Lily Snyder

There are lots of reasons to read. We read for fun. We read to appease our curiosities and learn about topics we’re interested in. Sometimes we have to read for work and sometimes we read to change the work we do.

It’s for this reason everyone should have a year long reading goal. All the books that pop up on the best seller lists and social media feeds come and go. Instead of telling yourself you’ll remember to get them later, add them to your list.

You can keep a list of books to read as a list on your phone (or old school notebook). You could add them to a Goodreads list. If Goodreads adds too much pressure to read and record every book, create an Amazon list instead (like this one). Add books to your wish list as you come across them.

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Today’s Challenge: Start a year long reading list

Pull out a notebook and pen (or your phone) and start writing down all the books you want to read this year. Break them into categories or a single list. The goal is start it.

What to add to your reading list:

• Books from industry experts
• Books from must read lists in your industry
• Recommended reading from peers on social media
• Professional journals and magazines
• Books clubs

Book clubs can get a bad rap but I had a great time taking park in the virtual reality book club last year. I was introduced to new books and had the opportunities to hear straight from the authors! I remember the books we read in the VR book club more than others because I took the time to write highlights and take part in the discussions.

After finishing a book…

Ok, maybe you didn’t finish the whole book. That’s ok. There are a few reasons I’ve stopped reading books; the writing was bad, the book wasn’t about what I thought it was, or the information wasn’t what I needed.

There are plenty of ways to read and life is too short to be spent slugging through a book you can’t stand.

To lock in a book after reading it (or during reading it), try the following:

• Write a book review with key themes and discussion points. You could do this on your blog or social media platform of choice. The good thing about this is that it can spark conversation with your network.
• Review and discuss as you go. I did this when I read Augmented Human. I broke the book down into three parts which made it more manageable to write about and reference later.
• Keep a reader’s journal. Record the title, author, memorable quotes, and most important facts as you see them. I use the reader journal from Bibliophile (pictured above) to keep track of my books.

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