Reading lists are scarier than to-do lists, don't you think?

There are just so many amazing books out there and several more are being written/published this very instant. You know that you can never get through all of them. But to never have finished at least some? That's a regret waiting to be felt, one that you can forestall by reading more and reading smart with the following tips.

Get Your List Right

Each of us has different reasons for picking up a book. We read for pleasure, gathering information, finding answers, passing time, knowing ourselves, understanding life, and more. Often, it's all of these reasons.

Learning something interesting about a book can hold your attention, even if there was little or none to begin with. Use this curiosity to build up your reading list, book by book. Seek recommendations, read online reviews (watch out for spoilers), hunt for popular book lists online, and visit the library. To avoid content fatigue, ensure that your final selection has a good mix of genres.

Goodreads is an excellent community to be a part of if you are (or want to be) into books. Sign up for an account and take advantage of these Goodreads tips to make better reading choices.

Find Your Sweet Spot

Ever since I switched back from ebooks to printed ones, I have been reading more. That's because when I'm not reading on a digital device, I don't feel the urge to check email or see what's up on Twitter. I feel less distracted and I just read.

Would you rather curl up on the couch with a paperback or read from a glowing screen or listen to someone reading aloud to you? While you might be equally comfortable with printed books, ebooks, and audiobooks, one of these three media might be your favorite. Stick to it whenever possible as it can take you from "zero" to "absorbed" faster.

Also, keep your current read handy at all times, even when you're stepping out. You never know when you'll get the opportunity to sneak in a few pages of reading.

Bring In A Book Buddy

When it comes to doing what you say you will, having an accountability partner can work wonders. Find someone who is also on a mission to read more books. Compare notes. Motivate each other. Join a book club together. Take up a reading challenge. A little competition never hurt anyone, right?

Children are good at holding you to your promises, so partnering up with a kid can keep you on track with your reading. You get to savor a book and guide someone through the fascinating world of the written word. If your child is averse to reading, technology can make reading fun for him, and for you too.

Read Everyday

Given that we lead such packed lives, it's difficult to find time to read for hours at a stretch. With standalone articles, website feeds and such, you can dip in and out of your reading material anytime. But keeping up with a book — even a short one — to its very last page requires dedication and concentration. If you leave too much of a gap between your reading sessions, you can get distracted, forget the plot/context, or even lose interest midway.

If you're serious about reading more books, you must turn a few pages every single day. Based on your routine, set aside some time for reading a book from your list. Better yet, fix a time and place for your daily date with your book. No matter what kind of reading you want to get on with, Saikat's tips for reading daily can be of great help.

Travel photographer and popular blogger James Clear reads more than 30 books a year using a simple system to read more. His secret? Reading at least 20 pages per day.

Skip Speed Reading

Speed reading has its advantages. It's great if you simply want to absorb facts, get the gist of the content, or have a deadline to meet. But the joys of reading a book that you want to read come from losing yourself in its pages, and not from getting through so many words per minute.

When you look back on all the books that you have read, what will stay with you is how they made you feel and what they made you think about. Read more books, but don't do it to get past some golden number or to just get it over with. To be a happy reader, be an engaged reader.

Go Read!

No amount of revising and rearranging your reading list will help you get through it. Only reading will. Now go put a dent in that list. We promise it will be fun, and more so if you turn into a librocubicularist.

We'd like to know what's your secret for reading more?

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