How to Read 59 Books in 2020
I love to read.
Like, I really, really love to read.
Reading is associated with enhanced empathy, stress reduction, and decreased Alzheimer’s risk, among other things. It can help you gain valuable workplace and relationship skills. And it keeps you sharp which is crucial to competing in today’s job and freelancing market.
So after reading 44 books in 2018, I decided my 2019 goal would be to devour 50 books. I blew that goal out of the water with 59 books. Below are top tips to help you boost your brainpower – and more importantly have fun – reading more this year.
How to Read More in 2020
How do I read so much? Here are some of my top tips.
Always Carry a Book with You
At my first elementary school, Principal Haag told us to always carry a book. And, in fact, he always had one in the pocket of his blazer. Now, I always have a book on me – whether it’s a paperback or my Kindle. If worse comes to worst, I can boot up the Kindle app on my phone and read from there. Download a reading app on your phone, and you’ll always have a book.
Become BFF’s with a Librarian
If you’re a voracious reader like me, going to library all the time can be difficult, especially if you’re craving a certain genre at 9pm at night. The Brooklyn Public Library is uses Overdrive, an e-book loan service. You can instantly download free books. For older books, Project Gutenberg has over 60,000 you can read – for free.
My current holds on Overdrive…
(Re-)Discover What You Love
The day-to-day, 9 - 5 can grind anyone down. Remember what you used to love doing as a kid? Grab a book on that subject. From sports biographies to a treatise on the tufted titmouse, indulge in what makes you happy.
Read 2 or More Books at a Time
Some days, you’re in the mood for ramen. Others, you want a crisp salad – or crisp potato chips. Similarly, have multiple books available for each of your moods. Typically, I read two books at any one time: a nonfiction and a fiction book. The different genres ensure I don’t confuse the narrative, and I have something ready for when I need an escape from the daily grind or something intellectually challenging. How do I carry multiple books at a time? My Kindle Paperwhite. It’s super old, but it does the job well.
Spice It Up
Keep your brain on its toes. Read something life-changing in between some shallow romance novels. Inhale your favorite author’s latest book after finishing a dense nonfiction piece. Changing up what you read frequently will help you stay engaged.
Forget ROI
Similar to rediscovering what you love, dismiss your ROI obsession. Every moment of every day doesn’t have to be “productive.” For me, this looks like a ton of fantasy and sci-fi books. Do they make me a more efficient marketer? Not in the traditional sense. Do they relax me, boost my creativity, and make life worth living? You bet.
Audio Books Are Books, Too
Personally, audio books aren’t my thing – but they can totally be yours! Especially for those of you who commute via car or who get motion sickness on the train.
Are you going to Finish that?
Finally, Don’t Force It
I was very intentional this year around not finishing books that I didn’t like. Usually, I muscle through. I very nearly pushed through Jared Diamond’s Guns, Germs, and Steel after reading more than a third of the text. I found myself loathing my Kindle – it was not worth it, despite how fascinating I found the subject matter. You don’t need to finish everything you read. Life is short.
So which books were my 2019 favorites? Check out my recommendations:
Top 3 Business Books
Built to Sell - John Warrillow
This was a personal recommendation from Mike Shreeve, of The No Pants Project. It’s all about how to create a service-based business that can run without you. One of the potential traps for freelancers is working more hours for more income. Very quickly this can become unsustainable.
Getting to Yes - Roger Fisher and William Ury with Bruce Patton
One of my clients held a mastermind event on Martha’s Vineyard last year: Relentless MV. There I was fortunate enough to chat briefly with one of the speakers, Dr. Alaa Murabit. An international negotiator, a women’s rights activist, a medical doctor, and much more, Murabit recommended Getting to Yes and Never Split the Difference for anyone who wanted to become a better negotiator. Getting to Yes helps you negotiate the contract that works best for both sides – no sly tricks or underhanded deals.
Your Money or Your Life - Vicki Robin and Joe Dominguez
Money is key part of being human today. With it, you can move mountains. Without it, your options are quite limited. Your Money or Your Life is a seminal book for the F.I.R.E. movement (Financial Independence, Retire Early) and helps you understand your finances on a much deeper level. It’s a great book for learning how to make the most of what you have.
Top 3 Fiction Books
Annihilation - Jeff VanderMeer
A suspenseful eco-thriller, Annihilation follows a team investigating an alien presence in the middle of nowhere. It has Lovecraftian, gothic horror elements melded with a critique of how humans treat the environment that they depend on for survival. If we are changed by something outside ourselves, have we become something better?
The Traitor Baru Cormorant - Seth Dickinson
Dickinson’s fantasy epic skips over elves and magic for a colonialism and capitalism. Directly reminiscent of debunked pseudosciences (phrenology anyone?), it explores “progress” as the bloody expansion of an empire. Baru decides to play the colonial system for the power to annihilate those who wiped her culture off the map. The problem is can she do that while maintaining her humanity?
Children of Blood and Bone - Tomi Adeyemi
Although classified as a Young Adult novel, Adeyemi’s fantasy tells a coming-of-age story within an oppressive, racist society. Power, brutality, and magic combine for an absolutely stunning piece. Read this book!
What books changed your life last year? Tweet me your rec’s at @TomBasgil.
Below is my full 2019 list:
Built to Sell - John Warrillow
Think and Grow Rich - Napoleon Hill
Your Money or Your Life - Vicki Robin and Joe Dominguez
The 10x Rule - Grant Cardone (I reviewed this book here.)
The ONE Thing - Gary Keller with Jay Papasan
Getting to Yes - Roger Fisher and William Ury with Bruce Patton
Never Split the Difference - Chris Voss with Tahl Raz
Writer for Hire - Kelly James-Enger
How to Write Copy that Sells - Ray Edwards
The Half Resurrection Blues - Daniel José Older
The City of Brass - S. A. Chakraborty
The Kingdom of Copper - S. A. Chakraborty
Children of Blood and Bone - Tomi Adeyemi
The Traitor Baru Cormorant - Seth Dickinson
The Monster Baru Cormorant - Seth Dickinson
Kill the Farm Boy - Delilah S. Dawson and Kevin Hearne
No Country for Old Gnomes - Delilah S. Dawson and Kevin Hearne
Heretics of Dune - Frank Herbert
Chapterhouse Dune - Frank Herbert
Hogfather - Terry Pratchett
Small Gods - Terry Pratchett
Maskerade - Terry Pratchett
Night Watch - Terry Pratchett
Going Postal - Terry Pratchett
Making Money - Terry Pratchett
Annihilation - Jeff VanderMeer
Authority - Jeff VanderMeer
Acceptance - Jeff VanderMeer
Changeless - Gail Carriger
Blameless - Gail Carriger
Heartless - Gail Carriger
Timeless - Gail Carriger
Port of Shadows - Glen Cook
The Strange Case of the Alchemist’s Daughter - Theodora Goss
European Travel for the Monstrous Gentlewoman - Theodora Goss
The Strange Case of the Alchemist’s Daughter - Theodora Goss
Rosemary and Rue - Seanan McGuire
A Local Habitation - Seanan McGuire
An Artificial Night - Seanan McGuire
The Fifth Season - N. K. Jemisin
The Obelisk Gate - N. K. Jemisin
The Stone Sky - N. K. Jemisin
The Bane Chronicles - Cassandra Claire, Sarah Rees Brennan, and Maureen Johnson
Half a King - Joe Abercrombie
Half the World - Joe Abercrombie
Half a War - Joe Abercrombie
The Poppy War - R. F. Kuang
The Sorcerer of the Wildeeps - Kai Ashante Wilson
A Taste of Honey - Kai Ashante Wilson
Magic’s Pawn - Mercedes Lackey
Magic’s Promise - Mercedes Lackey
Magic’s Price - Mercedes Lackey
The Burning Maze - Rick Riordan
World of Darkness: Gypsies - White Wolf
Midnight Circus - White Wolf
Harsh Generation (This is an TTRPG written by Emily O’Neil, my RA at Drew University’s WoCo House. Check it out – the character Tommy the Bear is my contribution.)
Xanathar's Guide to Everything - Dungeons & Dragons
Wayfinder's Guide to Eberron - Dungeons & Dragons
Guildmasters' Guide to Ravnica - Dungeons & Dragons