What I've Been Reading & How To Fit More Into Your Routine
What I've Been Reading & How To Fit More Into Your Routine
If you’re a fellow bookworm, you’ll definitely have noticed that I’ve been on a wee bit of a reading spree over the past 6 months, and I have been loving it, to say the very least.
Taking after my mamabear, I’ve always been a big reader since I was little (shoutout to Jacqueline Wilson, Enid Blyton & Roald Dahl!) but naturally the upkeep of this hobby is difficult to maintain through your late teen/early twenties.. unless you are just one of those book people who will never stop reading!
I have truly fallen back in love with it since that day I purchased my Kindle last year, and we all know that it’s not super easy to find great books or honest reviews, so I’ll be sharing my recent reads here on the blog every couple of months so that you can keep track of my thoughts and hopefully find yourself a new, wonderful book to read next.
Fitting more reading time into your routine..
Years ago, I would see people on social media absolutely power through books almost once a week, or even smash through one over a weekend and I’ve always thought.. how! Now I’m the one being asked “how do you read so much” and it does humour me a little because I used to never be able to understand it.
I’ve found some really easy ways to tweak my lifestyle so that I can fit more reading in, and It’s quite incredible how much it’s affected my life in the best way possible, so here are all of my tips to get your reading productivity up!
Get yourself a Kindle
Guys, I honestly couldn’t be more obsessed with my Kindle and I have been recommending them to everyone. Even if you’re a physical book lover, having a Kindle is still great for those times where the book you want has a waitlist at the library or you just want to save some money and some trees instead of buying brand new. I have the Amazon Kindle White 4GB and it’s the perfect size for me! It can store up to 2,500 books, It slips into my handbag perfectly, I can hold it with one hand while laying on my side without my arm hurting and the backlight is adjustable for a sneaky read with the lights off while your partner sleeps next to you. I also find that I read so much faster on my kindle due to the nature of tapping to the next page rather than turning the page, so that’s definitely been a key reason as to why I’ve been flying through my books pretty quickly!
Keep your book/Kindle in your handbag
Another reason why I’m obsessed with my Kindle.. it’s the perfect handbag size! Whenever I leave the house I take it with me and it’s so useful for moments when you’re waiting for appointments, you’re early for a coffee meeting or an exercise class, all of the times where instead of scrolling Instagram, you can whip your book out and read half a chapter. Doing this throughout the week makes a huge difference in my reading productivity!
Go to bed half an hour earlier for reading time
We used to watch 2-3 episodes of something on Netflix after dinner and before bedtime, but we’ve cut it down to 1-2 (depending on how early we have dinner) so that I can get some more reading in and we can take our time to wind down for bedtime. I get so excited for my pre-sleep reading session and as I mentioned before, if I don’t already fall asleep I can continue even when the lights are off and my boyfriend is asleep because of the fab backlight situation on my Kindle.
Use the GoodReads app to set goals
I LOVE GoodReads. If you haven’t heard of it, it’s basically a platform for bookworms to review books, share what they’re currently reading, create lists of books you’ve read and what you want to read, help you stay inspired to continue reading but also create a yearly reading goal. I’ve set myself to read 25 books for 2020 (that should be achievable given the current state of the earth) and nothing is more satisfying than finishing a book you enjoyed and seeing that number grow! If you’ve set a resolution to get back into reading this year, this is such a great way to keep motivated and not give into Netflix and endless social media scrolling all the time. The app also gives you book suggestions based off your reviews so it’s a wonderful way to discover new authors and books too!
Read what interests you, not just the hyped up books
Don’t get me wrong, there’s actually been quite a lot of ‘hyped’ books that I have absolutely loved, but there’s also been a couple that I really didn’t enjoy (I’m looking at you Sally Rooney). Don’t make you’re entire ‘to read’ list full of the popular books just because everyone’s reading them, and use the GoodReads app to find ones that really target your personal interests.
Make a book club group chat with your bookworm friends
My book lover girlfriends and I absolutely love sharing book recommendations and it’s such an easy way to find something new to read! You can also swap books to save money. It feels like an obvious one but it can be really helpful to keep chatting about books with others so that you are reminded to read often!
Read in the middle of weekend activities
At first I was going to suggest a Sunday that looked like this: wakeup, read, brunch date, read, home chores, read, etc. With COVID-19 spreading faster than I can say “let’s go out for coffee this weekend” the reality seems to be that we’re all going to be spending a lot more time at home, meaning of course there’s plenty of time to read over the weekend. So read in bed, read after some home baking, read as much as you can to look after your mind and soul. Books can often feel like medicine in the moments we need them the most.
What I’ve been reading recently..
Christodora by Tim Murphy
I’m actually only half way through, but, WOW. Just wow, wow, wow. It’s been a long time since I’ve been hooked from the first page and my intense interest in the plot and characters has maintained strong throughout. I feel like a description about this book doesn’t give it enough justice, but I’ll give it a go anyway. Based in the East Village of Manhattan, the story forms through various decades between the 70’s and 2010 where a family and their friends are experiencing the heartbreaking reality of the AIDS epidemic. It explores gay relationships, drug addiction and how their connection to AIDS has ripped families and friendships apart. It’s painful to read at times because it’s written so vividly to the point where you are so invested in these characters and what happens to them, which is something I always love to experience when reading a book. You read to feel something, right? As mentioned, I’m only half way through and I’m already raving this much, so I’ll keep you updated and hopefully the second half is just as fascinating!
Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng
Perfect if you love an easy to read family drama with a side of murder mystery! I found myself feeling pretty anxious throughout reading this book if I’m honest, and not in the ‘on the edge of my seat!’ way, more like the drama wasn’t juicy it just made me feel a little sick, kinda way. It’s interesting, I just wasn’t super invested in the characters like I was in Ng’s other book ‘Little Fires Everywhere’. The first half was good, but the second half an especially the ending just felt very ‘meh’. I’d still recommend it to those of you who like a juicy read, but it wouldn’t be the first book I’d recommend to you.
Guest House For Young Widows: Among The Women Of ISIS by Azadeh Moaveni
This book is really great if you are interested in learning more about conflict in the Middle East and about the lure of ISIS and radicalisation of women across the globe. There is definitely a lot more political & religious jargon than I anticipated which meant I had to have Google ready next to me every time I flipped a new page, but if your sole purpose by reading this book is to learn something, that’s not going to bother you so much. By no means is this a light, relaxing read. It’s upsetting, it’s hard to believe but you will learn a lot, not just about the political climate of Syria and the surrounding countries, but you’ll gain some empathy towards the people involved, too. I personally wished there was more detail about the women and their thought processes during this time and because of this l I felt like something was just missing.
Such A Fun Age by Kiley Reid
Overhyped book I wouldn’t be quick to recommend, alert. I was really disappointed! Being one of Reese Witherspoon’s book club picks I was ready for some seriously engaging characters, a really juicy plot and something that I wouldn’t be able to put down. I felt the total opposite of that, and mostly struggled to finish this book at all. I’m probably just a harsh critic, but I felt the same way about ‘Normal People’ by Sally Rooney. It just feels surface level, I’m not engaged and it’s just not enough to keep me turning pages!
The Tattooist Of Auschwitz by Heather Morris
You already know this book is incredible, because you all keep encouraging me to read the sequel ‘Cilka’s Journey’ which for some reason I can’t seem to find on the Kindle store. Maybe it’s time for a break from the Kindle and an opportunity to have that fresh book smell in my life again? I don’t think you have to be a history nerd to enjoy this book, it’s such a heroic tale written about a true story, a true life, a true experience. There wasn’t a moment where I wasn’t thinking “I cannot believe this happened” and I felt really grateful that great books and stories are still being written and shared about the Holocaust so that we never, ever forget the level of evil that was actioned during WW2. Everyone will enjoy this book and it should definitely be on your ‘to-read’ list if you haven’t read it yet!
An American Marriage by Tayari Jones
A hyped up book that is quite frankly, worth the hype. I absolutely loved it and couldn’t put it down, the journey that you go on with these characters is fascinating and I enjoyed the contradicting romance and drama that unfolds throughout the novel. The characters and themes are very complex and it’s just one of those books you can’t stop thinking about even after you’ve put it down. It’s really brilliantly written with first person narrative from all main characters which I always appreciate as I love that extra emotional insight! It’s spicy, heartbreaking and juicy all at once.
Where The Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
This book felt like falling in love, and I don’t say that lightly. It’s probably to do with the poetic elements of the book (you’ll see when you read it) which I really enjoyed because it felt super refreshing. Actually, this entire book felt refreshing because of the intricate level of detail when the author is describing these characters, their feelings and experiences but also the nature around them. There’s a young girl living in the marshlands, abandoned by her family, a murder mystery and a lot of romance and heartbreak woven in-between. It’s so beautiful and if I could recommend any book to read next, it would be this one.
Let me know in the comments below if you’ve got any suggestions, or if you’ve read any of the books I’ve mentioned above! I love hearing different reviews and opinions, so definitely let me know.
Stay safe, read lots and take your vitamins!
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