How I went from reading 0 books a year to 28 books in 2025
I used to be a voracious reader. I basically grew up at the library and, as a teen, my friends and I were SO NERDY that our favorite places to hang out were bookstore cafes. In adulthood, I always had a book in my bag for subway commutes and lunch breaks. Books were a part of my identity.
After becoming a parent, I somehow lost the ability to focus on reading. At the time, I also got into social media as a source of community and, while in some ways it felt supportive, in other ways it became an addictive outlet.
Between working in finance full time, dealing with my own health journey, and navigating family obligations, reading long-format books (as opposed to short articles and blog post) simply became a thing I “used to do.”
Then in 2021, one of my spiritual teachers started a book club. A book club! I thought. Yes, I love to read . . . this would be so easy to pick back up again. The former business analyst in me decided to keep track of the books that I read because I was obviously going to read a ton of books.
That year I read two books.
It was a blow to the ego, but those books (Becoming by Michelle Obama and Undrowned by Alexis Pauline Gumbs) also seeded my desire to keep going.
The book club continued and there were many juicy recommendations.
In 2022, I read seven books.
The next year I read 16 books.
The year after that, 18 books.
And then last year I read 28 books.
The only “quantity goal” that I set was that I wanted to read more than the previous year.
My personal “diversity goal” this year is to have the majority of my reading list be authored by the global majority, i.e. BIPOC. This is one small way for me to offset the neo-colonial erasure of Black and brown voices.
So how did I go from 0 to 28?
Clearly, it wasn’t overnight. But here were some of the main drivers:
Inspiration
I receive so much inspiration from my teachers and friends who share about the beauty, insights, and joy received from reading. This is why I started two book clubs last year—a parenting book club at my kid’s school and a book club for my reiki students.
Audiobooks
Even though it actually takes longer to read a book via audio (your mind reads much faster in silence than the spoken word) and I like to leave a lot of space for silence throughout my day, it can be fun to listen to a book on the train or doing daily chores. About half of the books I read last year were on audio. I also counted audiobooks that my family listened to on road trips, like The Hunger Games trilogy.
Upgraded Routine
I resurrected my own nighttime routine and included reading as part of that. Having a diversly curated stack of books on the nightstand is great so that you always have something you’re in the mood for. I also brought back always having a book with me so that I can read a little bit here and there in a waiting room, etc. It adds up!
Leaning In to My “Why”
There is a deeper knowledge transmission from reading a book compared to shorter-formats like articles and podcasts. Short formats are obviously valuable, too, but a book can take me on a more fulsome journey.
Reading stories creates greater empathy, which is something we all can continuously expand—goodness, does the world need more empathy!
Finally, I want to model reading for my kid and for younger generations. And I’m proud to support my local public library and independent bookstores.
What would the world look like if we were all nurtured with more wisdom and primed for greater compassion?
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