If your New Year’s resolution list for 2026 includes reading more books, you are certainly not alone. It is a perennial favorite for goal setters everywhere. We all want to put down our phones and pick up a paperback, but finding the time and motivation can be tricky in our busy modern lives.
Luckily, BookTok guru Lily, known to her followers as @lilyreads365, has come to the rescue with a practical video outlining exactly how she manages to devour stacks of books every year. Her simple and forgiving advice might be just what you need to turn the page on your reading habits this January.
Lily has built a following on the platform by sharing honest reviews and cozy reading vlogs that make even non-readers want to curl up with a good novel. In her latest video, she breaks down three simple strategies to help her audience conquer their reading goals in the coming year. These are not about speed reading or forcing yourself through dense classics. Instead, they focus on making reading a seamless and enjoyable part of your daily routine.
Choose Books That Bring You Joy
Her first piece of advice sounds incredibly simple but is often the hardest hurdle for aspiring readers to overcome. Lily urges her viewers to read what they actually like rather than what they think they should like. We often get bogged down by bestseller lists or intellectual pressure to read serious literature. If you force yourself to trudge through a dense history book when you would rather be reading a rom-com or a sci-fi thriller, reading becomes a chore. It starts to feel like homework.
Lily puts it bluntly in her video by saying life is too short to read bad books. If you are fifty pages into a story and it is not gripping you, she gives you full permission to put it down and walk away. There is no shame in the dreaded DNF or Did Not Finish pile. By curating a reading list that genuinely excites you, you will naturally find yourself reaching for your book more often because you are dying to know what happens next. Reading should be an escape and a pleasure, not a burden.
Embrace Audiobooks as Real Reading
The second tip tackles a common debate in the book community. Lily insists that you must let go of the pretentious idea that listening to audiobooks is cheating. She argues compellingly that audiobooks count as reading. This format is a game changer for anyone who struggles to find time to sit still. Audiobooks allow you to consume stories while your hands and eyes are busy with other things.
You can listen while you are commuting to work, folding laundry, washing dishes, or walking the dog. By utilizing this format, you can fly through dozens of books during time that would otherwise be spent in silence or listening to the same old music playlists. It turns mundane chores into an opportunity for entertainment and learning. Once you accept that listening is a valid form of consumption, your total book count for the year is likely to skyrocket.
Seize the Small Moments
Her final tip addresses the scarcity of time. Many of us have romantic memories of childhood summers spent reading for hours on end, losing ourselves completely in a story. Adult life rarely affords us such luxury. Between full-time jobs, children, and social obligations, finding a solid hour to read can feel impossible. Lily suggests we stop waiting for the perfect chunk of time and start using the small ones.
She advises keeping a book or an e-reader with you at all times. Use the ten minutes you spend in a waiting room or the fifteen minutes before you fall asleep. Read while the pasta water boils. Those tiny pockets of time might not seem like much on their own, but they add up significantly over a week or a month. By snatching these brief moments, you keep the story fresh in your mind and maintain your momentum.
@lilyreads365 My top 3 tips for reading more in 2026! What are some of the ways you get more reading in? #reader #bookcommunity #audiobooks #bookrecommendations ♬ Sweat and Hustle – The Brazilians of Bossa Nova
The Community Weighs In
The comments section of Lily’s video exploded with agreement and additional tips from other avid readers. Viewers were quick to point out how helpful libraries are in this quest. One user reminded everyone that a simple library card grants access to a huge array of audiobooks through apps, meaning you can listen for free. Another commenter mentioned that borrowing physical library books adds a layer of motivation because the due date creates a gentle deadline to help you finish.
As we head into 2026, these tips serve as a great reminder that reading is a flexible hobby. It fosters empathy, reduces stress, and expands our horizons. Whether you manage to read five books or fifty this year, the most important thing is that you enjoy the journey. Let this be the year you rediscover the magic of reading, one page, one story, and one joyful moment at a time.
