Hewitt: ‘I stay up too late,’ ‘There are stacks everywhere’ and other tales of a professional reader

The me of 20 months ago, before I became the interim books editor, would be shocked at some things the current me does.

I never used to read more than one book at a time, for instance. I used to always finish books. And there was a time when I could walk from my living room to my kitchen without plowing into multiple stacks of books. But those days are over. (Not complaining. These are great “problems!”)

The question I have been asked most often since I started this job is “How much do you read?” and the answer is “A lot.” I’ve always been a big reader. As far back as I can remember, I’ve read a couple books a week (more when I went on an Agatha Christie binge a few years ago, because you can tear through those guys in a day). I’ve probably stepped that up to three books a week since I took on this job, which I’m still learning but where the amount of reading required has been the least tricky thing to pick up. Especially since the job has made it much easier to justify my reading problem.

If, for instance, there’s a pile of leaves in my yard that should be raked on a Saturday afternoon but I’d really rather dive back into the Scott Turow legal thriller I’m reading (true example; watch for the review next month), there was a time when I’d have done the right thing and headed outside. But now? I’m just as likely to justify reading the Turow — which is called “Presumed Guilty” and is a sequel to his blockbuster “Presumed Innocent” — by telling myself that it’s work.

I’m always in the middle of a book. In fact, because I like to know that I have reading to look forward to, I almost always know what I’m going to read next. When I finish the current one, I immediately pick up the next one to read 30 pages or so.

Usually, that will be at bedtime. Having covered nighttime activities for years — I wrote about movies, then theater, and the bulk of my watching was at night — I seem to be stuck in a stay-up-late pattern, so I do most of my reading on my couch or in bed and I’m probably in one of those places when I finish a book. I’ve heard it’s a good sleep habit to have a nighttime pattern that you stick with. Or maybe that’s just another justification, but I always read a big chunk before hitting the hay.

(One thing that helps keep that a good sleep habit is that we’re supposed to avoid looking at our phones just before bed and, luckily, I’m not a screen person. With rare exceptions, my reading occurs with actual books. Surprisingly, I may be on-trend there. When I recently spoke with a class of University of Minnesota students, many said they read for pleasure and most said they like physical books, rather than e-readers or phones. I’m calling that a win for Luddites.)

When people hear that I read 150 or so books a year — roughly 13 times the national average of 12 — they’re often curious how I do that. One way is to not rake my leaves. I’m also fortunate to be a fast reader, with pretty good comprehension — which is probably related to the fact that my parents always let me read whatever I wanted, even when I was demanding adult books as a third-grader.

If you’re looking to read like a pro, I have a few tips. Starting a book as soon as you finish its predecessor is a good one, since it means you’re never bereft. I also always carry whatever I’m reading so that, if I’m standing in line for my lunch salad or waiting in my seat for a movie to start, I have a few pages of my book to keep me busy. I’ve even been known to read a page or two at stoplights, to the occasional, honking consternation of the person behind me who doesn’t seem to understand that I’m immersed in a book.

Another way to amp up your book consumption is to only read good books and give up on bad ones. That’s easier said than done, of course — I don’t quite manage it — but it’s definitely true that you’ll read a good book faster than a loser and that you’ll be more eager to pick it up. So this professional reader’s advice: Read more, and better, with the help of reviewers you trust. Which reminds me that I have a pile of leaves to ignore, and you know what that really means.

How much do you read? And do you have tips for those who’d like to read more? Please email us at books@startribune.com.