The benefits of voracious reading are profound, boosting empathy, brain function, and reducing stress and anxiety.
Yet, Pew Research Center data from 2015 reveals that 27% of Americans didn't read a single book that year, with the average reader finishing just four books over 12 months.
That's one book every three months.
Contrast that with high achievers: Warren Buffett devotes up to 80% of his day to reading. Bill Gates reads 50 books annually. In 2015, Mark Zuckerberg tackled a new book every two weeks.
"I don't have time" isn't an excuse—it's a matter of priorities.
Author and entrepreneur Ryan Holiday attributes reading hundreds of books a year to treating it as a necessity.
Holiday explains, “The key to reading a lot of books starts with stopping thinking of it as an activity you do. Reading should become as natural as eating and breathing. It's not something you do because you feel like it, but because it's a reflex, a habit.”
Follow this if you aim for 50+ books yearly—but don't read every spare second.
James Clear built his reading habit with just 20 pages daily. Like Holiday, he prioritizes it: “Usually I wake up, drink a glass of water, write down three things I'm grateful for, and read 20 pages of a book.”
This simple routine helps him finish over 30 books each year.
To hit 50+ books, target 30-40 pages daily—30 to 60 minutes of reading.
Author and podcaster Darius Foroux follows a similar plan, reading "at least an hour a day on weekdays, and even more on weekends and holidays," finishing over 100 books yearly.
Reading at 40 pages per hour with 250-page books averages, one hour daily yields 58 books a year.
The goal feels achievable: build a 45-60 minute daily reading habit. Track progress with a Goodreads Reading Challenge for motivation.
Read during your first waking hour, commute, lines, bathroom breaks—anytime you'd otherwise scroll Netflix or Facebook.
Squeeze an Extra Hour Out of Every Day With These 10 Quick Tips Some simple habits can help us weed out inefficient ways and increase our reservoir of time by doing the things that matter. These ideas can give you an extra productive hour each day. Read More Just prioritize reading over time-sucks.
This means always keeping a book handy. As blogger Gretchen Rubin says, “I never go anywhere empty-handed… I'll never be caught without something to read. It is a great consolation.” Avoid social media traps by having your book ready.
For a reading challenge, remember the purpose: not speed or bragging rights, but gaining knowledge, meaning, self-understanding, and life improvement.
Holiday notes, “The purpose of reading is not just raw knowledge. It's part of the human experience. It helps you find meaning, understand yourself, and improve your life.”
Quit books that don't deliver—Rubin agrees: “I used to take pride in finishing every book I started. No more. Life is short. There are too many wonderful books.”
When dropping a book, have backups ready you're excited about.
Foroux advises: “Choose books related to your profession or hobby. Read books about people you admire. Don't read a book just because it's a bestseller or a classic if it doesn't mean anything to you.”
Buy ahead—they're investments in knowledge. For cost concerns, many top non-fiction and fiction works are free, like Harvard Classics.
Read the World's Best Books for Free with Harvard Classics Harvard Classics is a multiple volume Collection of the best books in the world. Compiled by Dr. Charles W. Eliot in the early 20th century, they are now completely free to download. Read More Free audiobooks abound too.
A waiting stack motivates, as Rubin says: “she reads a lot more when I have a stack waiting for me.”
Most avid readers juggle fiction/non-fiction, heavy/light reads.
How to Organize Your Out of Control Reading List Right Now A reading list has many functions:From practical to inspirational. But it can also get out of hand. Using these tips to manage your reading hobby can do wonders for your life. Read more Tackle a dense book mornings, lighter fiction at bedtime—always an option that fits your mood.
Reading 50+ books yearly isn't mysterious.
Prioritize it with an hour daily. Pick exciting books, quit the dull ones, read multiples.
It can be that simple.
How many books will you aim for this year? How will you carve out the time?
