How to Build a Reading Habit That Actually Sticks (Even If You’re Tired, Busy, or Just… Over It)

We have all seen them — the YouTubers, the bookstagrammers, the TikTokers casually holding up a stack of 20 books with captions like “What I read this month!”. And honestly? Good for them.

But also… WHATTT? 20 BOOKSSS! I mean, don’t you have something called…life?

Anyway, if you are remotely like me (and so many others I know), just finishing one book a month can sometimes feel like a miracle. Not because we don’t love reading but because there’s life throwing its crazy tantrums every second of the day. There’s just so much in the world, jobs, kids, college, family, endless digital distractions. Not to forget the “guilt trip” right before we go to sleep and the aimless scrolling on social media apps.

This isn’t a list of hacks from a reading coach or a productivity guru.
It’s a real-life reflection — a personal collection of things that helped me fall (and stay) in love with reading despite a full-time job, digital distractions, and occasional slumps.

So, my dear reader, if you’ve ever:

• Felt guilty about not reading “enough”
• Tried to force yourself through a popular book you didn’t enjoy
• Got stuck in a reading slump and couldn’t climb out
• Thought reading just wasn’t “your thing” anymore

…then this might be exactly what you need.

The biggest mistake I see people make when trying to get into reading is picking up a book that everyone is raving about… and secretly hating it. And then blaming themselves.

I’ve done this too. I’ve forced myself through books I “should” have liked because they were all over BookTok or the Goodreads Choice Awards. Spoiler: that’s a fast track to reading slump and it feels ironic to be in a reading slump when you have just started reading your first book.

I recently posted about five books from different genres, each one super beginner-friendly, click here.

When I first got into reading, I picked up Othello — yes, Shakespeare — but it wasn’t the original play. It was a simplified summary version with colored illustrations and easy language, something made for younger readers. I didn’t understand the themes and great ideas back then but the book clicked. It was a story, I loved the story, and it made me fall in love with the fictional world.

And that’s all you need to begin: something that clicks, that makes you fall in love with the book you are holding in your hands.

Years later, when I wanted to build a reading habit again, I knew not to overthink it or check the hyped-up books. I randomly picked up The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho from a stall. Then I read Too Late by Colleen Hoover. Yes, these are a bit controversial and weird choices, but both are incredibly easy to read, not ideal, but definitely addictive. That’s what got me hooked again. Since then, I’ve read classics, literary heavyweights, and everything in between. But the start? That was easy, almost embarrassingly so — and it had to be.

I always get asked: “Do you read on Kindle or physical books?” The answer is both. And audiobooks too. And PDFs when I have to. If you want to know about my top-five reads of the last year, click here.

I love the feel of a real book, I mean, who doesn’t? But I would be lying if I said Kindle hasn’t saved my reading habit more times than I could count. It is fast and portable. I can highlight passages in the dark and read on the go. If you have a Kindle or any e-reading app, use it. And if you don’t, physical books are still magic.

Realistically, with a job, school, family or just being a functioning human being, there are only two times in the day that make sense for reading: first thing in the morning or right before bed. Personally, I prefer nights — something about ending your day with a story feels right, like you’re tucking your brain in with a good dream.

I do have reading goals. I try reading at least one book a week. But I also don’t panic if I fall behind. Some weeks are heavier. Some months are slower. That’s fine.

If I ever hit a slump, I return to my comfort trick: short books and thriller reads. They are like espresso shots for your reading rhythm — quick, satisfying, and confidence-restoring.

I have written about 5 amazing short reads, in case you need some book recs.

Here’s my two-step method for choosing a book:
I read the blurb and then I read the first sentence. That’s it.

If the blurb intrigues me and the first line doesn’t immediately make me want to shut the book, I give it a shot. Sure, some books take 20–30 pages to get going, but the tone? The voice? That’s all right there in the first line.

Also, I never rely on hype alone. I follow a few bookstagrammers and YouTubers whose taste aligns with mine — Jack in the Books, Kritii Sachan, Francesca for thrillers — but even then, I always do my little test first.

There will be reading slumps. Sometimes, life gets too loud. Sometimes, your brain just doesn’t want to read.

When that happens, I take a break. I watch movies. I binge a show. I let stories find me in other forms. And then, when I am ready, I come back — sometimes to a new genre, sometimes to something familiar. Thrillers usually work like magic when I need to reboot.

Reading is not a competition. It is more like a relationship with its quiet spells and rekindling moments.

The fact that you want to read more shows that you are a reader, just out of practice. You don’t need to finish 100 books a year to “qualify.” You just need to connect with what you’re reading.

Whether it’s a Kindle on the train, five pages before bed, or binge-reading a thriller on a lazy Sunday — it all counts. And when you fall out of rhythm? You can always start again.

Here’s a quick read based on the viral urban legend Edward Mordake: The Man with Two Faces that blends the horror tale with real psychological themes. If you enjoy it, chances are you’re into fiction more than you think.