I Read 159 Books in 2023 – Here’s How I Became A Fast Reader

2023 was by far my best year of reading since I left high school. I was able to finish 159 books over the year, smashing my original 100 books goal. Plus I didn’t really read for 4 whole months in 2023 due to work commitments. Being on a gap year meant I finally felt like I had the time to dedicate to my favourite hobby. And going forward I want to continue making it a daily priority and habit to read.

159 books might sound absolutely insane to you and I admit writing that total down is a little insane. It means that on average I finished one book every two days. Or if we take out my combined 4 month reading break, finishing two books every three days.

Looking back there are a few things that I did to read faster…

Have fully embraced my favourite genres

I’m a romance reader! I can demolish a 400-page spicy romcom in less than 3 hours, it’s like a superpower. For years, I would start books from literally any other genre because I thought romance books weren’t highbrow enough and to be a real reader I needed to read the type of books that win literary awards. But enough is enough! Reading for me is a passion and my favourite hobby and overthinking what I should and shouldn’t be reading was making me detest it. So I have since fully embraced reading the books that I actually want to read rather than the books I think I should be reading. This has made a massive difference to the amount of books I’m able to get through.

Always have a book with me

I’m an ebook person so I always have a book with me, whether that’s on my actual kindle or via the kindle and ibooks app on my phone. This means I can take advantage of any pockets of time I find myself with. Train and bus journeys are great for sneaking in a couple chapters. Like pennies the pages add up and before you know it you’ve finished another book.

Prefer to read than watch TV

I would prefer to spend an evening wrapped up in a big fluffy blanket, demolishing my next read rather than mindlessly scrolling and watching tv. Not only is this good for my book count but it’s good for my brain. I always feel much better after a night spent like this than I do a night wasted in front of the telly.

Naturally a fast reader

This one must be said because I am very blessed to be a naturally fast reader. I’ve always loved books and been able to concentrate on a book for hours at a time. One of my favourite childhood memories is the time I read the entire Harry Potter series in 15 days. And this wasn’t even a school holiday, I literally got told off for reading in class multiple times across the 15 days and I was the child that had an extracurricular activity every single night. So this is a mega impressive feat to an 11 year old. I’m potentially an even faster reader nowadays and still find that I fully comprehend the entire book.

Converted to ebooks

I love paperbacks and dream of having my own library at home, fit with those rolling bookcases but I in practice prefer ebooks. They are so much easier to handle physically – no more hand ache from holding the book open at a certain angle. And as an avid-traveller they make reading the best on the road hobby. Gone are the days I once packed half a suitcase full of books and then ran out of reading material on the holiday – dead space.

There you go, five of the factors that make me a fast reader able to get through hundreds of books each year!