Books are wonderful escapism, and a brilliant antidote to the everyday stress of being a person who is both alive and connected to the Internet. And they have other advantages too: they can inform and entertain us; they can also help us better understand what it’s like to be someone else and empathise with our human beings even if they’re different from us.

But in the hectic business of our daily lives in which we are expected to be abreast of the news and connected to social media 24/7, often the idea of finding time to read a book can feel a distant dream. Here, writer and avid reader, Claire Handscombe, reveals her handy tips for fitting more time to read into the daily grind. Read now, thank us later.

Nine tips and tricks for the time-poor bookworm