I wrapped up my reading year with seven books in December – more than a quarter of my 2015 reading.
Part of this was the break: a few days away can do wonders. But another big part was chain-reading. Like chain smoking, it’s using the last book to get started into the next book.
Here are a few of the important circumstances that I think make it more likely that you can start chain-reading.
- Time. It doesn’t need to be much, but it needs to be consistent.
- A book list. You can’t dither when you get to the end of your book: you need a clear next book or at most a few top choices.
- Speed. The whole book doesn’t need to be read fast or at once, but you need to finish at speed, so your momentum can carry you into the next book.
I love the feeling of a good chain-reading groove. I’m doing my best to keep this chain going into the new year.