Books I Am Reading in 2023 + 10 Tips to Help You Create More Time to Read

Growing up, I loved books. I read all the time. But, unfortunately, somewhere between reading for grades in college, going to graduate school, working a full-time job, and being a full-time mom, I stopped having time for my first love, books. So I decided that this year, I would recommit myself to reading. Reading is self-care for me.  It is one of the ways that I relax and pour into myself.

In addition to recommitting myself to reading, I am also committing to supporting Black women authors. While I selected various genres, all of the books on my 2023 reading list are written by Black women.

Check out my book list below

Books I am reading for 2023:

We Should All Be Millionaires: A Women’s Guide to Earning More, Building Wealth and Gaining Economic Power by Rachel Rodgers

Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi

Influencer by Brittany Hennessy

Say It Louder! Black Voters, White Narratives and Saving Our Democracy by Tiffany D. Cross

Everyday Magic, The Joy of Not Being Everything and Still Being More than Enough by Mattie James

Kindred by Octavia Butler

You Can’t Touch My Hair by Phoebe Robinson

Becoming by Michelle Obama

10 Tips for reading more books in 2023

Set a specific goal

Decide how much you want to read and set up a timeline or a schedule to help you reach that goal. For example, I have committed to a minimum of two hours of reading per week. Two hours divided by seven days equals a little over 17 minutes of reading today. Therefore, reading for 17 minutes daily is a reasonable and realistic goal.

Make a list of books you want to read.

Trying to decide what to read is half the battle, hence my list. Having a list of books you want to read will make it easier to decide what to read and how much time to devote to it.

Cut out distractions

Turn off the TV, mute your phone, and turn off your notifications to eliminate distractions. For example, when reading a physical book, I try to read early in the morning or after my children go to bed to eliminate distractions.

Create reading time in your daily routine.

Schedule a few minutes in the morning or evening for reading. I also enjoy using audible while completing chores to help me accomplish my goals.

Read in short bursts.

Instead of trying to read for long periods, break it up into smaller chunks. As I said earlier, 17 minutes a day is more than reasonable.

Listen to audiobooks

I discovered audiobooks last year, and I absolutely love them! Audiobooks are a great way to get through a book quickly and easily. In addition, I love how audiobooks allow me the opportunity to multitask. For example, I can load the dishwasher and be listening to a book at the same time. I often listen to my audiobooks when I am driving to work. I love when I can kill two birds with one stone.

Read books in public.

Take your book to a park or a cafe and read for a few minutes whenever you have some spare time. I typically work from home but go to the office once a week. So on my lunch break, I love to go to a park and read. It’s peaceful.

Join a book club

A book club can help you stay motivated and provide accountability. I recently joined two. Being a member of a book club

Take advantage of technology.

Use a kindle and other digital tools to make reading more convenient.

Have fun with it

Whether reading fiction or non-fiction, reading for personal development, or learning, reading books should be enjoyable. Focus on books and genres that you like and can relate to, and you can be sure that you will be doing more reading.

What book are you most excited to read this year? Let me know in the comments.