At the start of 2025, I decided to be more intentional about reading. I set a goal of finishing 50 books by the end of the year.
Well… things escalated.
By the time December 30 rolled around, I had finished reading 85 books. I even surprised myself with how much I fit in the year.
I am a mom of three, and I also have a full-time job. When I told people how much I read this year, the question everyone asked was: How did you find the time?
The answer is simple. I read 95% of my books on my phone. I absolutely love the Libby app because it’s hard to beat free library books delivered straight to my phone. Since my phone is always with me, I could sneak in chapters throughout the day: in the school car line, waiting for grocery pickup, or while holding my sleeping four-year-old. Those little pockets of time added up faster than I expected.
After being immersed in so many wonderful stories, choosing just a few favorites wasn’t easy. There were many I couldn’t put down, but these stuck with me long after turning the last page.
- The Briar Club by Kate Quinn
- The Names by Florence Knapp
- The Kitchen House by Kathleen Grissom
- The God of the Woods by Liz Moore
- Inheritance by Nora Roberts
Also, I didn’t plan this at all, but all five of my top books were written by female authors, which is a happy coincidence I love.
This year taught me that reading more books isn’t about having tons of free time. Instead, it’s about taking advantage of the little moments that already exist, spending a couple of minutes of downtime here and there reading a few more pages instead of scrolling my feed.
Here’s to more great books in 2026, and another year of squeezing in chapters wherever and whenever I can.
