In 2022 I set a reading goal of 18 books and only made it to 9. I was determined to be better in 2023 so I set a goal of 24 books, figuring 2 books per month was an attainable goal.
Early in January I was watching the Today Show and heard Jenna mention the concept of streaking. This involves reading or listening to a book every day even if only for a few minutes. I decided to try this. By the end of January, I had consumed 5 books and was featured on the Today show as the “streaker of the month”.
I have now read 46 books, almost double my original goal. I have also written reviews on most of the books I read this year.
I am in a long-standing book club and read 8 of the 12 books chosen this year. Next year one of my goals is to read all 12, even if I am not able to attend the meeting.
Historical Fiction was a genre I discovered this year and really enjoyed. I learned a great deal about historical figures and events that I was not previously aware of. After reading I spent time researching to see how accurate the depictions had been.
Without making a conscious effort I also read several books about the Gilded Age in America and life in the late 1800s and early 1900s, learning about families like the Vanderbilts, the Astors, and the Posts.
Another major change for me was that I incorporated audiobooks. Though I am still not fond of novels on audio, I really enjoyed the concept of memoirs especially when read by the author. This expanded to biographies and historical fiction that centered around the life of an actual person. 15 of the 46 books read were on audio.
I was introduced to NetGalley earlier in 2023 and began reading and reviewing Advanced Reader Copies. In total I read 8 ARCs this year.
In general, 2023 was a fun year of reading. I rated 10 books 4 stars or above. I rated 10 books 2 stars or below, and the rest 3 stars which for me means, I liked them but did not love them.
My goal for 2024 is to read or listen to at least 50 books.
