Last year, 2025, was the first year I actually hit my reading goal. I looked back on what I changed to make that happen, wondering why it felt so easy this year compared to previous ones. In 2024 my goal was 24 books, I fell short with only reading 19. So for 2025 I made my goal only one more, 25. I read 30 books. The goal for 2026? 40. Yep, I feel so confident in my reading habits that I have bumped my goal up by 10 more books.

The answers might seem obvious, but here are some of my do’s and some don’ts that pushed me to upping my reading goal for the new year.

Do’s and Don’ts

DO read books that you actually enjoy.

DON’T force yourself to read a book because you see it’s trending on TikTok right now.

Explanation: I’m sure there has been plenty of times that you see a book is viral on social media. It seems that every single girl is swooning over the main male character (mmc) or crying over the biggest heartbreak they’ve ever read. Your interest is peaked! You go out and purchase said book and are so excited to read it! Only to realize you just wasted $20 on a book that you didn’t even end up finishing. Or, say you do finish it, and guess what? It has sent you directly into a book slump. Do not pass go, do not collect $200.

It’s not 100% fool proof that you won’t EVER read a book that you inevitability don’t like or that makes you fall into a slump. But, if you know you have a genre (or two or three) or maybe an author (or two or three) that are guaranteed to write a 5 star book in your humble opinion, it’s not going to hurt if you stick with said genres or authors. Dip your toes into new worlds, new fantasies, you don’t have to dive head first into the unknown and uncharted territories.

DO read at your own pace

DON’T feel the pressure to skim books to mark more as read

The amount of people I have learned that just skim a book to mark it as read just to up their total books read in a year is wild to me. Someone put months and endless of hours into writing out these elaborate stories, just for you to skim it? For you to brush off the details and effort? Nah.

Enjoy the details, google the new words you are learning, immerse yourself in the world you hold in your hands. What I have always been told, slow is fast and fast is smooth.

DO read with whatever media you prefer (physical, e-book, audio)

DON’T let people tell you what is or isn’t reading

In my humble opinion, reading is reading. Whether you are reading the physical print, downloading it on your e-reader, or enjoying the text from someone else reading it to you. Everyone is different and has different preferences or abilities to consume books! It could be preference, you might be a busy mom and the only way you can enjoy a book is listening on audio while cleaning the house. Or maybe you have dyslexia and the audio or using the dyslexic font on a kindle are your only ways to enjoy and digest the book.

Personally, I am a kindle girly through and through. I love the convenience of having a book fit in my purse and I can bring it with me wherever I go. ESPECIALLY at night. To be able to lay on my side and read my book without my fingers hurting holding open the pages? Nothing can beat that.

DO read what you feel like reading

DON’T force yourself to stick to a TBR

One thing that I learned is when I gave myself a monthly tbr, I simply didn’t read. I think the pressure I put on myself to read just those books turned me away from the enjoyment of reading. Maybe it’s because I am such a mood reader. I mostly pick out my next book when I am nearing the end of my current one. I keep telling myself I should stray away from thrillers for a while because that’s all I have been reading, but why should I force myself to read other genres when I am clearly having fun with what I am currently reading?

Maybe soon I will wander away from thrillers, but when is up in the air.

These are just a few of my dos and don’ts that have allowed me to read and enjoy so many books each month. There are plenty more that I follow, like limiting my screen time, allowing myself to DNF a book, and others like that. But these that I mentioned above are the true driving forces to being a successful reader.