Looking for more time to read? I’m excited to have middle-school librarian and momma Ginger Hewitt with me today to offer tips on how to get it done.

Take it away, Ginger.

My to-read stack never shrinks; like many others, it always grows.  Tackling it takes some creativity and dedication, but I have learned some tricks along my journey on how to read several books at the same time.

My first suggestion is to explore different formats.  I always have an audiobook in the works, an ebook handy and a physical book in my bag—maybe even one on my nightstand too.  I have learned that I respond differently to different formats, so I mix it up.  For example, when choosing audiobooks, I need high-interest reads so that I will stay focused.  Ebooks work well in the dark for traveling and reading in bed because they are back-lit and easily accessible on a smartphone when out and about (think long checkout lines in stores.)  I also have access to an abundance of physical books thanks to libraries and ARCs, so they are easy to keep working through (and probably still my favorite format).

In addition to using multiple formats, I constantly mix up the genres.  I find that when I have a mystery going as an ebook and another going as a physical book, the details tend to get mixed up which results in frustration.  Fortunately my literary tastes vary enough that I have a huge variety to pull from. I want to read award-winners and current favorites, I need to read YA and book club selections, my favorite genre includes travel books/travelogues (books exploring different cultures and places),  and I love to pick up a good mystery and spontaneous finds.  If I’m careful not to overlap subject matter, I have great success with simultaneous reading.

Once upon a time I kept up with my books through Excel spreadsheets, but when I learned about Goodreads I immediately became hooked.  It’s a handy way to set goals, track my reading and see friends’ reviews for comparing notes.

Ginger Hewitt is a middle-school librarian who strives to read at least 50 books per year.  Her three daughters are also avid readers who keep her busy.  They also enjoy music and traveling.