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Great Tips to Spend More Time Reading in 2024
Congrats on taking the first (and very important) step of the 2024 Goodreads Reading Challenge: signing up! By joining, you've committed to reading this year—we give that goal 5 stars! We'd also like to give you a head start on your resolution by sharing these tried-and-tested tips for setting your goal, increasing your reading, and discovering books to read.
(Haven't signed up yet? There's no time like the present—join below.)
Pro Tips for Reaching Your Goal
Plan Accordingly
Make it easy to pick up a book to read. Habit experts will tell you that the easier you make it to do something, the more you will do it. Place a book right by where you’ll be reading (bedside table, couch, in your backpack for your commute), so you don’t have to think about picking up a book.
Push yourself, but be realistic. Avoid the dreaded reading slump by committing to an achievable goal. You can always increase or decrease your goal throughout the year, especially when life gets in the way. No pressure from us if you need to adjust.
Trying to figure out a goal? Use the calendar as a guideline: 12 books (one per month), 24 books (two per month), or even 52 books (one per week).
Trying to figure out a goal? Use the calendar as a guideline: 12 books (one per month), 24 books (two per month), or even 52 books (one per week).
Boost Your Progress
Rereading a book counts toward your goal, and avid readers recommend it as a way to get out of a reading slump. Sometimes you just don’t know what you want to read, and the comfort of a well-loved book can get you back into reading.
Audiobooks count! Listening to a book while driving, cooking, cleaning, exercising…you name it…will help you enjoy great stories. Mixing it up between audiobooks, print books, and ebooks will help you find more ways to read. Check out these great listens to get resolution ready!
Use your Want to Read shelf to help keep track of what you'd like to read next.
If you haven’t already discovered the ability to put books on hold at your local library, now’s the time to start! Build up a stack of books that you’re interested in reading, and get notified when they are ready for pickup.
Audiobooks count! Listening to a book while driving, cooking, cleaning, exercising…you name it…will help you enjoy great stories. Mixing it up between audiobooks, print books, and ebooks will help you find more ways to read. Check out these great listens to get resolution ready!
Use your Want to Read shelf to help keep track of what you'd like to read next.
If you haven’t already discovered the ability to put books on hold at your local library, now’s the time to start! Build up a stack of books that you’re interested in reading, and get notified when they are ready for pickup.
If you’re an Amazon Prime member, you have access to a selection of Kindle Unlimited eBooks and audiobooks at no extra cost to you. Go to www.amazon.com/primereading and find amazing reads included with your Prime membership (available in the U.S., Canada, Brazil, the U.K., Germany, Spain, France, Italy, India, Japan, China, and Australia). Or check out Amazon First Reads to get one free, pre-release Kindle book a month (available in the U.S., U.K., and Australia).
Find More Books You'll Love
Read books you enjoy. This sounds simple, but sometimes we start reading a book that's just not the right fit. You feel like you should continue reading it, but can’t find the motivation to pick it up again, so it starts to block you from reading. We say cut your losses and move on—there’s no rule that you have to finish a book. There are so many amazing books out there, so choose another one and keep your reading habit going. Need some inspiration? Browse the books that other readers have been loving in the 2023 Goodreads Choice Awards or Goodreads members’ most anticipated books of 2024.
Read more than one book at a time. Not always in the mood for the same genre? Like more cerebral books during the day and lighter books in the evening? Consider reading a few books at the same time so you can choose the one that fits your current mood.
Read more than one book at a time. Not always in the mood for the same genre? Like more cerebral books during the day and lighter books in the evening? Consider reading a few books at the same time so you can choose the one that fits your current mood.
Browse through Goodreads, including our user-generated reading lists or most popular new books of the month. Goodreads staff members have also shared their recent favorites.
Discover new books in your favorite genres, including romance, mystery & thriller, speculative fiction, and young adult.
Wishing you all a wonderful year of good reading! Tell us in the comments how many books you aspire to read this year!
Discover new books in your favorite genres, including romance, mystery & thriller, speculative fiction, and young adult.
Wishing you all a wonderful year of good reading! Tell us in the comments how many books you aspire to read this year!
Comments Showing 1-50 of 297 (297 new)
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Susan
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Jan 12, 2024 02:01AM
I’ve put 24, two books a month. I am actually reading a lot at the moment. Got some good books for Christmas that have inspired me.
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I put 20 at first and then changed my mind to 10. I have got so much going on that I don't want to overwhelm myself or make myself feel bad if I don't make it. I wish reading my classes could be included in my count.
I've set a goal of 24 for myself, last year I didn't read much at all so I reduced the goal, the year before I read more but still didn't reach my goal so I'm trying to be more realistic
I've set my goal to read at least 2 a month plus i am in a book club so i have that one to read each month. I have also started listening to audible books. So my target is 36! Ive made myself want to read more and my relax before bed.
My goal is 1. I will at least meet that this year.
Johnny wrote: "My goal is 1. I will at least meet that this year."Johnny, please... we can be better than this, aim higher...
200. It's funny how Goodreads is encouraging readers to DNF books and read multiple books at once.
My goal is 150 dunno if I can make it but def gonna try!
Heyyyy Hey 👋🏽 Great tips to get some reading, whether it's print books or audio-books.
Surprised myself in 2023: Challenged myself to read 12 books, however my year ended with me reading a total of 19 😊
For 2024, I've increased that 12 to 15 .
Most of my books on my 'Want to Read' list are in my home library.. Also, being in a Book Club helps a great deal.. I shelf book suggestions that pique my interest moreso than the monthly pick.
Happy Reading To All in 2024!
Enjoy
I am not much of an avid reader or into reading much, I'd rather spend time on the internet than read a book
I just have no motivation to read, like I'm sitting scrolling on my phone, thinking that I should read, but I'm just not motivated.
I really want to read 100 books this year but I am aiming for 50 to be realistic.
My goal is to read 60 books this year. Hopefully, I can read more. I can always adjust my goal later in the year.
I've gotten 20 books for my goal bc I wanna read all available jjk books 🫡🫡🫡
Audiobooks through the library are what helped me get to 200+ books last year. Hoping for the same performance this year.
Have not read in a while so have taken a goal of 12 books for 2024.
I like a lot of the suggestions! I agree about rereading books, and I do that a lot. Also, reading more than one book at a time. Yes! Some readers don't like having more than one book going, but I definitely do.
My goal is 140 this year, I did 137 last year .
Lots of good tips here actually. I like that they mentioned letting go of a book that you just don't find interesting. I think more people need to hear this. Including me lol. I have to remind myself of this often. It really does hinder my ability to read more when I force myself through a book I don't like. And why force it when there are already more good books out there than I can read in my lifetime? Might as well enjoy ALL the books I choose to read.
My goal is 75...1.5 books per week. According to Kindle challenge from 2023 I read 74 books.
Love this. Reading shouldn't be a chore, unless you're reading a book specifically for work or to pass a test
Actually good pieces of advice, these.My regular occassionally-overachieving goal has been 52: one per week. Last year though, I discover there is a lot of joy in novellas and short non-fiction - and it has the benefit of letting you dip in a new genre and expand your horizons without comitting to too much of a time sink. Variety is key to enjoyment in life.
I've upped my goal to 77 this year in light of that, and am pretty optimistic about reaching it. (Still, numbers aren't everything. Enjoy your reading, y'all, regardless of how much of it you manage to fit in the year! 🙏)
I finished 2023 with 164 books read. I have 165 as my new challenge.
My goal for the year is 60. I also bought a lockbox for my phone so I can put my device in the box and set a timer while I read. I found in past years that I lost waaaaay too much reading time to useless and brainless scrolling on my phone. Enough of that! There’s books to read!
I fell short of my goal last year and have shortened it to one a month (12) this year. Looks like that may be a successful strategy - I've already read 4, and we're not out of January yet!Another tip to get reading more - join a book club! I've found that that elevates both my reading quantity and quality - I read less junk when I read one of my book club books. You don't even have to participate in the discussions - just get the list of books. Book club lists tend to reflect the tastes of like-minded readers.
I'm more adventurous with short to complete books like comics, manga, and novellas with a focus on upbeat tones and humor. I do about 500-800 of those a year and try to do 1 technical information text and a classic/cultural novel a month, not including research and trade journals.Things like romantic/sexual tension, kissing, and lovelorn pining/desire gross me out too much so I struggle with most contemporary fiction and finding works without it, but with shorter works I can at least plow through for completion's sake. Pre-Edwardian novels tend to have exquisite prose, romantic friendship, and low enough explicitness to make it worth my time.
I try to limit re-reading a book to once per year and use it as an opportunity to update it for any new tags/shelves I've made in the interim.
I did over 150 books last year . Hope to do the same this year
Reading books you enjoy and reading more than one book at a time is key! I got through 110 books because I cut my losses at 25-50-100 pages when still not interested enough. I also have two print books and an Audible book going at all times. I’ve also cut my losses with audio books I’ve spent money on. The most important thing is to read, if the book stops you from reading, move on! Reading is so so subjective and what others love you may find “ehhh,” what won an award may set your teeth on edge. Move on! It’s your own personal choice, not a guilt complex or an obligation. You owe nothing to the writer or your mom who loved it. Move on to a book that matches your feelings at the time and you’ll be amazed how much happier you are.
My goal is 50, not sure if I can make it but this is my first full year of being an avid reader, and I would love to make it.
I bought a few books, so when I look at my shelf it makes me want to start them
I spend all my time reading. I would like to set my goel to 150 plus.
My goal is 70, last year I tried 50 and succeeded, so now I am upping my challenge.
I'm into book 18 of 2024, my goal is 25. I pace in a controlled environment while reading and I read more than if I'm seated. At the end of the year, I do wish Goodreads would publish the exact number of books read in a year with the number of books that had been pledged to allow users to the numbers as well as publish a rankings of readers with the number of books read, maybe even get Amazon in on the act and the top 5 readers get a lifetime Kindle Unlimited subscription and the top 100 get a year,, while 101-250 get a six month subscription, and 251-500 get a three month subscription or maybe x Kindle credits instead for every 25-50 books read to encourage folks to read new content.
Last year's goal was 50 and I managed to read 54, I think. I like to mix shorter novels or novellas with the hulks topping 500+ pages (think Stephen King). I'm going to try for 60 this year. I love to read, but I also love to do lots of other things too.
Becky wrote: "Reading books you enjoy and reading more than one book at a time is key! I got through 110 books because I cut my losses at 25-50-100 pages when still not interested enough. I also have two print b..."Thanks Becky. I finally started doing this last year. I have a hard time un-commiting to a book I'm not enjoying thinking that everyone else loves this, why don't I?
