How I Read 50+ Books a Year at 16

Hi, my name is Stephanie Froebel and I am a senior in high school who on average reads 50+ books a year. 

I haven’t always been a 50+ book a year reader, but reading has definitely always been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. I was the kid in elementary school who read for fun (and now I’m the teenager in high school who still reads for fun). My version of stress relief is going to the bookstore with my grandma and buying 4-5 books in a single visit. Barnes and Nobles was and still is my bonding activity with my grandmother. We share books, constantly talk about our current reads, and wish we could read more. Our TBR (to be read) piles are 10+ books high, yet we are still complaining we have nothing good to read. 

Now I wouldn’t say I’m a huge reader, though it may sound like I am comparing me with the direction my generation is headed. I am still not a huge fan of summer reading or reading books for school so I’m not that different... right? 

Anyways, the reason I am here typing away is to share why I enjoy reading so much and how I am able to do it in a world where reading is starting to become obsolete. 

My first and foremost biggest tip is to...

Read What Interests You

If you are not a big reader, or even a casual reader, your only experience reading may be those required by your teachers and professors. Those books can be good, but heavily analyzing literature is not particularly fun for most people nor is it light work. Reading does not have to be a workout for your mind. Light and fluffy literature like YA romance can be just as much the move as a 1000+ page Steven King horror novel. It just depends what you are interested in. 

My best recommendation to finding your genre is to cover shop. Yes, yes, I know people always say “don’t judge a book by its cover,” but the cover is the first impression of the book. If you hate the cover, your first impression may be to hate the book. 

Another important thing to look at is font size and page count. People make it seem like the small font 500+ page books are the only literature that is ‘noble’ to read, but that cannot be further from the truth. Reading for pleasure is not about showing off that you are well versed in Shakespeare and frequent Moby-Dick as your choice when you’re on the beach. 

If you want to read more, you should be reading what you can actually understand and follow. If that is old English, congratulations, but I think I will stay in the more recently published section. Some of my favorite pick up genres are YA romance or women centered WWII historical fiction. YA romance is typically a quicker read and I can pop through those stories so fast while really connecting with the characters. WWII historical fiction is for me both education in the intricacies of war for all different types of people, but they also serve as a good stories about sacrifice, fear, and courage. 

Make Reading a Habit

For me to read, it is less about reading large quantities at once, but rather picking up my book everyday. Some days I’ll read 10 or so pages and other days I will read over 100. It really depends. 

The key to reading more is replacing your decompression habits with reading because reading for fun should be a way to relax. For me, I try to always read before bed. Instead of watching YouTube videos or Netflix, I try as much as possible to replace those urges with reading (especially when I am on a digital detox and those media outlets are not currently an option).

Don’t Force Yourself to Read a Bad Book

The biggest struggle I often bump into on keeping my reading on track, is starting a book that is boring and hardly enjoyable. More often than not I push through, but I am here telling you don’t follow my actions. We only have one life in this world and too many books to get through. So wasting your time on a bad or mediocre book is simply not worth it to you. If the book is terrible, and you’re 50 or so pages and can’t bear to read anymore, PUT IT DOWN! 

You may think you wasted your time if you get 50 pages in and quit, but if you are firmly confident you do not like the book, you are wasting more time by reading more of the book (take your own advice, Stephanie, good gracious). 

Track Your Reading Progress

For me, a big motivator to reading more is tracking how many books I have read so far (also in comparison to my friends). I use a website and app called Goodreads which allows me to set yearly reading goals, see if I am on track, review and rate books, and see updates on my friends’ reading as well. There are a lot more features on this website so I highly recommend anyone who wants to start reading more to check it out. 

Here’s my profile if you want to friend me on there

Book, E-Book, Audio Book

There are a ton of different ways to read now, so finding which works best for you will reduce the friction between you and sitting down to read. 

Some people are suckers for the standard hardback book. They enjoy the sturdiness of the cover and the book sleeve that can also double as a bookmark. (I am not one of those people).

Some love a paperback book with matte covers and strong glue binding. (I am a paperback girl).

Some love the freshness of a book right off the bookstore shelf, and others prefer a book that has been read many times over by other people.

Others prefer to read on their tablets and phones with apps like Kindle, or some like to listen to a book read to them with audio books. For audio and ebooks, I recommend using your public library to get access to a large selection of books that you can digitally borrow. Audiobooks can get pretty expensive, going for the free route is definitely better for digital reading.   

Have Fun

Reading is supposed to be enjoyable, so don’t stress if you aren’t reading fast enough, or are finding it difficult to focus. Reading is a skill like any other hobby, so over time you will become a faster reader and more focused on the content. 

Stressing while reading is no way to enjoy reading more. Allow yourself to fall into the story and escape from the world you are currently present in. It sounds a lot easier than it is, but allow the worries and stresses of everyday life to subside for a bit as you take this time to read. The time is yours.