How To Read More In The New Year + 6 Bookstagram Accounts to Follow For Inspiration
You may have clicked on this blog post because you want to read more this year. Maybe reading more books is on your resolution list, or you’ve just always wanted to read more. Or, you want to hit your reading goal for the year. Whichever one, you’ve come to the right spot!
I just want to first let you know that no matter how many books you read, you are a reader. You can read one book a year, or read 200 books a year, it doesn’t matter—you are still a reader.
Now that we got that out of the way, let’s dive into how you can read more books this year!
Disclaimer: Some of these links contain affiliate links, and I may earn a commission that is no cost to you.
Read what you love.
Ask yourself this question: what do you like to watch on TV? Do you gravitate towards sitcoms like Friends, New Girl, Seinfeld, or any of these types of shows? You may have a short attention span (no shame, I’m just like you), and you may want to pick up shorter books. Shorter books, meaning 250-400 words. These are most likely romance novels, graphic novels, or short stories. Do you prefer to watch a good true crime documentary on a cozy Friday night in? Are you always obsessing over the latest true crime podcast? You probably want to check out the mystery and thriller section of the bookstore or library.
Whatever genre you watch on TV or find yourself drawn to, read what you love! Don’t force yourself to read something you hate. For example, I get scared easily at any horror movie, so a mystery or thriller book is not it for me. I love rom-coms, so I’m going to pick up a romance novel instead of a mystery or thriller. Read what you love!
For more book recommendations, I suggest visiting my books page.
Invest in a Kindle.
Only if you want to! I recently bought a used Kindle, and while I always prefer physical books, I like the idea of carrying a Kindle around. It’s lightweight and easy to carry in your purse. With a Kindle, you can get Kindle Unlimited which means you get access to a library of books for free. Kindle Unlimited is $10.99 a month, and it is worth it! If you don’t want to or can’t invest in a Kindle right now, you can download the Kindle app on your phone or iPad.
The most basic Kindle is $90 on Amazon, while the new Kindle Paperwhite is on Amazon for $140, and the Kindle Oasis is on Amazon for $269. Truly worth it!
Try Audible (+ Listen to More Audiobooks).
Okay, let me tell you about this genius hack. I actually discovered this from my mother, who listens to audiobooks regularly. Once you download a book to your Kindle (Kindle or Kindle app), there’s an option (with select books) that you can get it in audiobook version, or on Audible. Once you start reading on Kindle, you can pick it back up on your Audible app and it will automatically sync. This is perfect for when you’re on the go but want to pick where you left off once you get home.
Join #bookstagram or #BookTok.
Y’all, #bookstagram is a hardcore community that goes CRAZY for books. Some bookstagrammers, or book Instagrammers, are reading 200 books … that’s amazing! (But don’t let that defer you from reading!) On Bookstagram and BookTok (Book TikTok), you’ll find book recommendations, book reviews, new book releases, and overall, a fun (yet hardcore lol) community.
See below for some great #bookstagram accounts!
Carry your book everywhere.
This may require a big purse or bag to carry around with you—but if you have a Kindle, you don’t need a big bag! Whether you have a physical hard copy or a Kindle, or an Audible subscription on your phone, carry a book everywhere. Take your book out while waiting in line at Target. Bring your book to lunch at your office (and actually take a break!).
Try Book of The Month.
I joined Book of the Month in December 2021 and have been loving it. When you become a member of Book of the Month, you have access to all of the previous books selected. At the beginning of each month, you’re presented with 5-6 books that you can pick to be your book of the month for only $9.99 a month. You can also add on a book, or called an add-on. These add-ons can be previous BOTM selections. For example, for December 2022, I chose the book, Kiss Her Once For Me by Alison Cochrun (author of The Charm Offensive) and chose a previous BOTM selection as my add-on, People We Meet On Vacation by Emily Henry. Book of the Month is so incredible where you get to try new and diverse authors but also beloved repeat authors like Ali Hazelwood and Emily Henry. (I’m a big romance reader, so those two are my go-to recommendations.) And the best part is? If you don’t find any of the books selected for one month to your fancy, then you can skip that month at no charge to you. Try it now!
Bookstagram Accounts That You Have To Follow
These accounts give AMAZING book recs—I trust them and instantly go to them when I need to find a new book to read. Try and find good reading and book accounts on Instagram to motivate you to read more. No matter what genre you’re into! I encourage you to visit #bookstagram (just type that in your Instagram search bar) to find your own accounts that you love!
@nycbookgirl // Morgan, of @nycbookgirl, posts all things books, life in NYC, and more on mental health, working at a publishing house, and book recommendations. She drops “weekly #deskrecs” and loves pairing books with random things. A must book account to follow!
@byamberburns // Amber, the blogger and digital creator behind the blog “By Amber Burns,” is one of my go-tos for book recommendations. She reads mostly romance, but other genres like literary fiction, non-fiction, and even some fantasy. She’s one of the few reading accounts that influenced me to buy my Kindle and to immediately start reading e-books. A must-follow!
@readandwright // Another source of romance novel recommendations. Phoebe, of @readandwright, gives the BEST young adult romance novel recommendations. Her holiday book list on her blog was my go-to when I was looking for holiday reads this past December. A must-follow!
@alltheradreads // I just started following Rachel’s bookstagram in the past few months and I’m already obsessed! She’s become a go-to for book recommendations in ANY genre—including Christian books. She read 200 books last year and I always am motivated to pick up my book instead of watching TV. She also talks about her faith, bullet journaling, and mental health, specifically going to therapy. A must-follow!
@mikaelaandherbooks // Another reading account I started following in late 2021! Mikaela, a RVA native (gotta follow Richmond bookstagrammers!), posts many great fantasy book recommendations. I just finished the fourth book in the ACOTAR series, A Court of Frost and Starlight, and I’m looking to dip my toe deeper into the pool of fantasy novels, and her recommendations are ones I’m trusting to do so.
@bookswithana // I was reading The Holiday Swap at the same time as her, and oh my gosh, her opinions on this book matched the same level as my opinions. I DNF-ed it, unfortunately, but I trusted that Ana didn’t like this book, it’s OK to not finish this one. I love her recommendations and she’s super funny and relatable on stories!
And don’t forget to check out my amazing list of book and reading podcasts that I recommend!
