You know what I hear a lot? “I wish I could read more but I just don’t have time” (insert eye roll emoji here).

Here’s some tips which have worked for me, and will hopefully work for you…

Find a book you’re actually interested in:

We’re starting from the top here – if you’re not interested in something, you won’t want to make time to read it. There are several books I’ve picked up, read 50 pages, and put back down because it’s just not my cup of tea/coffee. It happens, and c’est la vie, right? (This is a lie; I go back to read them again even if they leave me annoyed).

Everyone has different genres they enjoy reading the most, so if satire doesn’t work for you, try a thriller or romance.

Hey, you can even chuck me an email and I’ll do some research and recommend you a book personally. Don’t know where to start but know you liked one book in particular? Email me – let’s find something for you.

Cap the social media:

I’m sorry guys, it had to be in here. What we don’t realize is how long we actually spend on our social media platforms. That half an hour you spend scrolling on Twitter during your lunch break or on the train? Pick up a book.

I’m not saying do this all the time, just once in a while, put down your phone and you’ll appreciate the time you have to yourself to indulge in a novel.

Saying this, we all use Netflix too much – me included. I’ve noticed that if I miss one episode of How I Met Your Mother to read, my life really isn’t going to fall apart, and 10/10 of those times, my life is better with a book in hand.

Set yourself an aim – but don’t worry if you can’t keep it:

If I said to you “read 30 pages a week”, that’s 4.28 pages a day (good luck working out where to stop, buddy). That’s pretty possible, right?

Everyone is different in their own way, so set a realistic goal for you depending on how busy you are personally. If you don’t reach your aim one week, that’s okay – books are wonderful, you can pick them up at any time. You’ll have finished the book and be recommending it to me in no time.

Bookmark that:                                                                                               

USE A BOOKMARK. Not only will this stop you from dog-earing, but it may also remind you to pick up the book where you last left off. I’ll even send you one for free if it means you read more. Request one here and bookmark that book.

Read lots but want to read even more?

Me too. I’m currently doing this and it’s working so far – write all the genres down in a list and read a book from all. Or write a list with some key things, i.e: self-help, strong woman lead, one book from your favourite author (only one).

Take a book with you everywhere:

This is by far the best tip I can give you, and since I’ve taught myself to do this, I’ve been able to read so much more – going into town to buy more books? Take a book to read on the bus. Waiting for your coffee to arrive? Book me. Driving to Tesco? Take a book and read if there’s traffic (okay, don’t do this- but you get the gist).

I hope these tips will serve you well! Got any tips which have work for you? Send me an email, I’d love to hear them and share your advice – contact@bookmarkthat.co.uk