How I Read Over 80 Books In A Year Thetwentiestraveller

Bonisiwe Shabane

-Nov 1, 2025, 12:30 AM

how i read over 80 books in a year thetwentiestraveller

Over lockdown, many of my friends started reading a lot more, and as it's become a more frequent topic of conversation, I've increasingly been getting asked how I manage to read consistently throughout the... The biggest thing that helps me read throughout the year is that I have a GoodReads Reading Challenge each year. This is a goal that I set for the number of books that I'd like to read in that year. I'm a very goal-orientated person and love a challenge, so for me this is very effective. Throughout the year, GoodReads tells you if you're on track to reach your goal, and throughout my first and second year of university I remember being behind on my goals and using the tracker... One thing that I've noticed, which I've heard various 'BookTubers' discuss, is that this reading challenge can take the fun out of reading for some people.

For me, I set a number low enough that I can read longer books without 'falling behind', and spend my free time in other ways without feeling the need to constantly be reading. For example, in the last three years, my reading challenge goals have been 20, 26, and 40. I end up significantly surpassing my goal each year, but the whole point of the challenge is to be fun. It's definitely possible to read way more than 80 books; there are people who aim for 200+, and there are a myriad of ways to achieve that: you can only read very short books... I want to actually enjoy the books I read, and not feel that I'm rushing them just to hit a target. I use to mainly read physiological thrillers, but after reading a few they become very repetitive, so since starting university I have tried to expand my horizons: as you can see from my GoodReads,...

I also enjoy reading other people's favourite (or highly-rated) books as I think that this can tell you a lot about a person. Image courtesy of Dzianis Vasilyeu via Vecteezy The year was 2020 and I looked up from my phone, realizing I had been scrolling mindlessly on Instagram for over an hour. It was my first experience working from home and I found that I had more time on my hands than ever before. Why was I wasting it on social media? Why not read a book?

I started reading in the morning and during breaks at work. I rented audiobooks from the library. I went from barely reading any books to reading over 80 a year, and I’ve only increased my annual book consumption since then! Two power moves to read more books each year. A quick intro and/or refresher on me. I haven’t always been a reader, a book worm, or whatever you want to call it.

I’ve only been tracking my reading (each book) since August of 2019. I need proof that I’m accomplishing things in life, that I’m moving forward. It’s just how I am – I like to see progress – and I like to look back and see what I’ve read and when. It’s crazy how my reading life seemingly has a different timeline than reality – but that’s for another time/post. I’ve come to love and enjoy reading much later in life than most people who consider themselves “readers.” While I do have an English degree, after I graduated college, I didn’t feel like I... I am definitely the dumbest one of my tribe and the least educated.

I’m also the youngest by six years, so I try to use those extra years to catch up. I read between 55 and 87 books per year (currently at 87 as of 12/28/24). Some of those are on Audible, most are on Kindle, and some are traditional books, so when I say “read,” I mean finish a book somehow. Movies and videos, of course, don’t count. Not that I do much of those – I had to give up most TV watching when I started focusing on my writing. It doesn’t really matter why you want to read more.

You might be trying to improve yourself, like I am, or maybe you’re just trying to fill the time with something more meaningful than the boob tube, or maybe you’re trying to learn something. The fact is, reading is good for you. It’s great for your brain, and even if you’re reading complete fluff, it gives you a sense of accomplishment that binge-watching Netflix doesn’t. I’m not an especially fast reader. I tend to only get through about 15 or 20 novels or non-ficion books in a year. Last year, I really upped my game.

I read 83 books in total in 2024, which was overall more than five times what I managed the previous year! I’m not going to run through every book in this article — perhaps another time. However, perhaps you are thinking of increasing your reading in 2025. Would you like to know what made the difference? What habits I had to develop? And what I gave up along the way?

Here goes. It all started when I committed to reading everything that I’d been given for Christmas — and then did so. I also told people that I was going to read not just those books, but every as-yet unread book that I’d been given as a gift. This morphed into a general goal of spending more of my free time reading. Reading is an amazing journey that changes you and lets you experience worlds beyond our own. Imagine going into 80 different worlds, meeting people with different points of view, and learning a huge number of things.

As a big reader, I’ve dived into more than 80 books this year, soaking up ideas that have broadened my horizons and made my life better. Books are the keys to a world of endless information and wisdom. Their unmatched power to take readers to different times and places while sparking their imaginations is unmatched. Encouraging empathy, improving cognitive skills, and giving people a lot of knowledge and ideas are all benefits of reading a lot. Each type of writing gives you a different set of ideas. From the exciting stories in fiction books to the energising advice in self-help books to the true stories in non-fiction, each type of book has its own lessons to teach.

Fiction helps us understand how other people feel, self-help books help us grow as people, and non-fiction teaches us useful things. Out of all the lessons learned, some have stuck with me deeply. Two books that immediately stand out as remarkable in my reading journey were: “Atomic Habits” by James Clear and “Can’t Hurt Me: Master Your Mind and Defy the Odds” by David Goggins How to Read, Enjoy, (and Quit) 80 Books in a Year First of all keep in mind that some years this will be easier than others!

2022 was a hard year for me to read 80 books. I stopped tracking in July, had a bunch of duds in a row, and by November I had read only 38 books! So I put together the best tips that I use to achieve my reading goals. I am taking my own advice with these tips on how to read 80 books per year. These are not tips on where to buy books, although as an environmentalist, and a book-minimalist, I always find myself recommending the library and second hand book stores over buying new. There are so many sustainable – and accessible – ways to read 80 books every year!

This section is for folks who don’t know what title or author to read next. How do you find new books to add to your TBR – to be read – pile? Where do you look for recommendations? Here are some tips on how to read 80 books per year if finding books to read is hard for you. 1.Join a book club. Being in a book club is one of my greatest goals, and this year I have finally experienced a bit of success!

Every two months we get to vote on three books. The one with the most votes is the one we discuss at our next meeting. So right there is at least 18 books I can add to my TBR pile! If you aren’t already in abook club you can find one through your local library. Simple tricks you can apply to get more reading done Most people don’t believe it when I say I read 80+ books each year.

This wasn’t always the case. I embarked on my reading journey back in school, but then lost track of what I loved doing in college when long evenings spent with a book were replaced with movie nights with friends. Things got worse when I started working, and I trudged on through life like a robot, knowing I missed reading, but unable to do anything to bring back books into my life. And then, at the beginning of 2018, when this void in my chest grew wider, I decided enough was enough. That year, made a pact with myself that come what may, I will read 20 books. By December 2018, I had read 24.

Encouraged by my dedication, I aimed for a rather ambitious 40 books in 2019. I reached this goal by mid-August, and by December, I had read 23,901 pages across 81 books.

How I Read Over 80 Books In A Year Thetwentiestraveller

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