting a higher number—I don’t need that kind of pressure. The Reading Challenge should be fun and motivating, not make you want to change your name, move somewhere where nobody knows you, and start your life over again.
Goodreads: What Reading Challenge busters do you recommend?
JE: This is tough because obviously everybody’s taste is different, but when I think of Reading Challenge busters, I think "funny" and "lively," and nothing embodies those qualities more than David Sedaris’ essay collections. I’ve been enjoying his new one, Calypso, but all of them are great.
JE: I also think reading something completely different from what you’re used to can get you out of a slump. Lately I’ve been reading novels-in-poems, like Jacqueline Woodson's Brown Girl Dreaming, for a change of pace.
JE: A lot of the best graphic novels are kind of dark and disturbing, but a good lighthearted one is Over Easy by Mimi Pond. As a bonus, this and Brown Girl Dreaming can be read pretty quickly, so you can feel an immediate sense of accomplishment.
JE: Another book that got me out of a recent reading slump is Christopher R. Beha’s novel Arts & Entertainments. I thought it was fun and so interesting, and really unpredictable. Unpredictability is good for keeping the pages turning.
Goodreads: How many books did you read last year?
Bill Kerwin: 240 books.
Goodreads: What advice do you have for someone stuck in a Reading Challenge slump?
BK: Diversify. Read books of different types and genres, lengths, and levels of difficulty. Just make sure they are all from genres you like. Every month I read 18 separate works. The variety is what keeps my interest alive.
Read more than one book at a time. If I’m not in the mood for one book, I quickly shift to another. With four or five books at hand at any time, I can satisfy my reader’s mood, whatever it may be.
Always take a book with you when you leave the house. If the book is small, the inconvenience is, too. Even better: Take your Kindle along. Waiting is always easier when you have a book.
Read books you want to read, not books you think you should. Just because a book is on somebody’s “great list” doesn’t mean it’s the book for you. And if a book doesn’t please you after 50 pages, cut your losses and move on.
Goodreads: What Reading Challenge busters do you recommend?
BK: A horror/adventure novel featuring a black family in 1950’s Chicago who discover they have an occult family connection to a society of evil wizards on the East Coast.
BK: A Catholic family from London journeys north to visit a shrine and encounters evil in the countryside.
BK: This second entry in the series featuring Roxane Weary—Columbus, Ohio’s bisexual, hard-drinking private eye—is just as good as the first book, The Last Place You Look.
BK: The first and best collection by the master of the English ghost story—a classic not to be missed.
Goodreads: How many books did you read last year?
Kathy Habel: In 2017, I completed my fourth Goodreads Reading Challenge, completing a total of 161 books. I'm hoping to double that number this year!
Goodreads: What tips do you have for someone stuck in a Reading Challenge slump?
KH: Reading slumps are a real thing, especially for an avid reader. Life happens to all of us, and sometimes things get too stressful. I think it's healthy to take a break when it's needed, but if your slump goes on too long, here are a few suggestions to get back to reading:
No required reading. I used to force myself to finish every book I started. However, it's been years since I was in school, so there is no longer any "required reading" in my life. So give yourself permission to only read books you love.
Audiobooks. Try listening to audiobooks. While I love professional narrations and often listen to them through Audible or Overdrive, not every book I want to read has been professionally narrated. I often take advantage of my Kindle Fire's text-to-voice feature. Listening to audio versions of books while driving, exercising, and cleaning helps boost my book count.
Reread. Go back to an old favorite. What's the best book you've ever read? Which book elicited strong emotion when you read it? What is an unforgettable scene that is burned into your memory? Maybe it's time for a reread of an old favorite or maybe try another book written by a favorite author.
Compare books. If you have not yet found trusted friends with similar reading tastes, then choose your favorite book and find someone who has posted a five-star review similar to yours. Go to their profile and use Goodreads' "compare books" feature to see how compatible your reading tastes are.
This feature has led me to find a couple Goodreads friends who I am nearly 100 percent compatible with. Our ratings and reviews on books are so similar, I know that if they give a book five stars, I'm going to love it, too. When I'm in a slump and looking for something to pull me out of it, a great way is to choose a book one of these trusted top friends has raved about.
Goodreads: What Reading Challenge busters do you recommend?
KH: Anything by Amy Harmon (Making Faces, The Law of Moses, and From Sand and Ash are my favorites) and anything narrated by Jim Dale (The Night Circus, Harry Potter, Peter and the Starcatchers). Also, I'm with You by Taylor Dean and The Sidelined Wife by Jennifer Peel.
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What tips will you be trying for your Reading Challenge? Let us know in the comments!
Check out more recent blogs:
The Best Books of the Year (So Far)
The Unputdownable Domestic Suspense Thrillers of 2018
Catch Up Now: These Big Series All Have Books Coming Out in July
Check out more recent blogs:
The Best Books of the Year (So Far)
The Unputdownable Domestic Suspense Thrillers of 2018
Catch Up Now: These Big Series All Have Books Coming Out in July
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Sean wrote: "That seems fair enough. Especially since it's only one or two.I also wonder too if people "skip over the boring parts". I have read reviews to that effect, so I know that could help boost numbers..."
Very infrequently I skim but usually not.
And that's our point! We all have different hobbies and passions. Readers who complete over 100 books a year just happen to choose reading over other activities/hobbies. It's not a competition! As long as people are reading that's all that matters! Need to boost that average books per year per adult number! Because it's only 4. :(
Only 4!!! That IS too bad. At least I easily have that covered.That reminds me of another sad statistic about reading and children. The house of an average poor family with very young kids has 1 children's book I think and for middle class and up it is over 100. I can not imagine my own childhood without the many books I read.
Quantity over quality?I read fast, work for a library, and many of my books are picture books for children, graphic novels and cookbooks...that takes my numbers up. And a lot of my casual reading are popcorn for the brain books because I love beach reads.
And again the key is don't stick with a book if it doesn't resonate with you. I give a book 1/4 of the pages until I decide I can't read any more of them. And unfortunately there are a lot of the literary ones that are suppose to be great reads that I have put down early on because of the angst or the writing style.
The serious books are for my 2 book clubs and for the reviews I do at the library I work at.
And good reads have helped narrow books down - I try not to read anything under a 3.75 unless its a bookclub read or by a favorite author.
Reading on vacation is a must for me - usually do 3-5 books on kindle and that is in a 5 day period. Always reading on trips, taking time in the car or transportation, and doctors offices. This also includes bible reading and inspirational reading that many of the books are in the 120-150 pg range.
I do over 400 a year but I know very very few that read that many - usually over 100 of them are picture books. The DNF books are added in but its usually on 1-3 a year that are in that category.
Great post! I totally loved this idea: 'The Reading Challenge should be fun and motivating, not make you want to change your name, move somewhere where nobody knows you, and start your life over again.' That's precisely how I feel about the Reading Challenges!
I've found picking up a graphic novel helps get me reading again when I'm in a slump. The worst is when I feel obligated to complete a series of books and I'm losing interest. (Looking at you, Song of Ice and Fire).
I read 125 books in 2018. I look at my reading challenge as a way to keep track of what I have read. The challenge is for ME and not anyone else. So what kind of books I read or listen to or how long they are or whether I skimmed or deeply read really should matter to no one else but ME. I do read mostly fiction. I find though if I download audio at same time I am reading hard copy I can stay on track better. Sometimes my eyes get tired and I will listen instead of read. Everyone’s reading habits are different but this is what works for me. Reading should be fun not a chore.
Mike wrote: "The challenge is for ME and not anyone else. So what kind of books I read or listen to or how long they are or whether I skimmed or deeply read really should matter to no one else but ME..."100% yes.
Mike wrote: "I read 125 books in 2018. I look at my reading challenge as a way to keep track of what I have read. The challenge is for ME and not anyone else. So what kind of books I read or listen to or how lo..."
Couldn't agree more.
Couldn't agree more.
Elyse wrote: "Mike wrote: "The challenge is for ME and not anyone else. So what kind of books I read or listen to or how long they are or whether I skimmed or deeply read really should matter to no one else but ..."125 books in 2018 ! I can only dream of having that much free time to read and journal that many books in one year .
Mike has my congrats : )
I read over 131 books in 2018, mostly because I am retired, and I was laid up for a month where I couldn't do much. I was finally catching up on some books I had downloaded to kindle. I like holding a real book in my hands, but it's nice to be able to have another book available when you finish one too. I read whatever catches my fancy. I am almost finished with a vampire series I started on my kindle then I will start a very long paperback about Sacajawea, with the Tower series written by Stephen King waiting in the wings. I use Goodreads to just help me keep track of what I have read and what I want to read and what others are suggesting that may be good to read. It should never be comparing yourself to others. We all don't have the time to read and we all have our own preferences of what we like to read. I read any and everything.
I read over 401 titles in 2018. Not all of them were full books, but on average over 300 pages each. This is not normal for me. I usually read 150 titles, but for some reason I've been reading more. I use audiobooks mostly, but I read at least 1 hardcopy book a week.Generally speaking, I read science fiction, but I scatter it with autobiographies, history and science books. I am not in competition with anyone. I'm just having the time of my life. I've been a heavy reader since I was in middle school. While my classmates were reading about ponies and submarines, I was reading "Armageddon" by Leon Uris and "How to Build Your Own Telescope" by J. Texereau.
Mike wrote: "I read 125 books in 2018. I look at my reading challenge as a way to keep track of what I have read. The challenge is for ME and not anyone else. So what kind of books I read or listen to or how lo..."May I say that I am retired but I have always read a lot. Two things, 1 Keep track of what you have read. Oddly, it motivates you to read a little more. 2 I encourage you to download audiobooks (most libraries offer free). You would be surprised how many additional books you get through by doing this. We all have those little dead pockets of time during the day (driving, waiting at dr s office etc). where we can listen to a book.
Mike wrote: "Mike wrote: "I read 125 books in 2018. I look at my reading challenge as a way to keep track of what I have read. The challenge is for ME and not anyone else. So what kind of books I read or listen..."Audiobooks absolutely! I started listening at 1.25x-1.75x speed last year and got so many more listened! I listen during my commute, grocery shopping, cooking, and random Internet surfing, like right now I'm listening to Cosmos: A Personal Voyage! But this one you do need almost undivided attention to. :)
Nyssa wrote: "Wouter wrote: "Whatever happened to quality over quantity?"That's why they suggest that you put down the books you are no longer enjoying and that you don't read something just because you think y..."
do they count these books among their read ones? If I don't finish a book and put it on my "discarded" shelf I also don't add a "read date" so it doesn't stuff up my book count. Only books I have finished go toward my book count.
Allison wrote: "I don't understand how it is humanly possible to read that many books in a year."Due to the nature of my work I can have my MP3 player on all during my work day, and in between in the car I can listen more. I also drive long distances twice or more times a week and drive between jobs as well so can listen a lot of hours. My ear buds live in my ears and I have literally "worn out" 7 MP3 players already. I clocked up 124 books last year. My all time high was 139 books. But I have not yet cracked the 40.000 pages in one year mark. A "yet" for me I hope. One day I'd like to get past this mark.
Kimberly wrote: "Elyse wrote: "Jessica wrote: "So do you count audio books as "reading" a book? I never had but if I did, it would for boost my numbers. What is the general consensus?"Absolutely! Because you are ..."
I count all books I "consume" whichever way they come. If I listen to an audio book I still know the whole content of that book. So it counts.
Wouter wrote: "Whatever happened to quality over quantity?"Are you saying that people who read a lot of books don't read good quality books? Or that they don't let the books sit with them for three weeks to stew in the characters or to absorb the content after they have read them before starting a new one? I read 124 books last year. Some are plain for pure pleasure, some are for educational purposes as well as interest. You are welcome to check out my books. There is quality among my books and a bit of chick lit/boy lit. But all round I make sure that I don't get stuck in one genre and that I learn something new each month. So with 124 I do get good quality. There is no issue with reading a lot and as a result quality is left behind. Big readers often watch a lot less TV than other people.
Lots of arguments here about counting audio books or not. Why not just quote both numbers? And the number of books not finished too - I think that also says something about your reading.
I just hit 417 books for this year. About 40 of them were really short, probably qualifying as short stories, but even if you don't count those, it is a heck of a lot of books. Today I finished a hardback book "Tarnished Knight" by Jack Campbell. (390 pages) I finished it in less than a day with my own eyes.
I use audiobooks because it is more convenient. Audiobooks are slower than actual reading because silent reading at normal speed is FASTER on average than normal speaking speed. So I am not sure what is gained by listening to audiobooks other than convenience.
Peter wrote: "Alex, how is it more convenient?"My eyesight is not as good as it once was, so audiobooks save on eyestrain. Also, I can do other things while listening. I actually don't have to do other things. I am handicapped and housebound, but it is more convenient to listen to an audiobook while making a meal, doing chores, etc.
Alex wrote: "I just hit 417 books for this year. About 40 of them were really short, probably qualifying as short stories, but even if you don't count those, it is a heck of a lot of books. Today I finished a..."
I listen at 1.5x-1.75x speed so audiobooks are not necessarily slower than physically reading a book. And it depends what kind of learner you are, some people take in information better seeing it and some people take in information better hearing it.
Elyse wrote: "Alex wrote: "I just hit 417 books for this year. About 40 of them were really short, probably qualifying as short stories, but even if you don't count those, it is a heck of a lot of books. Today..."
Good cooment . When it comes to the information in books I'm the
"seeing it kind" . Dang , you really go with books . I can only do about 20 to 25 books in one year and have a life .
417 is quite an accomplishment . Congrats !
Peter wrote: "Alex, how is it more convenient?"I read 3 formats of books: Kindle, printed and audio. Audiobooks are reserved for driving, walks, while cooking or housecleaning and sometimes while I’m editing images - activities that otherwise do not fully engage my brain !
Vanessa wrote: I can only do about 20 to 25 books in one year and have a life .Quite right. I am disabled and housebound. My children are grown and gone, so I have a lot of free time. I volunteer as a chaplain at the local jail once a week, but otherwise my time is wide open.
Elyse wrote: And it depends what kind of learner you are, some people take in information better seeing it and some people take in information better hearing it. I agree. I was a speed reader when I was younger, so I read twice as fast as the average reader. Some people wonder how that can be enjoyable. It sounds more stressful. I found it enjoyable. Nothing changed. I simply consumed my reading faster.
Unfortunately, after my accident reading made me sick (sea sick). I learned to avoid glossy paper, and I had to unlearn that quick eye movement that speed readers use. I now read more slowly than the average person, but I can devote more time to it.
Audiobooks also help. I run my audiobooks at 1.5 speed. Sometimes 2.0. My wife can't believe that I can listen to an audiobook that fast, but it is like speed reading. I consume it more quickly, but it is just as enjoyable for me.
A learning specialist told me that my brain is tuned to audio learning better than reading. Good to know.
For someone who broke through with 200 books this year I am very impressed that you read 400 plus. People look at me cross eyed when I say the number I read this year . As I have stated in a previous post, leisure reading/audio should be just that- leisure. Whether you read or listen or something in between, it just does not matter as long as it was enjoyable for YOU. That’s all that matters. I think we would all agree how many books you finish is a function of how much time you have, how fast you read or listen, and what kind of books you read or listen to. We could get in a spitting match as to whether it is difficult reading, novella, short story, etc. The purpose of the Goodreads challenge is to help you read more. Setting a goal and keeping tract on Goodreads does help that. Anyway whatever books those are keep it up. ENJOY, ENJOY, ENJOY!!!
Ps: I find what works best for me is to read and listen simultaneously. What I mean by that is i download audio at the same time I am reading hard copy. I may read chapters 1-3 then listen to chapter 4-6. Etc etc. That way I get through the book quicker. I find that listening brings characters more alive. Sometimes the author can the story bogged down in print but listening to it I can get the story back on track. I also can listen during those dead times in the day (car, appointments, exercising, doing mundane tasks etc) when I can’t hold a print book. You would be surprised how much more you get through. Everyone’s different but this works best for me.
I also wonder too if people "skip over the boring parts". I have read reviews to that effect, so I know that could help boost numbers too. I never even skip a word when I read.
I thought that I read a lot, but getting anywhere near 100 books probably would not happen for me until I retire.
I guess the thing is that I am also reading magazines, newspapers and online news. Also, I do spend some time most days watching TV or movies. Perhaps I could get to 100 if I cut out much of these other things. You all inspire me!