If you want to read more books, do these 3 things

In the US alone, the average person reads 3.8 books per month.

I read about 9.

If you want to know how I manage to do this despite working a full-time job, here's what you need to do.

1. Optimise for enjoyment

If you're not enjoying the book you're reading, quit it.

It's not your job to finish books that don't capture your attention. Life is too short to spend on books that feel like a drag. It's better to cut your losses early and move on.

The next book you pick up might be the page-turner you're looking for.

Notice that enjoyable books tend to get read faster than those that don't. Find what feels good.

2. Pick up audiobooks

The downside of books is that we have to sit down and pay full attention to them.

I simply don't have the luxury.

Since I spend a lot of time on my feet—cooking, cleaning the house, walking to the supermarket—I always have an audiobook in my ear. That's a good 3-4 hours a day, which means I can finish an audiobook in 2-3 days.

Audiobooks are entirely fair game and are the biggest reason I can "read" so much.

With that said, not all books translate well to this format or for multitasking. So pick and choose what's right for you.

3. Always carry backups

If you follow the first tip to heart, you'll fly through books in no time.

It's super important to keep your reading momentum going. Having a stack of books at the ready is key to ensuring that you are never without one.

For audiobooks, have a couple ready and downloaded that you can quickly jump into.