9 Tips for Reading More & Finding Books You'll Love

I’m a big reader, but it wasn’t really until the past few years that it became a big hobby and something I did routinely. I think for a lot of people, being forced to read books we hated in high school and college, left a bad taste in our mouths for reading. And for so many people, it feels more like a chore than something to actually enjoy. But, I believe if you find the right books and have the right mindset it can become a new passion. You can learn new things, experience different worlds, gain a greater sense of empathy, and become a better version of yourself. During the past few years, I’ve learned some tricks for finding amazing books, buying on a budget, and reading more. 

Sign up for Goodreads

I think the best place to start if you want to read more and find good books is the app Goodreads! It’s a must-have for finding new books, reading reviews, keeping track of the books you want to read, and logging the ones you already have. Simply make an account and mark the books you’ve read for suggestions and curated lists of those reads similar to your favorites.

On Goodreads you can also search to find book ratings and reviews—now I almost never buy a book without consulting it first. You can create different “shelves”, including one with the books you want to read in the future. So, whenever you hear of a book that sparks your interest you can add it to your list and remember to check it out! And once you’ve finished a book you can review it yourself. Basically, it’s the holy grail app for readers.

Follow your favorite authors

Another way to find books you’ll love is to follow your favorite authors on Goodreads, Instagram, and Twitter. By doing so you can see the books they’re loving, and you can stay up to date on their latest book picks. See what launches they are getting excited about and find out when their new books are being released!

Buy at thrift stores

If you’re on a budget and you don’t have a library nearby (or it’s closed due to covid) thrift stores typically have an amazing selection of books at a fraction of the price you would pay at big bookstores. Since so many people read a book once and then donate it, you can get popular reads for less than $5. There’s also an online thrift book shop called thriftbooks.com. You can find great titles and choose from different prices based on whether the condition of the book looks like new or is a little worn. And make your money back by selling your old books on websites like Decluttr!

Read what you actually enjoy

If you want to challenge yourself to read more, the best thing to do is to choose books that you actually enjoy reading—whether that’s romance, science fiction, self-help, Harry Potter, or young adult. There’s no shame! Don’t feel guilty if you love summer romance reads and not some highbrow piece of literature, because when you’re reading something you enjoy, you’ll be amazed at how you carve out extra time in your day to read. By doing so, reading will become an enjoyable hobby, not a chore. I’ve definitely made the mistake of deciding to read something outside of what I normally like and it becomes a painful obligation, rather than a fun hobby. Eventually, you might want to challenge yourself with something different, but if you’re just starting out, select books you know you’ll love! Like Henry David Thoreau said, “Read the best books first, otherwise you’ll find you do not have time.”

Put down books that aren’t serving you

Going along with that, if you find yourself dreading reading a certain book, put it down and find a new one that excites you. Maybe you’ll pick it up again in the future, or maybe not—there’s no harm in “quitting” when it comes to a book. A good book should make you excited to flip each page, like a Netflix show that you can’t stop watching. If you don’t feel that way and you’re not being forced to read it, put it down. Like I said, when you’re reading a book you love, you’ll be surprised at how much time you find throughout the day for it.

Always have another book on deck

For me, one of the best motivators is to always have another book on deck. Stock your shelf with books that you’re looking forward to reading (or just have an idea of what you’ll want to pick up next) so you’ll be excited to finish one up and move onto the next. Also, if you’re sad a beloved book is ending, you’ll have a fresh one to dive into.

Challenge yourself

One of my favorite features of the Goodreads app is that you can challenge yourself to read a certain amount of books each year and track your progress towards achieving that goal. At the beginning of the year, I challenged myself to read 30 books in 2020 and so far it’s been so fun to track the books I read and see my success. Start small with maybe five books and see how far you can go!

Take advantage of technology

While I love reading a good old-fashioned paperback book, there are so many cool virtual ways of reading we can take advantage of! If you have a Kindle or iPad and a library card, you can use the Libby app to download free e-books from your local library. You’ll have great books right at your fingertips and no money spent. Also remember, audiobooks are books too! Read in whatever format feels best for you, whether that’s on your kindle, with a paper copy, or through an audiobook.