If y’all know anything about me, you know I love to READ! Last year I had a crazy goal to read 50 books and even though I was soo sick all fall from pregnancy, I managed to read 51 books. Crossing that off the list sure did feel good!

I always get a lot of comments when I post about books and reading, and writing these posts are my favorites. I could talk about books for hours. I’ve been working on my (fluid and ever-changing) reading list for awhile … I must go to Amazon at least once a day to add another book to my list. I always feel like there will never be enough time to read all the books I want to read in a lifetime but I’ve learned a few hacks over the past year to squeeze in more books. First I’m going to share some practical advice for reading more and then some of the many many books that I want to read this year.

Practical tips for reading more:

1. As soon as you hear about a book that might interest you, have a way of keeping track of titles. I never really got into Goodreads but a lot of people love it. I use Amazon religiously to keep track of books by using the wish list feature.
2. Follow other people on social media who like to read. That’ll expose you to more books and more you might want to read!
3. Always have a book with you. I am never at my OBGYN’s office for less than an hour and a half (and I’m there frequently these days!) so I try to remember to take a book with me to read while I’m there. That’s 40-50 pages I might not have gotten to read otherwise.
4. Set a goal to read every day. It doesn’t have to be a lot of pages. I try to read during my morning quiet time if I can and if not, I almost always read before bed. I have non-screen time from about 8:30 p.m. until I fall asleep so once I’m ready for bed, there’s not a whole lot else to do but grab a book and snuggle in! My theory is that if I have time to watch 2-3 hours of TV at night, I have time to read at least 20 pages of a book.
5. Books aren’t super expensive but if you buy a lot, it can really add up — financially and physically! I utilize my local library all. the. time. Yes, they still exist and yes, they have brand spanking new books.
6. Read non-fiction during the day and fiction at night. I don’t know about you but it’s hard for me to retain a bunch of information when I’m in that brain zap zone. To me, non-fiction helps me feel productive during the day and fiction is more enjoyable at night. Maybe it’s the opposite for you!
7. Audio books totally count. I haven’t branched into this world yet though I may once Baby White makes his appearance. Michael Hyatt always says your car should be a mobile classroom, meaning driving is a great time to learn by listening to audio books and podcasts. I also do this when I work out and have found it helps me get my mind off that 5-mile run more than music ever has.

 

My 2018 reading wish list:

So far, I’ve read “Truly Madly Guilty” by Lianne Moriarty, “The Radium Girls” by Kate Moore, and just cracked open “The Ocean at the End of the Lane” by Neil Gaiman. I honestly don’t know how many books I’ll get to this year so take this with a grain of salt. It’ll be fun to look back and see how life has changed this passion of mine!

In no particular order:

“Little Fires Everywhere” by Celeste Ng (reading this for my next book club meeting)

“12 Ways Your Phone is Changing You” by Tony Reinke (I just got this from the library and could seriously use a wakeup call!!)

“His Needs, Her Needs” by Willard Farley

“Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World” by Cal Newport

“Bringing Up Bebe” by Pamela Drucknerman (because DUH!)

“Rest: Why You Get More Done When You Work Less” by Alex Soojung-Kim Pang

“Building a Storybrand” by Donald Miller (it’s on my bookshelf just waiting to be cracked open)

“Ordering Your Private World” by Gordon MacDonald

“The Lifegiving Home: Creating a Place of Belonging and Becoming” by Sally Clarkson & Sarah Clarkson

“When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing” by Daniel H. Pink

“Glimpses of Grace: Treasuring the Gospel in Your Home” by Gloria Furman

“Treasuring Christ When Your Hands Are Full: Gospel Meditations for Busy Moms” by Gloria Furman

“The Ninth Hour: A Novel” by Alice McDermott

“Tell Me More: Stories About the 12 Hardest Things I’m Learning to Say” by Kelly Corrigan

“What the Most Successful People Do Before Breakfast” by Laura Vanderkam

I’ve got a lot of non-fiction books on here so if you’ve got any fiction recommendations, please send ’em my way!