15 Things I Learned From Reading 100 Books In A Year

After reading 100 books in a year, I learned a lot about myself, my reading habits, and why I won’t read that many books in a year again anytime soon. When I first got serious about reading, I was not interested in the process of rating my books. Instead, I decided to use a really simplified version. If I would recommend the book to the right audience, I would give it a star. If I wouldn’t recommend it, no star. Originally, I was afraid that I would overthink a 5 star rating process, but about halfway through the year, I realized that I craved a more nuanced rating system.

I wanted a way to tell a “WOW” book from a “good, but just okay” book. Now that I’ve reached the end of the year, it has been incredibly helpful to see the exact star rating for each book at a glance – especially since I read such a large... I’ve also learned that it isn’t difficult for me to go with my gut instinct on my rating. I don’t overthink it like I thought that I would. While reading 100 books in a year, I only read 5 books in print – and 2 of those were books I read aloud to my kids. My favorite way to read books is using my Kindle Paperwhite.

In 2024 my goal was to read 100 books. Ambitious, I know. I probably won’t be reading that many books anytime soon, but it was so worth it. I learned countless lessons, and through the month of October, I’ll pass along 25 lessons from these books, five each week. I hope that you’re inspired and will check out some of these books! Let’s jump in with lessons one through five.

Asking Better Questions of the Bible — Marty Solomon I learned a new lens through which to read Scripture. Marty says, “If we ask the wrong questions of the Bible, we will always get the wrong answer.” I am learning how to read the Bible for what it is, not what I want... Here are a few examples of the differences between Eastern and Western thought. Mark Twain said, “there comes a time in every rightly constructed boy’s life when he has a raging desire to go somewhere and dig for hidden treasure.” As the youngest brother of a large... Last year I set out on a hair-brained excavating project: I decided to read 100 books in 365 days.

Like any young whippersnapper, I like to test my limits. The 100 book challenge seemed like a way to do so while glimpsing cultures, eras, and parts of the world I hadn’t experienced first-hand, and possibly filling some gaps in my meandering education. What follows is a report from my digging. It’s partly an exhibition of my shovel collection, partly a campfire yarn about the old coins and pottery shards I’ve dug up, and partly a half-finished treasure map. In other words, it’s a chance to brag share what I learned. A note about footnotes: this article is equipped with footnotes and other safety features.

Click these little numbered orange pills to see them → [^1] I had grand plans for a carefully groomed reading list of cultured and intelligent books designed for maximum mental fattening, but it didn’t happen. Embarking on the ambitious goal of reading 100 books in a year was a decision fueled by a desire to reignite my love for reading and challenge my own limitations. As a voracious reader in my younger years, I found that the demands of life had slowly eroded the time I once devoted to reading. This challenge was not just about hitting a number; it was a journey toward self-improvement, knowledge acquisition, and rediscovering the joy of losing myself in stories. Here’s what I learned from this intense, enlightening, and occasionally daunting endeavor.

The most significant lesson I learned was the importance of consistency. Reading 100 books in a year meant averaging just under two books a week. Initially, this pace seemed manageable, but life’s unpredictability often turned it into a formidable task. I quickly realized that consistent daily reading habits were crucial. Setting aside time each day for reading, whether it was 30 minutes before bed or during my morning commute, helped me stay on track. This practice of daily consistency translated into other areas of my life, improving my overall discipline and productivity.

To keep the challenge interesting and avoid burnout, I ventured into genres I previously overlooked. This exploration was one of the most rewarding aspects of the challenge. From science fiction and fantasy to non-fiction and historical biographies, each genre offered unique insights and pleasures. This diversity not only made the challenge more enjoyable but also broadened my perspective and understanding of the world. It reminded me that there are countless ways to see and interpret life’s complexities. While the goal was to read 100 books, I learned that the number was not the ultimate measure of success.

There were moments when I found myself rushing through books just to “check them off” my list, which diminished my reading experience. I realized that taking the time to deeply engage with the material, even if it meant falling short of my goal, was more valuable. Appreciating the craftsmanship of a well-written book and pondering the ideas presented became more fulfilling than merely increasing my book count. Incorporating reflection into my reading routine enhanced the experience significantly. Writing brief summaries and noting my thoughts on each book not only helped me remember what I read but also allowed me to see patterns in my interests and how my views evolved over... This practice of reflection turned reading from a passive activity into an active dialogue with the authors and their ideas.

One of my resolutions last year was to read at least a hundred books by the end of the year. It was, I hoped, a way to expose myself to a number of new ideas and learnings really quickly and iterate to a better version of myself. Why 100? A book a day, 365, seemed excessive, and per week, 52, didn’t seem like a stretch goal. 100 books may be small beans for someone still in school, or who works in publishing, but for a recreational bibliophile, a couple of books a week felt just right. Genre didn’t matter.

The focus was mostly on fiction and non-fiction, however, I also read a bit of poetry, biography, business and self-help. By August 2017, I’d completed my 100th book and was still going, and a year later, I’m still going strong. The practice of intensive, intentional reading in itself is as transformative as the ideas it exposes you to. Here’s what I learned from my year of intentional reading. I initially assumed that reading a couple of books a week would take a lot of time— time I didn’t have. But it rapidly became clear that I had plenty of time; I just wasn’t using it mindfully!

I was already unintentionally reading and consuming a lot of content as I went about my day. For instance, I spent small but eventually significant chunks of time through the day (upon waking up, while commuting, or during short breaks at work) scrolling through social media, reading clickbait articles or getting... Not to mention, all the time spent watching sitcoms or funny YouTube videos or reading email. The combined word count of all this would easily amount to hundreds of books annually. But it just wasn’t the information that I wanted to consume. This taught me that intentional reading is SO important.

So many of us are conscious consumers when it comes to physical well-being— we eat kale, use organic cosmetics and are conscientious with sleep and exercise. But we’re often far less intentional when it comes to the information we put into our minds and souls. Intentional reading helps you reduce the time spent consuming wasteful information that doesn’t serve you (cute animal videos make you happy and don’t count!) and you become more intentional overall. Every book I’ve read last year has changed me a little bit as a person. Be it a hauntingly beautiful metaphor or expertly written scene or a new idea I’d never considered before, every book has been a vessel of personal growth. This growth tends to happen with a lag, days later during post-reading reflection.

I also learned about “bibliotherapy” — reading specific books in a particular order to heal— and appreciate how effective that could be. Every book you read becomes a part of you forever. These days there’s lots of great content in the form of audiobooks, podcasts, Youtube videos, and more. Since “reading” my first couple of audiobooks last year, this late adopter is hooked! Audio really brings books to life, lets you give your eyes a break and even multitask. Increasing the audio speed on apps like Audible makes for a faster, breezier experience, without affecting the content.

My goal for 2021 was to read or listen to 100 books. #dramaticmusicplaying… …and I failed! Jokes aside (even though that could probably also be a great article), I actually did manage to complete this goal. Yes, please send me a gold medal, preferably one of those with chocolate inside. On December 31 at 6.21 pm I finished my 100th book.

Today I would like to share some insights and advice for anyone wanting to read more. I have written the questions myself (sometimes when answering them I forgot that it was really me who had written them and I felt so popular and sought-after) and I’ve tried to summarize the... Let’s go! I have always liked reading but I have also always had great excuses why I didn’t read as much as I wanted where lack of time was one of my favorite excuses. In 2020 I decided to read 50 books which felt reasonable as it amounts to around one book per week. By the end of that year, I had read more than 60 books and that gave me confidence to continue doing it.

Advice no. 1: By accomplishing one goal (big or small), you will get confidence and motivation to set even bigger goals. The first question people ask when I share that I read 106 books in 2024. My recipe for reading a lot of books was equal parts luck and effort. I am a speed reader by nature, so this definitely made this goal more doable. I can read a book cover to cover in mere hours and often have to force myself to slow down while reading.

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