Introduction

January 1st comes around every year and what do us bookworms do? If you guessed set a reading goal, you’d be spot on. It’s always exciting to see if you can top last year’s achievements. I’ve been setting reading goals on Goodreads account since 2016 and I’ve managed to hit the mark twice. In 2021, my goal was 5 books and I can proudly say I nailed it. Then in 2022, I aimed for 20 and not only did I reach it, but I smashed it, ending the year with 31 books read. So, when I set my 2023 goal, I thought I could definitely do better than the year before, so I aimed for 35 books. Sadly, I didn’t quite make it. I only got through 22 books in 2023, but I’m OK with that.

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Past Reading History

Here’s a little background about my reading habits. I used to read a ton in middle school and high school, but I never kept count so I have no clue how many books I actually went through. Life was simpler back then, you know? No real responsibilities and loads of free time. When I was 16, I got a part-time job and joined the high school marching band, but I didn’t have much of a social life. My thing was just reading books.

After I graduated high school, it was time to adult up and take on more grown-up stuff. Reading kind of took a backseat, I mean, I was still into it, but I was definitely going through books a lot slower. If I managed to finish a book in a month, that was me being lucky. Then in 2013, my daughter came into the world, so the next few years were pretty much a reading desert. But as she got older, I started getting back into the reading groove.

In 2021, my sister got me into Book of The Month Club (BOTM), which is a monthly book subscription box, and it totally reignited my love for reading. I actually managed to read 5 books that year, which is a huge jump from the measly 1 book I read the year before. It’s all about those baby steps, you know? Then 2022 rolled around and I was like, “Let’s do this!” I set a goal of 20 books and totally smashed it. I gotta say, I was pretty darn proud of myself.

2023 Reading Goal

In 2023, I was all hyped up to do the A to Z Reading Challenge. Things kicked off on a high note when I breezed through my first book in under a week – that’s a big win for me! I was totally into the book I picked for “A” – All Good People Here by Ashley Flowers. I even wrote a review about it, check it out here. But then came “B”, and oh boy, did things go south. I decided to tackle this old paperback that had been sitting on my shelf for years, and let’s just say it wasn’t a smooth ride. It was my usual genre, but it had so many characters and backstories to keep track of. It took over 100 pages for the story to really get going, and man, it was a struggle. But hey, I made it through – mission accomplished, I guess!

Conclusion

I totally don’t see my 2023 reading goal of reading 35 books or my A to Z Reading Challenge as a fail. I achieved so much by challenging myself in the first place. I finally picked up books that had been collecting dust on my shelf for ages. I stepped out of my comfort zone and stumbled upon a whole new genre of books to add to my reading list – historical fiction! I delved into 3 of them last year and really enjoyed one called Enchantee by Gita Trelease. I even dipped my toes into Magical Realism with A History of Wild Places by Shea Ernshaw, and let me tell you, it’s one of my all-time faves from 2023. I came across some new authors that I’m definitely keeping an eye on – Megan Collins and Kiersten Modglin. I revisited an old classic, A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. Plus, I even gave a romance novel a shot (not my usual jam), The Plight Before Christmas by Kate Stewart, and surprisingly, it wasn’t half bad!

To me, the whole point of setting a reading goal is to challenge yourself in a fun way. If it starts causing anxiety or stress, then it’s a no-go for me, and that’s the advice I’d give to anyone. On social media, I see a ton of people sharing their year-end reading accomplishments, and I’m seriously mind-blown by how many books some folks can breeze through in a year. If you’re one of those book-reading machines, I salute you because that’s seriously impressive. I know a bunch of people are into audiobooks, and I’m not here to argue if that counts as “reading” or not. Personally, audiobooks just don’t do it for me. I wish they did, but my mind tends to wander, and I end up missing chunks of the story, having to rewind and listen again. If I could get into audiobooks, maybe my reading stats would be higher. It seems like it’d be so convenient to multitask and listen while driving, cooking, or doing chores, I envy those who can multi-task in this way.

Final Thoughts

When it comes down to it, your reading goal is totally personal, it’s all about you and nobody else. It’s cool to give yourself a high-five for achieving something, but it should never be used to shame or bring anyone else down. Find time for yourself and your hobby, just do your thing and enjoy it to the fullest.

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