Life is loud.

Not always in the obvious ways. Sometimes it’s not the ringing phones, busy schedules, or endless to-do lists. Sometimes it’s the noise inside your own head.

Mine rarely stops.

I’m constantly planning, worrying, making lists, solving problems that don’t exist yet, and replaying conversations from three days ago for absolutely no reason.

For years, reading has been my escape hatch.

Not because my life is terrible. Quite the opposite. But books give my brain somewhere else to go for a little while. They slow the spinning and quiet the noise.

People often ask me how I read so much, and the truth is that I don’t have hours every day to sit curled up in a chair with a book.

I just learned how to find the little moments.

The Three Best Micro-Moments for Reading

1. The Waiting Moments

Doctor’s offices. Car line. Waiting for an appointment. Standing in line somewhere.

Most people immediately grab social media.

I grab a book.

Even five or ten minutes adds up over a week. Those tiny pockets of time have helped me finish more books than I can count.

2. Before Bed

Even if I only read one chapter, I try to end the day with a book instead of scrolling.

Some nights it’s ten pages.

Some nights it’s fifty.

Either way, it helps my brain settle down before sleep.

3. Morning Coffee

Before the emails, before the notifications, before the day starts asking things from me.

Even ten minutes with a cup of coffee and a book feels like a gift.

It’s not about how much I read. It’s about starting my day with something I enjoy.

My Current Carry Book Strategy

I’ve learned that the easiest way to read more is to make sure I always have a book available.

My strategy is simple: I always have one audiobook going and one paperback being read.

The audiobook is there for driving, chores, inventory work, or those moments when my hands are busy but my mind wants a story.

The paperback goes with me almost everywhere. It stays in my purse, in my car, or tucked into whatever bag I’m carrying that day.

That way, if I find myself waiting somewhere unexpectedly, I don’t have to scroll social media. I can pull out a book and read a few pages.

I don’t wait for the perfect reading moment anymore.

I just stay prepared for the small ones.

My Audiobook Habit

Audiobooks have become one of my favorite reading tools.

I listen whenever I can, but especially when I’m alone in the car or home by myself.

I listen while driving.

I listen while doing chores.

I listen while organizing inventory for Wandering Novels.

I listen when my hands are busy but my brain wants a story.

Years ago, I thought audiobooks somehow “didn’t count.”

Now I laugh at that.

Stories are stories.

Reading is reading.

And audiobooks have helped me experience books I never would have had time to sit down and physically read.

What I Stopped Doing

The biggest change wasn’t finding more time.

It was changing what I did with the time I already had.

I stopped reaching for my phone every time I had a few free minutes.

I stopped scrolling social media while waiting for appointments, standing in line, or sitting in the car.

Those little moments may not seem like much, but they add up quickly.

Instead of filling every spare minute with scrolling, I started filling some of them with reading.

And honestly, I’ve never regretted finishing a chapter. I can’t say the same for social media.

Life probably isn’t going to get quieter anytime soon.

Mine certainly isn’t.

But I’ve learned that books don’t require silence.

They just require intention.

And for me, making time to read has become one of the best gifts I can give myself.

📚 What’s your best reading hack?

How do you find time to read when life gets busy? I’d love to hear your favorite tips in the comments.

🌙 Until the next chapter,

Julie

Wandering Novels