In a world that constantly demands our attention, where digital distractions pull us in countless directions, the simple pleasure of losing oneself in a book has become something of a forgotten luxury. Yet within those printed pages lies not just knowledge and entertainment, but a sanctuary—a place where our minds can truly breathe.

The Myth of Speed Reading

"The secret to reading more isn't reading faster – it's building reading into your life in clever ways," explains Taskeen Ahmed, Founder of Awesome Books, a UK-based sustainable bookseller that has rescued over 130 million books from landfills since 2003.

Many of us harbour the misconception that to read more, we must somehow accelerate our reading pace—scanning lines with greater velocity, absorbing paragraphs in mere moments. This pressure often transforms what should be a joy into yet another task on our ever-growing to-do lists. But what if the answer lies not in speed, but in strategy?

The Geography of Reading

Consider your home for a moment. Where do books currently reside? Perhaps neatly arranged on a bookshelf, looking rather dignified but ultimately distant from your daily pathways. The wisdom of the ages waits there, but rarely finds its way into your hands.

"Place books where you'll naturally reach for them – next to your bed, by the sofa, in the bathroom, and even by the kettle," says Ahmed. "When books are the closest thing to grab, you'll be surprised how often you pick them up for quick reading sessions."

There's profound wisdom in this approach. By strategically positioning books throughout your living space, you transform idle moments into literary opportunities. That three-minute wait for the kettle to boil? Perfect for a page or two of poetry. The ten minutes before sleep claims you? Just enough time to advance in your novel.

The Liberation of Small Moments

For those who've always considered themselves slow readers, this strategy offers particular liberation. Reading need not be a marathon activity, reserved only for when one can devote hours to the pursuit. Instead, it becomes a constellation of small, nourishing moments throughout your day.

Five minutes here, ten minutes there—these brief encounters with literature accumulate, not just in pages read, but in the quieting of your mind, in the broadening of your thoughts. There's a special intimacy in these stolen literary moments, a different quality than one finds in longer reading sessions.

A Book for Every Mood

The Gentle Art of Reading More: Finding Literary Moments in a Busy World

Our energy ebbs and flows throughout the day, as does our capacity for different types of mental engagement. The seasoned reader understands this rhythm and prepares accordingly.

"Different books serve different moods and energy levels," Ahmed explains. "I always have a lighter read for when I'm tired, something more challenging for when I'm fresh, and an audiobook for when I'm on the move."

Consider building your own literary ecosystem:

For Morning Clarity: Perhaps essays or non-fiction that inspire and inform while your mind is sharp For Afternoon Lulls: Short stories or poetry that can be enjoyed in brief, complete experiences For Evening Unwinding: Fiction that gently pulls you into another world, helping you shed the day's concerns For Transit Times: Audiobooks that transform commutes from wasted time to enrichment

Beyond the Page Count

As you embark on this journey of reading more, remember that the goal isn't simply to accumulate finished books like trophies. The true measure lies in how these words change you—how they settle into your thoughts, reshape your understanding, and perhaps most importantly, how they reconnect you with the quieter, more contemplative parts of yourself that our frantic world so often drowns out.

Reading is not a race but a relationship—one that evolves with each page turned, each idea encountered. Some books will sweep you along at a breathless pace; others will ask you to linger, to ponder, to return to a passage again and again until its meaning fully unfolds for you.

A Gentle Beginning

If you're returning to reading after a long absence, or have always found it somewhat challenging, be gentle with yourself. Begin with works that genuinely interest you, not what you think you "should" be reading. There is no literary police force judging your selections.

Start with twenty pages a day—about fifteen minutes for most readers. Place a book by your bedside and make it the last thing you see before sleeping and the first thing you encounter upon waking. Let reading become bookends to your day, small rituals of literary nourishment.

The Ripple Effect

As reading becomes integrated into the fabric of your daily life, you may notice subtle changes. Your vocabulary expands. Your thoughts become more nuanced. You find yourself with more interesting things to say in conversation. The world around you grows richer as you begin to see it through the multiple lenses literature provides.

And perhaps most precious of all, you rediscover the profound pleasure of deep attention—that increasingly rare state where your mind isn't scattered across a dozen different concerns but fully present with a single train of thought.

In a culture that celebrates constant productivity and ceaseless motion, the simple act of sitting quietly with a book becomes a small but meaningful rebellion—a reclaiming of your mental space, your imagination, and ultimately, your humanity.

So place a book by your favourite chair today. Let your fingers brush its cover as you pass. And when a moment presents itself, open to the first page and step into another world. The journey of a thousand books begins with a single page turned—not in haste, but in appreciation of the literary feast that awaits.