I know a lot of you are probably going to go into 2026 with high hopes. It’s the year to read more books. It’s the year to get some of your backlogged books off your bookshelf and get them read. I know I’ve been there. On top of that, it seems like as the years pass, I’m starting to read less and less. So, what are some ways on how to read more books in 2026?
Some of the things on this list are going to be strategies that have helped me quite a bit as a homeschool mom to two kids, one being in first grade, and the other is still a toddler. So, you can imagine how hard getting any reading done over here can be.
If you’re in a bit of a reading rut, then this post might not be all that helpful to you. That’s only because I’m giving tips on how to incorporate more reading into people’s daily lives. Being busy and just not liking anything that you are picking up are two different things and need to be handled differently as well.
If you need some advice on how to get out of a reading rut, then let me know, and maybe I can try and work on a post on tips for that!
How to read more books in 2026
So, is one of your New Year’s resolutions going to be to read X number of books? Are you going to make it a big number that you probably don’t think you can accomplish? Been there, done that. There have been numerous times when I’ve written down to read a lot of books, and by the end of the year, I’m not even close to the amount.
Why do we do this to ourselves? I’m always kind of curious on why we allways feel the need to do more, read more, go more. Sometimes less is more!
All of it kind of sucks, and then I feel like that can lead to major burnout in the next year, and you’ll probably not want to read all that much. I’ve been there and done that, too! So, since 2026 is approaching, what are some ways on how to read more books?
Tips on how to read more books
Like I said earlier that wanting to read too many books in one year can lead you to major burnout. So, instead of making a huge goal that is unattainable, I would really start small. If you put fifty down normally and you struggle reaching that, then put twenty down instead. That way, if you reach the twenty mark long before the end of the year, then your brain will have that dopamine hit and will make you want to read more books.
Another tip is to always incorporate reading into your day. It doesn’t matter if you just read one or two pages because one or two pages is still progress. Reading can take place on your phone, Kindle, or a physical book. When you find yourself getting bored, and your hand automatically goes straight to your phone to scroll, then go straight to a book!
Another way on how to read more books in 2026 is to set the stopwatch or an alarm. Read for a certain amount of time and then figure out how many pages you read. This is one thing that truly helped me out A TON. Every day, I would always wind up being in competition with myself. I would read for an hour each night before bed and see how many pages I read and figure out if I was able to read more that night than I did the night before. This can be a really good practice for some of you if you’re anything like me.
Plug it into your day. I know there are a lot of you who are probably type A. There’s nothing wrong with that. I know you’re probably scheduling out just about every bit of your day, but do you schedule in any reading time at all? No? Well, start doing that. I know it may seem silly to plug that into your day, but trust me, it helps, especially if you’re a visual person.
Incorporate audiobooks. I know that audiobooks can seem a little daunting. Trust me, I get it. When I first tried it out, I felt like all I did was whine about how I couldn’t listen to audiobooks. I couldn’t grasp it, and there were times I would tune out the narrator (I’ve gotten good at that with kids), and then I would have to rewind the whole thing and listen again. But the more you try to do them and work your brain to concentrate on them then the more accustomed you get to them. Then, after a while, it will become second nature.
It is OKAY to not finish a book that you don’t like. I know this is a random tip, but so many people feel so bad for not finishing a book. Well, guess where that gets you? So, what exactly is the best way to read more? It’s by moving on from books that ARE NOT working for you. If you don’t like the book, then you’re ultimately going to read slower, and there’s a possible chance of it putting you into a reading slump and we don’t want that to happen.
Another thing that might help is using a reading track. There are a lot of them on Amazon that you can find here.
Conclusion on reading more in 2026
I would love to know what some of your tips are on how to read more books. This is something that I tend to struggle with throughout the year, and sometimes my tips don’t always work for me. Then there are other times when they work just fine for me. It’s just one of those hit-or-miss things.
But what works for you normally? I’m all ears and would love to have other tips to add in. Plus, I know I’m not the only one who tends to struggle with this sometimes.
In 2026, I’m really hoping that I can get back to reading 100 books a year! Do you have an amount set in mind yet?
If you want to read more books in 2026, then make sure to join in on our 2026 reading challenge.