How to read more books in a year

The readers who finish dozens of books a year aren't speed-readers locked in a library. They've just learned to capture the time most of us waste, and to protect their love of reading from becoming a chore. Here's their playbook.

1. Read in the cracks of your day

Five minutes waiting for coffee, ten on the commute, fifteen before sleep. These pockets feel too small to matter, but they're where most reading actually happens. Always have a book on your phone so the gaps turn into pages instead of scrolling.

2. Let audio double your reading time

You can't always look at a page, but you can almost always listen. Audiobooks and text-to-speech turn chores, workouts and commutes into reading time. Many big readers "read" half their books with their ears. (On Arwy, text-to-speech can read any book aloud, hands-free.)

3. Always have your next book lined up

The dangerous moment is the gap between finishing one book and starting the next — that's where weeks vanish. Decide your next read before you finish the current one, so there's no slump in between. (Our guide on finding your next book helps.)

4. Quit ruthlessly

Nothing slows your year down like grinding through a book you don't enjoy out of obligation. Put it down, no guilt, and move to something you can't stop reading. You'll read far more in the time you save.

5. Read with other people

This is the multiplier almost no one mentions. When you're reading alongside others — comparing notes, anticipating a friend's reaction, racing to the same chapter — reading stops being a solo task and becomes something you look forward to. Motivation you don't have to manufacture.

It's a big reason we built Arwy: as you read, it connects you with others reading the same book, so there's always a little social pull to pick it back up. Pair these tips with our deeper guide on building a reading habit, and a bigger number this year takes care of itself.

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