How to Find and Read More Great Books

I read a lot of books, typically somewhere between three and four a month.  I scan probably another 10-15 in a given month that I don’t end up reading.

As a result, I talk about the books I read in almost every conversation, not because I’m trying to show off but because it’s how I draw connections between a thought in the current context and perhaps some other seemingly random event. What typically follows is a question something like “How do you read as much as you do?”

How to Discover Great Books

Here’s my process for discovering new books to read.

  • I listen to a lot of podcasts, most notably the Tim Ferriss Podcast. Almost every guest he has on has a raft of books that have shaped their life. There are epic episodes like his interview with Kevin Kelly or Reid Hoffman that provide a year’s worth of reading in one sitting.
  • I have people in my news feed for the same reason. Brain Pickings, Seth Godin and others are prolific readers and are constantly recommending new content to read
  • I have a monthly meeting with 5-6 people who I’ve put in my life to challenge me professionally. Part of our meeting every month is dedicated to going around the room and sharing the best content they’ve seen / read / listened to in the last month.
  • I ask almost everyone I run into what they’re reading or what they’ve read that’s interesting. Fellow readers will always offer this up, most of the time without me even asking.

Selecting Which Books to Read

As soon as I hear about a book that sounds interesting, I have a process for queuing it and evaluating. It goes something like this:

  • I immediately go to Amazon and get a sample delivered to my Kindle. I at any time have a huge list of unread samples on the list.
  • Periodically, perhaps a day a week, I’ll go through and read all of my samples.
  • If I don’t like the sample, I immediately delete it and move on.
  • If I like the sample, I then have a choice to make: Buy it for Kindle, buy the audio, or get it from the local public library. Raleigh, NC has an amazing public library system, and we live about 5 minutes from a big branch. I can get any book from any branch shipped to my branch in a number of days.
  • The decision about how to consume it is based on the following evaluation:
    • How compelling was the sample, and do I want to read more right now? If yes, Kindle it is.
    • Do I think I’ll read this more than once, or want to take a lot of notes? If yes, Kindle again.
    • How long is the book? If it’s super long, many times I’ll get the audio version and listen to it while driving around town or on car trips.
    • If I think I’ll only read it once, and the library has it, I take this option. It’s free, and if I end up loving it, I can always get it in some other format.
  • If I take the library option, I immediately reserve it online and have it shipped to my branch if not there. By doing it right then, I don’t get lazy or forget to read it. There’s nothing quite like a book sitting on my table to nag me into reading it.

Finding the Time To Read

The axiom that you find time for the things you care about is certainly true for me in this case. I love to read, and as such I create space for it. In a typical day I’ll do the following:

  • Read for 30-45 minutes first thing in the morning
  • Listen to audio books driving to and from any and all appointments
  • Finish off my non-fiction reading for the day with at least an hour at night
  • Read 30-45 minutes of fiction as the last thing I do before turning out the light
  • On the weekends, I might spend 2-3 hours on a Saturday or Sunday reading in addition to the above

I watch almost no TV during the week, with the exception of some occasional sports stuff. This change alone is almost singlehandedly responsible for my reading habits.

Nearly everyone I know whose opinions and views on life I respect and hold dear are avid readers. I decided a while ago that if I was going to be in the mix, reading was one of the things I had to do to remain relevant. I also happen to love it.

I hope my methodology helps you become a more avid reader, and I’d love to hear any similar methodologies from you in the comments.

Happy reading!