If you’re an avid reader, you may find yourself torn between two books you want to read, feeling overwhelmed by the seemingly endless library of books that you want to read and having too many books on the go at once. Whether you’re a student, a professional, a stay-at-home parent or anyone else who loves to read, life can sometimes get in the way of reading. That being said, there’s no need to reach for Google to search for ways to simplify your books. Here are a few tips on how to simplify your books so that you can make the most of your time and enjoy the books you read.
How to Assess Your Collection
Before you start to simplify your books, it’s important to assess your collection. Here are a few tips to help you do this:
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Think About What You Want To Achieve: Consider what you’re trying to get out of your reading experience and define your goals. Do you want to learn something new? Or learn more about a certain topic? Or even just enjoy a few hours of entertainment? Once you have your goals set, you’ll be better equipped to choose the books you want to read.
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Make an Inventory List: Keeping a list of all the books you own or want to read will help you get organised and will help you assess what books you need to prioritise. Make sure you add titles and authors to the list so you can easily reference them.
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Establish a Criteria: Establishing a criteria for choosing which books to read next will help you assess your collection and decide which books are best suited to your reading goals. Think about what genres, types of books or particular authors you prefer and use this to filter your collection.
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Donate or Recycle Unwanted Books: Once you have your list of books, take the time to donate or recycle any books you no longer want. This will help to declutter your collection and make it easier to choose books that you want to read.
How to Organise Your Collection
Once you’ve assessed your collection, you can start to organise it. Here are a few tips to help you do this:
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Create a Reading Schedule: This could be either on paper or digitally, but having a set timetable for reading will help make sure you make the most of your time. It’s also important to be realistic and review your schedule every few weeks as your priorities may have changed.
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Prioritise Your Reading List: Now that you have an inventory list and a reading schedule, prioritise your reading list. You can do this by deciding which books are most important to read or by moving books with deadlines to the top of the list.
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Set Reading Aides: Setting cues or restrictions can also help you simplify your books. For example, setting a timer or limiting the number of books you can have on the go at once can help you stay focused and on track.
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Re-Evaluate: Don’t beat yourself up if you want to switch books. Re-evaluting your collection every now and again will help you avoid feeling overwhelmed and make sure that what you are reading is relevant to your current goals.
What I’m Reading Now
Now that you know how to simplify and organise your books, here are a few books I’m currently reading:
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The Overstory – Richard Powers: This award-winning novel follows the lives of nine characters, delving into the vibrant web of life that exists outside human existence and exploring the effects that humans have had on the environment.
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The Giver of Stars – Jojo Moyes: Set in the Appalachian Mountains of Kentucky, this novel explores a time long gone as it follows a group of five women determined to have every remote village have access to books.
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The Martian – Andy Weir: This science-fiction novel has been adapted into a movie and tells the story of a man stranded and alone on Mars and his struggle to survive, whilst still finding a way back home.
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An American Marriage – Tayari Jones: A heart-breaking exploration of the intimate and destructive power of love, this novel follows a newlywed couple and their journey through the justice system.
Reading is a great way to escape the stresses of everyday life, gain new perspectives and discover new interests. Taking the time to assess and organise your collection of books can help you make the most of your time and simplify your reading experience. I hope these tips have helped you get organised and have some ideas of what books to delve into. Plus, here’s a list of what I’m reading right now if you’re after some inspiration!
