KJ's 2023 Reading Recap
📖📖📖📖📖📖📖📖📖📖📖📖📖📖📖📖📖📖📖📖📖
This year I read 21 books
Typically, I like to start with the goal of reading 10 every year and I will adjust my goal throughout the year as I see fit. I would rather not have a large number of books in mind at the start of the year because it would take away the enjoyment. In the past, I have been able to read 28 books, however, just because I did it once, doesn't mean I can do it again the following year.
This year I found out I'm a mood reader
By definition this means that I read whatever I am in the mood to read. Despite knowing this, I took a literature class on Stephen King, an author I was familiar with, yet never read. I was required to read several of his books, and powered through my lack of "being in the mood" for it. Nearly half of the books I read this year were read because of this class, hence majority of the pages I read were filled with horror. It, written by Stephen King, was the longest book I have ever read and probably ever will read.
Even though I've enjoyed reading for quite some time now, I had a hard time reading some of these books. I read a lot of heavy topics this year especially in the Stephen King course. It took its toll on me. This year I started and did not finish quite a bit of books because of this. I was also a little bit more hesitant to pick up books. So, it sort of began to feel like this fun little reading hobby of mine was out of my control.
This year felt out of my control
I didn't read a lot of books I actually wanted to read this year. I chose to read books in order to get them out of my to be read pile and because it was required for a class. It was strange watching as my one hobby, my personal heaven if you will, was breached by outside sources for the first time in my life. Not to say that I didn't enjoy any of those books. But, of the 21 books I read, 4? were actually my decision to read.
My best of 2023
With all that being said, I still enjoyed some books. My favorite book this read was The Anthropocene Reviewed by John Green. My second favorite, Are you there God? It's me, Margaret by Judy Blume. Third, Carrie by Stephen King. Some honorable mentions were I'm Glad my Mom Died written by Jennette McCurdy and The Great Gatsby written by F. Scott Fitzgerald.