A reader's honest guide to read more

If you're not someone who wants to read more, this blog probably isn’t for you.

Before we start, let's make one thing clear: It’s about reading more, not necessarily finishing more books.

Last year, I completed 30 books. But more importantly, I read more than I ever have before.

There are so many books out there, and even if we assume just 0.01% of them are worth reading, most of us still won't have enough time to read them all. That’s both overwhelming and liberating.

So here's what I’ve figured out about how to read more. It helped me — maybe it will help you too.

1. Have targets.

   First of all, a big shout-out to Goodreads! [If you don’t know Goodreads — imagine Facebook, but just for readers. It’s great for tracking what you read, making wishlists, and seeing what others are reading. And the best part? It’s so badly designed, you won’t get addicted to it — you just go, update your stuff, and leave. Perfect.]

   At every start of the year, Goodreads asks me my target for the year, and I put one in with the hope that I achieve it. I have been doing this since 2016. And you can see how it has been:

   

   These targets give me a good motivation to read more.

   
   

   These aren’t perfect metrics, because they don’t reflect the books I started but never finished.

   
   

   Fun Fact: I’ve left more books unfinished than I’ve completed.

   
   

   So in short: Targets help me. It might help you too. But over time, I also noticed something else. In chasing these targets, I sometimes fall into the trap of numbers.

   
   

   I start reading more just to complete more.

   The best type of target would be the time that you give on daily or weekly basis, as it is independent of the chase of number of books. But if you can't do that, even this kind of target has helped me.

   
   

2. Read what you love - not what you think you should

   It doesn't matter what you read — books, articles, children’s stories, fiction, nonfiction — as long as you enjoy it.
   

   I always read at least one children’s book a year — often more. Books like Winnie the Pooh, The Velveteen Rabbit, or The Tiger Who Came to Tea take just 5–10 minutes, but they bring me so much joy. That’s reason enough.
   

   In 2024, I read about accounting, psychology, investing, marketing, tennis, art, writing — all kinds of things. I follow what interests me.
   

   One of my favorite takes on this is by Naval Ravikant:

Read the stuff you’re reading, because you’re into it. You don’t need any other reason. There’s no mission here to accomplish. Just read because you enjoy it. Read what you love until you love to read. It almost doesn’t matter what you read. Eventually, you will read enough things (and your interests will lead you there) that it will dramatically improve your life. The best ones to read are the ones you’re excited about reading all the time. - Naval Ravikant

3. Drop the book if it stops exciting you.

   
   

   This used to happen a lot: I’d start a book, enjoy the first few pages, then get bored — but force myself to finish. That would slowly kill my excitement to read at all. Now, I just stop. And I’ve stopped feeling guilty about it. Some books aren’t right for now. I love what Doris Lessing says:

There is only one way to read, which is to browse in libraries and bookshops, picking up books that attract you, reading only those, dropping them when they bore you, skipping the parts that drag – and never, never reading anything because you feel you ought, or because it is part of a trend or a movement. Remember that the book which bores you when you are twenty or thirty will open doors for you when you are forty or fifty-and vise versa. Don’t read a book out of its right time for you. - Doris Lessing

Fun Approximate Stats: I’ve actually completed only about 10% of the books in my library. I’ve started about 30% of them but haven’t finished yet (I’m still hopeful).The other ones are yet to open as well!

4. Feed your curiosity

   As we grow older, curiosity can become fragile. If we stop feeding it, it quietly fades away. So I take my curiosities seriously, even the silly ones. It’s the one thing that keeps me humble and growing.

   
   

   Recently, I came across a video of Javed Akhtar and got curious about his work — bought a book, read it. Simple.

   
   

   Here’s where Kindle (App or Tablet) really helps. Most books are cheaper, and I can start reading instantly. I still prefer physical books, but Kindle makes it easy to feed my curiosity. If I’m not wrong, I buy at least 3–4 books every month. The point is, if you feed your curiosity, it will urge you to find time to read more.
   

5. Start reading in the morning.

   
   

   Even 5–10 minutes of reading in the morning changes how my day unfolds.

   Sure, most mornings I still end up opening my phone first. But whenever I replace that habit with reading, it sets a better tone — and often leads to more reading later. It's like exercising, some time given in the morning makes the whole day more energised.
   

6. Start with easy or short books.

   Sometimes, the feeling of just completing a book is enough to start the next one. So whenever I feel stuck, I turn to children’s books or short stories.

   
   

   Momentum matters.
   

7. Always have at least one book with you.

   Most of the time, I open my phone when I get a free moment. But occasionally, I open a book — and those 10–15 minutes feel so much better.
   

   Here, again, Kindle wins. I still try to carry physical books, But carrying 4–5 physical books can get heavy while traveling. I wish airlines gave extra baggage allowance just for books. Until then, Kindle saves the day, I can carry 50+ books without any weight issue.
   

   Some other benefits of Kindle:

   • Many books are cheaper on Kindle

   • You get them instantly

   • You can save all your highlights in one place with ease

   • You can also download them, so you can read offline

   (PS. I think it is necessary to clarify that this blog is not sponsored by Goodreads or Kindle. I just genuinely like them.)
   

8. Less use of phone means more reading

   
   

   For me, it's simple: Less phone → More reading.

   
   

   My phone is like a fridge — even when there’s nothing new inside, I keep checking it.

   
   

   Last year, I deleted all my distracting apps from my phone and moved them to my iPad (which I rarely carry). It helped. But recently I reinstalled a few for work, and... they’ve started taking over again. (If anyone knows how to get Instagram DMs forwarded to email, please tell me!)
   

9. Community helps.

   
   

   Having people who are also reading — and who are interested in what you’re reading — can make a big difference.

   
   

   In 2021, I had a small WhatsApp group of five people. We met monthly over Zoom, shared what we read, and listened to each other. During those two years, I read about 28 books — way more than my usual average.

   I’ve lost touch with people who helped me stay consistent.

   If you’re someone who reads (or wants to), keep in touch — seriously!

   
   

   Community matters.

   
   

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In the end, the goal is simple: Find a way to enjoy reading.

Whether it’s comics or novels, children’s stories or dense nonfiction — read what you like.

Your curiosity will lead the way.

If you are on Goodreads, come say hi! And thank you for reading till the end. That alone tells me you love reading — or at least want to.