"How much better to get wisdom than gold! To get understanding is to be chosen rather than silver." (Proverbs 16:16, ESV).

Someone recently asked me for advice on how to read more books. They recognized it's wise to acquire wisdom, but struggled to "find the time."

Reading is a healthy habit to develop, especially if you're reading good material. And, no, an hour of Twitter does not equal an hour of reading.

When asked, here were some of my responses:

1. Start each day reading for 15 minutes.

When you first wake up, get your mind and heart moving with a book based on the Bible. I have gone through seasons of reading or listening to an audiobook right when I wake up. It is not a replacement for actual Bible reading, but I find supplemental devotional or theological books helpful first thing in the morning.

2. Disable social media on your phone.

Many reading sessions never start because the reader has to first check Insta. And, often, you can't get out of that rabbit hole until all your potential reading time has been sucked away. My preference is to hack my phone to make it impossible to check social media on that device. The brief 5-10 minute blocks I would've spent on social media are instead spent reading.

3. Disable the web browser on your phone.

This is another form of endless distraction. I know some people have enough self-control to focus even with a web browser in their pockets, but I can't. I believe self-control is a limited asset. And I need to use my self-control elsewhere, so I have chosen to hack my phone to disable all internet browsers. If I have to Google something, it must be done on my laptop. I find this gives me extra minutes for reading.

4. Collect library cards from all over your state.

In California, you can get a library card from any library in the state with only a Driver's License. I have collected almost twenty. And though I never visit the physical location of these libraries, membership gives me access to their online collections. The major collections in California are found at the Los Angeles Public Library, San Francisco Public Library, and Sacramento Public Library.

5. Checkout both Kindle AND audiobook versions of books so you can pick through both to get through the material.

When I check out library books online, I try to grab both the written and audio versions of the book. If I acquire them both at the same time, I use both to help me pick through the book, sometimes listening, sometimes reading.

6. Use the Alexa app to read Kindle books to you where you left off.

One of my favorite apps on my phone is Alexa. I use it for one thing: reading Kindle versions of books to me while I'm on the go. When working out, driving, or hiking, I like listening to various books. I often use Alexa to read out loud while I follow along in the printed version of a book.

7. Cultivate a queue so you know what you'll read once you finish your current book.

Many people get stuck once they complete a book. They don't know where to turn next. Instead of picking up their next book, they waste time searching and ordering or borrowing the next book. I find it helpful to have a list of books I have already borrowed or bought. This helps me pick up the next book the second I finish one.

8. Read 2-3 books at a time, and make sure one is an easy read.

I never read only one book at a time. My reason for this is simple: some books I read aren't good for all-day reading. For instance, in the morning, I would never read a novel, but always want to read something spiritually edifying. But I also find my brain doesn't want to read a systematic theology before bedtime. So I always have 2-3 books going at one time, with one of them an easier and entertaining read (novel, biography). Doing this means I'm less likely to excuse myself from reading because it feels too tiring.

9. Resist adding an infinity of podcasts.

We live in an age of endless podcasts. They are really easy to produce and upload. The market is flooded, and there is always something great and substantive to listen to. But I find they are rarely as substantive as a good book on the subject. So I pick my favs and add no more. Doing so has especially increased my audiobook time.

10. Turn off the television.

I mean, the stats are staggering. Americans watch a lot of TV, a lot of YouTube, and have a lot of screen time. But it creates a great opportunity. Since so much distraction has been aimed right at our devices and televisions, the power button provides us with a one-stop-one-step process for eliminating millions of distractions. Turn off the devices and tune into a book.

11. Set a reasonable goal for you.

Think about your stage of life. Have a realistic idea of how much reading you'd like to get done. But then plan accordingly. Don't say, "I want to read more." Instead, say, "I want to read X amount of books this year." And after you've read a book, add it to a list of books you've finished.

12. Talk about books when with friends.

I've found one great motivation to reading is to talk about books I've read with others. As they tell me about books they've recently enjoyed, and as I do the same, a few things happen. First, great ideas are transmitted between us. We learn from each other. Second, I acquire new book suggestions and add them to my reading list right away. Third, we create a culture of reading. It's positive peer pressure, a reinforcement of a healthy value. It keeps us going.