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13 Ways Book Lovers Make More Time for Reading
So many books, so little time? Every reader's been there. We asked on Facebook and Twitter: How do you make more time for reading? From savvy tips ("Listen to audiobooks while you drive!") to cheeky suggestions ("Just don't sleep!"), these are the ways your fellow book lovers fit reading into their busy lives.
1. "Throughout the day I play a little game. I read a chapter (just one) and then I get up and clean something. Example: Go and sweep the kitchen floor. Then read a chapter. Then fold a load of clothes and put them away. Then go read another chapter. I can do this all day. It works great for me!" (Shannon Strickland-Brown)
2. "I always carry a book with me, so if I have to wait—like at a doctor's office—I can get some reading in." (Brigitta M.)
3. "Get called for jury duty! Ha! Waiting can take hours. Get prepared to catch up on your reading." (Elizabeth Thayer)
4. "I take the bus to work instead of my car, which saves me money and gives me lots of time to relax and read!" (Michelle Garcia Ortiz)
5. "Well, I stay up late reading, which has lead to a mild sleeping disorder…but, guys, books are worth it!" (Kyushu Arora)
6. "I wake up a little earlier each day and enjoy a book with breakfast." (Kaitlynn Scribner)
7. "I am a huge fan of audiobooks. I listen to audiobooks while driving, taking a walk, cooking, and traveling…. Audiobooks offer huge opportunities to make the most of your time while you are doing something else." (Emile Armanious)
8. "Instead of watching TV before bed, I read! You sleep better that way, too. (Raquel N. DeSouza)
9. "I actually 'plan' my reading time each day and night. Even if I have a hectic day, I schedule at least 30 minutes for myself." (Susan Master)
10. "It's not the safest way to make time, but I read while walking to work." (Eliza viola Legault)
11. "I've actually called in sick when I've been reading something particularly good!" (Angela Free)
12. "I watch TV a LOT. However, it finally dawned on me that the commercial breaks these days are much longer than they used to be. So I keep my book with me when I'm watching TV, and I can get several pages read during commercial breaks. I average about 30-40 pages per night this way!" (Sara Foster)
13. "Get old. Retire from your job. Presto! More reading time!" (Linda White)
How do you make more time for reading? Share your tips in the comments!
(Top image credit: Beauty and the Beast)
Comments Showing 101-150 of 319 (319 new)
message 101:
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Elise
(new)
Sep 24, 2016 11:16AM
Read during commercials, read at meal times, read more than one book a time, read in the car as a passenger (I don't drive, and I don't get sick reading in the car :P). I've also developed a knack for balancing internet usage and reading. Click a link or watch a video, then read a paragraph or a page or more from my book.
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It's funny, I used to pretend to be Belle when I was younger and read while walking around the house (with a basket, of course). Then in college, I started to pick up read/walking again and it is so wonderful! You get exercise, experience nature (when not into the interesting bits in the story), and read. What's not to love!
Mallory wrote: "It's funny, I used to pretend to be Belle when I was younger and read while walking around the house (with a basket, of course). Then in college, I started to pick up read/walking again and it is s..."I'd feel safer on a treadmill. But I see your point :-)
A lot of the above: I'm never far from a book (there's stacks in every room), and I always have at least one book in whatever backpack or bag or coat I'm using that day. I've yet to find audiobooks I like; even while driving, I find my mind wandering and I miss whole sections. For me, audiobooks don't count as reading because it's not reading; too easy to not focus on it, and I like the feel and action of reading books better. I also can't read in cars or buses - I start feeling queasy, so that's out. As for the biggest secret? I stopped cleaning the apt in favor of reading. When it gets too awful, I guess I'll move . . . .
Onion wrote: "I hope Angela Free's boss doesn't read this!"Exactly what I was thinking!
I take at least 25-45 minutes every work day to walk and read. When I took the train into the city, I would read on my Kindle each way - 1 hour. My kindle is my best friend, whenever I have time, I read. And when I tan :)
Helen wrote: "My trick is to have several books 'on the go' at once. One in my handbag to read in queues or waiting rooms or whatever; one in my work bag for tea breaks and lunch breaks; one by my bed for readin..."this is my 'trick' too :D
Fabian wrote: "Helen wrote: "My trick is to have several books 'on the go' at once. One in my handbag to read in queues or waiting rooms or whatever; one in my work bag for tea breaks and lunch breaks; one by my ..."I find it's quite easy, as long as I choose books with dissimilar themes or plots, if I read too many of a similar type then I trip myself up :)
All good tips, but the one about retiring only works if you've socked away a very large nest egg.
Amber wrote: "All good tips, but the one about retiring only works if you've socked away a very large nest egg."or you're a retired librarian with a copy of the library key
I always carry a book along. And I usually end up reading them when my father shows up late at College! Besides this, I even read books during get-togethers, picnics and family parties as I'm not much of a socialist!
Katee wrote: "I, er, I read on the toilet. It's the one moment of the day wherein my brain can't say, "You should be studying!" because there just isn't space in my bathroom to hold a textbook. But there is spac..." My parents gave me this 'bad habit'. But, people are much less likely to interrupt me, so.... ;P
I do most of those on the list except for 13, 11 ,7 and 4. I also read while I'm cooking dinner and sometimes I read through an entire TV show instead of looking at it. More and more I have been preferring reading over movies or TV shows. I try to watch TV, but a good book wins every time.
Reading has also helped me learned patience. I read while waiting at the dentist's office.
I love reading when I go to University. It relaxes me and helps me to stay focused on my lessons. I also ready when I go to bed ( I ALWAYS have a book near my bed!), it helps me to sleep much better.
Like many the commute to and from work is a great time to read. My wife and I, well actually this was the idea of our 6 year old!, set aside time before bed to read. Shut down all electronics/background noises and just read. Its also a great way to wind down after a busy day.
I don't work anymore and my daughter is an adult now and does not live with us anymore so without a child to take care of and being retired I have 2 specific periods to read ,one hour after supper and one hour before going to bed.During the day I'll do all kind of things but the two periods of reading are sacred and non negociable except on emergency of course and that doesn't happen frequently.
Alex wrote: "The commercial trick for sure! I do this all the time. And sometimes I'll get sucked into the book so I forget to unmute the television."Hahahaha that's great!!
I have Asperger’s syndrome, and because of it I'm horribly lucky. I can do just about anything and read at the same time. I have played through whole PC games while reading, such as Fallout. I can cook and read, even watch whole films while reading. Talking to people on the phone I'm nearly always reading. It’s one of the few things that make having Asperger’s so very worth it. Now to get a water proof tablet that can take the heat of my showers..
Read more poetry! Everyone should anyway, and generally it's less words per page and smaller books in terms of length and actual page size. You might want to spend more time on the lines but it's a good way to get more reading done and find some great writing
I love taking bubble baths and reading while i'm in the tub. Relaxing all around. I have a ton of books on my kindle, so I have several that I am working on at the moment.
I liked the ideas, many of which have been part of my routine. I sometimes set a goal of reading a chaptrr in each of the many books I'm reading before going on to th next book. Sometimes more than one chapter, sometimes just the one.I never cared for audiobooks until I found text to speech on my Kindle. I listn to that every time I get in the car for a trip of more than a few minutes. I use it when I knit as well.
I am sorry for those people who can only read one book at a time, but that's okay.
If you have time to relax and read in the tub, I highly recommend that.
Someone mentioned retiring to have more time for reading. I'm busier than when I taught so my reading has slowed down. That is a sad state of affairs.
Be homeschooled, quit your job and go a quiet and cozy place and fake your own death. Free time all the time.
Katee wrote: "I, er, I read on the toilet. It's the one moment of the day wherein my brain can't say, "You should be studying!" because there just isn't space in my bathroom to hold a textbook. But there is spac..."My life. Secret reading poops, where my homework can't find me. Woot!
1. Staying up late, usually until 1 or 2 AM2. Reading during TV commercials
3. Taking my e-reader with me to appointments
4. Reading multiple books at once (different genres, to keep plots straight)
5, When I check out books from the local library, I read the ones that can't be renewed first.
What I do is that I read more than one book at once. It sometimes makes me confused about the timelines, but I usually remember after a reading a sentence (or a paragraph) back. I also have the habit of always bringing a book with me wherever I go.
I usually use the TTS (Text To Speech) option on my smartphone or PC. This way, every single ebook turns into an audiobook immediately. I put on the headphones (or increase the volume of the device) and go around doing my chores while listening to the device read my book.Note: the quality of the default TTS engine on smartphones or PCs are not good. If you want really good TTS engines, there are some great options such as: IVONA, Acapella, Voiceware, Loquendo, Neospeech, etc. Some of them have demos on their websites that you should check out, before buying. Don't buy before you are absolutely sure, because you may not like a certain engine or voice, and your hard earned money will go to waste. I recommend IVONA (which is almost perfect) but you can't get it for Android 6 and above.
The TTS engine is the first thing that you need. You need a book reader as well. On computers, you can use Balabolka, which is an excellent software and is free. On Android phones, the only good option is Moon + Reader Pro. You can use eRader Prestigio which is free, but does not support TTS for PDF files.
I spend about an hour and quarter in the bus going to my work and a similar period of time going back home, so I read mostly during these times. Besides, I always have a book in my handbag so whenever I wait at the doctor's, underground...etc. I'm never bored!
When I'm at school, I don't waste a single moment talking. Between periods, I sneak in a book below desk and keep reading. Sometimes I even read when the teacher is teaching (when it is extremely boring) so yeah.. thats how I get time to read coz at home, I hv tuitions, badminton coaching, music lessons etc.
I have an ebook reader in my tablet and phone for sudden waiting periods. Then I try to read a chapter a night.
I have three tablets (nook color, nexus 7 and kindle fire), all loaded with several e-reader apps and a ton of ebooks and audiobooks. I read primarily in the evening to early in the morning (from 9 pm to 2am on avg), and it helps me relax enough to rest well at night. I usually like to read several series at the same time; I think it's fun to be able to go back and rediscover a world full of characters I remember fondly from a series I've read previously when starting on a new volume...it's one of the ways I keep my brain active after past head injuries.
O god it's like looking in a mirror. Especially to #5 I've been home for the last 6 month because school is done and I am waiting for the winter semester to start. So everything I do since summer is reading. I got the biggest sleeping disorder since I am reading until my parents get up for work which is at 5 am at after that i sleep but my brain doesn't shut up I keep dreamin about the stories, the characters. when I did not finished the book my brain keeps trying to end the stories so I wake up 3 hours later and finish it. It's a vicious cycle. But i love it too much, though
I read at night before going to bed, on the condition that I've already finished homework and done studying.
When I was in high school, I hurried to classes so I'd have a few minutes before the bell to read. Then I'd read under my desk in between copying notes. On test days, I hurried through tests for that coveted post-test time when I could hand it in and read.I'm out of school not, so I've definitely done the call-in-sick trick. Responsible adult for the win! But I also read in the shower (yes, you read that right), and while on the computer talking to friends. It slows down the reading process a smidge, but hey, at least I'm reading!
The video games I play make Lord of the Rings look like Spot goes to the Beach.http://www.gamefaqs.com/ps2/459510-sh...
http://www.gamefaqs.com/ds/935689-the...
http://www.gamefaqs.com/ps2/936463-od...
i just bring along my e-reader wherever i go. whenever i have a few minutes to spare, i'll read. i don't care if i just can read a page. that's a few minutes well spend for me.
I read while walking, while cooking, in the bath, in bed, at uni when i'm not in class, while waiting in line, and know i can't sleep if i don't have at least 30 minutes of reading time at night. If i'm doing things that i need my hands for then i'll listen to audiobooks instead; I got through over half of my reading lists for some of my papers this way! If i really can't sleep then more audiobooks do the trick! Or if they keep me awake then at least the hours have been well spent.
Similar to the suggestion of reading before bed instead of watching TV, I have cut out my channel surfing. I still watch shows I like, but instead of sitting down and not really watching anything, I pick up a book. That way, instead of looking up three hours later and feeling a little guilty, I'm happy and relaxed.
As it is I get very little time to read, but I ve learnt a few tricks to read while I still continue with my chores. Like reading while stirring and sauteeing. Sneak into my book while my kids are trying to get their Math problem right (I make them study more so I can read more ;)). I ve bought a book reading stand which I use when both my hands are busy, like when folding clothes or combing hair. What can I say? Its tough being a voracious reader ;)
When I have to go by bus and the travel is quite long, I always take a book with me. Not only does this accelerate the reading but it also makes the travel shorter. Same when I have to wait at the hospital or an office.
My "trick" is less PC/TV time, more book time.I've been spending less time online lately. It has helped fuel my book nerd tendencies.
I always have at least 2 books going at any time-1 fiction and 1 non-fiction. I also always have another book on my Kindle Fire. I take it everywhere.
I've been making a concerted effort to read every day; recreating an old habit of mine. I want to fall in love with literature again.Breaks at work? There's an hour of reading!
Cardio on the stairmaster, elliptical, or just melting in the sauna? Another hour of reading.
I wish I could commute to work via public transit, I could add even more time in -- but I'm slowly starting to get into audiobooks.
My e reader goes with me everywhere, so if I have wait I can read a chapter or two.
Austin wrote: "I read every moment I have at school"Ha! I do too! (and sometimes when I don't have a moment too.)
I put "read a chapter" on my to-do-list every day.
My trick is to try to have one physical book, one audio book, and 1 e-book going at the same time. I nearly always have my tablet with me and usually read at lunch or during a wait somewhere. I listen to the audio book to and from work. I try to read a little each night before I go to sleep (usually my physical book). My biggest downfall isn't TV, but an Android game that sometimes beckons to me to play a little longer, conquer another level. If I give in, it eats up my reading time at lunch or before bed.
