We’re halfway through the Winter Reading Program! So many people have read so many books, but did you know that reading physical books isn’t the only way to reach your reading goals? There are so many things that count as reading time, and probably many that you already do!
Reading the newspaper
Do you have the Commercial-News delivered to your door? Maybe you prefer to catch up with the New York Times or The Wall Street Journal online. Or you’re fascinated with articles on sites like Substack or Longreads. All of that is reading! Log the time you spend growing your news literacy to earn badges.
Daily Reading Habits
Do you have readings that you have to do for school? Maybe you spend some time regularly reading trade manuals for your job. Or you have a habit of reading a devotional, meditation and/or religious text daily. You can log that in Beanstack to track how much that reading adds up in your life.
Listening to Audiobooks
Listening to an audiobook can activate the same parts of your brain as reading a book. So why not take advantage of having someone read you a story while you do your chores? Or you could learn something new with one of our many non-fiction audiobooks. Listen to thousands of audiobooks for free through the library by downloading the Libby or Hoopla apps on your phone or tablet.
Reading eBooks
The Libby and Hoopla apps also offer thousands of eBooks! Do you find yourself scrolling mindlessly through social media only to find that it’s damaging your mental health? I sure do. One thing I’ve found helpful is to download an eBook and read that at times that I would be scrolling. Give it a try- maybe it will work for you. Plus you can log that reading time and be impressed at how much time you’ve put into a healthy habit!
Listening to (some) podcasts
Did you know there are podcasts out there that read stories to you? LeVar Burton Reads is one of the most popular podcasts, but it’s not the only one! The Writer’s Voice features authors reading their own works. There are also story podcasts for kids such as the charming Julie’s Library from Julie Andrews.
Fanfiction
Do you ever find yourself wondering what happened after a movie ends? Or maybe you were really mad at a choice an author made for your favorite character and you wish you knew what would happen if they did something different. Or you prefer a different couple than the one that ends up together at the end of the series. Fanfiction’s got your back. Chances are, someone on Archive Of Our Own or Fanfiction.net has had the same thought as you and wrote a story about it. Just make sure you have your filters set to the type of content you’re comfortable with and enjoy the ride.
We hope that you’ve found out that you do a lot more reading than you thought you do! And we look forward to seeing more minutes stack up on your Beanstack accounts. Good luck reaching your personal reading goals!
