2023 Reading Wrap-up

Hello, all!

Well, folks, another year is in the books *ba dum tiss* 

I ended up reading 352 books this year. Listen... I know, it's a lot. Maybe I should spend some time in 2024 looking for another hobby to devote time to? 😅

Let's get into some stats for the year. This is mostly from my Book Riot reading tracker:

Format: It's satisfying to me how close these numbers always are. I tend to listen to audiobooks while I work, and that number is slightly lower than usual because I had to train a lot of new people this year.

Audience: I don't usually read a lot of Children/Middle Grade, but I re-read the Percy Jackson series this year, and it reminded me of how fun that genre is.

Source: I'm hoping to make more of a dent in my physical TBR in 2024, so fingers crossed that number goes up some more next year. As for my library savings: I borrowed 193 books and saved $3,412 this year. (If you also use the library a lot, or are looking to, I highly recommend keeping a tracker as it's so rewarding seeing how much you saved at the end of the year!) 

Genre: I love seeing all my genres broken down. I say this every year, but I'd really like to try bumping up the non-fiction number for 2024.

Now for my favorite books of the year:

1. Keeper of Enchanted Rooms- Charlie N. Holmberg: I fell in love with the Whimbrel House series this year. It's the cozy historical fantasy series of my dreams. It's whimsical, dark, funny, and heartwarming. If you like found family and magic, then you need to check it out.

2. The Love Wager- Lynn Painter: I don't know what Painter puts in her books, but I can't get enough of them. This one had all my favorite tropes and top-notch banter.

3. Remarkably Bright Creatures- Shelby Van Pelt: I never knew I could be so emotional over a fictional octopus. It's such a stunning read.

4. Hotel of Secrets- Diana Biller: I've only read two of Biller's books, but they've both been five stars. This was a bit of a historical fiction, a bit of a mystery, a bit of a romance, all rolled into one lushly decadent read.

5. Unfortunately Yours- Tessa Bailey: I'm a sucker for a marriage of convenience trope, and Bailey nailed it.

6. The Spectacular- Fiona Davis: This book rekindled my love for historical fiction, and I'm so looking forward to continuing reading her backlog.

7. Yours Truly- Abby Jimenez: I think this may be my favorite romance of the year. I related to both characters so much, and I just loved every moment of it.

8. Betting On You- Lynn Painter: I told you before, I can't get enough of her books! I don't read a lot of YA contemporary anymore, unless they're written by Painter, apparently. This was so fun, and is basically a YA version of When Harry Met Sally.

9. The Naturals Series- Jennifer Lynn Barnes: I couldn't pick just one book because I loved the entire series. It's so compelling and binge-able. You definitely have to suspend your disbelief a bit, but it's so fun.

10. Second Duke's the Charm- Kate Bateman: This is the start of a new series, and I can already tell I'm going to be obsessed with it. It's sort of like if Charlie's Angels was a historical romance. 

11. Boy of Chaotic Making- Charlie N. Holmberg: This is the third and upcoming installment of Whimbrel House, so I won't say too much and will just refer you back to Number 1.

12. Murder in Postscript- Mary Winters: You know when some books just hit the spot? That was this for me. It's the first book in a historical mystery series full of fun characters, great writing, and a romance I'm already so invested in when it hasn't even begun yet. It's also more on the cozier side, which I love.

Reading goals for 2024:

-Diversify my reading: I want to make it a point to seek out stories/authors that will help expand my perspective and point of view. I also want to ensure I'm reading widely to give more inclusive and well-rounded recommendations.

-Tackle my physical TBR: I recently counted all the unread books on my shelves and was embarrassed by how many there were. Currently, I have 198 unread books (but I did get some Barnes & Noble gift cards for Christmas, so that'll be changing soon.) Ideally, I'd love to cut that in half, but realistically, I'm aiming to at least read 50 books.

-Continue reading the Star Wars canon: Earlier this year, I had the very ambitious idea of reading everything that's currently in the Star Wars canon timeline. I had read a few books/graphic novels already, but I decided to start fresh at the beginning, so I'd love to make some more progress on that. (If you're also looking to start, I recommend checking out the website Youtini-- they have a great list!) 

How was your reading year? What are some of your goals for 2024?