One question that I am repeatedly asked (by family, friends, and strangers alike) is when do you read? And stemming from that, how do you read? How do you prioritize it? What does a typical day look like, in terms of reading? How do you read so many books?

After sending many texts and messages back to these inquiries, I figured that this would be a great topic for a blog post and a practical, realistic peek into one of my very favorite hobbies and pastimes, reading.

I love to read. I always have and I always will. I’ve been an incredibly avid reader since I learned how to read, and reading has always been something that’s come naturally to me, as well as something I love. It’s not a chore; it’s not a task; it’s purely a pleasure and a joy to me. I also read quickly, which definitely aids me in reading so many books a year. I share these little tidbits with you not to brag but to realistically share where I’m coming from. Reading is relaxing & revitalizing to me, all at once, and I am pulled into a great story quickly and easily. If this isn’t true for you, never fear!! I want to encourage others to read for the pure pleasure of reading – of getting lost in a beautiful world or inspired by beautiful characters, to learn and grow and think, to turn off your screens and enjoy something outside of your personal life, to find solace or refuge or hope or courage in a story, and so much more. I believe so much in the power of reading and in the magic of books!

Reading books is a constant in every day for me. In a typical day, I start my day with some reading before work. I go downstairs when I wake up to make coffee and do my morning routine (blog post coming soon!) on the couch as the sun rises over the lake, and this is absolutely one of my favorite parts of the day. After I do my Bible reading, prayer time, gratitude journal, and devotionals, I then turn to my book and read for 5-30 minutes before I start work at 9:00am. I am a huge advocate of work-life balance, especially since I work from home and also work for myself, and I try very hard not to start work til 9:00am. Knowing this helps me to relax and enjoy my mornings – my “me” time! – and intentionally carve out time before work to do things that bring me immense joy and meaning.

Similarly, at the end of the day, I turn off my computer at 4:30pm. I started implementing a 4:30pm work end time 6 or so years ago, as I learned how much I adore and savor a bit of time at the end of the day to do things that, again, add a lot to my day. Depending on the season, I get my 3+ mile walk in either first thing in the morning (around 6:30am in the summer, when it’s coolest) or at the end of my work day (around 4:30pm in the winter, when it’s warmest). Even with fitting in my daily walk, I spend some time reading after work before we cook dinner and enjoy the rest of our evening together (or with friends/Bible study/game nights/date nights/articles club/book club).

We typically go upstairs to start getting ready for bed around 10:00pm and don’t turn out our lights til 11:00pm. This larger window of time is when I read the most during the day, and to me, it’s the best way to unwind at the end of the night. I try not to look at my phone or social media, and reading a book helps my mind to relax, too.

I also read a good bit on the weekends, as able. We travel a lot (which means I won’t read very much, unless we’re at the beach) and love to make weekend plans with friends, so I just read when I can on the weekends.

I am commonly juggling 2-3 books at once, and it’s something I personally can do very seamlessly and effectively. This is definitely a key to reading so many books a year, for me. I am generally reading 1 fiction book, 1 non-fiction book, and 1 audio book all at once. (Yes, I count audio books as books – absolutely!). There are simply so many books that I want to read and can’t wait to read! Reading a fiction book and a non-fiction book simultaneously works incredibly well for me, since the topics and ways in which I read those types of books vastly vary. And if my husband isn’t joining me on a walk, then I listen to an audio book – a mix of fiction and non-fiction books. I mainly read books as they come in from the library (have I mentioned how much I adore the library?!).

It’s also helpful to always have a great book on hand. This is nothing novel (ha!) or groundbreaking, but it’s so true. I keep my book in my purse or bring it with me wherever I’m going, and when there’s downtime or I’m waiting, I don’t reach for my phone to mindlessly scroll but instead pick up my book. A few pages here and there adds up tremendously and also encourages a habit of reading.

And, of course, I can’t share all of this without reiterating just how magical a place the library is! I LOVE the library and always have, and many of my earliest memories as a little girl are of trips to the library with my mom and sister – or visiting our elementary school’s library. I counted the number of times I visited my local library this past year and was so pleased that I went 48 times! I am constantly logged into my local library account reserving books, making new book requests for the system, and checking my spot in the queue for a book. I don’t buy too many books throughout the year and, for the most part, get 90% of the books I read from the library. I tend to pre-order or buy non-fiction books that I know I will underline & make notes and want to reference time and time again (like Tim Keller books or other faith-based books). I also add my very favorite fiction books from the year to my birthday and Christmas wish lists… or occasionally treat myself to a couple books that I know I really want on my bookshelf. I already have hundreds of books in my collection, so I try to add to it thoughtfully instead of buying every new book that comes out. The library is the most incredible resource, as is the library’s free Libby app (where you can borrow e-books or audiobooks to your heart’s content!), and I can’t stress just how incredible these resources are!

I hope this is a helpful and tangible peek into how & when & why I read, as well as actionable ways in which you could add more reading into your life, as well. I’d also encourage anyone to read for the enjoyment and pleasure of reading and to find ways that make you fall a little bit more in love with reading and books. Finding genres of books and specific books that you love helps (no need to read something challenging or classic or popular unless you want to!), as well as observing and learning techniques to help you read more. What works for me may not work for you! Or perhaps you’ll find a snippet of wisdom or a book that you simply can’t put down.

I’d love to hear from you: where & how do you find the time to read? What does a typical day or week of reading look like to you? Do you have any tried and true methods to encourage your reading habits?

And, as always, my blog’s archives are full of book recommendations! The most current ones at my Best Books of 2023 and my Best Books of 2022, if you need a place to start. And I’m always very, very glad to send you specific book recommendations, too!