I read 109 books last year.
Before you ask, yes, I have a job. Yes, I have kids. And no, I do not sleep less than you do.
The secret is that I am almost never reading just one book at a time.
I usually have one physical book that I read before bed and one audiobook that I listen to while doing everything else. There is one important rule that keeps the whole system from becoming complete chaos: the books need to be completely different genres.
Right now, for example, I am listening to the fifth book in the Chestnut Springs series by Elsie Silver while physically reading the thriller This Story Might Save Your Life.
One is a romance. One is a thriller. My brain has no trouble keeping them separate.
That is the entire system.
Read a Physical Book Before Bed
Every night before bed, I read a physical book.
It is my wind-down routine, my ritual, and one of the easiest ways I have found to read more consistently.
I do not need to carve out a huge block of time during the day. I already know that when I get into bed, I am going to read.
Some nights I read for 20 minutes. Other nights I read much longer because I cannot stop turning the pages. Either way, the habit is built into my day.
Right now, my physical book is a thriller.
Listen to an Audiobook While Doing Everything Else
The second I start doing something that does not require my full attention, I put on an audiobook.
That includes driving, cooking, doing my hair, working out, folding laundry, shopping, cleaning, or getting my nails done.
All of those moments become reading time.
Most people have more time to read than they realize. It is simply hiding inside the everyday tasks they are already doing.
A commute can become another chapter. A workout can become an hour of listening. Folding laundry can become 20 minutes with a book instead of 20 minutes spent staring at a pile of socks.
Audiobooks have also become one of my biggest workout motivators. When I am in the middle of a good story, I actually want to exercise because it gives me an excuse to keep listening.
Sometimes the only thing getting me through a workout is needing to know what happens next.
How to Read Two Books at the Same Time Without Getting Confused
The key to reading multiple books at once is choosing different genres.
Pair a thriller with a romance. Read nonfiction while listening to fantasy. Try historical fiction with a contemporary rom-com.
The books need to feel different enough that your brain can immediately recognize which world you are entering.
I have been reading this way for years, and I genuinely cannot remember the last time I confused two storylines.
However, I did learn this lesson the hard way.
There was a period when I tried listening to a psychological thriller while physically reading another psychological thriller.
Both books had unreliable narrators. Both had complicated twists. Both required me to keep track of who was lying, who was missing, and who might be a murderer.
About four days in, I could no longer tell you which character belonged to which book.
It was chaos.
So, trust me on the genre rule. It is essential. Reading one thriller while listening to another thriller may sound efficient, but it can turn into a full-time investigation.
Do Audiobooks Count as Reading?
Audiobooks absolutely count as reading.
The story still gets into your brain. The emotions still hit. The plot twists still destroy you. The only difference is how you are consuming the book.
I have gasped out loud while listening to an audiobook in the grocery store. I have sat in my driveway for 10 minutes after getting home because I could not stop listening. I have gotten strange looks at the nail salon because a Meghan Quinn audiobook narrator made me laugh out loud.
That is reading.
A great narrator can make a story even more immersive. The voices, pacing, emotion, and comedic delivery can completely transform the experience.
Audiobooks are also one of the easiest ways for busy people to read more. You can listen while commuting, exercising, cleaning, cooking, or running errands.
Once you start counting those moments as reading sessions, the books begin to stack up very quickly.
How I Went From Reading 20 Books a Year to 109
I used to read around 20 books a year.
There is nothing wrong with that number, but I wanted to read more without giving up sleep or reorganizing my entire life.
The biggest change was adding audiobooks to the parts of my day that were already occupied by routine tasks.
My system is simple:
Read a physical book before bed. Listen to an audiobook while doing everything else.
Keep the genres completely different.
That is how I went from reading about 20 books a year to reading 109.
I did not find hours of extra free time. I used the time I already had differently.
You Do Not Need More Free Time to Read More Books
A lot of people assume they do not read more because they are too busy.
Sometimes you do not need a completely empty hour. You need to use smaller pockets of time more intentionally.
Read before bed. Listen while driving. Put on an audiobook while folding laundry. Let a good story become the reason you actually finish your workout.
The system does not need to be complicated.
One physical book. One audiobook. Two completely different genres.
That is how I read more than 100 books in one year without sleeping less, ignoring my family, or quitting my job.
Frequently Asked Questions About Reading More Books
Is it okay to read multiple books at once?
Yes. Reading multiple books at once can make it easier to fit reading into different parts of your day. You might read a physical book before bed and listen to an audiobook while driving, exercising, or doing chores.
How do you avoid getting confused when reading two books at once?
Choose books from completely different genres. A thriller and a romance are much easier to keep separate than two psychological thrillers with unreliable narrators and complicated twists.
Do audiobooks count as reading?
Yes. Audiobooks count as reading because you are still following the story, understanding the characters, processing the plot, and experiencing the emotions of the book.
How can busy people find more time to read?
Look for small pockets of time throughout the day. Audiobooks can turn commutes, workouts, errands, cooking, and laundry into reading sessions without requiring you to create extra free time.
How many books can you read in a year using audiobooks?
That depends on your reading speed, listening speed, schedule, and the length of the books you choose. Adding audiobooks to your daily routine can significantly increase the number of books you finish each year.
What are the best audiobooks for beginners?
Fast-paced thrillers, funny romances, memoirs narrated by the author, and books with full-cast narration are often great places to start. A strong narrator can make it much easier to get hooked on audiobooks.
