How I make sure to always have a book on the go

Lately I've been making a big effort to reduce my screen time, and one way to do this has been to replace social media and endless scrolling with reading. It's been amazing - I can feel that my attention span has increased, and in quiet moments I've been happily spending time with my own thoughts. 

In order to make sure that I'm not tempted to pick up the phone I've been coming up with ways that I can make sure I always have a book one the go - something that I really want to read and which is always accessible.

I'm usually reading several books at the same time. I have a non-fiction book which requires more thought, a Kindle book which I've generally acquired for free at some point and can be a bit of a gamble. Finally I have a physical book which is usually one that I've bought myself or have borrowed, and it's one that I really want to read.

• My current non-fiction read - Enshittification by Cory Doctorow. Fascinating book which really makes you realise just how rubbish the technology that we use daily has become over time. 
• My current Kindle read - The Warbler by Sarah Beth Durst. This must have been an Amazon First Read, and so far it's one of the better ones!
• My current physical book read - The Impossible Fortune by Richard Osman. This new book was a gift - I love this Thursday Murder Club series. 

I have regular slots in my day that I can dedicate to reading. I eat over lunch as I'm generally on my own, and sometimes at dinner too if everyone else is busy. I arrive at school early for pick up and read in the car, and I always read in bed before I go to sleep. Reading regularly means that I never lose track of where I'm up to, and I'm keen to see what happens next.

Photo credit Christin Hume via Unsplash

I have an exciting to be read pile by the bed. I prioritise books that I've borrowed, and as I come to the end of a book I always know which read is going to be next! It's very rare that I run out of books because I seem to just acquire them - I have a friend that lends me lots of books, I shop in charity shops,  I have them on my wish list for birthday and Christmas, I keep an eye on Amazon for free books, and I have a large library of my own with books that I love to re-read. I very rarely need to visit the public library!

I take a book, usually my Kindle, with me whenever I go anywhere that might involve waiting - appointments, trips on public transport, even anywhere that I might be waiting to pick someone up in the car.

I don't force it with books that I'm not enjoying. There are too many more that I want to read! So I'm never slogging away trying to finish an uninspiring read.

I don't worry about what I'm reading - whether it's intellectual enough, or what other people might think. I keep track of the books that I've read for my own interest, I don't set myself reading goals like a certain number of books in a year. I never understand challenges which say to read ten pages a day or whatever - do you just stop reading at the end of ten pages? Mid-sentence?!

If you are reading a good book at the moment I'd love to hear about it - I'm always looking for reading inspiration!