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Reading has always been my passion, so it’s dreamy to review and write about books as part of my job<\/a>. That\u2019s why three colleagues and I decided to start a book newsletter \u2013\u00a0The Bookish Drop<\/a> \u2013 to take our passion to new heights.\u00a0<\/p>\n Each week, we bring you the best bookish<\/a> news, events, and gossip. We\u2019ll even share our top book-related products, hints and tips about how you can always avoid reading slumps, and keep you regularly updated on our yearly reading progress to motivate you to read more, too.<\/p>\n Reading a lot isn\u2019t about proving anything to anyone – it\u2019s about listening to the experts when they share that reading is fantastic for your mental health<\/a>, and much better than spending all your time doom scrolling on social media.<\/p>\n Picking up a book for even just a few minutes per day can have huge positive effects on your mental health, reducing stress and promoting proper relaxation. Studies suggest as little as six minutes of reading can lower heart rate, ease muscle tension, and alter one’s state of mind. This can lead to a decrease in anxiety and an improvement in overall mood, which is only a good thing.<\/p>\n But what are my hacks to help you read faster? First, it\u2019s important to set aside some time to commit to reading, every single day. Or, if that\u2019s not possible, at least a couple of times per week.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n For example, if you want to reduce your screen time, it\u2019s good to try reading just before you go to bed \u2013 even if it\u2019s on your Kindle.\u00a0<\/p>\n If you give yourself half an hour before you get some shut-eye, you\u2019ll find you can get a lot more read than you anticipated, and this means you\u2019ll be able to commit to reading a whole book in a lot shorter time than you ever thought possible.<\/p>\n Another method that may help you pick up your book more is to track your reading. When you get that little dopamine hit when you mark a book as read on Goodreads or Storygraph, it makes you feel like you\u2019ve really achieved something.\u00a0<\/p>\n This way, you almost gameify reading for yourself. And you can also add your pals on these platforms, so you can see what they\u2019re reading too.\u00a0<\/p>\n Also, I\u2019d say that having a reasonable \u2018reading goal\u2019 for the year on these platforms is ideal. If you\u2019re new to reading, make sure your goal is achievable – you don\u2019t want to say you\u2019ll read 100 books when you\u2019ve barely been surpassing five a year for the last few years.<\/p>\n If you set a goal that\u2019s achievable, you\u2019ll likely surpass it, and feel great about yourself and your reading goals. Start off small – you can always change it further down the line. For example, this year, I started off wanting to read 70. I finished that quite quickly, and I\u2019ve ended up slowly upping it to 170 so far, and I\u2019ve read 160 so far.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Having a TBR (to be read) list can also help you to read more, as you\u2019ll know that you have a list of really good books to read, and you\u2019ll be looking forward to them. I\u2019d recommend clearing out the books you\u2019re certain you won\u2019t read though, as this can clear your headspace and make way for the amazing titles you know you\u2019ll be able to read easily and enjoy.\u00a0<\/p>\n If there are books you really aren\u2019t looking forward to reading, or aren\u2019t interested in (maybe books you\u2019ve been gifted in the past) just sell them on, or donate them to charity.<\/p>\n Ultimately, reading should be enjoyable, but if you\u2019ve been wanting to read more, then these are definitely things that can help you.<\/p>\n Another motivator is, of course, signing up to The Bookish Drop. It\u2019s your one-stop shop for all things bookish, and we\u2019re always listening to what our readers want and including more of what you love.<\/p>\n You can sign up here, and get in touch with us at thebookishdrop@reachplc.com<\/a> with any feedback, recommendations, comments and thoughts.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n