We are four days into 2024. Typically with the new year comes new strategies on how to accomplish things we’d like to do. I’ve already had multiple conversations with others about what they plan to read this year. Towards the end of December, I typically sketch out my reading for the following year. I thought it might be helpful to share some tips that I have discovered that help me to be intentional in my reading.

By intentional reading, I mean having specific books I want to read for specific reasons, as opposed to randomly picking up books and hoping for the best. When I think about what I’ll read for the next year, I mainly focus on non-fiction books. This is not to say that fictional reading cannot be intentional reading, only that the bulk of my reading is non-fiction. I’m intentionally looking to learn about something, grow in a particular area, or challenge my thinking.

For this reason, the following tips will probably be most helpful in your efforts to read non-fiction books.

Looking for something to read? Check out my newly updated Recommended Books page.

#1-Make a plan

Many people want to read more, but few people stop to think about how they will actually read more. Intentional reading requires planning. The plan can be as simple or as detailed as you like, but the point is that you have specific direction for your reading. I use a spreadsheet to plan my reading for the whole year. I input each book’s information including category, title, author, number of pages, start date, completion date, publisher info, and book format (hardcover, ebook, etc.). Then I organize them in a way I think I’ll want to read them. The category I assign to each book allows me to look at books that cover similar topics and either group them together or space them out, depending on how I want to engage with them over the year. Once I finish a book, I have a pretty good idea of which one I’m reaching for next.

#2-Change the Plan

Wait, you just said to make a plan and now you’re saying to change the plan? Yes, I make a plan. I also know I’ll change the plan. My plan doesn’t govern me; it guides me. When I plan my reading, I try to sketch out the order in which I’ll read my books. But how I think I’ll read them in December and how I actually read them throughout the year can sometimes be very different. I’m not locked into my plan. One of the reasons I like the spreadsheet is that I can easily make changes. I can change the order, add books, stop reading if the book is not worth finishing, or just delete a book altogether. Can I always do any of these things anyway? Yes. But, knowing ahead of time that I will change the plan means I don’t feel guilty when I do change it, and my plan serves me rather than shackles me.

#3-Read By Chapters

You might naturally do this, but it took me a while to figure it out. Every time I sit down to read, I try to read at least one full chapter before I put the book down. This accomplishes two things. First, it propels me through the book. If there are 10 chapters, then I can finish the book in 10 sessions. Second, it helps me follow the author’s argument (assuming there is one) because the chapter focuses my attention on the particular thing addressed in that chapter, and I read it all at once. As a bonus, I’ll often finish a chapter and then move right into the next chapter once I see how it’s connected to what I just read. In keeping with this tip, I’ll usually not put the book down until I finish that next chapter. You can see how this would propel me through the book even faster with a better understanding of what the author is actually saying. Reading by chapters helps me to trace the argument the author is making.

#4-Trace the Argument

Authors use arguments to make their point. Good authors use good arguments to make their point compelling. Reading intentionally means I try to use all the clues the author (and the publisher) give me to understand the point the author is making and the arguments used to support that point. I read everything I can on the outside of the actual book itself including the subtitle, back of the book, and dust jacket flaps. Don’t skip the foreword, preface, and introduction. They serve to give the context needed to follow the author’s argument. The table of contents is my best friend when tracing the argument. It gives me clues as to what arguments the author will use and how they will be arranged. When I finish a chapter, if I’ve lost the flow of the argument, or just haven’t picked up the book in a while, I’ll refer back to the table of contents to get my bearings. Typically, I’m referencing a well-written table of contents all the way through the book.

Even if I disagree with the author’s conclusions, I want to make sure I understand the argument. If I’ve finished the book, and I’m not sure why the author was writing or what arguments were used, I haven’t read the book well and can’t really agree or disagree. Tracing the argument as I read helps me to read well.

#5-Track Your Progress

Whether we’re working on a project or attempting a new diet plan, we like to track our progress. Seeing how much we’ve accomplished helps motivate us to continue working towards our goals. Reading is no different. Once I have my plan (see #1), I use spreadsheet functions to track my progress. Using simple functions that count and sum, I can easily track how many books I’ve read, the number of pages completed, and the average length of the books I’m reading. I also track how long it took me to read a book. This enables me to look back over the year and see how I used my time. Once all of my info is entered for the year, I use two columns with checkboxes to indicate which books I’m currently reading (usually more than one) and which ones I’ve competed. The checkboxes are the only thing needed to interact with the spreadsheet, and then all the calculations automatically follow. At the end of each year, I duplicate the sheet so I don’t have to redo all of the formatting, and just change up the books for the following year.

If you’re not savvy with spreadsheet functions, here’s a google sheet you can use as a template. The functions are already entered, so all you need to input is your book information, and then use the checkboxes to track your progress. You can add color, borders, or whatever other formatting you want to make it enjoyable to use. I added a few sample books so you can see how it works. If you enter the start dates and completed dates, it will automatically calculate how many days it took you to read the book.

#6-Make Some Notes

I used to read without noting anything. When I look through those books now, I have no idea what caught my attention or what I might have wanted to refer back to later on. The more I’ve read, the more I find it helpful to jot some things in the margins or underline some things. More recently, I moved to a highlighter, as my underlining looked more like a 3-year old did it with one eye closed. Making notes helps me to trace the argument and sometimes just to pay attention if I’m struggling to follow the thought, especially in an older book. Now when I flip through a book I’ve finished, I can see what caught my attention and how I was responding at the time when I read it. Inside the cover, I note the completion date, so I know at what point in my life I was reading that particular book. Additionally, for hardback books, I usually write a few notes and takeaways inside the front cover. It’s worth considering that if you plan to sell most of your books once you’re done reading them, you may not want to write in them at all, or only with a pencil that can be erased later on.

#7-Surf the Wave

The 19th-century preacher Charles Spurgeon famously said “I have learned to kiss the wave that throws me against the Rock of Ages.” I am not referring to surfing that wave. What I mean is to focus your reading on what is occupying your thoughts. Whatever is capturing your mind and occupying your thoughts as you move through life, find solid books addressing those topics and read them while the focus is fresh. This could be practical areas such as marriage, parenting, and work; or particular theological concepts such as conversion, church, and sin. Over the years, I’ve found that my reading is most fruitful and most productive when I’m reading along with that wave of interest, rather than fighting against it and trying to read something else. This doesn’t mean that I read on a whim. But it does mean that I’m prepared to jettison my plan for a period of time as I experience things that shape my life, hold my attention and draw me to read certain things.

I don’t want to read just to read. I want to read to help me live for God’s glory. In reality, making a plan is my effort to generate waves in a particular direction that I believe will help me do that. But sometimes waves that are generated by life’s circumstances governed by God’s providence are much more forceful and fruitful than my planned waves. When that happens, and my attention is drawn to particular subjects, I surf those waves for the glory of God.

Happy reading in 2024!

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For some suggestions on what to read, check out my newly updated Recommended Books page.