Beyond the Pages: My Secrets to Reading 100 Books a Year

I managed to dive into 104 books this year (yes, I counted!). Here’s how I did it and what I learned along the way:

Yes, I read a lot. I always have! But somehow, I’ve been reading 100+ books every year for the last four years. Without fail!

I didn’t intend to do it, though. This reading ritual wasn’t intentional, and it certainly wasn’t part of any “New Year resolution.” In all honesty, I really (really!) enjoy reading, spending time with and for my mind, learning new things, and embarking on literary adventures and journeys.

With that said, if “reading more” or “picking up a book every now and then” are on your wish list, I’d love to share some of the healthy and helpful reading habits I picked up along the way.

This Is Not a Competition

When I read for fun or pleasure, I really read for fun or pleasure! I read for myself, for entertainment, to keep my mind busy and occupied, for self-improvement, and out of curiosity.

My “books to read” goal is not an expectation and, honestly, isn’t really a goal at all. In fact, I never set a goal as high as 100 books a year! My reading goal is usually around 70 books.

Suppose I read more than that, great! And if I read less? Also great, are you kidding me?

The real objective here is to read and enjoy yourself, not enter a pretend competition with Goodreads, yourself, BookTok, or fellow your readers.

Audiobooks Are My Best Friend

I will never buy into the ableist “listening to books isn’t reading” discourse.

Reading is about consuming and understanding texts and information, not about how you do that!

With that in mind, audiobooks are a blessing for me! I can read while I do stuff around the house, try to concentrate, take a shower, walk the dog, or prep myself for sleep.

And if the Narrator is good? I’ll be glued to my seat until I finish that story!

I Only Read What I Enjoy

Do not believe (I repeat, do not believe!) anyone who tells you that you can’t learn anything from fiction, that science fiction is a waste of time, or that fantasy books are silly.

Most fiction books are inspired by real events, people, and circumstances, and as such, you’ll always pick up a lesson or two while reading stories that you enjoy!

In my case, I tend to gravitate toward fiction books that have Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Culture, and Social Justice themes but might not necessarily be books about DEI.

I Don’t Look at Book Reviews

I do this with movies, too! I choose the stories I want to read if the title, author, narrator, or summary calls my attention!

I might read the reviews after I finished and closed the book, mostly to see if any fellow bookworms picked up on something I missed or if they have a different POV than mine.

But I never read those testimonials or reviews upfront. I want to dive in as unbiased and clueless as possible!

If I Don’t Like What I’m Reading, I Move On to Something Else

When I’m reading for pleasure, I don’t put up with stories I don’t enjoy, styles I don’t appreciate, narrators who are just reading instead of narrating, or topics I find harmful or triggering.

There are way too many other books for me to discover and so little time to do so!

However, if I find the book “problematic” or something’s not sitting well with me, I try to stick around for a few more pages and question where that uncomfortable feeling is coming from.

Is the book, characters, or author really problematic? Am I just making biased assumptions? Can I learn anything new about myself or the world by finishing this story?

I Don’t Read Multiple Books at Once

I know that many bookish peeps read multiple stories simultaneously, but I simply don’t have that skill!

When I read, I do my best to immerse myself in the story, setting, plot, and characters.

I prefer sticking to one story at a time and enjoying my time with what I’m reading before I move to something else. And to be honest, I sometimes need to take a break between one book and the next!

Now, before you go and start setting your annual reading goals, I want to remind you all that you don’t need to spend all your money to read all the books you want to dive into.

Public libraries have the books you’re looking for (for free!), even audiobooks. Also, keep in mind that libraries need your support! they’re being defunded left and right.

Ok, by now, you must know that talking books is one of my favorite things to do… so see you in the comment section.

I can’t wait to talk books with y’all!

👏🏻 A big thank you for reading my post; I appreciate you!

👋🏻 Wanna collaborate with me or say hi? DM me!

💌 If you’re interested in receiving updates every time I post so you don’t miss anything, please subscribe to my email list here.