First thing’s first, this post is not a How To guide for how to read Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows in one day. It can be done, I’ve done it but we’re going to take it easy here and take baby steps to the big leagues. This post is for someone attempting to do this for the first time or someone who has attempted this and needs to change tactics in order to succeed. So let’s dive right into it.
Note: You may want to open up How to Read Widely: A Guide in another tab to help you choose what kind of book you’ll be reading in a day.
Pick Your Mood
What’s your mood? Are you interested in a thriller? Rom-com? Fantasy? Memoir? Once you zero in on what you’re actually interested in taking the time to read, then you can narrow down your choices to what you’ll be more inclined to enjoy and finish reading in a single day.
Read a Book in a New Format
Read a book told in verse. Read an epistolary novel. Read a book that’s nonlinear. Choose a book that’s not as straightforward in it storytelling. Don’t know where to look? Especially since you can’t exactly walk through the aisles of a bookstore right now… Try browsing through Goodreads Lists. Type in what you’re searching for and lists will show up in your time of need.
Read A Book Under 80,000 Words
If you can read an average of 10,000 words in an hour, you can read a book that’s under 60k words in under 6 hours. Going by page number isn’t going to work because of the many different fonts, font sizes, and formats across books. To find the word count of a book, visit a website like Accelerated Reader Bookfinder, and begin your search!
To make your search even more fun, consider reading a book that’s under 80,000 words and has been adapted into a movie or television show. This way, you have a movie or season one of a TV series to look forward to watching after you’ve read the book.
Listen to an Audiobook Under 12 Hours
Audiobooks are expensive, so I recommend checking out an audiobook under 12 hours from your library. With the Overdrive/Libby apps, you can download audiobooks right onto your smart phone, tablet, or listen in your web browser.
Audiobook Sync also allows you to legally download select books each week for its teen program. This runs every year from late spring through the summer.
Tip: You can adjust the speed of your audiobook to go slower or faster if you feel the default speed is not to your liking.
Tip: If you’re looking for a nonfiction read, a memoir in particular or a humor book, many of these audiobooks are narrated by the author. This is especially the case if the author is a celebrity. I find these audiobooks to be the ones that I can focus on and zoom right through the easiest. This may help someone else, so thought it worth mentioning!
Tip: If you like the audiobook narrator, go to audible.com and search their name to see what other audiobooks they have narrated. With the momentum of finishing the first book in a day, you may find your second!
Read/Listen At Every Free Moment
If you’re listening to an audiobook and know how to multitask, you can listen while getting ready in the morning, while making and/or eating breakfast instead of watching TV. You can listen while you walk or drive to the supermarket and wait in line. You can listen/read while you’re at the laundromat. You can listen while tidying up your home. You can listen while taking a much needed walk for air and exercise.
Always Have Your Book With You
If you always have the book that you are reading on hand, there will always be a way to continue reading when there is time to do so. Every spare minute that you find you can use here.
Plan Ahead
If you plan on taking a day to simply read, make sure that you are in an area where there are little to no distractions. Silence your phone or put your phone on Do Not Disturb. Also, know what you’re going to eat for the entire day so that you can prepare accordingly and not take up more time than necessary to figure out what to eat/cook/order.
Participate in a Read-A-Thon/Book Club
If you search on Twitter or Instagram, there is bound to be a read-a-thon happening or taking place soon. Read-a-thons typically take place over one day or one weekend. Read Alongs typically take place over the course of a handful of weeks so instead of a read along, I’d suggest seeking out a book club, which will typically ask you to read the book in advance on your own time before coming together to talk about it. You can find book clubs on social media, Goodreads, and by googling what virtual book clubs are in your area. Word of mouth or even starting your own book club works too!
So that’s it! Those are my tips on how to read a book in a day! I hope you enjoy the book that you choose to read in a day! I will be listening to the audiobook for the memoir, Inside Out by Demi Moore (which is just under 7 hours).
Happy reading!