How to Read More Books Even When You're Busy

The average American reads (or listens to) about 12 books per year. Avid readers — people who frequently say they “don’t have time” to read — often manage 30–50. The difference isn’t that avid readers have more free time. It’s that reading is built into the fabric of their day.

If you want to read more, the solution isn’t finding large uninterrupted blocks of reading time. It’s embedding reading into the moments that already exist.

The Math of Consistent Reading

At an average reading speed of 250 words per minute, a typical nonfiction book (70,000 words) takes about 280 minutes to read — less than 5 hours. If you read for just 20 minutes a day, you finish a book every two weeks. That’s 26 books per year.

20 minutes a day. Most people spend longer than that scrolling social media before bed.

The compounding math of consistent reading is remarkable. The challenge is making those 20 minutes happen reliably.

Find Your Reading Window

Rather than trying to carve out new time, identify an existing window where reading naturally fits:

Before bed. Reading is one of the best wind-down activities — it relaxes the mind without the blue light and stimulation of screens. 20–30 minutes before sleep is many readers’ primary reading time.

Morning. If you’re a morning person, reading over coffee or breakfast — before checking your phone — starts the day with intentional input.

Commute. If you commute by bus, train, or on foot, this is prime reading time. If you drive, audiobooks are your friend.

Lunch. Eating lunch alone while reading? 30 minutes of focused reading with no notifications.

Waiting time. Waiting rooms, lines, and any time you’re sitting and idle. Keep your book (or Kindle app) accessible at all times.

The Always-Have-a-Book Rule

The single most effective habit for reading more is to always have something to read within arm’s reach. On your phone (Kindle app), in your bag, on your desk, on your nightstand.

When you have nothing to read, you default to social media. When your book is right there, you read instead.

How to Choose Books You’ll Actually Finish

Abandoned books are the graveyard of reading ambitions. A few principles:

Read what genuinely interests you, not what you think you should read. Nobody’s grading you. Reading the books you’re actually curious about is infinitely better than forcing yourself through classics you don’t enjoy.

Give a book 50 pages. If you’re not engaged by page 50, put it down and start something else. Life is too short for books that don’t grab you. (Some people use the “100 minus your age” rule — you owe a book that many pages before you can quit.)

Alternate based on your energy. Keep a lighter, more narrative-driven book for evenings when your brain is tired and a denser nonfiction book for mornings when you’re sharp.

Keep a to-read list. When you finish a book or abandon one, always have the next one already chosen. The gap between books is where momentum dies.

Audiobooks Count

Some people are reluctant to “count” audiobooks as reading. Don’t be. Audiobooks expose you to ideas, stories, and information. They’re especially valuable for commutes, exercise, cooking, and household chores.

Many people find they can consume audiobooks at 1.5x or 2x speed once they’ve practiced. At 2x, a 10-hour audiobook becomes a 5-hour audiobook.

Libby and Hoopla are free apps that connect to your library system and provide free access to thousands of audiobooks and ebooks.

Don’t Count Pages, Build Streaks

Tracking pages or hours can make reading feel like a chore. Instead, aim for a daily streak — any amount of reading counts. Opened your book for 5 minutes during lunch? That counts. Listened to 20 minutes of an audiobook on your walk? That counts.

The goal in the beginning is the habit, not the pace. Speed follows consistency.

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Start tonight: pick up a book you’ve been meaning to read and read for just 10 minutes before you put your phone down.