The first book I ever read was Matilda by Roald Dahl. It had been a gift from my grandmother, who used to sleep with a book under her pillow every night. I don’t know if this was her intention, but that story sparked within me a passion for literature that still resonates deeply to this day. I remember reaching the end of Dahl’s story feeling both shocked and betrayed, yet intrigued. After reading an ending that was completely different from its 1996 film adaptation, nine-year-old me felt overjoyed that she knew a secret only a select few would understand. Thus started my love for literature, my love for worlds, characters, and stories that only readers could truly know and cherish.
Retrieved from Puffin Books
From then on, I read childhood classics like Percy Jackson and the Olympians by Rick Riordan, and Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney; then soon moved up to the YA genre, with series such as The Maze Runner by James Dashner and Divergent by Veronica Roth. The truth is, I read A LOT as a child. The last Divergent book Allegiant had almost 600 pages and I loved every second of it. I especially enjoyed getting to say the magic words in every book-to-film adaptation I watched in theaters: “That was different in the book.” Or, my personal favorite: “The book did it better.”
And then came the stage that every reader DREADS… the infamous reading slump.
I don’t think I looked at a single book in two years, and honestly, I didn’t even care to. Books were so far off my mind during this phase of my life.
It wasn’t until 2019, during my sophomore year of high school, that I decided to resume this hobby. It was a time when power outages were far too common (although sadly, they still are) in Puerto Rico, and most times, there was nothing to do. So, on one of those mindless days, I picked up a book series that had been collecting dust on my shelf for years: The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare. This book series is extremely well known, at least in the YA reader community, and, although my love for it was definitely not immediate, by that sixth and final book I was hooked. After finishing this one, I immediately jumped to its prequel trilogy before starting the sequel series (The Mortal Instruments comprises more than 15 books, and it’s still not over). Once I had finished reading the published books of this world, I needed more, and my love for the written word was reignited. Trips to the bookstore became common again, and for birthdays, graduations, Christmases, and the like, that’s all I asked of my family: books!
From then on, I’d read around 20 to 30 books every year. And in 2023, I managed to do something I never thought possible: I read one hundred books in a single year. I know of Booktokers and BookTubers that can reach this goal in their sleep, but to me, of course, this is an incredible achievement that I’ve been trying to repeat once again.
Last year though, I was a little bit more than half way behind with only forty books under my belt. However, after what I still consider a fruitful year of reading, I can finally compare what I did differently in 2023 and 2024, and identify what I need to do to get closer to my own objectives this year.
I’m a firm believer that whether you read 5 or 100 books, you’re a total winner! Nonetheless, if you want to get a little bit closer to your goals in 2025, these are a few things I noticed that helped me read a triple digit amount of books last year.
- Understand what you like
-
Venturing across different genres is necessary to diversify not only your tastes but also your knowledge of multiple subjects as well. I believe that stepping outside of your comfort zone and diving into new experiences is crucial for personal growth and self-discovery. However, if you want to reach a particular reading goal that might feel a little too far-fetched, sticking to the specific genres you already know you enjoy is a better idea to reach those objectives.
For instance, this year I picked up a book that had been on my TBR for ages, Lovely War by Julie Berry. This story narrates the journey of two different couples during WWI, and it’s narrated by the Greek gods Aphrodite, Hades, Ares, and Apollo. A war book is not usually my cup of tea, but the catch with Lovely War is that it perfectly blends Historical Fiction with both Fantasy and Romance (my two favorite genres). I have never finished reading a book quicker. And this is precisely my point. Even though I learned a great deal about the beginning of the 20th century and life as a civilian during this tumultuous period, I also had a fantastic time with this story because it exhibited my favorite genres. Had the story only been a Historical Fiction book, I wouldn’t have read it nearly as quickly.
- PICK UP A BOOK SERIES
-
To me, the slowest part of any reading process is getting through the beginning of the book. Meeting the characters, understanding their journey, dynamic, and relationship with the rest of the cast is an exhausting, and sometimes boring, experience. That’s why I usually pick up a book series instead. To many people, any series with more than three books is intimidating, and while I understand where they’re coming from, to me there’s no better feeling than diving into the sequel of a story I adored. When I pick up the second or third book in a series I’m already invested in, I usually zoom through the rest of the books until I get to its ending. This happens because you’re already familiarized with the main character and their journey, and you want to see where their adventures take them and how the rest of the plot will evolve.
This happened to me when I binge-read the entire Throne of Glass series by Sarah J. Mass in just over two months.The last book has almost 1,000 pages, and the earlier ones aren’t far behind! And then I read Mary E. Pearson’s 6 book series The Remnant Chronicles, which I highly recommend. By the time you reach that last novel, you’re hooked! This is why I strongly recommend that, if you’re trying to reach a specific goal, book series are the way to go since standalones could really disrupt your reading flow, which has been my experience. Whenever I start a new one, it tends to break my momentum, and if the book itself is horrible, it risks sending me into one of those pesky reading slumps.
- Palate Cleansers Are Essential For Progress
-
Short books, like novellas or even some manga, are perfect to quickly reach those reading goals. The plot is efficiently quick and delivers compelling narratives and character development in just a few pages. They’re great for exploring unique themes and emotions without the commitment of full length novels. And the best thing is that it doesn’t matter how short the book itself is, it always counts towards that goal. I often squeeze in books like these as palate cleansers between hefty reads, book series, or simply just to get me back into the reading mood. I know this might be a little contradictory with what I said in the previous point and what I criticized about standalones, but it’s truly a case by case situation. Sometimes, if I’m particularly overwhelmed by other books, short and quick palate cleansers are perfect for me to get back on track. The trick is knowing when your mind needs a break. Understanding your reading mood is key and a novella can provide a refreshing reset.
- Take Advantage of Technology
-
Electronics make reading much more accessible. Your phone, for instance, can go with you anywhere, and you can even comfortably take it out any time you wish to. Not only that, but the key features of ebooks make technology an even more appealing choice. You can highlight your favorite quotes and easily retrieve them later without permanently altering the book; you can automatically look up words you don’t understand; up the brightness when you can’t see; and if the book is too expensive, it will probably be cheaper as an ebook. All of these qualities make your reading an easier and quicker process. Personally, whenever I read on my phone I tend to finish books so much faster because I can pull it out at various points throughout the day.
- Join Book Clubs And Online Reading Communities
-
This might sound like a cliche, but the environment you surround yourself with has a strong impact on who you become and what your interests evolve to be. I have found that my stronger months (reading-wise) are the months where I’m actively participating in reading communities and book clubs. By sharing my progress with friends and seeing their own progress in return, I’m often motivated to keep reading. From reading communities, for example, you can see what books are trending or what stories are very similar to the ones you’ve finished. Book clubs specifically usually have specific dates for book discussions, which’ll help you tremendously in finishing a book quicker than you normally would because, not only is there a due date hanging over your head, being able to share your thoughts and opinions with other individuals is usually fun as well. Reading tends to be a solitary hobby, so experiences like these make the process so much more enjoyable.
Hopefully by focusing on these five factors, I’ll get a little closer to my own goals this year! A lot of readers have also recommended to DNF books to speed up the reading process, but I have never been able to leave a story hanging. I need to know how the story ends, its redeeming qualities, or usually I just need to get my money’s worth. So I don’t think this is an alternative I’ll be considering, but it might work wonders for you! Remember that reading is an extremely personal journey, and the most important thing about the experience is that you’re having fun! Whether you reach that goal or not, and as long as you enjoyed the worlds you traveled through and the new friends (fictional characters) you met along the way, I say job well done!