How to Read 100 Books a Year
A few years back, my friends Eric and JP got me hooked on reading and listening to books. They taught me how to work the library system and about an awesome social media site just for books! Since they were both far smarter and better looking than myself, I decided to follow their advice.
Since that time, I have been enjoying over 100 books a year and have surpassed the century mark for 7 years (going on 8) in a row! This turns out to be over 25,000 pages every single year. Even with five kids, a full-time job, and all of the craziness that life brings, it is still possible to get through loads of awesome books. The adventures, learning, development and growth that come from books are unparalleled in other adventures in life. Frequently friends ask me where I get the books and how I get through them so quickly so here is the secret.
1) Goodreads - www.goodreads.com
This is my favorite website ever. It is a social media site for those who enjoy reading or just want to stalk those who do. Here you can do pretty much everything from finding books to reading reviews, summaries, setting goals and seeing what your friends are reading. You can also see what is trending how your friends and the rest of the world have rated a book. There is even a comparison feature where you can compare the books you have read with others and how similarly you have rated them.
Since that time, I have been enjoying over 100 books a year and have surpassed the century mark for 7 years (going on 8) in a row! This turns out to be over 25,000 pages every single year. Even with five kids, a full-time job, and all of the craziness that life brings, it is still possible to get through loads of awesome books. The adventures, learning, development and growth that come from books are unparalleled in other adventures in life. Frequently friends ask me where I get the books and how I get through them so quickly so here is the secret.
1) Goodreads - www.goodreads.com
This is my favorite website ever. It is a social media site for those who enjoy reading or just want to stalk those who do. Here you can do pretty much everything from finding books to reading reviews, summaries, setting goals and seeing what your friends are reading. You can also see what is trending how your friends and the rest of the world have rated a book. There is even a comparison feature where you can compare the books you have read with others and how similarly you have rated them.
You can leave reviews for books you have finished and create your own "bookshelves" where you can categorize the books you have read or would like to read. Goodreads even has a section where you can try and win free books that authors are giving away, which is obviously pretty awesome. It has numerous other features that I haven't mentioned for book clubs, reading, reviewing, following authors, following readers etc,. Come find me (ok my picture may bear a slight resemblance to Jack Bauer, but it is my profile)! https://www.goodreads.com/buckup
2) Choose Awesome
With an endless supply of books to choose from, you are guaranteed to find more books than you could ever read on topics you love! Mix in things that interest you, help you learn and don't forget to mix in some fun "candy" books. Keeping a variety will help you from getting burnt out. I usually rotate through fiction, history, religion or anything else that looks awesome.
3) Library
You have already paid your membership dues for access to some of the largest collections of books in the world, the public library system! They have an incredible supply of awesome books, magazines, audio books, and other cool stuff. Take advantage of it! Several libraries have websites where you can log-in, create lists of your to-read books and then put them on hold. When the book becomes available the library emails and you just swing by and pick them up.
One of the best things I've done has been to ask the librarian what I should read. I figured that they would hate getting this question but that was not the case for me. I doubted the nice lady at the library who was twice my age would be able to direct me in the right direction, but they always seemed to know which books my kids would love, so why not give it a try! The nice librarian asked me what books I've enjoyed in the past and then referred me to several authors who write similar books. Her recommendations were seriously awesome and I've read over 100 awesome books based off her book and author recommendations.
4) Online Libraries
Your local library is certainly amazing but they also offer an endless supply of online resources that are available to you at no extra cost. Yes, you already paid for this! In addition to gillions of audio books, you can access programs to learn other skills or even learn a new language. Online library apps have readers and audio players built-in that you can use. Yes it is free and it isn't just audio books, there are countless books you can download and read on your electronic device.
There is no doubt that audible.com is an amazing site, however, as I've already paid my subscription to my local library (through my taxes) I'll go ahead and use that! Plus when you bust through a couple books a week, paying for them through audible gets expensive!
Online libraries act much like your local library as there is a limited number of copies of books available and you may have to wait for popular ones. If you hear about a new book coming out in a few months you can get a jump on the crowd and reserve it before it is released. This way you'll get it when it first comes out and you can one-up your book nerd friends by reading the latest hit first.
There is somewhat of an art to reserving books. Many books will be immediately available and others can have long waits. You may be 80th in line for a book and the wait will go quick, but you if the library is limited on copies, you might have to wait months. This isn't a big deal if it is something that you are planning on but if you have to have a certain book right now, audible.com might be the best option. I usually have between 10-20 books waiting for me on my phone, so waiting a little bit for another book is not a big deal. Plus, books aren't exactly like the latest Avengers movie that everyone is talking about and you are missing out on conversations everywhere if you haven't seen it.
With an endless supply of books to choose from, you are guaranteed to find more books than you could ever read on topics you love! Mix in things that interest you, help you learn and don't forget to mix in some fun "candy" books. Keeping a variety will help you from getting burnt out. I usually rotate through fiction, history, religion or anything else that looks awesome.
3) Library
You have already paid your membership dues for access to some of the largest collections of books in the world, the public library system! They have an incredible supply of awesome books, magazines, audio books, and other cool stuff. Take advantage of it! Several libraries have websites where you can log-in, create lists of your to-read books and then put them on hold. When the book becomes available the library emails and you just swing by and pick them up.
One of the best things I've done has been to ask the librarian what I should read. I figured that they would hate getting this question but that was not the case for me. I doubted the nice lady at the library who was twice my age would be able to direct me in the right direction, but they always seemed to know which books my kids would love, so why not give it a try! The nice librarian asked me what books I've enjoyed in the past and then referred me to several authors who write similar books. Her recommendations were seriously awesome and I've read over 100 awesome books based off her book and author recommendations.
4) Online Libraries
Your local library is certainly amazing but they also offer an endless supply of online resources that are available to you at no extra cost. Yes, you already paid for this! In addition to gillions of audio books, you can access programs to learn other skills or even learn a new language. Online library apps have readers and audio players built-in that you can use. Yes it is free and it isn't just audio books, there are countless books you can download and read on your electronic device.
There is no doubt that audible.com is an amazing site, however, as I've already paid my subscription to my local library (through my taxes) I'll go ahead and use that! Plus when you bust through a couple books a week, paying for them through audible gets expensive!
Online libraries act much like your local library as there is a limited number of copies of books available and you may have to wait for popular ones. If you hear about a new book coming out in a few months you can get a jump on the crowd and reserve it before it is released. This way you'll get it when it first comes out and you can one-up your book nerd friends by reading the latest hit first.
There is somewhat of an art to reserving books. Many books will be immediately available and others can have long waits. You may be 80th in line for a book and the wait will go quick, but you if the library is limited on copies, you might have to wait months. This isn't a big deal if it is something that you are planning on but if you have to have a certain book right now, audible.com might be the best option. I usually have between 10-20 books waiting for me on my phone, so waiting a little bit for another book is not a big deal. Plus, books aren't exactly like the latest Avengers movie that everyone is talking about and you are missing out on conversations everywhere if you haven't seen it.
6) Kindle
Amazon has gillions of free books and gillions of gillions that you can purchase. You can create an Amazon account and download the Kindle app all for free. Many of the free books are over 100 years old but if you want to read the classics, that is a great way. Also, authors often promote their books by offering a limited number of freebies. You can also get free books from your library system and read them on Kindle.
Amazon has gillions of free books and gillions of gillions that you can purchase. You can create an Amazon account and download the Kindle app all for free. Many of the free books are over 100 years old but if you want to read the classics, that is a great way. Also, authors often promote their books by offering a limited number of freebies. You can also get free books from your library system and read them on Kindle.
7) Let the pros read you the books
There is a reason that your kids enjoy this so much!!! Listening to audio books is a fantastic way to increase your "reading". Some people tell me this doesn't count as really reading a book, but I disagree. I can usually listen to a book a week just during my drive to work.
So throw on some headphones and listen to books while you clean the kitchen, iron, do laundry, shower, exercise or pretty much any other activity. Mowing the lawn is much more entertaining when you are listening to one of the Jason Bourne books! The great thing about listening to books is that the people reading these books are usually professional actors and make the book and voices for different characters sound great!
8) SmartAudio Book Player
This is a fantastic and free app that will play the books for you. The library app or media player on your phone will work, this just works better. It has lots of cool features like bookmarks and changing the speed at which the book is played (some readers can be a little slower and more dramatic than others). I like to download books from the library and then listen to them on this app.
9) Quickies are awesome
Often books will come in "unabridged" versions which generally means they are way too freaking long. Given the option, I take the shorter abridged version and am never unsatisfied. You may miss out on a 40-page description of a sunset or 15 pages describing Edward's eyes (I'm Team Jacob all the way) but you'll still get all of the valuable cool stuff!
With biographies for example, I can read a shorter one in about an hour. Or I could read a long one in 20+ hours. Generally, I'd rather learn the highlights about 20 different awesome people instead of a ton on one person (though it does depend on the person). A biography about Joan of Arc or a book on Pompeii will likely warrant a short version for me. With someone like Jesus, George Washington or Martin Luther King Jr., they will definitely be worth reading several short and long books about them.
Here are some of my favorite shorter book series you should check out....
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/?series_id=342570 or http://www.whowasbookseries.com/
Often books will come in "unabridged" versions which generally means they are way too freaking long. Given the option, I take the shorter abridged version and am never unsatisfied. You may miss out on a 40-page description of a sunset or 15 pages describing Edward's eyes (I'm Team Jacob all the way) but you'll still get all of the valuable cool stuff!
With biographies for example, I can read a shorter one in about an hour. Or I could read a long one in 20+ hours. Generally, I'd rather learn the highlights about 20 different awesome people instead of a ton on one person (though it does depend on the person). A biography about Joan of Arc or a book on Pompeii will likely warrant a short version for me. With someone like Jesus, George Washington or Martin Luther King Jr., they will definitely be worth reading several short and long books about them.
Here are some of my favorite shorter book series you should check out....
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/?series_id=342570 or http://www.whowasbookseries.com/
10) It's ok to be a quitter
My daughter - "How do you like your book dad?"
Me - "I don't really like it at all."
Daughter - "Why don't you stop reading it and read something good?"
Me - silence
Being unable to provide my daughter with a decent answer as to why I would continue reading a book I didn't like was life changing for me. I quit the practice of wasting time on bad books (and other similar practices in life) and am a new man! If the first third of the book is not good, neither will the rest! I've suffered through way too many books and realized way too late that it wasn't going to get better. Authors do not magically become good at the end of the book, so unless a friend you trust tells you to hang in there, bail out! Put it down and pluck up a good one! There is way too much awesome out there to spend time reading junk.
In ending, books are awesome. You can learn a ton or be taken on an amazing adventure. I can't count the number of times I've driven around the block an extra time on the way home or stayed up late at night listening to a book, because I could not wait to find out what happened. Wanna learn Chinese or how the pyramids were built? Wanna learn more about your own religion? Another religion? How to meditate or do yoga? Maybe build a house? Or just be taken away on an awesome adventure? If so, books are for you!
At the beginning of this blog, I mentioned that my friends who busted through tons of books were smarter and better looking than me. Would following in their footsteps help me do the same? Obviously it did!
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ReplyDeleteThank you Eric, it is estimated that the number of people who may read this may one day rocket up in to the double digits, I am sure the readers would love any further input from the master (you).
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