How to Make Reading a Habit

Some of my friends tell me I’m a bit pretentious. Most do so lovingly, so there are no hard feelings. But why do they do it? Maybe because I refuse to shop on Amazon, insist on good table manners (thanks, Mom), or lose a little bit of respect for people when I learn they spend time on TikTok. 

That’s all relatively understandable; I can be a bit of a snob. But what I don’t understand is people calling me pretentious for reading books. Yes. Somehow, it seems, reading books has become a tennis-like activity: one for the educated upper middle class who have time and money (and wool sweaters) on hand. 

Why is it like this? 

Reading is literally free. With the Internet and e-books and audiobooks (if that’s your thing), it’s never been easier to access a book. So if reading has fallen from an everyday activity to a once-a-year event, I think it’s time to admit we are the only thing standing in our way. 

But the good news is, you can change things about your life whenever you want. You can even start today. And reading more is always an admirable pursuit. Here’s how to start doing it every day: 

Stop trying to make it special

I once met someone at a book club who said he managed to start reading more by treating it as a daily activity instead of a special event. “Reading is now like eating for me,” is more or less what he said. “It’s just something I do.” 

I think he’s right. In the times of my life when I read less, it was, indeed when I made it a special activity. I had to be in a café or other cozy environment. I had to have a cup of tea. I had to have at least an hour to dedicate to reading. 

This is just not feasible every day — at least not for me, and probably not for most people. 

To make reading a daily habit, some people suggest you “stack” it with other habits so it’s baked into your routine. This doesn’t work for me, either. I am not a robot; my days are often very different from one to the next, and I can’t always commit to reading when I wake up or before bed or during lunch. 

So instead of trying to set the perfect conditions for reading, be it in a cozy café or a morning ritual, I just make sure to read every day. Even just a little. Even for five minutes. I just do it. 

We can all do this. Just like we all adopted the habit of reaching for our phones (and social media) whenever we have a moment of downtime, we can make it a habit to reach for a book. (It’s free.) 

Always keep a book with you

This is crucial to making reading an everyday habit. After all, why do we reach for social media whenever we have a moment of downtime? Because the phone is always there. 

What if a book were always there, too? 

I keep one in my bag and never leave the house without it. (The few times I haven’t, I find, are always when I wish I had it.) Then, it is always easy to make reading something you do every day because there is (almost) always some point in the day when you are waiting for something. The bus. In the grocery line. At the dentist’s office. At school pick-up. At the restaurant before your friend arrives. 

Remember, the key is to not wait for a long moment. Five minutes is enough. Just pull out your book; it’s waiting for you right where you left off. 

Read with other people

I joined a book club this year. It’s my first. And I’ve already read more books this year than I have the last. 

There have been a lot of positive effects of joining a book club, but mostly, it’s been making me finish books faster. Rather than juggling multiple books at once, getting distracted, and sometimes losing the momentum altogether when life gets busy, knowing I have a book club meeting on the calendar keeps me focused. 

It’s also made me read more, quantitatively. Alongside the selection for the club, I have my own reading list I’m interested in, so I’m actually reading double time. 

Besides, being a part of a book club is just fun. There’s probably already one where you live. If not, there are many online these days. Or if you’re trying to live a more analog life without defaulting to the Internet for everything, you can just start one. Truly. The book club I’m a part of was just started by a woman who had a stack of books she wanted to read and needed some commitment to keep her going. You can do it, too. 

Try different genres

One thing that is very pretentious about me is (or was) my reading taste. 

For many years, I went through this phase where I felt I could only read books about history or political science; if I did read novels, they had to be “literature.” Unsurprisingly, I was reading less than I ever had before, for while War and Peace is certainly an interesting and worthwhile read, it’s not exactly a page-turner. 

But about two years ago, I made a pointed effort to change. I rediscovered novels and reading with “no point” — that is, not to learn something but just to enjoy it. And what do you know? My numbers went up. I started reading again daily because I was gripped by the story and had to find out what happened. I still like reading about history (biographies, actually, are my favorite thing to read), but I no longer restrict myself to titles I think will help me better myself. (Any kind of reading, I’ve decided, helps you better yourself.) 

So explore. Find out what kinds of books you like. Try something new. Some of the best I’ve read this year are: Yellowface, Careless People, Waiting for Bojangles, and This Rescue Thing. Some of my all-time favorites are: Desperate Romantics, Magnificent Obsession, The Crucible, and The Picture of Dorian Gray.

If you’re ambitious (or just want to feel like you’re making progress soon), try one of these books short enough to read in a day. I also love reading memoirs; these I find particularly inspiring. Or sometimes we’re simply in a mood where we need to read and sit quietly with our existential dread.

Finally, newspapers are a great way to get back into reading. This is why I’ve started reading the printed newspaper again.

And if you’re pretentious too (or perhaps just interested in supporting small businesses, workers’ rights, and the environment), don’t forget there are alternatives to Amazon for books.

One more thing: Making reading a habit is easier when you quit social media or at least scale back.