reading

Authors I Need to Check Out!

Published on January 23, 2020January 14, 2020 by Jessica C Writes3 Comments

I talk about my favorite authors on here quite a lot. What I thought I’d do instead today is talk about some authors whose books I’ve never read but I have heard amazing things about so I should probably pick up one day. Whew, that was a mouthful.

Karin Slaughter

Karin Slaughter is a very well-known thriller author. I own one of her books, The Good Daughter, and I have quite a few of her other books on my TBR. One thing I noticed about myself is that I really love reading mystery/thrillers via an audiobook rather than physically, which is why I have been putting this one off for so long.

But, I definitely want to dive in and see what all of the hype is with her books, so hopefully, I will get to one soon!

Cynthia Hand

I own two of Cynthia Hand’s books that she actually co-authored with two other ladies- My Lady Jane and My Plain Jane. I’m not the biggest historical fiction fan (though I’ve had really good experiences with a few recently), which is why I’ve been holding off on them.

But, she has written other books that I want to read as well: The Afterlife of Holly Chase and The Last Time We Say Goodbye. I definitely plan on at least getting to The Lady Janies books in the near future and I am very excited about it!

K.A. Tucker

I love to read romance, though I don’t read as much of it as I would like. K.A. Tucker’s books have been on my radar for a while- first because the covers caught my attention (The Simple Wild especially), and second because I’ve heard amazing things about them.

For some reason, I just feel like I will really fall in love with her work, so I have been meaning to finally read one of her books.

A.S. King

A.S. King is probably the person I am most excited to mention on this list. First of all, Ariel Bissett and Kayla from Booksandlala are two of my favorite booktubers and A.S. King is one of their favorite authors. I absolutely must pick up one of her books. It’s kind of a crime that I have not yet done so.

If anyone has any suggestions for what order to read her books in, definitely help me out!

There are tons more authors I want to read one day, but here is my condensed list! Who are some authors you haven’t picked up yet but want to?

Tweet Cute by Emma Lord Review // Blog Tour

Published on January 14, 2020January 13, 2020 by Jessica C Writes5 Comments

Hello and welcome to another post! Today I am bringing you a review of an incredible YA contemporary that I read back in December. It stole my heart, and now I hope it steals yours, too.

I’m talking about Tweet Cute by Emma Lord. I was so honored when I was chosen to be a part of this blog tour because this was one of my most anticipated releases of 2020. And trust me, it did not disappoint.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Meet Pepper, swim team captain, chronic overachiever, and all-around perfectionist. Her family may be falling apart, but their massive fast-food chain is booming ― mainly thanks to Pepper, who is barely managing to juggle real life while secretly running Big League Burger’s massive Twitter account.

Enter Jack, class clown and constant thorn in Pepper’s side. When he isn’t trying to duck out of his obscenely popular twin’s shadow, he’s busy working in his family’s deli. His relationship with the business that holds his future might be love/hate, but when Big League Burger steals his grandma’s iconic grilled cheese recipe, he’ll do whatever it takes to take them down, one tweet at a time.

All’s fair in love and cheese ― that is, until Pepper and Jack’s spat turns into a viral Twitter war. Little do they know, while they’re publicly duking it out with snarky memes and retweet battles, they’re also falling for each other in real life ― on an anonymous chat app Jack built.

As their relationship deepens and their online shenanigans escalate ― people on the internet are shipping them?? ― their battle gets more and more personal, until even these two rivals can’t ignore they were destined for the most unexpected, awkward, all-the-feels romance that neither of them expected.

My Review:

As I mentioned earlier, this book stole my heart. It is a cute, cheesy YA romance. It was light-hearted, relatable, and so much fun. I read the book in basically two days because once I got into it, I didn’t want to put it down.

The writing is very fast-paced, which is something I need for a contemporary novel. It was also very witty

Let’s talk about the characters- Pepper was so relatable to me it was honestly a bit scary. She is extremely ambitious and is at the top of her class at school, but she doesn’t really fit in much with the other kids. She has a bit of an existential crisis throughout the book which is something I could relate to (and I’m sure most people can). She also loves to bake which is an element I love seeing in a book (both because I have the biggest sweet tooth ever but also because baking is so fun).

Jack was also so adorable and I really liked reading his chapters. I could see a lot of myself in his personality: he is extremely caring for his friends and family, hardworking, responsible, and just an overall good person.

The two of them together? Swoonworthy. It was an enemies-to-friends-to-lovers situation and I was all here for it.

I also really liked the premise/plot of this as a whole. As someone who spends a lot (and I mean A LOT) of time on Twitter myself, I was able to understand all of the references and I felt more connected to the story because of it. Also, there are a few “Mean Girls” references which I absolutely loved.

It also does touch upon some heavier topics in a really great way, such as divorce, finding yourself, pressure from your family, etc.

Overall, this is a book I know I’m going to be recommending to people for years to come. I highly urge you to go pick it up next week when it comes out!

My Rating:

I hope you guys enjoyed this review! Let me know in the comments if you’ve read this book/plan to read it! I would love to hear your thoughts.

If you want to preorder the book (which comes out January 21st), you can do so here!

2020 Reading Goals

Published on January 7, 2020January 2, 2020 by Jessica C Writes19 Comments

Hello and happy Tuesday everyone! It’s that time of year again- the one where I set my goals for the year, which I will hopefully accomplish.

Today I’m going to specifically talk about bookish goals, but in a future post, I will talk about my personal and blogging goals in case if you’re interested in that, too!

I kept my goals pretty simple this year, and a few are repeat goals I had in previous years. I didn’t want my goals to be unattainable, so hopefully, with just these 5 simple ones, I will be able to accomplish them successfully.

Read 52 Books

First up, of course, is the number of books I hope to read. I decided to keep the same goal as last year- 52 books, which is about 1 a week. This is something I know I can manage because there are times when I will read 3 books a week, some where I only read 1 or 2, and even some where I don’t read any at all. But, I have read over 52 books for the past few years now, so I’m not worried about this goal.

I knew I could have easily increased this goal to 70+ books, but this year I don’t want to focus on the number of books I read. I want to take my time with each book rather than feel rushed with them.

Read 1 ARC a Month

I have about 20 physical ARCs on my TBR, as well as another 20+ in e-book version. I’m definitely trying to get this number down, so by reading AT LEAST one of them a month, I think that will be doable. Obviously, I am hoping to read more than 12 by the end of the year, but I do want to keep myself accountable in some way, so a monthly goal of 1 is perfect.

Read 1 e-book a Month

Similar to the last goal, I also want to read at least one e-book a month. I’m really bad at reading my e-books. I just never tend to gravitate towards them because I prefer to read physically. But, I have created a TBR jar for e-books, so every month I will pull one that I have to read. Hopefully, this will help me get the number of e-books I own down.

Get My Owned TBR Down to Less Than 50 Books

I have about 100 unread books on my shelves between physical books, e-books, and audiobooks. I did a good job of not purchasing any books in 2019, but somehow I still ended up with the same number of unread books (even though I read over 100 books- how does that even happen?).

This year, I want to focus on reading the books I already own. I want to read at least half of the ones I had prior to 2020, and continue to keep that number down.

Buy Under 10 Books

Going along with that, I also want to put myself on a ban. I’m trying to save my money because I am going to have a ton of expenses in the near future. Therefore, I am not allowing myself to buy over 10 books this year. There are going to be releases that I want to get my hands on, or just books that I can’t resist buying, which is why I’m giving myself this little bit of room to purchase those if I really want.

Those are all of my reading goals for 2020! What are some of yours? Leave a comment letting me know.

My Favorite Reads of 2019

Published on December 26, 2019December 24, 2019 by Jessica C Writes10 Comments

2019 was my best reading year yet in terms of the number of books I’ve read: I’m at 107 and I think I’ll still be able to fit it one more!

But looking back, it was really hard to choose a top 10 for the year! I read a lot of great books, but not too many absolute favorites. I learned to be more critical and picky with books this year, so my ratings were lower than in previous years.

I managed to create a list nonetheless (of my top NINE favorite reads rather than 10), so here it is, in no particular order. Also- I didn’t include any re-reads on this list, though there were quite a few that would make my favorites list, too.

Honorable Mentions:

First, I have a few honorable mentions that I want to include because they were great reads, just not necessarily my absolute favorites.

Sadie by Courtney Summers
The Foxhole Court by Nora Sakovic
To Drink Coffee with a Ghost by Amanda Lovelace
Tweet Cute by Emma Lord

Starfish by Akemi Dawn Bowman

Summer Bird Blue by Akemi Dawn Bowman made it onto my top 10 list of 2018, so it was no surprise that another book by this author is on my list again. In fact, there are quite a few repeat authors from previous years (I’m very predictable sorry).

This book has such beautiful writing, and I related to our main character, Kiko, so much. She has anxiety, which is something I also struggle with, and the way it was described was very accurate in this book. It is a heartbreaking story, but an important and eye-opening one that I highly recommend.

On the Come Up by Angie Thomas

Angie Thomas’ “The Hate U Give” made my favorites list in 2017, and she is one of those authors that I know I will love everything she writes. I actually might have even enjoyed On the Come Up more than her debut novel, which I didn’t think she could beat.

This book really blew me away. It was so powerful, Bri is a badass, and the writing was so good. I also love that there are parts that pay homage to Starr from The Hate U Give in this book. It was subtle but a nice touch.

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Everyone and their mother has read this book, but the hype around it is very real. I’m disappointed in myself that I didn’t pick it up in 2017 when it came out, but instead waited until 2019.

I’m glad that I did jump on the train eventually, though, because this book is unforgettable. The story follows a Hollywood movie star as she recounts her life story to a magazine writer. It was so interesting and it felt so real, which is why I loved it.

Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Oh, look- another TJR book. I really went head-on with Taylor Jenkins Reid’s books this year- I’ve read 5/7 of them. I have to say, I loved this one a little bit more than Evelyn Hugo. In fact, I loved this one so much that immediately after finishing the audiobook the first time, I restarted it and finished it for a second time within a couple of days. I have never done that with any other book before.

Just like Evelyn Hugo, this book felt so real. I was upset that I couldn’t actually listen to the songs they talk about in the book. Why isn’t this a real band? Also, both of these books are getting tv show adaptations, which I could not be happier about. I’m definitely going to try to re-read both in 2020.

With the Fire on High by Elizabeth Acevedo

Yet again, we have another author who had made it onto a previous “favorites of the year” list. I love Elizabeth Acevedo’s writing and the way she handles difficult topics in her books. This one follows Emoni, a teen mom, as she tries to decide what she wants to do post-high school. She loves cooking, and it is a passion of hers she would love to pursue, but she doesn’t think it is a realistic goal. She is faced with some tough decisions to make.

Overall, this was an incredible read. It was fast-paced, full of some delicious foods, and made me smile a lot. I can not wait to pick up more books from Elizabeth in the future- I know they will all be great.

Aphrodite Made Me Do It by Trista Mateer

I wasn’t going to include a poetry collection on here this year because there were so many that I loved. BUT, when I saw this one, I knew I had to include it. This is the first collection by Trista Mateer that I’ve read, but now I know I have to pick up more by her.

I could not put it down once I started it. Trista’s words have the ability to make you feel so many emotions at once. This collection was extremely powerful and beautiful.

Wilder Girls by Rory Power

I absolutely loved this book!! I do know that it is pretty polarizing- it’s one of those books that you will either love or hate. I fell into the former category. I will be thinking about it for a long time.

The writing style was incredible. It was told in dual POV, and the second one was really unique. I don’t want to describe the plot too much because it’s better to go in without knowing anything in my opinion. I will say, though, that it will leave you confused but also wanting more.

The Lady Rogue by Jenn Bennett

Would it be a favorites post from me if I didn’t mention Jenn Bennett? No. Jenn Bennett is one of my favorite YA contemporary authors. This year she came out with a historical/paranormal fiction that I was so excited to read. It’s obviously very different from previous books I’ve read by her, but it surpassed all of my expectations. It had all of the witty banter, unique characters, and fun surprises that I loved in her romance books.

You can check out my full review here.

The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern

And finally, we have the book that, if I had to choose, would take the number one spot on this list.

I discovered my love for Erin Morgenstern this year with a re-read of The Night Circus and later her newest release. She has become my favorite author of all time, which is something that I didn’t think I would ever be able to say.

I’ve gushed about this book so so many times on the blog and Instagram and Twitter, so I won’t say anything other than this: Just go read it.

These are all of my favorites! Please leave a comment letting me know what some of your favorite reads of the year are (maybe I’ll read them in 2020!).

Do we have any of the same favorites?

All the Books I Bought in 2019 // Book Haul

Published on December 19, 2019December 18, 2019 by Jessica C Writes2 Comments

This year I set a challenge for myself to not buy any books. I was only allowed to read books I already owned or borrowed from the library. There was a 5 book freebie. Unfortunately, I did not accomplish this goal. BUT, I definitely purchased far fewer books than I have any previous year.

I tried only to purchase books that I absolutely wanted, not just impulse buys.

In total, I bought 23 books. To some, this may seem like a lot, to others it may not seem like much at all. To me, it was at least half of what I bought in the last two years, so I consider that a win.

I won’t tell you my goals for 2020 yet (that post is coming soon), but I will be trying to keep my number low again.

Now for the books:

E-Books

A Girl Like Her by Talia Hibbert
Dragonhearts by Amanda Lovelace, Trista Mateer, Nikita Gill
Water Runs Red (bundle w/ physical copy)
Storyteller by Morgan Harper Nichols

Special Editions/Extra Copies of Favorite Books

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee- Hardcover
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee- Special Edition
Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee- Special Edition
The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern- Special Edition

Other Physical Copies

The Secret History by Donna Tartt
Daisy Jones and The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare
Wild Beauty by Anna-Marie McLemore
Eliza and Her Monsters by Francesca Zappia
You Asked For Perfect by Laura Silverman
The Rest of Us Just Live Here by Patrick Ness
Four Weeks, Five People by Jennifer Yu
Final Draft by Riley Redgate
Still Here by Rowan Blanchard
Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo
Beloved by Toni Morrison
With the Fire on High by Elizabeth Acevedo
A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer
Save the Cat! Writes a Novel by Jessica Brody

That is all for the books I bought this year! Again, I am very proud of myself for not buying too many books this year.

What were your book buying habits this year? Leave a comment letting me know!

Silhouette of a Sun-Kissed Soul // Review

Published on December 12, 2019December 19, 2019 by Jessica C WritesLeave a comment

Hello! This is Jess from the past here to tell you about a book I recently read. More specifically, a poetry collection. As you’re reading this, I am in the middle of my finals, so I haven’t done much of anything besides studying. I prepared for this though, by writing this post now (a few weeks ahead of time).

Anyways, today I have a review like I mentioned. This poetry collection, Silhouette of a Sun-Kissed Soul is by Aida Abdykashova. It was sent to me by the author herself, but all opinions are my own- this is a completely honest review!

Goodreads Synopsis:

“silhouette of a sun-kissed soul” is a collection of poetry that captures both delightful and sorrowful fragments of the heart. it is about rotting and blooming, about loving and hurting, healing and forgiving. the poems take you on a journey of three phases: the burning, the rising from the ashes, and, eventually, the glory. this collection explores days of the everlasting youth of a sun-kissed soul amongst the beauty of art, polaroids, flowers, hummingbirds, letters and sunshine.

My Thoughts:

The Good-

This was a very well done collection. It surprised me in many ways. I thought the writing style was great- the poems were written beautifully and it definitely showed that the author put a lot of care into her words and the way sentences were phrased.

I think each poem was very meaningful, and I related to many of them. There were quite a few lines that I really enjoyed, so I circled/underlined them. They were thought-provoking and unique.

Also, there were little photographs in between some of the poems which added to the experience. It became a multi-media piece, which is something I always appreciate and find so intriguing.

The Cons-

While I did enjoy many of the poems in here, I think the organization of them was not done in the best way possible. I wish that the poems followed a different sequence. The poems would often jump from one theme/topic to another, which isn’t something I’m always opposed to, but I do wish this one was more linear.

Also, there were a few typos every now and then, which is understandable for a self-published book. However, they were distracting quite a few times.

Aside from that, though, there are not many negatives to this collection!

My Favorite Poem:

Overall-

I would recommend this one for fans of contemporary poetry! It was a solid collection filled with many amazing poems. It is a worthwhile read.

Rating-

Have you read or heard of this collection before? Let me know in the comments!

See you next week :)

December TBR

Published on December 5, 2019December 3, 2019 by Jessica C Writes6 Comments

Hello! Happy December. I did not have a new post up last week because I just wanted to enjoy time at home and not worry about anything going on online.

I am back with a TBR post today, though. I am really excited to share my reading plans with you all because 1. it’s the last month of the year and 2. I’ll be home by the middle of December for winter break so I’ll have a whole lot of time to read!

I’ve luckily already hit my goal for the year, so I’m not stressing myself out to read too much, but there are a couple of books I want to finish!

Let’s just get into what I’ll be reading!

The Turn of the Screw and Other Ghost Stories by Henry James

This is my current read. I’ve actually gotten through 3-4 stories, so I’m almost halfway through it, but November was a slow reading month, and I never got to finish. My goal is to read 2 stories a week, but I don’t know if that’ll actually happen because of finals. I’m going to try, though!

The Secret History by Donna Tartt

It’s the last month of the year. I really need to finish this one because I think I started it in the Spring. I am definitely going to do it. It’s the next book I’m going to pick up, so it will get read! I swear!

I’ve talked about how I’m going to read this one so many times this year, so I’ll just leave it at that.

Tweet Cute by Emma Lord

This one is another that has been on my TBR before (I think October?). I am definitely going to get to it, too, because I am part of a blog tour for it! That post will be up in January, so be on the lookout for that!

I’ve also been in the mood for cute contemporary books to get me out of my mini slump, so I’m hoping this one will do the trick!

Someday, Someday Maybe by Lauren Graham

This is the last book I’m going to try to read this month. The cover is a girl surrounded by snow, so obviously, this would be the perfect time to read it. Plus, I just really love Lauren Graham, and I’ve owned this book for way too long. I think it’s time to read it!

Have you read any of these? Let me know what you thought of them if you did! Also, feel free to share your TBR with me :)

The Mystery Blogger Award

Published on November 21, 2019November 20, 2019 by Jessica C Writes14 Comments

Hello everyone! I hope you are having an amazing week :) I was recently tagged by Sofi to do the Mystery Blogger Tag! I am extremely honored that she included me, and I am so excited to share my answers to her questions.

THE RULES:

Put the award logo/image on your blog.
List the rules.
Thank whoever nominated you and provide a link to their blog.
Mention the creator of the award and provide a link as well.
Tell your readers 3 things about yourself.
Nominate 10 – 20 people. Notify your nominees by commenting on their blog.
Ask your nominees any 5 questions of your choice.
Share a link to your best post(s).

The tag was created by Okoto over at OkotoEnigmasBlog.

THREE FACTS ABOUT ME:

I am a sophomore Public Relations student.
I speak Polish.
My favorite color is pink.

SOFI’S QUESTIONS:

Have you ever felt so identified with a character that you end up picturing it as yourself?

Yes, 100%. I’ve talked about these two books many, many times, but I really identified with Aza from Turtles All the Way Down by John Green and Sam from Every Last Word by Tamara Ireland Stone.

Both of these books center around a character with OCD (and anxiety). They captured the thoughts I have in my head so perfectly. I related to these characters so much that both of these books made me cry.

What thoughts do you have about ARCs?

I think ARCs are really important- there have been many instances where problematic elements were caught before publication, which meant that they were able to be corrected. Also, it is great to be able to read

However, I do know that receiving ARCs is a privilege, and unfortunately, not everyone is able to get one. Getting an ARC in countries outside of the US and UK can be very difficult. This is extremely unjust, and I wish more could be done to get ARCs to other countries.

Also, many times, own-voices ARCs are not given to own-voices readers, which is another flaw in the system. I think publishers need to research who they are sending certain ARCs to and should try to find readers who are being represented in the book.

Do you think that a person who gives 5 stars to everything reads is questionable? What’s your thought about giving low ratings?

I do not think someone who rates every book 5 stars is questionable. I personally give a lot of high ratings (4-5 stars), but it’s because I’ve learned to only pick up books I know I will actually enjoy. Of course, there are times when I think I will enjoy a book, but I don’t. BUT, the majority of the time, I do end up loving those books. I think if you love everything you’re reading, that’s all that matters. How other people rate books shouldn’t be a problem unless if they are lying/rating books without reading them.

Giving low ratings is completely fair and valid. Obviously, you should be honest in your reviews and share your thoughts. However, I do not

Name 3 book bloggers that inspire you!

Picking just three is SO. HARD. I’m going to write about just three, but there are tons of bloggers I could mention.

Marie will always be an inspiration to me- her writing style is so beautiful, she updates consistently, and her content is incredible.

Vinny’s blog design is one of my all-time favorites. I think it is so aesthetically pleasing, and it is what I aspire to have my blog look like.

Kristin’s recommendations are some of the best. I really trust her reviews, and I read all of her posts!

Can an author’s reputation affect your thinking about his books?

Yes. If an author writes a problematic book or is just an overall problematic person, it definitely puts me off from their books. Obviously, if they apologize and take action to fix their wrongdoing, I am all for second chances. Often times, that is not the case, though. Some authors do or say problematic things, they argue with the readers who point this out to them, and they never apologize. I do not want to support people like this, so I try not to.

MY QUESTIONS:

What is the last book that made you cry?
How many books do you have on your TBR?
Would you rather only be able to reread books or only be able to read new books?
What was your reading goal for 2019? Did you reach it yet?
What is your favorite book quote?

I TAG:

I hope you enjoyed this post! I had a lot of fun answering these questions, and I’m excited to read everyone’s responses to mine :)

See you next week!

Ways to Organize Your Shelves

Published on November 14, 2019November 13, 2019 by Jessica C Writes2 Comments

I rearrange my bookshelves on a seasonal basis- at least. I acquire new books, or I get bored with the way my shelves look, so I change them. It’s something I do pretty frequently. Luckily, there are so many different ways to organize your shelves, and today I’m going to share 3 of them.

*All images used in this post were taken from Pinterest. They are not my own.

By Genre

This is how I typically have my shelves organized. I like this method of organizing because I’ve found it’s easiest for me to find a book I’m looking for. It’s also a good option for mood readers. You can see all of the fantasy books you have or all of the romance books you have, and choose from those sections. I also separate the books I have read from the books I haven’t read, and from there I split them into genres.

It also helps with blogging because when I’m looking for specific books for recommendations, I can easily see all of a certain type of book in one section.

This can also be separated into sub-genres: first YA vs Adult vs Middlegrade, then into contemporary- romance, mystery, literary fiction, etc. vs fantasy- urban, dystopian, etc. Or it can even be divided into different tropes or elements!

Your shelves can be arranged in a variety of ways using this system, which is what makes it such a great option for most.

By Author’s Name

This one’s for all my Ravenclaws.

Organizing alphabetically is something I’ve grown very accustomed to after both volunteering and working at a library. This can be combined with the previous one, or done on its own. It is pretty self-explanatory, but it means putting your books in order of the author’s last name from A-Z (or first name, if you prefer).

If you are good at memorizing an author’s name, this one might be perfect for you! I’ve had my bookshelves organized this way before and I loved it. I’m actually thinking of going back to this way because it’s such a nice system where there isn’t a lot of question over which book to put where.

With genre, it can be a little difficult to decide where to put certain if they fall into multiple genres, or if you only have one or two books from a genre. This one is simple- there isn’t that same room for confusion. Plus, all of your books from an author can be placed next to each other.

By Color

This is one that scares me, but I love the end result of so much. That is by turning your shelves into a rainbow! I’m sure you’ve all seen rainbow bookshelves before. They are a huge trend in the book community.

I love how these look. I personally just don’t think I have enough books for each color to be able to successfully do this. It also just stresses me out to have my authors and series separated.

But, if that doesn’t bother you and you are a visual person, this is perfect for you!

Tell me, how do you have your bookshelves set up? I would love to know!

How To Get More Reading Done Before the Year Ends! / Blogtober Day 30

Published on October 30, 2019October 30, 2019 by Jessica C Writes6 Comments

We are nearing the start of the 11th month of the year, meaning we have just about 61 days left to read before 2020. Luckily, I have surpassed my Goodreads reading challenge this year. I wasn’t always so successful, though, and I know how hard it can be to get that last stretch of reading in.

As a busy college student, I’m always trying to find time in my schedule to fit in reading. I thought I would compile a small list of tips that help me read more and maybe they’ll help if you need to finish your reading goals for the year!

🖊Audiobooks are lifesavers

First up, before anyone feels the need to comment: audiobooks count as reading.

I used to never listen to audiobooks. I never really knew where to get them, and I found myself zoning out while it was playing. That all changed my junior year of high school. I started driving to school, which was a long time of me not doing anything. I decided to try out Audible, and I got two free credits. Soon, audiobooks became a necessity for me.

I can still vividly remember listening to The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas and Turtles All the Way Down by John Green. Hearing the emotion from the voice actors made the story so much more powerful for me. I fell in love.

Now, I usually read one physical book, one e-book, and one audiobook. That way, I can basically be reading at all times. Audiobooks are great because you can listen to a book while cooking, cleaning, driving, etc. which is something you obviously can’t do with a physical book. You can also increase the speed (I usually listen at 2-2.5x’s) which makes the read feel shorter, too (even though 2-2.5 is typically the normal speed I would read the book if I were reading physically).

🖊Put it into your schedule

I started dedicating 15-30 minutes of reading at night. I made it part of my reading routine. I shower, put on my PJs, watch a bit of Netflix or Youtube while drinking a glass of water, and then I read until I’m tired.

This has helped increase the amount I read a lot. Now that it’s a habit of mine to read at night, I don’t get tempted to keep watching Netflix instead. I enjoy this time I have to just read. It’s super relaxing.

You don’t have to dedicate a specific time to read, though. Not everyone has a consistent schedule every day, so that might not work for you. You can tell yourself that you will read for 10 minutes every day instead. It doesn’t matter what time it is. Or you can make it part of your morning routine rather than night!

🖊Never leave without a book

As I mentioned before, I read one physical book, one audiobook, and one e-book at once. This is just my preferred method, but obviously, that’s not necessary. It helps a lot to always have a book on my phone, though. When I’m in class and have some free time, I can pull out my phone to read. On my way to class, I listen to an audiobook. On a bus or long car ride, I bring a book with me.

When it’s accessible, you’ll always find some time to squeeze in a few pages. If you don’t bring a book with you everywhere you go, you might find yourself having free time that you just spend on social media or doing something else that’s not very productive.

🖊If you’re not enjoying it, DNF it

Reading a really painfully slow book that you’re just not into isn’t going to help. It might actually end up putting you in a reading slump because you won’t be motivated to finish. When you normally read one book a week, this one might take you months to finish. It’s not worth it sometimes.

Don’t be afraid to just DNF the book. DNF’ing doesn’t mean that you’ll never pick up the book again and that it’s automatically a bad book. It just means that it’s not working for you right now. Put it down. Pick up something different that will keep you excited about a story.

Those are all of my tips today! They may seem a bit obvious, but a reminder is always helpful. What other ways do you get yourself to read more? Leave a comment letting me know!