How to Read More in 2025
Do you need a daily page count?
Longtime readers know that I am a big proponent of writers using a daily word count to stay on track with long-term writing projects. But what about a daily page count for reading?
Matthew Walther’s column about reading a hundred pages a day got me thinking about this habit for the first time. I can reasonably assume that readers of my newsletter like the idea of reading more. And there’s nothing better than holding yourself accountable to a tangible daily goal for making consistent progress. Should you add a daily page count to your daily word count?
The answer for me is “no,” but it is an appreciative no. The reason why is that my professional reading needs are difficult to define by page counts. And my personal reading wants are eclectic and varied by style of reading - most obviously, by the difference between reading print/e-books and listening to audio books.
The great exception in tracking reading is a daily Bible reading plan. I absolutely want to be reading the Bible every day, and I do so through the use of a yearlong Bible reading plan. I use a Bible app and the ESV 1 year Bible reading plan, although recently I have been reading a physical copy of the Bible, just because I like separating this reading from a device.
But as far as reading a hundred pages a day, in a professional sense the daily writing word count is more pressing. It is far easier to segment my writing into professional rather than personal goals. I do virtually no writing for personal edification; I do a load of reading for that purpose.
However, I love the principles behind the daily reading goal. One is that we have to constantly train ourselves to read instead of waste time on social media, phones, Netflix, or whatever else sucks up our “down” time. Think about training yourself to open a book instead of picking up your phone in life’s “in-between” moments.
Another reason I love the daily page count is that it is far better than a goal to read X number of books a month. The reason why is that reading a 1500 page book is just as valuable as reading a 100 page book (all things being equal), and we shouldn’t penalize ourselves for reading War and Peace or The Brothers Karamazov. Daily page counts reward progress in long books just as much as short ones.
Personally, my favorite suggestion Walther makes is to keep a record of all the books you read. This is such low-hanging fruit that I am embarrassed that I have not done it before, but I started this habit around Thanksgiving and I am up to 11 books. I find this incredibly motivating!
There is a question, however, of what counts as “reading” a book. I do not believe that “reading” a book requires reading it word-for-word. This is especially the case for nonfiction. For example, yesterday I read a biography of the notorious Missouri “bushwhacker” William Quantrill.
I used the standard approach I use for most nonfiction books. I am reading it for pleasure and personal interest, but I don’t need to know the nitty-gritty details of (for example) Union troop movements in Missouri during the Civil War. So generally I read the introduction closely, then read the first sentence of each paragraph, unless the author starts talking about something I find especially interesting (for example, things that were happening in Kansas City).
If I had to read the book word-for-word, it would probably take me three times as long to read it, which would be fine, but I just don’t need to do that and I like finishing the book in one day. Audio books virtually require you to read word-for-word, which is also fine, but sometimes I do fast forward through books that are tediously detailed. I find that I need to read fiction word-for-word, because I lose the narrative if I try to skim.
All that to say that I endorse a variety of reading modes, and variety will undoubtedly help you read more. But if you are going to commit to a daily page count, you would need to determine how you count skimmed pages, audiobook pages, etc.
I am hopeful, however, that my new habit of recording the books I have read is a tiny tweak that will pay big dividends this year. If I keep it up I at least will have a much clearer sense of how many books I read in 2025.
“Jimmy Carter’s Most Perplexing Legacy” - my column at The Dispatch.
“The Beechers: A Cautionary Tale for Christian Activists” - my review at TGC.