I. LOVE. Reading.
I don’t remember how it started, this fascination with books. I think I was always an observant niña & I realized that I could learn from how other people were living (probably trauma-related tbh, but we’ll roll with it 😅).
While that started with my family & other people in my immediate surroundings, it continued into the books I was reading. What a fun time to be alive, where there is endless knowledge at our fingertips!
Buckle up, because in this blog post we’re going to get very nerdy & discuss my top 5 reading hacks (plus one hidden bonus—see if you can find it!).
1) Get Clear On Your Goals
First thing’s first, you have to get clear on YOUR goals & not fall prey to vanity metrics that are going to boost your ego.
For me, that means emphasizing quality over quantity.
If you just want to create a habit of reading, check out my blog post on habits to make it a part of your routine in a way that is sustainable & has meaning.
I don’t like when people have a goal to read a certain number of books in a month or a year because, chances are, they are not retaining any of the information.
Yes, it sounds cool to be able say you read x number of books in y amount of time, but let’s be honest…
Did those books change you?
Did they alter how you view the world?
Did they make you a better person, partner or parent?
Did you wrestle with its content until something fundamentally shifted in you?
Don’t get me wrong, maybe not every book you read is going to have life-changing lessons. But if you don’t slow down to savor the book, you’ll never find out!
Storytime…
In my late-teens/early-twenties I went through a big Christian era. Honestly, that had a big impact on how I view mindfulness today & I should probably explore that in another blog post, but anyway…onto the story lol!
I was surrounded by friends who were blasting through scripture. I would often hear people say things like “I’m following a plan to read the whole Bible in a year.”
I was like first of all…all of the Bible? 👀 I don’t know if other spiritual texts have areas that are dry at best & borderline inappropriate at worst haha, but phew! That is a big undertaking!
But in the sea of spiritual overachievers, I made a goal to read ONLY the book of 1 John for an entire month. I remember not wanting to talk about it because I felt like I was somehow not doing enough, not making enough headway.
In reality, I did such deep dives that I learned more than I would have any other way.
Thankfully I had a mentor who engrained three words in me that changed my whole worldview: “depth, not width.”
It’s better to read ONE work of literature for as long as it takes for it to seep into your being, to listen to ONE inspirational speech every single morning until it * really * clicks, to journal on ONE topic until you’ve reeeeally wrapped your head around it…
Than to blow through 100 books & not even remember what they were about.
If you’re one of those people who can remember anything at genius-level comprehension, please disregard this entire point.
If you just enjoy reading a vast array of literature so you have to read quickly, you do you!
But this is why it’s important to get clear on YOUR goals & priorities.
If you’ve been yearning to slow down with your books but are afraid you’re somehow falling behind, please find peace in knowing you’re a-okay.
2) Be a Student of Life: Highlight & Take Notes
Holy guacamole, I am a note taking fiend!
There is something about the pen hitting the paper that helps things just click for me (wait, did I just make a pen pun??).
If you look at my physical books, they are filled with highlights & notes in the margin. I love it.
It helps me remember where quotes are so that I can go back & reference them (I tend to mostly read non-fiction & love remembering the facts & research that I read about).
It also helps me to just make sense of things as I go so that I can start stringing along the information in my mind as I read through the piece.
When I was growing up, my mom used to bring home stationary that she would get at work conferences. I blame her for my fancy stationary inclinations lol!
If I may share, I looove a 0.5 gel pen. These Uniball ones are quick drying & I could use them in any book without worrying about them bleeding through! I also love these Muji ones, but some people don’t like that they can lose the cap.
In terms of highlighters, I am a very picky lady! It needs to be bold enough to be visible but not so bright that I feel like I’m being blinded.
These Zebra midliners are perfect! They don’t bleed through, they have gorgeous colors that are more pastel (rather than neon), & the dual tip comes in handy.
The fun part about this is that if you ever re-read a book then you’ll be able to see the things that stood out to you before. Did the same things stand out? Are there different parts you hadn’t caught before? Can you interpret the same passages differently?
When you intentionally highlight & take notes, you’re able to interact with the book in an entirely new way!
If you’re already a note taker & you this makes it unimaginable to switch to an electronic option, then you’re going to want to keep reading…
3) You NEED a Kindle
2019 me would be absolutely appalled.
I, Samantha Saucedo, lover of stationary & note-taking, am a full-fledged Kindle girly?!?!
I’m not going to lie, I used to be a physical book purist. I refused to even entertain the idea of ever letting this part of me go.
But thennnnn…
- I started traveling. I would have to guess-timate when I’d be finished with books, if I needed multiple, if they’d take up too much space, if I’d leave them behind if I finished on the trip, etc. It became a hassle & a headache.
- I moved a bunch (as told in this blog post). If you’ve ever put your books all in one box—well, no need to say any more, you already know how horrendously heavy it is! & as someone who typically doesn’t move furniture, finding new places to store my books also became a hassle.
- I started dating B & he had a Kindle that he raved about. It seemed very practical, but I stillll wasn’t convinced…until!
- I became (more of) a minimalist. I started to recognize how much physical clutter added to my anxiety, & I realized that buying a Kindle took care of MANY of my woes.
You can read at night without disturbing your partner with a nightlight! & if you’re reading on the beach, the sun doesn’t glare off of the pages.
You can have endless books on ONE device. No more lugging books from move to move or vacation to vacation. No more finding new homes for them. No more rearranging your bookshelf. Everything is in one place!
You can digitally highlight & type out notes & they’ll be stored on the Kindle or you can even email them to yourself.
- This is extremely helpful if you need to use your highlights for papers or presentations (or even just personal development!) because you can just control-f to find exactly what you’re looking for.
This bonus tip will save you hundreds of dollars:
There is an app called Libby that works with your local library where you can borrow e-books & audio books (for the same amount of time that you would any other library product).
You can read or listen with the the app, OR you can download them to your Kindle FOR FREE!
The best part?!?!
You can still highlight the important parts & then email them to yourself!!! So not only do you not have to pay for the book itself, but you get to keep the information for freeeeee.
Some libraries have much more robust collections than others, but technically if you live somewhere different than your permanent address then you could get multiple library cards & use them all (but you didn’t hear that from me…).
Okay okay okay, as much as I looove my Kindle, there are some things to be aware of:
- Books can be more expensive because you can’t buy them secondhand. I had gotten used to finding books on Thriftbooks, but that’s not a thing with Kindle. I’ve gotten in the habit of checking Libby before I buy books!
- You can’t share your books with friends. Sometimes I have a book I looove that an aniguis has been wanting to read, they ask to borrow it, & then I have to break the news that I cannot gift them my Kindle lol.
- I asked B what was bad about it & his response was “it’s not a book.” There is something nostalgic about holding a physical piece of literature, but don’t knock it until you try it!
Overall, if you want to read more, give into the hype & get yourself a Kindle. This is the one I have & I love it!
You won’t regret it!
4) Make It Easy & Enjoyable
In order to implement a habit into your life, you have to make it easy & enjoyable. If you want to learn more about this, make sure you check out my blog post on how to create habits & also download my free ejournal, Hone Your Habits!
Are you reading books that you enjoy?
Sometimes people feel like they have to read certain types of books or genres in order for it to “count.”
Some people say “reading for fun” (ie reading fiction) is a waste of time, & others say that if you’re not NOT reading for fun (ie nonfiction) then it’s a waste of time.
The truth is, reading in general is great, & you can learn a lesson from everything you read as long as you’re open to receiving them.
Don’t feel cornered into only reading one thing! Explore & have fun with it.
Utilize the Libby app or your local library to find new types of books you might enjoy without the pressure of purchasing them.
Is the vibe (ie environment) right?
Do you want to set a mood? Light a candle? Get a cozy blanket?
Do you want to create a specific reading nook & thrift a comfy chair to read on?
Maybe it’s a sunny day & you can read outside.
Creating an environment that you’ll enjoy returning to time & time again will ensure that you can create a sustainable reading habit that you have fun with.
Do you have the tools that you need (or simply…want)?
This kind of goes with making it a vibe, but invest in nicer things in order to be able to fully romanticize your reading.
Maybe it’s a fun bookmark. One of my friends used to travel a lot & she would bring me back a bookmark from every trip. I loooved using these & it was such a thoughtful gift!
Maybe you want to write in the margins but all your pens smear or bleed. Get a couple that you * love * & maybe even reserve them for reading only (I love this one & this one!).
Do you want to buy things to make your environment more conducive to reading? Do you need a reading lamp? A kindle? Reading glasses?
Use these tools to make it easier to savor your reading time!
Are you missing a community aspect?
I looove using my hobbies (or acquiring new hobbies) to make friends (& in case you missed it, I have a whole blog post on how to make friends as an adult).
Consider joining a book club in order to go deeper into books while making friends.
Maybe even if it’s not a formal “book club,” you can ask a bestie or your partner if they want to read a book together.
B & I used to take turns reading a mystery book out loud before bed (yes, like a bedtime story to eachother. It was verrrry sweet & we should do it more often).
Sometimes books already have reflection questions that go along with them. They can be found in the back of books, online, or sometimes there are companion workbooks that you can purchase. OR you can also just come up with your own questions! The sky is the limit.
Connection with others is so good for us, & you can definitely use your love for reading as an opportunity to engage with your community.
5) Book Hopping (Especially Related to Time of Day)
Have you ever met one of those people who absolutely refuse to start a new book if they haven’t finished the one they’re on?
Yeeeeah, I am like…notttt one of those people 😅
I am a proud, self-proclaimed book hopper!
Like we said before, you have to make reading easy & enjoyable.
If you’ve started a book that you aren’t liking, or if you started a book in a certain mood & you’re not in that mood anymore, you should not hold yourself captive to finishing that work just because you started it.
That, my friend, is called the Sunken Cost Fallacy. That’s where you overcommit to seeing something through just because you’ve already put energy into it & you don’t want that energy to be for nothing.
But tbh, if it’s going to waste your time because you’re not getting anything from it anyway, then what’s the point? Or if it’s keeping you from wanting to read, why would you force yourself to stick with it? (reminder: this is why it’s important to get clear on your goals for why you’re reading!).
Sometimes I am feeling like my brain needs a break & I want to read some light fiction.
Sometimes I am in the mood to read some hard science & I read a deep non-fiction book.
& sometimes I want a mix of both & I read something non-fiction, but a little more readable.
This goes along with my general life philosophy that there should be meaning behind what you’re doing, & it needs to feel intuitively correct for you.
If you are an avid runner but are mildly injured, it might be better to do a less-intense movement practice rather force yourself to keep going OR go the other extreme & not do anything at all.
There’s a difference between being disciplined & doing things when they don’t make sense. We want what you’re reading to satiate the need that you have when you pick up the book!
One of the reasons I love book hopping is you can read different books at different times of the day. In this regard, books can help create the energy you want for that moment.
For example, you might start your day with a motivating non-fiction book like 101 Essays that Change the Way You Think by Brianna Wiest. Perfect to set the tone for a great day, & something you can process & digest throughout the day.
Then, maybe you’re reading a book that’s relevant to your profession & you read it on your lunch break. I wrote a blog post about my favorite mindfulness books here!
Finally, before bed, you could read something lighter. Some fiction would allow your mind to forget about the day’s happenings.
- My all-time favorite fiction book is The Alchemist by Paulo Coehlo & if you haven’t read it yet, maybe it can be your next bedtime read!
Alright, enough about this—clearly I am very passionate about it lol!
Overall, I love reading & I hope these tips help you grow to love it more as well!
Let me know which ones you try, feel free to ask me more about my experience with the Kindle, lmk if you think I’m a wild one for any of these habits I have, & lmk if you have any books recs for me!
