I used to go through periods where I’d read constantly, but these days I’m much more of a casual reader. Between work and everything else life throws at me, I don’t always have time to sit down with a 300-page book. Over time, I’ve realized that reading more isn’t about finding huge blocks of free time—it’s about making reading fit naturally into the time you already have.
If you fit reading around the rest of your life rather than structuring your life around reading, you’re not alone. The good news is that a few simple changes can make it much easier to read consistently, even with a busy schedule. In this guide, I’ll share practical tips for making time to read, along with seven apps that help remove common barriers and make those habits easier to stick with.
Table of Contents
- 8 Ways to Make Time to Read
- 1. Stop Waiting for the Perfect Time to Read
- 2. Match Your Reading Format to Your Schedule
- 3. Set Small, Realistic Reading Goals
- 4. Always Know What You’re Reading Next
- 5. Give Yourself Permission to Quit a Book
- 6. Make Reading Easier Than Scrolling
- 7. Let Different Types of Reading Count
- 8. Get More Value From the Time You Spend Reading
- 7 Apps That Make These Strategies Easier
- How Will You Make More Time to Read?
8 Ways to Make Time to Read
Between work, family, errands, and everything else competing for your attention, it can be difficult to find long stretches of uninterrupted reading time.
The good news is that you don’t need to overhaul your schedule to read more. Instead, focus on removing the small obstacles that make reading harder than it needs to be. These strategies can help you make time to read, whether your goal is to finish more books, learn something new, or simply enjoy reading again.
1. Stop Waiting for the Perfect Time to Read
One of the biggest mistakes people make is treating reading as something that requires a quiet afternoon or an uninterrupted hour. For most people, those moments don’t come around very often.
Instead, look for small pockets of time throughout your day. Reading for 10 or 15 minutes with your morning coffee, during your lunch break, while waiting for an appointment, or before bed may not feel like much, but those sessions add up surprisingly quickly. A few pages each day is far more sustainable than waiting for a free afternoon that never arrives.
The goal isn’t to find more time—it’s to make better use of the time you already have.
2. Match Your Reading Format to Your Schedule
Rather than trying to squeeze every book into the same format, think about how different types of reading fit different parts of your day. The more flexible you are, the more opportunities you’ll find to make reading part of your everyday life.
If you’re driving to work, an audiobook may be the easiest option. If you have 10 minutes between meetings, you might prefer reading an article or a book summary. And if you’re winding down before bed, an ebook or paperback may be exactly what you’re looking for.
3. Set Small, Realistic Reading Goals
Reading doesn’t have to mean finishing a book every week. In fact, setting ambitious goals can make reading feel like another obligation instead of something you enjoy.
Start with a goal that’s almost impossible to miss. Read for 10 minutes a day, finish one chapter each week, or read a few pages before bed. Small goals build momentum, and, once reading becomes part of your routine, you’ll often find yourself reading longer without even thinking about it.
4. Always Know What You’re Reading Next
One surprisingly common reason people stop reading is decision fatigue. When you finally have a few free minutes, you don’t want to spend them researching books, reading reviews, or trying to remember recommendations from months ago.
Instead, keep a running list of books, authors, and topics that interest you. That way, when you’re ready to start something new, you can jump straight into reading instead of wondering what to pick up next.
5. Give Yourself Permission to Quit a Book
Many people continue reading books they’re not enjoying simply because they’ve already invested time or money in them. Unfortunately, that often leads to reading less altogether.
Not every book is the right fit at the right time, and that’s okay. If a book isn’t holding your attention, put it down and try something else. Reading should leave you wanting to come back tomorrow—not feeling guilty about another unfinished chapter.
6. Make Reading Easier Than Scrolling
It’s easy to reach for your phone whenever you have a few spare minutes. The challenge is that social media often becomes the default, even when you’d rather spend that time reading.
Reduce the friction by making books just as easy to access. Keep an ebook on your phone, leave a physical book somewhere you’ll see it every day, or queue up an audiobook before your next commute. The fewer steps it takes to start reading, the more likely you are to choose it over scrolling.
7. Let Different Types of Reading Count
Reading doesn’t have to look the same every day. Some days you might have time for several chapters of a novel. Other days, a thoughtful article, an audiobook chapter, or a nonfiction book summary may fit your schedule better.
Rather than thinking of these formats as substitutes, treat them as different ways to stay engaged with books and ideas. Giving yourself that flexibility makes it much easier to maintain a reading habit through busy seasons of life.
8. Get More Value From the Time You Spend Reading
When reading time is limited, it’s natural to want every session to feel worthwhile. One way to do that is by revisiting the ideas that stood out to you instead of moving straight to the next book.
Reviewing highlights, taking a few notes, or thinking about how a new idea applies to your own life can help you remember more of what you read. Instead of measuring success by how many books you finish, focus on how much you take away from the time you spend reading.
7 Apps That Make These Strategies Easier
| App | Why It Helps You Find Time to Read |
| Libby | Gives you free access to ebooks and audiobooks, making it easier to try books without pressure |
| Audible | Turns commutes, workouts, and chores into opportunities to read |
| Shortform | Helps you efficiently learn key ideas from nonfiction books |
| Goodreads | Keeps track of your reading list so you always know what to read next |
| Medium | Provides thoughtful articles you can finish during short breaks |
| Readwise | Helps you remember what you’ve read through quick highlight reviews |
| Bookly | Builds a consistent reading habit through small, manageable goals |
There are hundreds of reading apps available (including these top 10), but not all are designed to help you make time to read. For this list, I focused on apps that make reading easier, more flexible, and more enjoyable for people who want to get the most out of short reading sessions.
Each recommendation was selected based on one or more of the following criteria:
- Accessibility: Easy to get started, even if you’re returning to reading after a long break
- Flexibility: Features that let you read or learn in different formats and during short pockets of time
- Time-saving features: Tools that help you get more value from your reading without requiring hours of commitment
- Habit-building tools: Features that encourage consistent reading without creating pressure or unrealistic goals
- Overall experience: Apps that are intuitive, reliable, and enjoyable to use
I’ve chosen the following apps because each one solves a different challenge that can make it difficult to find time for reading.
1. Libby
- Best for: Borrowing ebooks and audiobooks from your local library for free
- Where to download: iOS, Android
- How it helps you make time to read: It removes the pressure of buying books, making it easier to explore new titles whenever you have time to read.
If you only finish a handful of books each year, spending $15 or $30 on a title you may never finish can make reading feel like a bigger commitment than it needs to be. Libby removes that barrier by letting you borrow ebooks, audiobooks, and magazines from your local library—using nothing more than a library card.
I use Libby whenever I’m interested in a book but not convinced I’ll finish it. Instead of buying it and feeling guilty if it sits on my shelf, I can borrow it first and see if it hooks me. As someone who goes through phases of reading a lot and then barely reading at all, it has become my favorite way to explore new books without feeling like I’m wasting money.
2. Audible
- Best for: Listening to books while commuting, exercising, or doing chores
- Where to download: iOS, Android
- How it helps you make time to read: It turns everyday activities into reading opportunities, so you can make progress through books without needing dedicated reading time.
One of the biggest reasons people struggle to read more is that they wait for the “perfect” time to sit down with a book. But, for many casual readers, that uninterrupted time rarely appears. Audible solves this problem by helping you fit books into moments that are already part of your routine. Whether you’re driving to work, walking your dog, cooking dinner, or cleaning the house, you can keep making progress through a book without opening a physical copy.
Audible is especially worthwhile if you enjoy biographies, memoirs, or nonfiction narrated by the authors themselves, since hearing the author’s voice often adds another layer to the experience. If you primarily read ebooks or prefer seeing text on the page, however, another app on this list may be a better fit.
3. Shortform
- Best for: Learning from nonfiction books when you have limited reading time
- Where to download: iOS, Android, Web Extension
- How it helps you make time to read: It helps you spend your limited reading time engaging with ideas that matter most to you.
A busy schedule can make it difficult to work through a long nonfiction book, especially when you want to understand the author’s main arguments, supporting ideas, and practical takeaways. Shortform creates comprehensive guides to bestselling nonfiction books that explain the core ideas, provide additional context, challenge the author’s arguments when appropriate, and include exercises to help you apply what you’ve learned. Shortform’s Chrome web extension also summarizes YouTube videos and articles to save time when watching and reading online.
I’ve found myself using Shortform more as my reading habits have changed. There are weeks when I don’t have the time—or the energy—to sit down with a full business or psychology book after work, but I still want to engage with new ideas. Shortform helps me make the most of the reading time I do have, whether I’m exploring a new topic, deciding which books I want to read in full, or revisiting ideas from books I’ve already finished.
👉 Want to try Shortform? Sign up for a five-day free trial.
4. Goodreads
- Best for: Organizing your reading list and discovering your next book
- Where to download: iOS, Android
- How it helps you make time to read: It makes it easier to start reading by keeping track of books you’re interested in before you have time to pick one up.
When you have only a few minutes to read, the last thing you want to do is spend that time searching for your next book, trying to remember recommendations, or deciding what sounds interesting. Goodreads acts as a personal reading hub where you can keep a “Want to Read” list, track books you’ve completed, rate your favorites, and discover recommendations based on your interests.
One of the things I appreciate most about Goodreads is that it remembers my reading life during the times when I don’t. I’ll go several months without finishing a book and then decide I want to start reading again. Instead of trying to remember all the books people have recommended to me, I already have a curated “Want to Read” list waiting for me. It makes getting back into reading feel effortless and helps me spend less time deciding what to read and more time actually reading.
5. Medium
- Best for: Reading thoughtful articles when you don’t have time to commit to a full book
- Where to download: iOS, Android
- How it helps you make time to read: It gives you meaningful reading material that fits into short breaks throughout your day.
Not every reading session has to involve a full chapter or long stretch of uninterrupted focus. Sometimes, reading a well-written article is exactly what fits your schedule. Medium is home to thousands of essays and articles on topics such as productivity, psychology, technology, creativity, business, and personal development. Many pieces take just five to 15 minutes to read, making them ideal for a coffee break, lunch break, or a few quiet minutes between tasks.
Another advantage of Medium is the variety of perspectives you’ll find. Instead of committing hours to a single book, you can explore different ideas from experts, journalists, and independent writers. If an article sparks your interest, it can even introduce you to books, authors, or topics you may want to explore later.
6. Readwise
- Best for: Remembering what you’ve read long after you finish a book
- Where to download: iOS, Android
- How it helps you make time to read: It helps you get more value from your reading time by making it easier to revisit and remember important ideas.
Long gaps between books can make it difficult to remember what you’ve learned. You might finish a great book, highlight an important passage, and then never return to those ideas again. Readwise helps solve that problem by collecting your highlights from Kindle, Apple Books, Instapaper, Pocket, and other reading apps and then resurfacing them through daily reviews. Instead of letting valuable ideas fade over time, you’ll revisit them in small, manageable sessions.
Readwise is especially useful if you enjoy collecting ideas from the books, articles, and essays you read. It also integrates with popular apps such as Shortform, Notion, Obsidian, and Evernote, making it easier to organize and review your favorite insights. While dedicated readers often use it as part of a larger knowledge management system, casual readers can benefit simply by taking a few minutes each day to reconnect with ideas they’ve already discovered.
7. Bookly
- Best for: Building a consistent reading habit without feeling pressured
- Where to download: iOS, Android
- How it helps you make time to read: It helps you create a realistic reading routine and celebrates small reading sessions instead of focusing on big goals.
It’s easy to think of reading as an all-or-nothing hobby: either you’re finishing dozens of books a year or you’re not reading enough. Bookly takes the opposite approach. Rather than encouraging marathon reading sessions, it helps you build a habit by tracking your reading time, pages read, completed books, and reading streaks. Reading for just 10 or 15 minutes counts as progress.
The app also provides personalized statistics, reminders, and reading goals that you can adjust to match your lifestyle. Because those goals are customizable, Bookly works well whether you want to read every day or make reading a more regular part of your week. Instead of focusing only on how many books you finish, focus on recognizing the progress you’re making and building a routine that fits your schedule.
How Will You Make More Time to Read?
Small changes—such as reading for a few minutes each day, choosing a format that works with your schedule, keeping your next book ready, and focusing on what you take away from each session—can make reading feel much easier to maintain.
The right app can support those habits by removing common barriers, but the most important step is finding a way to make reading feel natural and enjoyable. Whether you read one chapter a week or listen to books during your commute, the best reading habit is the one you can keep coming back to.
FAQ
How can I make time to read when I’m busy?
You don’t need hours of free time to read more. Look for small opportunities in your existing routine, such as listening to an audiobook during your commute, reading a few pages before bed, or keeping a book available during short breaks. Consistency matters more than the length of each reading session.
How do I build a reading habit?
Start with a goal that feels easy to maintain, such as reading for 10 minutes a day or finishing one chapter each week. Keeping your next book ready, reducing distractions, and using tools that make reading easier can help you turn occasional reading into a regular habit.
Can reading apps help me read more?
Reading apps can make reading easier by removing common barriers. Some help you find books, some make reading more accessible through different formats, and others help you remember or engage with what you’ve learned. The most useful app is the one that supports the way you naturally like to read.
Can reading apps help me read more?
Reading apps can make reading easier by removing common barriers. Some help you find books, some make reading more accessible through different formats, and others help you remember or engage with what you’ve learned. The most useful app is the one that supports the way you naturally like to read.
What’s the best reading app for busy people?
The best reading app depends on what makes reading difficult for you. Audible is helpful if you struggle to find time to sit down and read, Libby is useful if you want free access to ebooks and audiobooks, and Shortform helps you explore nonfiction ideas when you have limited time.
What’s the best app for casual readers?
Casual readers often benefit from apps that make reading more flexible and easier to return to. Libby and Audible help you access books in different formats, Goodreads helps you keep track of what you want to read, and Bookly can help you build a consistent routine without feeling pressured.
How do I get back into reading after a long break?
Start with something that genuinely interests you instead of something you think you “should” read. Shorter books, audiobooks, articles, and book summaries can all be good ways to ease back into reading without making it feel like a major commitment.
