I've read 103 books this year. I think that definitely depends upon where you are in life (I'm retired and a widow, as opposed to earlier life of career, homemaker, children, etc.). I have started DNF more books; why give them my limited time? I've also re-read more books this year than previously. I read only romance, so I should branch out. My 5 stars were: Sunday Morning and I Thought of You by Jewel E. Ann, and Wild Eyes by Elsie Silver. The re-reads I went back to were 5 stars for me (Managed by Kristen Callihan; 2 by Anne Calhoun - Uncommon Passion and Breath on Embers; and 2 historical romances - Chasing Cassandra by Lisa Kleypas and Lady Eve's Indiscretion by Grace Burrowes. I should try audio books but I love my Kindle ebooks.
Thanks for the recs! And fiction audiobooks take a little getting used to, but once I figured out the speed I liked (1.3x) and realized I could listen while doing chores or driving, I've been going to that format more and more often.
I'm at 158 books so far, which is about average for me. I listened to a lot more audiobooks this year. There was a time I didn't listen to them at all, but then I discovered GraphicAudio full cast and it was a game changer. I can now do duet and dual narration. According to my StoryGraph stas, 97% fiction and 3% nonfiction. My top three categories were romance, fantasy, and urban fantasy, but I read a mix of all genres. My favorite books of the year included The Hidden Legacy series by Illona Andrews and the Quinn and Costa series by Allison Brennan. Series that I'm in the middle of and enjoying so far: The Mages of Wheel by J. D. Evans, the Bridge Kingdom by Danielle L. Jensen, Villians and Virtues by A. K. Caggiano (first book takes a bit to get into), and Tairen Soul by C. L. Wilson. I'm not reading as many newer releases. They seem to lack editing or they're trying too hard to cram all the tropes in.
Thanks for the recs! I own Ministry of Time and Sociopath, but I haven't read them yet. I've heard lots of mixed reviews on Ministry of Time. It seems to be a love or hate kind of book.
I hadn’t seen heard that! I love historical fiction so that was part of the draw with The Ministry of Time. But there was a lot to appreciate for me: snappy dialogue, excellent pacing, a low buzz of mystery and characters I cared about. I’d be curious what you think if you do pick it up, Roni.
I really enjoyed Remarkably Bright Creatures too, though I also found the middle a bit slow. My reading has been wonky this year--with a lot more nonfiction as well--and I've definitely had less patience for a lot of romance. Might be my mood, or burning out on some genres. 🤷🏼♀️ The books I really liked this year were The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E Harrow (a few years old), Flyboy by Kasey LeBlanc, and the entire Last Binding series by Freya Marske.
I need to be better about tracking DNFs. The problem is that I start so many books, can't get into them, think maybe I'll come back later, then forget about them. This is easier to do with ebooks. I read 78 books this year, which is still down a lot from the previous years, partly on purpose because I felt like I was reading too much. 10 were audio, which I think is normal, but those are almost always nonfiction.
Like you, over the years, I've spent less time just sitting and reading as an act in itself. It feels wasteful or lazy, I guess. Always so much to do, so I multitask and read while eating, brushing my teeth, and...that's about it. Clearly, I need to make some changes.
I got better at tracking DNFs when I created a shelf on Goodreads called "Shelved". That felt less permanent than DNF so was easier to move a book onto it. Like I'm shelving this for now because it's not working for me but maybe I'll be in the mood for it later. And yeah, finding time to read where I'm not trying to do other things is an ongoing struggle. Optimization culture has overtaken us all lol.
"I need to refocus on reading fiction for pleasure. I need to make time for sitting still and getting quietly lost in a story."
I feel this deep in my soul! Also a goal for me in 2025. I wanna reclaim my attention span to some degree and further divorce myself from the constant need to work and hustle.
I relate to this post! I read exactly 1 romance this year, tons of nonfiction, and a bunch of thrillers. God of the Woods and Bright Young Women were A+.
I've read 103 books this year. I think that definitely depends upon where you are in life (I'm retired and a widow, as opposed to earlier life of career, homemaker, children, etc.). I have started DNF more books; why give them my limited time? I've also re-read more books this year than previously. I read only romance, so I should branch out. My 5 stars were: Sunday Morning and I Thought of You by Jewel E. Ann, and Wild Eyes by Elsie Silver. The re-reads I went back to were 5 stars for me (Managed by Kristen Callihan; 2 by Anne Calhoun - Uncommon Passion and Breath on Embers; and 2 historical romances - Chasing Cassandra by Lisa Kleypas and Lady Eve's Indiscretion by Grace Burrowes. I should try audio books but I love my Kindle ebooks.
Thanks for the recs! And fiction audiobooks take a little getting used to, but once I figured out the speed I liked (1.3x) and realized I could listen while doing chores or driving, I've been going to that format more and more often.
I'm at 158 books so far, which is about average for me. I listened to a lot more audiobooks this year. There was a time I didn't listen to them at all, but then I discovered GraphicAudio full cast and it was a game changer. I can now do duet and dual narration. According to my StoryGraph stas, 97% fiction and 3% nonfiction. My top three categories were romance, fantasy, and urban fantasy, but I read a mix of all genres. My favorite books of the year included The Hidden Legacy series by Illona Andrews and the Quinn and Costa series by Allison Brennan. Series that I'm in the middle of and enjoying so far: The Mages of Wheel by J. D. Evans, the Bridge Kingdom by Danielle L. Jensen, Villians and Virtues by A. K. Caggiano (first book takes a bit to get into), and Tairen Soul by C. L. Wilson. I'm not reading as many newer releases. They seem to lack editing or they're trying too hard to cram all the tropes in.
Thanks for the recs! And yeah, I've also found myself reading fewer new releases, particularly in certain genres.
Loved _God of The Woods_! And agree about _Remarkably Bright Creatures_. Funny how a few of us had the same thought re: the slow middle. :-)
A few of my favorites: _James_, _Beautyland_, _The Ministry of Time_ and _Sociopath_.
Thanks for the recs! I own Ministry of Time and Sociopath, but I haven't read them yet. I've heard lots of mixed reviews on Ministry of Time. It seems to be a love or hate kind of book.
I hadn’t seen heard that! I love historical fiction so that was part of the draw with The Ministry of Time. But there was a lot to appreciate for me: snappy dialogue, excellent pacing, a low buzz of mystery and characters I cared about. I’d be curious what you think if you do pick it up, Roni.
I really enjoyed Remarkably Bright Creatures too, though I also found the middle a bit slow. My reading has been wonky this year--with a lot more nonfiction as well--and I've definitely had less patience for a lot of romance. Might be my mood, or burning out on some genres. 🤷🏼♀️ The books I really liked this year were The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E Harrow (a few years old), Flyboy by Kasey LeBlanc, and the entire Last Binding series by Freya Marske.
I need to be better about tracking DNFs. The problem is that I start so many books, can't get into them, think maybe I'll come back later, then forget about them. This is easier to do with ebooks. I read 78 books this year, which is still down a lot from the previous years, partly on purpose because I felt like I was reading too much. 10 were audio, which I think is normal, but those are almost always nonfiction.
Like you, over the years, I've spent less time just sitting and reading as an act in itself. It feels wasteful or lazy, I guess. Always so much to do, so I multitask and read while eating, brushing my teeth, and...that's about it. Clearly, I need to make some changes.
Hope you're feeling better!
I got better at tracking DNFs when I created a shelf on Goodreads called "Shelved". That felt less permanent than DNF so was easier to move a book onto it. Like I'm shelving this for now because it's not working for me but maybe I'll be in the mood for it later. And yeah, finding time to read where I'm not trying to do other things is an ongoing struggle. Optimization culture has overtaken us all lol.
I like the idea of "Shelved" vs DNF. Amazing how much words matter. ;-)
"I need to refocus on reading fiction for pleasure. I need to make time for sitting still and getting quietly lost in a story."
I feel this deep in my soul! Also a goal for me in 2025. I wanna reclaim my attention span to some degree and further divorce myself from the constant need to work and hustle.
Good luck with the 2025 goal! I think all of us could use more quiet and attention span these days.
A few of my favorites: A Happier Life, women's fiction; Darling Girls, domestic thriller; Bummer Camp, women's fiction; and The Rom-Commers, romance.
I've read more than 60 books, mostly romance, and reviewed most of them.
Thanks for the recs! I haven't read any of those. :)
I relate to this post! I read exactly 1 romance this year, tons of nonfiction, and a bunch of thrillers. God of the Woods and Bright Young Women were A+.
Interesting! Must've been something in the air. :)
Did you do Remarkably Bright Creatures on audio? Michael Urie is brilliant as Marcellus. Made the audio for me.
Yes! I did a combo hardcover/audio read and it was fantastic narration. :)