"I'm tired of hearing people say they don't have time to read. I don't have time for anything else!" -George Whitman. If I had a dollar for every time I've had someone say they don't have time for reading, I'd have a nice lil' collection of gold coins. I totally get where people are coming from with this sentiment because lately I've been all kinds of tired and sometimes I do just want to stare mindlessly out the window on the train, listening to music. Sometimes I just want to come home and laugh at Karen Walker's one-liners on Will and Grace rather than reading a book. More often than not though, I will be reading in my spare time. Books are my tonic and my life would be so much less exciting without them. For that reason alone I am happy to make time for them. Today I thought I'd share some tips for incorporating reading into your life. Reading is fun okay!? 

Set Up A Goodreads Account: Goodreads is a bit clunky but it's pretty easy to use. Basically, you can use it to log books you are reading, have read or perhaps want to read. You can also see what your friends are reading too, granted they use the website and each year they have a reading challenge so you can use that as a goal/incentive to read. It also has a scanner within the app so if you're in a bookstore and want to remember a book to look up later you can use that. Side note, if you're on there, you can see my profile here. 

Have A Designated Time: For me, I like to unwind with a book at the end of the day. Usually I set a timer for 30/40 minutes before bed and just read. I'm not always consistent with this. If I'm tired I will just skip reading altogether and get some extra zzz's. Whether it's setting a reminder or making mental note of this time out, I highly recommend it. 

Go To A Bookstore: Ok so this isn't strictly about finding time to read but going to a bookstore and finding yourself some inspiration or a fresh tome to purchase can be all the enticing you need. Ask your local booksellers what they've been reading and loving lately. Get their recommendations based on what you've read and liked in the past. You cannot beat a firsthand recommendation. My go-to's in Auckland are Time Out and Unity Books. 

Join A Book Club: So this is one I kinda struggle with because it's surprisingly hard to find book clubs offline to join. I have found this one though and they have monthly meetups in Auckland and I believe somewhere in the South Island as well but also around the world. I'm yet to go to a meeting, this month will be the month though. Other great online ones are; Between Two Books, Belletrist and Our Shared Shelf. Heck, if you are super keen, start your own. 

Use Your Commute: I have a rather lengthy commute to work and honestly it's the perfect time for reading. I don't tend to come across people I know on the train very often so I can read uninterrupted and it's one of the best ways to zone out and get a rather decent chunk of reading done. On a good week I can sometimes finish two books this way, if not get a decent way through at least one. I know motion-sickness is a thing so this isn't necessarily an option for everyone. There's always audiobooks as an option as well. Books read by the authors themselves are the best in my opinion but there's brilliant narrators like Stephen Fry who narrates the entire Harry Potter series. 

Put Your Phone Down: Turn off Netflix. Unplug the devices. It's amazing how much time can be allocated and arguably wasted by these things. Yes I sound like an old person but seriously. Less Netflx, more pages. 

-What are your tips and tricks for reading more?