I wonder if you’re like many of the people who tell me they “wish” they read more? When I ask why they don’t read more the response is usually “I don’t have time.”

Now, let me work some magic!

For two minutes a day, just TWO minutes, you can add one book a year to your life.

Or, another way to put it, if you read just ONE PAGE a day, you can add one book a year to your life. 2 minutes or 1 page. Don’t tell me you can’t do that. Everyone can find two minutes – you spend more time on the toilet and if phones are allowed in there books are too – or the Kindle app on your phone!?

(Look, I’m a JPoucher, if you don’t like toilet references or humor you’re very definitely in the wrong place!)

You see, it takes the average person less than 2 minutes to read one page. You may be dismissive, wondering what’s the point in reading one page, but most books fall between 200 and 350 pages. I’m crap at math but even I can work out that with 365 days in a year, this means you’ll read at least one complete book in a year at a pace of one page a day.

And, don’t forget, there’s more than one way to read: audiobooks, video readings, text to voice, graphic novels, all count as reading.

There you go – wish granted!

Now, imagine if you gradually increased that 2 minutes to 20 minutes a day!

Okay, I won’t push it. Let’s start with a small and manageable two minutes a day. One extra book a year is an achievement worthy of full celebration and acknowledgement and if you take up the one page a day challenge and go from not reading books at all to reading one book a year I’m going to cheer you on like you won the frickin lottery!

Here are four short, beautifully written books worth 2 minutes a day to get you started (these are not paid recommendations, they’re personal but they may have links to bookshop.org for your convenience, which may mean I receive an affiliate payment. I donate all of my affiliate payments and do not keep any of them for me or my business):

The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho – A mystical journey with an Andalusian shepherd who sets of on a quest for treasure but learns so much more. This is now a classic, a masterpiece, that belongs on everyone’s reading list – and it’s super short, so no excuses!

The War of Art by Steven Pressfield – if you want to do more with your art, be it as a visual artist, a writer, a musician or any other kind of artist, but procrastination and fear are getting in the way, this book is a must.

The Best We Could Do by Thi Bui – a beautifully illustrated memoir exploring a family’s immigration experience from Vietnam to the USA in the 1970s. A truly moving story centered on motherhood and what it takes to be a parent in difficult circumstances.

Do let me know if you read any of the above, or have other short book recommendations you want to share.

All of my love,