I talk about reading a LOT. It's a hobby of mine but it's also an important tool I use in my Spiritual growth. Because I read a lot and talk about it a lot, I get a ton of questions about reading and the best ways to fit it into a busy homemaker's schedule. 

I get it. It can be really hard to fit any reading time into your already too busy and too full schedule. But I want to encourage you to try and find a few minutes in your week to invest in a good book. Reading is so life giving and encouraging to me that I sorely miss it when I get out of the habit. 

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This week, I got a question from someone inside my online training academy for homemakers. As I was thinking of how to respond, I decided I had too much to share on the topic and wanted to record an episode for you since I know others will have the same/similar questions. She said, 

"Jami Reading question! How do you choose where to start? There are so many books and ebooks and audiobooks I want to read. I'm also the type who doesn't like to have more than 2 books at a time (one nonfiction and one fiction - although I never read fiction anymore). How do you decide what's most important to begin with? Pick an area of study (motherhood, parenting, hospitality, etc.) and focus down for a month at a time? Hop around?" 

I'm honestly not sure I'm the right person to answer this question since my Goodreads account since my Goodreads account currently shows I'm in the middle of 12 books! I'm not good about staying in one book at a time...but maybe that's just my personality ;) 

How to Choose Where to Start 

Are you ready for my brilliant advice? Don't think - just grab a book and start reading! I think sometimes we make this far too complicated. We procrastinate and get overwhelmed when we think of all the books out there that we really want to read. 

So walk over to your bookshelf  - or open your Kindle app - and give yourself about 30 seconds to grab a book. Then start reading!! 

Follow a reading plan:

I know sometimes if you are trying to expand your reading and want to read different things, it's easier to follow someone else's plans. So here are a few suggestions to breathe new life into your reading plans: 

2017 Christian Reading Challenge for Women (my very own plan!)

Tim Challies' 2017 Reading Challenge (this is what inspired MY reading plan)

Modern Mrs. Darcy Reading Challenge 

Set up Categories:

Another fun idea is to pick 4-6 categories for yourself and cycle between then. For example your categories might be 1) Christian Living/Theology 2) Biographies/History 3) Biblical Womanhood/Homemaking 4) Marriage 5) Parenting 6) Fiction

Then add 5-10 books to each category that you've always wanted to read. Start with category 1) Christian Living/Theology. Go to the your reading list for that category and pick the first book. Read that one, and then move on to category 2) Biographies/History. Read the first book on your list and then move on to category #3, etc. 

This is pretty much what I do and it allows me to cycle through different kinds of books! I'm reading more fiction this year and I tend to get really sucked into fiction books so I make sure between series to read several other non-fiction books before jumping into my next fiction series. 

Pros: The pros of this reading plan is that your reading is varied. You get your face in many different subjects and you are diversifying your ...