As the New Year approaches many people start thinking about their goals and resolutions for the coming year. Reading more books is a very common resolution. It has definitely made my list of goals for the year.  These ten tips are great to get us all reading a little more this year.

1. Make reading a part of your routine 

Integrate reading into your daily routine. Set aside 15 minutes every day to get some reading in. I’ve heard from readers and librarians alike to put your phone or tablet in another room (If you’re not reading on your tablet!) to resist distractions. Read while you drink your morning coffee or over your lunch. As you start to schedule the extra time into your schedule it will become a habit. 

2. Double task

Read a book while you’re doing another task. While you’re cooking, working out, walking. This is perfect for audiobooks! 

3. Always have a book

You will not be bored when you have a library book with you! If you don’t want to carry a physical book around with you, put it on your phone with the Libby app. It’s a nice way to whip up a book when you’re unexpectedly delayed.

4. Set a goal

It’s motivating to work toward a goal. Make sure to set a realistic one. It may be all the motivation you need.

5. Read with your ears

Listening to audiobooks is perfect and amazing when it comes to multitasking. You can listen to an audiobook while you’re driving (this is how I’ve been meeting my daily reading goal so far this year!), exercising, walking, and more. It’s also nice to give your eyes a rest. If you haven’t tried audiobooks, start with a memoir by someone you like. I started my journey into audiobooks with comedic memoirs and have segued into fiction and non-fiction.

6. Mix up your genres

If you’re getting tired of the mystery books that you’ve been reading, try something literary. If you can’t get over the romance that you’ve just read, head for a funny memoir. You’ll avoid mixing up storylines and comparisons between books. 

7. Join a book club

Book clubs are a great way to hold yourself accountable to your reading goal. They encourage you to finish a book by a date, let you engage in and discuss what you’ve read, and your next pick is selected to relieve the ‘what should I read next’ question.  Plus, if you attend every month, that’s 12 books toward your goal! New Ulm Public Library has several book groups for you to join. Check one out this year!

8. Try new things

I’m a big proponent of reading outside of your comfort zone by delving into new stories and worlds. Try reading comics or graphic novels if you haven’t read one in awhile. Poetry is a nice reprieve for me in between prose.

9. Read more than one book

Sometimes you might not be in the mood to enjoy the book that you’ve started. Having a couple of books going at the same time enables you to pick up something you fancy in the moment. Make sure each book is a different genre or style. You could have a mystery, romance, and non-fiction going at one time. It ensures a book for every mood so there’s no excuse not to skip a day.

10. Use a reading tracker

A reading tracker might be a way for you to stay accountable. I use GoodReads to keep myself in check and discover that I’m not reading enough! Friends keep notebooks of titles that they read over the year. Some with little ones use a coloring chart for their youngsters to color in when they’ve completed a book.

Shake up your reading life this year with one of these tips. As always we look forward to seeing you in the library!