Why Most People Struggle to Read More
The average adult reads just 12 books per year, and roughly a quarter of adults report not reading a single book in the past year. If you have set ambitious reading goals only to fall short by March, you are far from alone. The good news is that reading more is not about raw willpower or suddenly finding hours of free time. It is about building systems, removing friction, and making reading the default activity rather than an afterthought.
Over the past decade, researchers in behavioral psychology have shown that the people who read the most are not necessarily those with the most free time. They are the ones who have structured their environment and habits to make reading effortless. Below are twelve strategies drawn from science and from the habits of prolific readers that will help you finish more books this year and beyond.
1. Always Have a Book With You
The single most effective way to read more is to always have a book accessible. Keep one in your bag, one on your nightstand, and download an audiobook or e-book onto your phone for when your hands are busy. When you remove the friction of not having anything to read, you will be surprised how many spare minutes you find throughout the day. Waiting rooms, checkout lines, the few minutes before a meeting starts: these fragments of time add up to hours every week.
Consider that even ten minutes of reading per day, at an average pace, translates to roughly eighteen books per year. The key is availability. If the book is always within arm's reach, you will reach for it instead of reaching for your phone.
2. Read Multiple Books at Once
It might sound counterintuitive, but reading two or three books simultaneously can actually help you finish more. Keep a fiction book, a non-fiction book, and an audiobook going at the same time. Match the book to your energy level and context: dense non-fiction like Sapiens when you are alert and focused, light fiction when you are winding down in the evening, and an engaging audiobook during your commute or workout.
This approach prevents the common problem of getting stuck on a single book. If you hit a slow chapter in your non-fiction read, you can switch to your novel instead of abandoning reading altogether. Variety keeps the momentum going.
3. Set a Daily Minimum, Not a Page Goal
Instead of saying you will read fifty pages today, commit to reading for just twenty minutes. The time-based approach removes the pressure and accounts for the fact that some books are denser than others. A page of 1984 reads very differently from a page of a technical manual. Most people find that once they start, they naturally read longer than the minimum. The hardest part is always starting.
James Clear, the author of Atomic Habits, calls this the two-minute rule: scale any habit down to something so small it is impossible to fail. Your reading minimum might be five minutes, or even a single page. The goal is not the quantity but the consistency of showing up every day.
4. Quit Books Without Guilt
Life is too short for books you are not enjoying. The fifty-page rule, or even the hundred-page rule, gives you permission to move on. Forcing yourself through a book you dislike will make you associate reading with drudgery, which is the opposite of what you want. Every hour spent slogging through a mediocre book is an hour you could spend on a great one.
The most prolific readers are often the most ruthless about quitting. They know that putting down a book is not failure. It is curation. Your reading time is a finite resource, and spending it on books that do not serve you is the real waste.
5. Create a Reading Ritual
Pair your reading with something you already enjoy. Coffee and a chapter in the morning. A chapter in the bath. Reading during your commute. When reading becomes part of an existing routine, it sticks far better than trying to carve out entirely new time. The ritual itself becomes a cue that tells your brain it is time to read.
Some readers light a candle. Others brew a specific tea. The sensory cues create a Pavlovian association that makes you look forward to reading time. Over weeks and months, the ritual becomes automatic, and skipping it feels wrong rather than natural.
6. Replace Scroll Time With Read Time
Track your screen time for a week. Most people spend two to three hours daily on social media. Even converting thirty minutes of scrolling into reading time gives you roughly fifteen extra books per year. Try putting your reading app where your social media apps usually sit on your phone's home screen. When you reach for the familiar spot on your screen, you will open your book instead of your feed.
Another effective tactic is to delete social media apps from your phone entirely and keep only your reading apps. You can always check social media on your computer later. The slight inconvenience is enough to break the habit loop and redirect your attention to books.
7. Join a Book Club or Reading Community
Social accountability is a powerful motivator. Whether it is an in-person book club, an online community like Letturia, or even a reading buddy, having people to discuss books with creates positive pressure to keep reading. Knowing that your book club meets in two weeks gives you a concrete deadline, and the prospect of a good discussion gives you motivation to finish.
Book communities also supercharge discovery. Instead of spending hours browsing for your next read, you get curated recommendations from people whose taste you trust. That alone can keep your reading momentum going when it might otherwise stall.
8. Use Audiobooks Strategically
Audiobooks count as reading. Use them during commutes, workouts, cooking, and household chores. At one-and-a-half-times speed, you can finish a ten-hour audiobook in under a week just by using time that would otherwise be unproductive for reading. Platforms like Audible and Libby make it easy to always have an audiobook queued up and ready.
Many prolific readers report that audiobooks are responsible for half or more of their yearly book count. They are not a shortcut or a lesser form of reading. They are a tool that lets you read in situations where physical or digital text reading is impossible.
9. Track Your Reading
What gets measured gets managed. Use Letturia, a reading journal, or a simple spreadsheet to log the books you have read. Seeing your progress builds momentum, and looking back at a year of completed books is incredibly satisfying. Visual progress also provides a gentle nudge to keep going when motivation dips.
Tracking also helps you understand your own patterns. You might discover that you read more fiction in winter and more non-fiction in summer, or that you finish audiobooks twice as fast as physical books. These insights let you optimize your reading strategy over time.
10. Curate Your TBR List
A massive to-be-read pile can be paralyzing. Keep a curated list of your top ten to fifteen most-wanted books. When you finish one, replace it. This keeps your reading focused and exciting rather than overwhelming. A focused TBR also reduces the time you spend deciding what to read next, which is a real source of friction for many readers.
Review your TBR quarterly. Remove books that no longer interest you. Add new discoveries. Think of your TBR as a living document, not a permanent obligation that only grows and never shrinks.
11. Try Different Formats
Some books work better as audiobooks, others as e-books, and some demand physical copies. Experiment with formats. Many readers find that switching between physical books, e-readers, and audiobooks throughout the day keeps reading feeling fresh. A heavy hardcover might be perfect for your reading chair but terrible for your commute, where an e-reader or audiobook shines.
E-readers in particular have converted many reluctant readers by offering adjustable font sizes, built-in lighting, and the ability to carry an entire library in a device lighter than a single paperback.
12. Protect Your Reading Time
Treat your reading time as non-negotiable. Put it on your calendar. Tell your family. Turn off notifications. The most prolific readers do not find time to read. They make time to read. Just as you would not skip a meeting or a workout, do not skip your reading block. The more consistently you protect this time, the more automatic it becomes.
The Bottom Line
You do not need to overhaul your life to read more. Start with one or two of these strategies, build consistency, and add more over time. The goal is not to hit some arbitrary number. It is to make reading a natural, enjoyable part of your daily life. Whether you end the year having read twenty books or fifty, the real win is that you built a sustainable habit you enjoy.
