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Welcome to Top Ten Tuesday, a weekly bookish meme hosted by Jana @ That Artsy Reader Girl that features a different bookish topic every week.
Today’s topic is Books on my Spring 2024 TBR
Well, it’s time for the Spring 2024 TBR list! I only finished 4/10 of my Winter 2023-2024 TBR list, so if I was a good girl, I would’ve brought them forward to this list. But I’m not a good girl, and the heart wants what the heart wants, when the heart wants it.
Disclaimer: This Spring 2024 TBR list is non-binding and I reserve the right to change my mind and this list at any time.
I would like to finish all of these if I can because at the time of compiling this list, I assure you, I am very excited for all of them, but I am constantly distracted by new and shinier books all the time, so we’ll see how I end up doing!
Top Ten Books on my Spring 2024 TBR
Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands by Heather Fawcett – Because I loved the first book and want to continue with any and all sequels!
Bookshops & Bonedust by Travis Baldree – Same as above, and even more so because I love it so much!
The Keeper of Hidden Books by Madeline Martin – I’ve read two of the author’s books and loved them. I’m sure I’ll love this one too.
Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone by Benjamin Stevenson – It sounds so intriguing and I must know what everyone is raving about!
The Butcher of the Forest by Premee Mohamed – I need this book, it sounds right up my alley. It gives me chills! In a good way.
Dragons of Autumn Twilight by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman – This would be a reread, but I’ve been wanting to reread the whole series.
Funny Story by Emily Henry – I am very, very, impatiently waiting for this one to be released!
The Blade Itself by Joe Abercrombie – My online book club seems to be having a disagreement about whether this book is good or not, and we are required to choose sides, so I have to read it before making my decision!
The Storm We Made by Vanessa Chan – A story set in Malaysia, written by a Malaysian author. I must support my countrywoman, and besides, the book sounds really good!
Have you read any of these books? What did you think of them? What’s on your Spring 2024 TBR?
Welcome to Top Ten Tuesday, a weekly bookish meme hosted by Jana @ That Artsy Reader Girl that features a different bookish topic every week.
Today’s topic is Books I’m Worried I Might Not Love as Much the Second Time Around
I love to reread and most of the time I enjoy the books just as much, if not more, on the second/nth read. However, there are a few books I used to love that haven’t aged well and/or that I’m worried I might not like the next time I read them (Gone With The Wind, and Mists of Avalon), but I can’t think of enough to make a top ten list, so I have decided to go with the Top Ten Books I Love to Reread instead.
Most of these are books I’ve reread multiple times, some of them even in the double digits. There are a few more books I love to reread as well, but these are my favorite comfort reads.
Top Ten Books I Love to Reread
The Light Bearer by Donna Gillespie – This is probably the most underrated one on my list, and the most read. For a time, ever since I read the book for the first time as a pre-teen, I would reread it every year for many years. I’ve lost count but I’m sure it’s been at least 10 times, probably closer to 20. It’s a book set in ancient Roman and Germanic times, with a badass female protagonist, and it’s one I always recommend any time I can.
The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas – I’ve also lost count on this one, I’m currently rereading it on what might be the 9th or 10th time, I’m not sure. It’s one of my favorite classics and somehow despite the intensity and subject matter, it’s a comfort read.
The Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins – I remember the first three times I read this series was first on physical copy, then e-book, then audiobook. After that, the rereads were mostly on audio, but I love it every single time and keep getting something out of it.
Daddy-Long-Legs by Jean Webster – This is such a sweet and comforting book. It’s a shorter book, and filled with illustrations, and just a nice read for whenever I need a comfort snack. I’ve read it more times than the others simply because it’s so easy to pick up and read quickly.
Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery – Another sweet and comforting book. I very hardly reread the rest of the series for some reason, but I always enjoy this first one.
On Writing by Stephen King – I have read this book on print, and have a hardcopy of it, but it’s just better when you listen to it on audio with the author himself narrating. It really feels like he’s a friend talking to you and it’s so inspiring to listen to. I respect his work ethic and his approach to writing so much. Sometimes when I’m in between audiobooks and if this one is available, I borrow it just to listen to his voice lull me to sleep.
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley – I probably wouldn’t classify this horror story as a comfort read, but it’s one of my favorite stories to come back to when I want a chill down the spine. I don’t come back to it as often as the other ones on this list, but I love that this is a story about flawed humans (and monsters). I get so much out of it, and more, every time I read it.
Imperial Woman by Pearl S. Buck – This particular book has the dubious honor of being my favorite, most-read book that I’ve never finished. I don’t see it as a dnf, but as one of the best stories that should’ve ended sooner than it did. I love this book from beginning until 99% of it and I just never finished the last few pages, even with all my rereads! Maybe on my next reread, but I don’t feel a need to read the last 1%, so we’ll see.
The Gifts of Imperfection by Brene Brown – Technically, I read and reread all of Brene Brown’s works indiscriminately, because they’re all just so good. She also tends to repeat her stories in many of her talks/videos/platforms and I love hearing them over and over again because they inspire me and make me feel less alone. Her works are lifesavers, and I read them any time I need a boost.
The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron – I’ve probably done the 12-week course three times (or 2.5 times, I don’t remember if I finished the third), but I listen to the audio every once in a while without doing the exercises, and there was a time when I was taking walks every night while listening to this audio. It’s one of my favorite memories because I was going through something, and just listening to this book helped me get my mind off things and gave me so much peace.
Have you read any of these books? What did you think of them? Would you read or reread any of these books?
Welcome to Top Ten Tuesday, a weekly bookish meme hosted by Jana @ That Artsy Reader Girl that features a different bookish topic every week.
Today’s topic is Weird or Funny Things I’ve Googled Thanks to a Book
I had some trouble with this topic because I couldn’t think of many things I’ve googled because of a book. I think most of my googles might have been boring fact-checks that I don’t remember after because they’re just boring. Which is a problem because the topic specifically states weird or funny things.
However, I’ve cheated by changing my topic to just Things I’ve Googled Thanks to a Book, and I went ahead and cheated even more by asking my friends about their weird and funny googles because of books they read, so I could add more to the list. Theirs are definitely weird and funny, and some are NSFW, so I’ve put them under spoiler tags. Read at your own risk!
Things I’ve Googled Thanks to a Book
1. Dark Visions by L.J. Smith
I read this series a long time ago and remember being fascinated by the description of the inukshuk. I didn’t actually google at the time I read it, but it stayed with me for so long that I googled it later, and it was the first thing that came to mind with today’s prompt.
The inukshuk
The word “inukshuk” means “in the likeness of a human.” For generations, Inuit have been creating these impressive stone markers on the vast Arctic landscape. Inukshuks serve several functions, including guiding travellers, warning of danger, assisting hunters and marking places of reverence.
2. Bury Me Deep by Christopher Pike
Another one I read a long time ago, but I remember being fascinated by one of the plot points and googling it later.
The bends
Decompression sickness, also called generalized barotrauma or the bends, refers to injuries caused by a rapid decrease in the pressure that surrounds you, of either air or water.
It’s also the name of an album by Radiohead, but that’s got nothing to do with the book. It’s just one of the things that pop up when you google “the bends”.
3. Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt
More recently I googled how long an octopus could live out of water, and while Marcellus in the book stated he could go 18 minutes, the answer I googled said it was around 20-30 minutes, which is close and totally makes sense.
4. Watership Down by Richard Adams
Full disclosure: I haven’t read this book, but while googling about the book, I found out that Watership Down is actually a place in Hampshire, England.
Watership Down is a hill or a down at Ecchinswell in the civil parish of Ecchinswell, Sydmonton and Bishops Green in the English county of Hampshire, as part of the Hampshire Downs. It rises fairly steeply on its northern flank, but to the south the slope is much gentler.
Now on to my friends’ googles that gave me giggles!
Things My Friends Have Googled Thanks to a Book
5. The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexander Dumas
They googled the etymological history of “gaol” because they were curious about “jail” vs “gaol”. We didn’t get into a deeper discussion about it because we were busy laughing about the other answers.
6. Pod by Laline Paull
NSFW
They googled dolphin vaginas. Apparently in the book, the females were constantly being called “spirals”, which were meant to be disparaging and perhaps the equivalent to the word “cunt”.
I did not read this book, so I have no context to what that referred to. It has made me curious about the book though!
7. Shark Heart by Emily Habeck
NSFW
This one is for shark penis. So in the book, the main characters are a husband and wife, and the husband has a condition that would slowly turn him into a shark. I have not read the book, but I was given the impression that there’s reason to be curious about sexual relations between a shark and his human wife, maybe…
I haven’t read this book, but it was on my TBR before this conversation, I swear! Now I want to read it more!
8. The Gentleman’s Gambit by Evie Dunmore
NSFW
And this one is for nipple piercings in a historical setting. What prompted my friend was a bad review for this book where the reader didn’t like it because one of the characters had a nipple piercing and they didn’t think nipple piercings were true to the times. My friend decided to google it, and apparently, it is accurate to the times!
I don’t know the context for this book, but I do know that our ancestors were often a lot more liberal than we give them credit for, so I totally believe it!
I don’t have any more at the moment, but I loved this topic and finding out what my friends have googled. I’m excited to see what everyone else’s answers are too. This topic has definitely made me want to keep better track of what I google because of books, and hopefully the next time we come back to this topic, I’ll have funnier answers!
What weird or funny things have you googled because of a book? I’d love to hear it!
Welcome to Top Ten Tuesday, a weekly bookish meme hosted by Jana @ That Artsy Reader Girl that features a different bookish topic every week.
Today’s topic is Covers/Titles with Things Found In Nature
Most of these are books I’ve read, but there are a couple that I haven’t yet read – The Priory of the Orange Tree, and The Fox Wife. All the ones I’ve read are books I’ve loved, and I have high expectations for the two I haven’t read.
Top Ten Covers/Titles with Things Found In Nature
Thornhedge by T. Kingfisher – This is probably the most recent book I’ve read out of this list. I love T. Kingfisher and I love fairytale retellings, this one is a retelling of the Sleeping Beauty story.
The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon – I have not read this one. I have been wanting to, but the size of it is daunting! One of these days, though!
Grass by Sheri S. Tepper – This is one of my all-time favorite sci-fi stories. It’s been a while since I read it, so it’s probably time for a reread, but I remember being fascinated by the alien world, alien beings, and the incredible world-building.
Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo – A heist story, a group of people with different skills brought together, found family. How could I not love this?
The Darkest Part of the Forest by Holly Black – Holly Black is one of my favorite authors. Her stories are so good, so simple, and yet so rich. This book is about the fae, the changeling, but told from a different POV.
The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway – Some have said that this book is boring because it’s only about a man fishing, but for me, it’s thrilling because I used to go fishing with my father when I was young, and there’s nothing like the thrill of having a fish caught on the hook but not yet landed. This book describes that feeling so vividly and I love that it was able to put into words what I never could.
The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman – Neil Gaiman is another one of my favorite authors and I would read anything he writes. I read this book for the second time a couple of years ago, and it was so much better the second time around. It was much scarier, and more horrifying, and so wonderful.
The Clan of the Cave Bear by Jean M. Auel – This is an old book I haven’t revisited in a while. There have been some new books in the series since, but I haven’t read them. It’s probably time to reread from the beginning. All I can say is that I loved the story, and the wonderment of discovering things along with the characters.
The Fox Wife by Yangsze Choo – This is the newest book on this list, and that’s the only reason I haven’t read it. It was just released two weeks ago, and I’m impatiently waiting until I can read it! I’ve loved the author’s two other books, and I expect to love this one too!
Stones from the River by Ursula Hegi – This book is set during WW2, and it’s one of the most heartbreaking books I’ve read. I probably read it around 20 years ago and I’ve forgotten most of the details, but that feeling of heartache still lingers even after all these years.
Have you read any of these books? What did you think of them? Would you read any of these books?
Welcome to Top Ten Tuesday, a weekly bookish meme hosted by Jana @ That Artsy Reader Girl that features a different bookish topic every week.
Today’s topic is Bookish Superpowers I Wish I Had
I had a lot of fun coming up with ideas for this topic and asked some of my bookish friends this question for fun. I ended up liking some of their answers more than my own, so I’ve stolen their ideas and added them here!
Top Ten Bookish Superpowers I Wish I Had
My own ideas:
Books on my library waitlist always come at exactly the right time, staggered, and not all at once!
Invincibility to FOMO
Books I want to buy always just happen to be on sale when I want to buy them
Ability to stop time while I savor reading
Ability to remember every single detail of books I read – unless I want to reread, in which case, I forget everything except the fact I loved it, and get surprised all over again!
Automatically forget any accidental spoilers so books never get ruined for me
Ideas I stole:
Ability to read in every language
Always picking up the exact books with the exact tropes you want in the moment
Ability to know if you’ll like a book once you pick it up, so you don’t waste your time on books you wouldn’t like
The artistic prowess for bookbinding and fore-edge painting so all my books look unique and beautiful!
Oh, how I wish some of these were real and actual superpowers I could have! What bookish superpowers would you wish for?
Welcome to Top Ten Tuesday, a weekly bookish meme hosted by Jana @ That Artsy Reader Girl that features a different bookish topic every week.
Today’s topic is Love Freebie and I’m doing my Top Ten Favorite Book Relationships
Happy Valentine’s Day! This list will include all kinds of relationships; romantic, platonic, familial, symbiotic… I wanted to feature all the characters I love and their love for each other.
Top Ten Favorite Book Relationships
Anne Shirley and Gilbert Blythe from Anne of Green Gables – I think the books represent the evolution of their relationship a lot better than the mini-series but it was just so sweet to see them grow up and grow older together. They were horrible to each other when they were children, but once they grew up, they were just perfect together.
Jaime Lannister and Brienne of Tarth from A Song of Ice and Fire – An actual enemies to (sort-of) lovers story? I’d say respected comrade, but it’s clear they trauma-bonded in some way and feel deeply for each other. Look, I’m not saying that it’s a healthy relationship, but it was clearly a meaningful one. It was just amazing to see the way they had to trust each other, first out of necessity, then later out of respect and feelings.
Darrow and Sevro from the Red Rising series – Darrow and Sevro are my ride-or-die people. I can’t bear it when they are at odds with each other. I need them to be okay with each other, more than I need Darrow with Virginia. If anything happened to their relationship, I will riot!
Aurianne and Marcus from The Light Bearer – This is a very underrated book that I love with my whole heart. I love Aurianne because she’s one of the strongest, smartest, bravest woman I’ve ever met (read about), and Marcus is an incredibly intelligent strategist. And while they are both amazing as individuals, together they are the most powerful of power couples, and I love them!
Vargo, Ren, and Gray from the Rook and Rose series – This isn’t a throuple, I promise, but a very unique relationship that comes from complete love and trust for each other. I love Vargo especially because of how badass his reputation is to everyone else, but how vulnerable he is with Ren and Gray. I am in love with them all!
Pi and Richard Parker from Life of Pi – This was one of the most intense relationships I loved reading about. I don’t think Richard Parker loved Pi in any way except symbiotically, but they had such a beautiful relationship, nonetheless. I mean, not that it’s anything I’d want to aspire to, but in the context of the story. From fear of each other, to tolerance, to trust. Oh, I don’t know, it’s just such a complex thing to read about and it elicits so many feelings.
Rocky and Ryland Grace from Project Hail Mary – Amaze! I am in love with Rocky, and I love Ryland Grace more because I see him through Rocky’s POV. I love how they bonded. I love how they learned about each other, how they adapted and respected each other’s needs, customs, and more. It’s just such an example for how we should treat people different from us. Do you agree? Fist my bump!
Peter and Bea from The Book of Strange New Things – Full disclosure, it’s been 10 years since I read this book and I don’t remember very much, but I remember thinking that this was one of most interesting books I’ve ever read that showcased what a marriage was like, and this while Peter and his wife, Bea, lived on different planets for pretty much the whole book! You know what, I should probably reread this sometime soon.
Alice and Leonard from This Time Tomorrow – This was one of the more recent books I read, so you can read more about what I thought about the book here. Alice and Leonard are daughter and father, and I loved how they loved each other. I loved how present Leonard was for his daughter. I loved how Alice realized that having more time with her father was what was most important for her. It was just such a wholesome relationship, with all its beauty and bittersweetness.
Katniss and Peeta from The Hunger Games series – I’m sorry if it’s overdone and overrated, but there are so many reasons why I love The Hunger Games, and Peeta with Katniss is just one of the reasons. Peeta accepts Katniss as she is, with all her flaws, and he’s totally willing to die for her. It might have taken Katniss some time to feel her feelings, but that’s part of what I loved about their relationship; that it wasn’t insta-love. They had real reasons for falling for each other, each in their own time.
Who are your favorite book relationships? Why do you like them? Have a Happy Valentine’s Day!
Welcome to Top Ten Tuesday, a weekly bookish meme hosted by Jana @ That Artsy Reader Girl that features a different bookish topic every week.
Today’s topic is Recent Books I Read In One Sitting
Some of these books are novellas, and there’s also a gag book, but many of them are full-length novels which I finished very quickly because they were easy reads and so good I couldn’t put them down.
Top Ten Recent Books I Read In One Sitting
10 Blind Dates by Ashley Elston – 336 pages. It’s a fun YA romance set around Christmas season. I didn’t expect to enjoy it so much, but I did!
The September House by Carissa Orlando– 344 pages. It’s so good, I couldn’t put it down! It was scary and horrifying, but also funny and insightful. It’s my favorite book of January!
All My Friends Are Dead by Avery Monsen and Jory John – 96 pages. Funny story; I came across this book while I was looking up another book on this list (Book Love by Debbie Tung), and this book came up in the “Readers also enjoyed…” section. It looked fun, so I went on Libby and it was available so I borrowed it, and opened it intending just to look inside. I ended up finishing the whole thing in maybe… 10 minutes? It was funny and sad, and I felt totally called out by the plant that said to stop buying their friends only to kill them slowly!
Book Love by Debbie Tung – 137 pages. I loved this book! I relate so much to it because of all the book related jokes and tales of the reading life.
Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros – 498 pages. This isn’t a short book and it was also pretty intense, but it was so good and I just couldn’t put it down. I finished it way too fast, and I wanted more, but I’m sure I’m preaching to the choir here with most of you.
Thornhedge by T. Kingfisher – 116 pages. I’m a huge fan of T. Kingfisher, and this was a short but really good story! I love this perspective of the Sleeping Beauty fairytale.
You Deserve Each Other by Sarah Hogle – 368 pages. I didn’t expect to love this so much when I started it because I thought they were horrible to each other, but it got really good and I loved how it all went down.
Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus – 390 pages. I laughed out loud at so many parts in the story, and also cried at some places. I went in with zero expectations because I didn’t know about the hype at the time, but it became one of my favorite books in 2023.
We Should All Be Feminists by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie – 65 pages. This is a very short book, but so impactful. It says so much in so few pages, and it really makes you think. I’d highly recommend it to anyone.
Have you read any of these books? What did you think of them? What books did you finish in one sitting because they were just so good?
Welcome to Top Ten Tuesday, a weekly bookish meme hosted by Jana @ That Artsy Reader Girl that features a different bookish topic every week.
Today’s topic is New-to-Me Authors I Discovered in 2023
I wasn’t sure if I had ten new authors I read in 2023, but apparently I did! Some of them I liked better than others, but I’m happy to say all of them are authors whose works I’d read again.
Top Ten New-to-Me Authors I Discovered in 2023
M.R. Carey – I read the Rampart Trilogy and I loved it. He is also the author of The Girl With All The Gifts series, which was turned into a movie I remember enjoying. I didn’t know at the time it was based on books, but I’m curious to read the series.
Tomi Adeyemi – I read Children of Blood and Bone, the first book in the Legacy of Orisha series, and I’m intending to finish the series this year, hopefully.
Bonnie Garmus – I read Lessons in Chemistry. It looks like she’s only got a single book released, but if/when she writes more, I’ll be reading them.
Sarah Hogle – I read You Deserve Each Other. It was so well-written and I was pleasantly surprised with how much I enjoyed it. It looks like she’s got plenty of books in the same vein and I’m going to make my way through them.
Allison Ashley – I read The Roommate Pact. Fun, light-hearted, heartwarming contemporary romance. I’ll be reading her other books as well.
Emma Straub – I read This Time Tomorrow, a time-travel story with a lovely father-daughter relationship I fell in love with. Apparently she’s the daughter of famed author Peter Straub. I’ve never read him, but I’ve seen many of his books around. I’m interested in reading more of her books as well as trying some of Peter Straub’s books.
Rebecca Yarros – I read Fourth Wing and Iron Flame, and I’m obviously going to read the next books in this series!
Louis Erdrich – I read The Sentence. It was not what I expected at all. It was simultaneously so mundane and yet magical. I love the glimpse into the Native American world, and I want to read more from her.
Ashley Elston – I read 10 Blind Dates and it was such a joy to read that now I want to read more. There’s a sequel, and there are several other books I’m looking forward to.
Have you read any of these authors? Did you read any of these books? What did you think of them?
Welcome to Top Ten Tuesday, a weekly bookish meme hosted by Jana @ That Artsy Reader Girl that features a different bookish topic every week.
Today’s topic is Books I Meant to Read in 2023 but Didn’t Get To
Oh, the shame!
Not only are there so many books that I meant to read in 2023 but didn’t, some of them go so far back on my TBR list, I don’t even remember what they’re about or if I still want to read them! These are just the few that I most want to read, and I really hope I get to them some time this year!
Top Ten Books I Meant to Read in 2023 but Didn’t Get To
Top-Bottom, Left-Right:
The Rook by Daniel O’Malley – Well, the whole Checquy series, actually. This is the first book in the series, and I’ve read it a while ago. I meant to reread this and then the rest of the series in 2022, but I didn’t, and then I meant to read it in 2023, but didn’t. The good news is, I got the audiobook last week and have started reading it, finally! So hopefully I’ll actually finish the series this year.
Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir – I keep meaning to read this and the rest of the series too, but this one isn’t my fault. It took a long time to get to me on the waitlist, and I had other books in the queue as well, and didn’t manage to get to it before I had to return it again for the next reader. Let’s hope the timing works out for this year!
Defy the Night by Brigid Kemmerer – And yet another series I meant to read. I hear great things about it, I just haven’t gotten around to it.
The Glass Chateau by Stephen P. Kiernan – This is one of my favorite authors and I’ve read all his other books. I was so excited when this book came out last year, and I meant to read it, but I took it for granted and before I knew it, the year ended and it’s still unread!
The Dragon Republic by R.F. Kuang – I loved the first book in this series, and I have this and the next book on my high priority list. The first book was good but a little heavy, and I’m afraid the next books will be too, so I’m procrastinating a bit.
Daughter of the Pirate King by Tricia Levenseller – By all accounts, I think I’d love this book and I keep meaning to read it but I just haven’t picked it up yet.
Between Us by Mhairi McFarlane – I’m not too ashamed of this one because it’s relatively new, but I originally planned to read it as soon as it came out, so I hope I get to it this year.
The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster – I’ve had this on my physical bookshelf for a couple of years and I keep meaning to read it. It was supposed to be one of the first books I meant to read this year too, but I haven’t gotten to it yet.
The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon – I won’t lie, I’m a bit intimidated by the size, but then again I do love big books. I’m not in a hurry to read this, but I do want to try to get to it before the end of 2024.
Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder – This series has been on my TBR for years and years and years. I hope to at least read the first book this year!
Did you read any of these books? What did you think of them? Are they worth still keeping on my TBR for 2024?
Welcome to Top Ten Tuesday, a weekly bookish meme hosted by Jana @ That Artsy Reader Girl that features a different bookish topic every week.
Today’s topic is Bookish Goals for 2024.
This topic is giving me a bit of anxiety. I’ve got bookish goals for this year, don’t get me wrong, but they’ve been mostly held loosely in a “we’ll see” way. Writing them down here and talking about them make them feel more serious, and I’m not sure I’m ready for that. On the other hand, maybe this is exactly what I need to help me achieve those goals.
Many of them are related and build on each other, so in a way, I could either easily achieve most of them, or fail at most of them!
Top Ten Bookish Goals for 2024
Read more non-fiction – Specifically self-help and reference books I bought long ago that I meant to take notes on. It’s just so easy to breeze through fiction, while putting non-fic aside because I feel like I need to put aside focused time for them.
Take notes and/or annotate books – I love annotated books, but I find it hard to read while annotating because I get so engrossed and forget to stop. I also can’t annotated borrowed books, so I’ll need some kind of notebook if I want to take notes on library books.
Read slower – I tend to rush through books and end up forgetting details, and eventually forgetting the stories. I have reread books without realizing that I’ve read them before! My whole reason for wanting to take notes is so I’ll slow down and remember the books I read.
Write reviews for books I read – Another way to help me remember the books I read, but more concise. I anticipate being very long-winded with my annotations, and the reviews will help me summarize my thoughts.
Read books I own – Related to the first goal, but not limited to nonfic. I just want to read some of the books I bought long time ago because I wanted to read them then and never did. It’s so easy to get caught up in the excitement of new books, and prioritizing library books because they have deadlines. There’s no urgency with books I own because they belong to me, but I should at least try to read some this year!
Prioritize older books on my TBR instead of new releases – I mean… LOL! Look, I know me, and I know I can’t resist new releases. We just did a TTT on anticipated new releases, ya know?! But I’m going to try to read more old books than new ones?
Finish some of the series I’ve started – So. Many. Series. So. MANY. I need to finish some of them or I’ll go crazy. I don’t know why I do this to myself.
Read more diverse books – I tend to not pay very much attention to what I read or who the authors are beyond the fact that the book’s premise interests me. I do end up reading many diverse books anyway, but I’d like to be more intentional about choosing them.
Read more in print – Physical books or ebooks. Last year more than half my books read were audiobooks, and that’s because it’s convenient for me when I’m getting chores done, and necessary for me to get to sleep, but that means I’m usually borrowing whatever audiobooks are available in the moment instead of reading physical books and ebooks I already have. I end up reading a lot of books I’d never heard of nor were interested in. On the bright side, I’ve also discovered some great books by accident because of this.
Reorganize my bookshelves – It’s a bit messy right now, ngl. And I’ve also got non-bookish stuff, random files, piles of paper, taking up space on those shelves because I have nowhere else to put them. I’d have to go through them all to clear up space.
DNF books I don’t like sooner – I’m really bad at this and I need to get better. Rationally, I have no problem DNF-ing books, but emotionally, I always hope that they get better and I keep reading to give them that chance.
I hope I’m able to achieve most of these. What are your bookish goals this year?
