Reading Extraordinaire, Kait O'Connor - An Interview

I am both extremely jealous and proud that my friend, Kait O'Connor, has already finished her Goodreads Challenge of reading 50 books...and it's only October!

Obviously I take reading pretty seriously, but I can't imagine packing in that much reading into only ten months!  Since Kait is clearly an all-star reader, I thought we could all use some insight into how she accomplished this, and hopefully get a few tips!

How did you choose your reading goal of 50 books?
It's a goal I've been working toward for a few years now,  I usually only make it into the 40s before the end of the year though! I chose 50 because I figured it would be challenging but not unrealistic.

What is a typical day, week, and month of reading like for you? 

I figured out to hit my reading goal I'd need to read about a book a week, so that's usually what I aim for. Depending on the length of the books, however, I can sometimes get through 2 or 3 a week.

How did you read so much in such a short time? 

I try to read whenever I have the down time to do so. I recently started a new job in Manhattan, so the commute provides me with about two hours of reading time every day.

What’s your strategy for choosing books? 

I follow a lot of "bookstagram" accounts (Instagram accounts who post mainly about books), as well as most of my favorite authors. I use the bookmark feature on Instagram to save books that look interesting that other accounts post, as well as books recommended by different authors. The New York Times books section is also a really great resource for finding books that are new but maybe not getting as much attention on "bookstagram."

Best and worst part of doing the reading challenge? 

I enjoyed the challenge because it got me to really focus on reading more than I have the last few years. I've been doing more reading since January and watching considerably less TV. The worst part was probably that it did take some of the fun out of reading. Because I was reading on more of a schedule, it felt less like a hobby and an escape, and more like work.

Favorite and Least favorite books you read this year? 

My absolute favorites were The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah, A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara, The Outsider by Stephen King, and Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell. The only two books from this year that I really didn't enjoy were The Damned by Tarn Richardson and MacBeth by Jo Nesbo.

Will you do the reading challenge next year?  If so, what will your goal be? 

I'll probably do another 50 book reading goal next year, but I'm not sure I'll follow a schedule quite as strictly. The most important thing about reading is that it should be fun!

What’s the book your're most looking forward to reading next year? 

I'm most looking forward to reading the final book in Linnea Hartsuyker's Half-Drowned King trilogy. It's a great series about vikings that I recently got my dad into. I'd highly recommend it!

Will you be changing your reading strategy at all?

I'm going to try not to be quite so rigid with my reading schedule and enjoy the writing more.

Can you give some tips on how to read more?

I try to alwayshave a book with me, or at least have one on the kindle app on my phone! That way wherever I am if I have some down time I can get at least a few pages in instead of just scrolling mindlessly through social media. Keeping a collection of short stories or essays on your night stand is a great way to get reading in before bed. That way you can pick just one story or essay to read and you won't get sucked into staying up way too late to finish a novel and in a few days you'll have the book finished!

There you have it!  While doing a reading challenge can have pros and cons, it's clearly working for Kait.  

If you want to follow along with what Kait's reading next, keep up with her on Goodreads and Instagram.