Summer is coming to a close, and it’s that time to take a look at your “To Be Read” list and see if you are where you want to be going into fall. I’ll be the first to admit I haven’t read as much as I wanted to this summer. The books I bought on vacation, from working at Bookmans, or saved on Scribd keep piling up. Here are six items that helped me tackle my reading goals!

Reading Timer

If you are an avid reader or want to be, a reading timer is super helpful. If you haven’t used one before it can aid you in getting a sense of how fast of a reader you are so you can meet your daily, weekly, or monthly reading goals.

Join a Book Club

I am a part of a few book clubs. Ever since I joined them not only have I increased how many books I read per month, but I get to discover authors and read books I may not have picked up on my own. Another bonus is all the additional recommendations from other book club members! My TBR and tastes have grown since I started attending book clubs. Plus I can sneak a few selections from my TBR into our book club picks.

To name a few, I attend the Backroom Book Club at Bookmans Northwest (monthly every first Thursday) and two book clubs at Bookmans Midtown the New Adult Book Club (monthly every second Wednesday), and Backroom Book Club (monthly every third Thursday).

Read More Books Sticker

A little inspiration can go a long way. I fell in love this Read More Books sticker. Every time I see it on my water bottle, I think about when the next time I can read is!

The Right Bookmark

I love a good bookmark. I find that the fancier it is, the longer I keep track of it.

The Travel Book Rest

I had some pretty strict reading goals before I went on vacation a few weeks ago. As I was browsing Bookmans I found the Travel Book Rest. Whether I was on the plane or reading on my iPad before bed, it was very handy. The cozier I am when I read the more reading I get done, and the Travel Book Rest was instrumental in that regard.

Leio or Notebook

Q: I asked our resident Book Blogger and Marketing Coordinator extraordinaire Desert Bibliophile if there was one app she could suggest that helps her tackle her TBR, which would it be?

A: That’s a tough one. I’d have to say that the one at helps the most is Leio. As a combined reading timer, tracker, and planner, it helps me prioritize the multiple books that I read at once. With deadlines I have for certain books, the planner is something I use daily to compare how much time I have free to read versus how much time it’s going to take me to finish a book.

I, on the other hand, keep track of my reading the old fashion way. Just like meal planning or jotting my to-do list in my planner, I write out my reading for the week whether it be in a notebook or my planner right alongside my TBR. Having a tangible dossier documenting my reading progress makes crossing a book off my TBR all the more satisfying.

How you do you reach your reading goals? Tell us below!