We have hit the halfway mark of 2016. Where does the time go? I will never cease to be amazed by the passing of time, of how quickly it just speeds on by. It is crazy!
I'm a big fan of TimeHop, which is a fun, daily blast-from-the-social-media-past. I was surprised to see that in 2014, I had only read about 15 books by this point. My goal that year had been 40 books, and I met it on New Year's Eve. Last year, I surpassed my goal of 35 in July, a huge surprise for me. And now this year, I will be entering month 7 with more than 50 books under my belt.
I have welcomed novellas, graphic novels/comics, and audiobooks into my reading life, which has certainly made it easier to read more (less pages, being able to multitask). But I've also noticed that I've truly prioritized reading. It is as important as brushing my teeth. I have to do it. I carve time out in my day to do it.
It's also easier to read when I choose what I truly want to read. Instead of forcing myself to finish buzzy but lackluster books, I put things down that I don't enjoy and pick something else back up. Yes, I've hit a couple of road blocks. Slumps happen. But I've been pretty good at getting back on the horse.
Most Books Read in Years!
I'm a big fan of TimeHop, which is a fun, daily blast-from-the-social-media-past. I was surprised to see that in 2014, I had only read about 15 books by this point. My goal that year had been 40 books, and I met it on New Year's Eve. Last year, I surpassed my goal of 35 in July, a huge surprise for me. And now this year, I will be entering month 7 with more than 50 books under my belt.
I have welcomed novellas, graphic novels/comics, and audiobooks into my reading life, which has certainly made it easier to read more (less pages, being able to multitask). But I've also noticed that I've truly prioritized reading. It is as important as brushing my teeth. I have to do it. I carve time out in my day to do it.
It's also easier to read when I choose what I truly want to read. Instead of forcing myself to finish buzzy but lackluster books, I put things down that I don't enjoy and pick something else back up. Yes, I've hit a couple of road blocks. Slumps happen. But I've been pretty good at getting back on the horse.
Reading More = Absorbing Less?
Throughout my reading life, I have read books and completely forgotten about them. Some books just sucked and weren't worthy of the brain space. Other books were enjoyable at the time but have been trumped by better ones. On one of my favorite podcasts, the hosts were asked how they can have favorite books when they read so many. It's a good question, but the answer is pretty obvious: The good books will always stand out. The ones you enjoy or that have a strong message or were just that good will not be forgotten simply because you read a hundred books after that one.
I still think of Luckiest Girl Alive by Jessica Knoll and I read that last May. I still love Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver, read in 2014, even though I didn't really like the other two books that I had read by her since. I might not remember every single detail of the books I enjoyed, but I am always carrying the feelings they gave me.
Bookstagram
This year, I decided to make a completely separate Instagram dedicated to photos of books. I did this because I wanted a place to talk about my blog or the books I was reading and enjoying without messing up my personal Instagram. I like that I have two separate spaces. It was tough at first because it involved logging out of one account and going onto the other to post or check how things were going. Luckily for me (and especially for all the people who've been doing that kind of thing for years), Instagram updated the app to include a feature where accounts can be added. I can seamlessly switch between @mikeylynn and @mlvreads (okay, it can be annoying and buggy and kick me out of one of the accounts from time to time but it is still easier than before). Bookstagram has proven to be an awesome, encouraging, and inspiring community. It can be hard for me to think outside the box for my photos, but I am inspired to by the amazing work of other people. I've also found that it is an awesome way to connect with fellow readers and to find opinions and reviews that you can trust (and people to support along the way!).
The Facts
I've never been much of a math person, but there's something about reading stats that makes me geek out so hard. Here are some numbers!
I have read 50 books so far this year, which means I am 50% done with my goal.
Of the 50 books I read, 31 are from my personal library. That means that 62% of the books I read this year were books from my own shelves (phys. and eBooks).
Of the 31 books from my shelves, 7 were books I purchased last year or earlier. That's 23% of the 31 books (I hope to increase this!).
On Track
I'm happy with what I've accomplished so far and I'm excited to see what the second half of the year will bring. Some hidden treasure from my stuffed shelves? A new favorite author to gush about? An appreciation for a new genre? Who knows!
How has your reading year been so far?
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