This has been an incredibly difficult year for me in many ways, but especially when it came to my reading habits. While I had some highs sprinkled in, I found myself in the worst reading slump I’ve ever been in throughout almost the entire year. I set some suuuuper low-stress reading goals for myself, and I’m relieved because it meant I achieved almost all of them! I thought it would be fun to reflect on those as well as create new reading goals for 2023. Here are my reading goals from 2022:

1. Read hopefully at least 50 books
2. Review the books I want to review
3. Keep chugging away at my tbr pile
4. Rebuild my library

Continue reading “Reflecting on 2022 Reading Goals + Setting New Ones” →

I don’t like the idea of making resolutions for the new year, because I like the idea that change can start at any time. It doesn’t have to fit into a calendar year to hit a target. That being said, I’m someone who thrives on task lists and checking off boxes when I accomplish something, so of course I have to make reading goals.

Last year I set five reading goals for myself. I thought it would be fun to reflect on those as well as create new reading goals for 2022. Here are my reading goals from 2021:

Continue reading “Reflecting on 2021 Reading Goals + Setting New Ones” →

While perusing other book blogs for inspiration, I noticed a lot of bloggers talk about their plans for what they’re going to read each month. They pick a handful of books from their to-be-read pile and vow to read them for the upcoming month. It makes for great content, especially because they can promote new books, but it’s something I’ve never been able to wrap my head around because I’m a ~*Mood Reader*~.

Being a mood reader means I pick my next book to read based on the mood I’m currently in. So even though I typically read a lot of mysteries and thrillers, sometimes after putting one down I need a break and want something less intense. Sometimes when reading historical fiction, I get tired of the same WW2 trope with multiple narratives in different times where the stories all interlace at the end (although that’s more of an issue with the current trend of historical fiction, and another story for another day). Other days I will gladly eat that trope up! Sometimes I’ll be in the mood for a slow burn, other times I need it fast-paced or I’ll be too bored to stay interested. I want to read spooky books in April or May, not necessarily just in October when they’re deemed more fitting for the genre. The only books I “force” myself to read each month are my Book of the Month picks, and I’d be lying if I said there aren’t still some on my shelf from prior months that I still haven’t touched.

While I’ll never make fancy tbr lists, being a mood reader has its advantages. I don’t ever feel forced to read something. When I finish a book, I’ll go through my tbr list on Goodreads and find something that sounds interesting. Yes, there are plenty of options (471 to be exact) which can be overwhelming, but I never feel pressured to pick something from the list. The best part is that if I’m not feeling it, which happens regularly for me, I just put it back on the shelf and pick again!

Downsides are a bit bigger: I’ve never enjoyed book clubs, because I don’t always want to read the chosen book (I also prefer reading at my own pace – let’s not talk about the one time I joined an in-person book club and read the entire book in one night when we were only assigned the first three chapters); I waste a lot of time finding the “right book” to get settled into, leaving tons at 1% read; sometimes I’ll have bad reading weeks or even months where I feel in a funk because nothing I pick is keeping me interested enough, so I don’t finish many books.

But being a mood reader doesn’t mean I can’t create reading goals for myself. It just means I might have to work harder to achieve them, which is okay! For me, making reading goals doesn’t take away the fun of reading, doesn’t make it less of a hobby. I try to make my reading goals attainable so I don’t feel guilty for not reaching them, but let me fill you in on a little secret: sometimes I just change my goals if I feel like I’m not going to reach them. Here are a few reading goals I decided to set for myself this year:

Continue reading “Why I Don’t Do Monthly TBRs // 2021 Reading Goals” →