The Habit of reading used to be more common in the days before the internet and smartphones. Nowadays, the most typical excuse people have for not reading is a lack of time. I am sure you have used this excuse as well at some point. I used to lament my lack of reading books, too, and would usually blame time. However, last year, I read 30 books, a jump from 5 books the year before.

The truth of the matter is that we have enough time to squeeze in a little reading every day, but we choose not to. The reason why we don’t vary from person to person. However mostly, it is due to the overabundance of quick content that we all have access to.

We carry a significant distraction in our pocket all day, and at night we take it to bed too. Yes, the modern smartphone is a perfect catalyst for instant dopamine. You no longer have to read a book to find out what happens at the end. Instead, you can hop on Youtube or Facebook and get your fill in a matter of minutes.

The good news is that with a little self-discipline, you can break out of this instant-gratification cycle. I had grown so reliant on my smartphone that my first instinct would be to check my social media and messaging apps the moment I woke up.

The moment I would have any free time, I would reach into my pocket as if it was an automated function. This realization of my over-reliance on my smartphone was the first step towards more book reading.

I used to breeze through novels in my early teens as if it was nothing. I used to love reading, and because I didn’t have the internet or a smartphone back then, my free time was always occupied by reading.

If I could do it back then, I can do it right now too. Sure, life as an adult is busier, but it’s not as if I am either working or sleeping every single moment of a given day.

If you can relate to any of this, I am sure you want to read more books. You may also be wondering, how many books can I realistically read in a year?

How Many Novels Should I Read in a Year as a College Student?

The answer to this question is not a definitive one. I can blurt out a number such as 50 and be done with it, but it won’t be realistic. Instead, the number of books you should read is the number of books you can read. And believe me, you can read a lot more than you think.

Firstly, if you are working two jobs and attending college at the same time, then sure, I can believe that you don’t have time. In this case, don’t be hard on yourself as you are indeed busy. However, if you find yourself binge-watching Netflix hours at a time or spending hours on social media, you have all the time in the world to read books.

Secondly, the number of books you can read each year also depends on your reading speed to a great extent. Are you a slow read or a fast one? Do you have to reread passages to comprehend them? Do you have trouble with losing concentration during reading?

All these things affect the number of books you can read in a year.

Test Your Reading Speed

A UK optics company called Lenstore has developed a simple little tool to measure your reading speed. It is a simple test comprising of few passages with comprehension questions at the end. Depending on how long you take to read the passage and answer the questions, it will estimate your reading speed.

Go here and take the test right now. It will only take a few minutes. The results are based on the average book length of 90,000 words.

Here are my results:

Although this is not the most accurate assessment of your reading abilities, it is still vastly better than guesswork. It helps put things in perspective and gives you a better idea of what even minimal reading each day can add up to overtime.

In my case, with only 10 mins of reading each day, I can read upto 16 books. 10 Minutes!

With 20 minutes, I can read up to 33 books which is where I am currently. Even if you are a very slow reader, you will still be able to read around 20 books each year with only 30 minutes of daily reading.

Your results will depend on your reading speed, but I can assure you, you can read much more than you think. You only have to do it consistently by making the minimal time required each day. I can bet you; you don’t have to look hard to find 30 minutes each day.

How Do I Avoid the Distractions?

Curb Your Smartphone Usage

As I said at the beginning of this article, your smartphone is your biggest enemy when it comes to reading. You need to regulate your smartphone use and instead try to use your free time more productively. One way that helped me was deleting apps that caused me to use my smartphone the most.

Apps such as Facebook, Twitter, 9Gag, and Reddit. I deleted these because I realized I was wasting away my time and deteriorating my mental health by continually scrolling through meaningless posts that had no impact on my life.

I still use Reddit now and then, but I do it on my desktop computer. However, It’s been two years since I quit all social media, and I have never felt better. I get more reading done and have also managed to learn how to play the bamboo flute. Something I had wanted to do for a long time but never “found” the time for.

Read Books that Truly Interest You

One thing that I tell everyone is that there are no rules to reading. The concept of “must-reads” is a silly and archaic idea that does nothing more than make you feel guilty for not liking a book. Instead, choose a novel that genuinely piques your interest. If you like fantasy, then read fantasy. If you want classic literature, then read classic literature. If you enjoy social commentary, then read that.

You shouldn’t have to read a book just because it is popular or is deemed sacred by the literary community. We all have different tastes, and it is completely fine not to conform to popular opinion.

If you read a book that you find boring, you will be constantly distracted. Nothing defeats distraction like a riveting story.

Make a GoodReads Reading List

GoodReads is the most popular platform for book readers online. It is almost like a Facebook; only it doesn’t have meaningless political fights. Instead, you get to have an organized profile where you can make a reading list and keep track of your reading.

You can search for books, read the premise and the reviews. If you like it, you can add it to your reading list. I have found that when I follow a reading list I am more motivated to finish books. It turns into a game where I cant wait to tick-off a book from the list as you would do on a to-do list.

Moreover, seeing your progress is also a great motivator. Once you make that initial progress and finish a couple of books, you will start picking up momentum.