I read a lot. Like, a lot a lot. It’s one of the main things people know about me. I read 168 books in 2025, and I’ve read 79 in 2026 as of today. (“Today” being August 10^th. Last finished: We Have Always Lived in the Castle. Currently reading: Ancillary Justice.)

^{Look, sometimes you just need to read about intense co-dependency.}

Because reading any amount has suddenly become controversial because women are doing it and because I never stop talking, I thought I would share my thoughts on the matter.

DISCLAIMER: I am a writer. Reading is part of my job. I read more than the average person for whom reading is not part of their job. I will mention this again below, but please do not compare your numbers to anyone else’s, because it could be that reading is a part of their job.

Thought #1: You Need a Reason to Read This Much

I wish I could say I was surprised that reading has gotten competitive, but I’m not. We’ve gamified everything in the 21^st century, from weight loss to dating to, yes, reading. Some of this is good, great even—how many people have opened up a new world for themselves learning on Duolingo?—but as they say, the dose makes the poison, and too much gamifying of anything inevitably ruins its target.

If you’re someone who aspires to read a lot—or even more than you do now—and get anything out of it, you need a reason beyond “number go up.” Not only are there so many easier ways to achieve this generic kind of dopamine hit, it gets old after a while and isn’t very intrinsically motivating. Why do you, specifically, want to read more?

In my case, I’m a writer myself. I have a couple of short pieces published and would love to have more, so I 1) love reading anyway, but also 2) treat it as a part of my job. I structure it more than an ordinary hobby because I want, for example, to be well-versed in genres I write in and to be able to talk to other authors about their works if I go to events or signings. Your goal might be:

• To catch up on the classics you skimmed in school
• To read the women and writers of color who weren’t on those classics lists but should have been
• To learn about up-and-coming authors in your country
• To connect with specific people in your life
• To really understand current science fiction trends
• To finally “get” poetry or Shakespeare

Or something else entirely. Heck, your goal could even be to get off your phone more. But it’s not “to read more books than other people I know.” That doesn’t do anything for you.

Thought #2: Your Book Choices Will Get Better

Sometimes I think I’m over-generous with my book reviews. I give a lot of five stars, and when I give 4 stars, it’s often because either I thought the ending was rushed or because the author made a mistake in my niche field of expertise (recent, hopefully vague gripe: sign language is language and has been around as long as people have been communicating). Sometimes we equate being more critical with having better taste, being more discerning.

However, as you read more, you’re going to naturally develop a better sense of your own taste. The first thing you’ll probably figure out is what genres, authors, and time periods you like. Maybe you love historical fantasy or can’t read anything written before the 1850s.

Then you might pick up on whether you tend to align with reviewers—do you get all your best reads from specific recommenders? Do you tend to agree with the majority opinion on GoodReads? I’ve found, for example, that out of all the major literary awards, I tend to most enjoy those on the Booker prize longlist, so I keep an eye out for that every year.

Then you pick up on the marketing itself. How do the words “intergenerational family saga” make you feel? Would you rather read a book described as “atmospheric” or “fast-paced”? What if the cover is a photo of a woman in period clothing with her back to the viewer?

Disclaimer that the only one of these I’ve read is The Second Life of Mirielle West, and I liked it! I’m not dogging on any particular kind of book.

Sure, sometimes we hate-read, or read the biggest thing in the zeitgeist to see what the hype is about, or we read something outside of our preferred genres to understand why we don’t like it. But over time we get better at choosing things for ourselves, and our average ranking should go up. That means you’re more discerning, not less.

Thought #3: Maintain a Balance

Friends and family know I read multiple books are once, and ask how. The answer is pretty simple: create distinct categories for yourself, and never read more than one from a single category at a time. My categories are as follows:

• Literary/contemporary fiction (anything “real-world-based”)
• Speculative fiction (science fiction, fantasy, horror)
• Nonfiction
• Middle grade fiction (since I’m writing one)

It’s also helpful not to read two super-dense books at the same time. Even though they’d technically fall into different categories, I wouldn’t pick up Cryptonomicon at the same time as Les Misérables.

Thought #4: Books Are Objects

Duh. But seriously—books are things. They are not sacred. (Some, obviously, are, but that’s not what we’re talking about here.) I have recycled many a book in my time. There are a lot out there, and the more you encounter, the more likely you are to run into ones that are outdated, offensive, or exist in excess. The great news is, they’re made of paper! Recycle!

I also don’t worry about keeping books pristine. I have an ARC that looks like it’s been dropped in a pool after being dragged around an international trip with me, and I love it. It was a good book, and it looks worn in and loved. Other books in my collection have cracked spines, ripped or missing dust jackets, and so on. I have a copy of The Great Gatsby where you can just pop the first two chapters right out. They’re just things, and it’s rewarding to use your things and know they’ve been loved and had a good life.

If you’re still feeling anxious, for $50 I’ll run over the most expensive book in your collection with my Nissan Altima. It’ll still work just fine as a book afterwards.

Thought #5: Keep Life in Mind

I’ve been “fortunate” in 2026 that my health has kept me in the house and given me more time to read. However, I wouldn’t recommend neglecting exercise or sleep just to hit a reading goal! (Okay, I’d stay up late every once in a while.)

You, a person, are more important than a book. Even a really, really good one.