How to Actually Read More Books: 9 Habits That Work

Reading more almost never comes down to willpower — it comes down to removing friction and making progress visible. The habits below aren't about finding more free time (most people don't have any to find); they're about spending the time you already have on reading more automatically, and noticing when you've stopped.

1. Always have a book within reach

Physical book on the nightstand, ebook on your phone, audiobook queued up for the car — the format matters less than the fact that "I have nothing to read right now" is never a real excuse.

2. Replace one scroll session a day with reading

Not all of them — one. Pick the specific moment (waiting in line, the first five minutes in bed) and swap it deliberately. Small and specific beats big and vague.

3. Track your streak, not just your book count

A book count only moves when you finish something, which might be weeks away. A streak moves every single day you read anything at all, which is a much faster feedback loop — see how to set one up on iPhone.

4. Set a page or minute floor, not a book-count ceiling

"At least 10 pages" is achievable on your worst day. "50 books this year" is not something you can act on today. Floors you can hit daily add up faster than ceilings you're always chasing.

5. Keep your TBR small and curated

A 400-book to-be-read list is genuinely paralyzing — every time you finish a book, you face 400 choices. A short, deliberately curated list of the next 5-10 books removes that decision fatigue entirely.

6. Use audiobooks for the time you're already not reading

Commuting, chores, walks — none of that time was going to be reading time anyway, so audiobooks aren't cheating, they're pure addition.

7. Give yourself explicit permission to DNF

Every hour spent finishing a book out of obligation is an hour not spent on a book you'd actually love. Decide in advance how many chapters you'll give a book, and hold yourself to actually stopping.

8. Read multiple books at once, by mood

Keep a fast, easy read going alongside a slower, denser one. When you're not in the mood for one, you're not stuck — you're not reading nothing, you're reading the other thing.

9. Make finishing visible, the same day

Log a book — rating, one-line reaction, mood — the day you finish it, not "eventually." This is the single habit that makes every other one on this list stick, because it's the moment your reading actually becomes visible progress instead of something that happened and evaporated.

Frequently asked

What's the fastest way to read more books?

Remove friction, not increase willpower: keep a book within reach at all times (physical, ebook, and audiobook so there's always a format available), and replace a small amount of scrolling time with reading time daily rather than trying to add a big new block of time to your schedule.

Is it okay to not finish a book (DNF)?

Yes, and giving yourself explicit permission to do it is one of the more effective ways to read more overall — time spent finishing a book you're not enjoying out of obligation is time not spent on a book you would have loved.

Does tracking your reading actually help you read more?

For most people, yes — visible progress (a streak, a pace estimate, a goal ring filling in) is a stronger daily motivator than an untracked habit, the same principle behind habit and fitness trackers generally.