Mid-Year Book Freak out

 

Best book you've read so far: My first book of the year was a five star read - Wild Reverence by Rebecca Ross.  It is a beautifully written story that I really enjoyed.   I also enjoyed the newest Nora Roberts' release, The Final Target.  I heard some complaints that there was too much of what I'll call "domestic" plot - time spent talking about the renovation of her new home, wood working, etc, but I liked that part. I have come to the conclusion that I enjoy those "cozy" aspects of reading.  That's one of the reasons, I really enjoyed my reread of the Lost Bride trilogy - lots of talk about cooking and the house in addition to the main plot.

Best sequel you've read so far: Surprisingly to me, I have really enjoyed reading the ACOTAR books by Sarah J. Maas.  Specifically, the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th ones.  I liked the first one, too, but it's not a sequel.

New release you haven't read yet, but want to: I really enjoyed The Adventures of Amina Al-Sirafi by Shannon Chakraborty, so I'm anticipating the second one in the series, Tapestry of Fate.  It's on my bookshelf, but I haven't gotten to it yet,

Most anticipated release for the second half of the year: I always enjoy the new releases by Nora Roberts and JD Robb, so I'm looking forward to those.  Also on my New Release list are Daggerbound by T. Kingfisher, A Trade of Blood by Robert Jackson Bennett, and the Magic and Mystery collection short stories by various authors.

Biggest disappointment: It has to be The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab. I couldn't wait for that book to be over. There were a couple of rereads I did that were disappointing, only because when I read them the first time, I really enjoyed them, but now, a few decades later, the arrogance of the main male character was overwhelming.  I also have to add Greenlights by Matthew McConaughey to this list. Ugh.  I had hoped to like The Hexologists by Josiah Bancroft more than I did; it wasn't terrible, but I'm not sure I'm motivated to continue the series.

Biggest surprise:  I really loved The River has Roots by Amal El-Mohtar. Beautifully written; just loved reading it.  And I've already mentioned how surprised I was to like the ACOTAR series. 

Best audiobook: I very much enjoy audiobooks, and they enable me to read for two hours every work day (during my commute). I haven't listened to one this year that I didn't like. I especially appreciate the audiobooks for Hail Mary and The River has Roots. The River has Roots included original music that enhanced the story. While I did not like the book Greenlights, I did appreciate that Matthew McConaughey read it for the audiobook; having the author read his memoir made it more real to me.

Favorite new author (debut or new to you):  Sarah J. Maas, Shannon Chakraborty, and Beth Brower

Newest fictional crush:  It has to be Rhysand from ACOTAR, although it took me a little while to get there.

Newest favorite character:  I'm enjoying Emma M. Lion and Temeraire from Naomi Novik's dragon books is great (he's the dragon)

Most beautiful book cover/design you've acquired:  Steve bought me a lovely copy of Hail Mary by Andy Weir (another book I really enjoyed).  I don't buy print copies of most of the books I read, but I have noticed that I pick up lovely books.  So far, I purchased The Faraway Inn because of its cover. I've preordered Daggerbound by T Kingfisher and Sea of Charms by Sarah Beth Durst. I like both of those authors, but I bought the print copies because of their book cover and design. I also picked up a copy of The Night we Met because of the cover. 

What books do you need to read by the end of the year: I'll probably try to read A Court of Silver Flames before the new Sarah J. Maas book comes out in October.  I'm dragging my feet a little bit because it's long (768 pages), and I haven't heard the best reviews of it.  I'll work in Tapestry of Fate, Daggerbound, and Sea of Charms.  I'm reading through the Emma M. Lions books, and I just started Bridgerton, so I may read more of those.  I'm doing a reread of the Amelia Peabody books and the In Death books. I'm working my way through David Rosenfelt's Andy Carpenter books, so I expect some of all of those series will be on my TBR. I'm halfway through Deanna Raybourn's Veronica Speedwell books; I'll probably add one of those to my reading in the second half of the year. I'm certain to read Birth of a Witch by Nora Roberts when it comes out in November.  I'm (sometimes) participating in the Goober Book Club, so there may be books from that group that I read (although I've skipped the last three choices).

So far this year, I've read 62 books (65 if we count the July books so far). I hope to at least reach 100.

Thanks to Jaredd Craig from Unsplash for the image. I don't have an original link for the list of questions - they are all over the internet.

June 2026 Reading

I thought it might be interesting to look at my reading month by month with the following questions in mind:

1. What was my favorite book?
2. What was my least favorite book?
3. How am I coming with my reading goals?

This might become a series (we'll see).  Here are the answers for June:

1. What was my favorite book?  Tied for first place, with five stars each, was Inheritance and The Mirror, both re-reads from Nora Roberts. Every time I read these (this is the third time for Inheritance and the second time for the Mirror), I enjoy them. I like the cozy aspect of them - cooking and house remodeling along with the main plot.  These are comfort reading for me.  Close behind these two books was a new one for me, The Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J. Maas.  This it he third book in the ACOTAR series.  Most people rank the second book, Court of Mist and Fury, as their favorite, but I think this one is mine.
2. 

   What was my least favorite book?  I read Nine Goblins by T. Kingfisher. I rated it 3 stars, which isn't terrible.  It wasn't a bad book, but I had trouble engaging with it.
3. How am I coming with my reading goals?  So far, 62 books read, with 19,423 pages.  Of these, 68% were new to me.  I've read five spiritual development books (out of a total goals of 4 for the year).
4. 
   

 

February reading

 

January 2026 Reading summary

 

2025 Reading Stats

 Here are my reading stats for 2025

I read a total of 150 books in 2025.  I didn't start out intending to read that many, but around the beginning of October, I realized it was possible, and set monthly goals to achieve it..  This compares to 56 books in 2021, 35 in 2022, 52 in 2023 and 67 in 2024.  

The graph above is from my Story Graph account - an account I started in 2024 for its statistical tracking.

Here are how the stats worked out:

Question 1: What was the format of the book?  Hard copy? Kindle? Audiobook?  Audiobook is the winner, at 62%.  I read 19% on Kindle and 17% print.  I also read 2% "hybrid" - a combination of methods.

Question 2: Had I read the book before?  Again this year, to make sure I didn't get in a rut of only re-reading books, I set a goal of at least 30% new books. 62% were new books to me.  

Question 3: What was the genre of the books I read?    The winner this year was romance, at 37% followed by mystery at 21%.  Another one of my goals for 2024 was to read at least 4 "spiritual development" books.  I read 6; that category came in at 4% .

Question 4: When were the books published?  58% of the books I read were published between 2020 and 2025;  17% of the books from 2010-2019. 

Question 5: I gave each book a star rating of 1-5.  I gave each star rating a definition (which is too much stuff to share in this post) - fiction and non-fiction had different rating definitions.  My average rating was 4.0.  My lowest rating was 1, and the highest was 5.  

This is my Goodreads profile if you are interested in seeing what I've read.  This page is my Blog Library.  I list faith books here (or other books I've blogged about) with links to the posts.

2026 Reading Goals

Each year, for the past few years, I have set reading goals for the year. Here they are for 2026:

1. Read 50 books.  Last year I read 150 books; my goal was 50. As I read my way through the year, the idea of 100 books approached pretty easily. At the beginning of October, 150 books was within reach. That's a pretty great goal to have reached, but it did cause some "reading pressure." I'm not going to try to do that this year. I'm setting my goal at 50 books, and then not worrying about it. That gives me the freedom to read some longer books, etc.
2. Read 15,000 pages. That's an average of 300 pages per book, which feels reasonable. Last year I averaged 280 pages per book.
3. Read at least 30% new books.  I really like re-reading books, but I do want to read at least some new books.
4. Read 4 Spiritual Development books in the year. Last year I read 6, so this seems reasonable.

Mainly, I want reading to be enjoyable. That's my main goal. 

I'm keeping updated accounts in both Good Reads and Story Graph.  So far that hasn't proven to be an issue at all. I like what each one provides even though at first blush it might seem duplicative. 

I love data!

PS - The bookcase in the picture is one of two new bookcases at our house. Last year sometime I went through all of my books, weeding out ones I would never read again. We gave six boxes of books to our local library, assembled these bookcases from Ikea, and organized the books.  I'm loving it!

December Reading Summary

 

August Reading Summary

 

July Reading Summary

 

Reading flexibility

Last year, I read the Murderbot series by Martha Wells via audiobook. I decided I wanted to re-read it this year, but chose to purchase printed books and to read it "with my eyes" instead of "with my ears."  I found that for this series, reading the printed versions meant that I took my time. The slower pace meant that I followed the plot more closely and enjoyed the books more.

Last year, I started listening to the book Emily Wilde's Encyclopedia of Fairies via audiobook. I found the narrator to be monotone (to my ears) and I couldn't finish the book - and I tried twice.  I purchased the kindle book version, and it was vastly different. I sped through the book.  I bought print versions of the other two in the trilogy, and enjoyed them.

This year, I started reading the printed version (kindle) of Sword Catcher by Cassandra Clare. I slogged through the first half of the book (630 pages) until I finally gave up and bought the audiobook. The print was just too slow for me; the audiobook sped it up, thank goodness.

All this to say that I think the version of a book I want to read depends on the book. I didn't really realize that earlier. I normally don't buy a lot of printed books because I don't have any more storage space for them on my bookshelves.  I make exceptions to that rule for books I need to highlight or read for spiritual or educational purposes. That said, I altered the rule lately to include a few print books - ones that are beautifully designed or that I think I would enjoy more reading as a print copy. 

Reading flexibility - it's what I want.

Reading Summary for June

 

May Reading graphic

 

New Reading Journal

 

I started a reading journal back in 2023, but this year I changed it. 

1. Previously, the journal was a pocket sized Leuchtturm 1917 notebook.  I logged two books per page. That only left room for basic information and no review.  This year I'm using an Archer and Olive Traveler's size notebook.  It is as tall as an A5 and half as wide.  I log two books per page, and I am able to include a small review. 
2. I mainly wanted to include the summary and review to refresh my mind when I come back to the entry. Who were the characters? What happened?
3. I am including a few other spreads - TBR, Book Bingo, Release Radar, etc.  I also include monthly cover pages and a monthly review at the end of each month.

I like this notebook - the paper is thicker than I am used to, and I am really enjoying the size.

February Book Wrap-up

 

Summary of January 2025 Reading

 

Reading Stats 2024

 For the past few years, I have shared my reading stats.  Maybe it makes me a little nerdy - but I'm not.  I'm very nerdy, and I like statistics.  So here we go for 2024. 

I read a total of 67 books in 2024.  This compares to 56 books in 2021, 35 in 2022 and 52 in 2023.  This is higher than any of the previous years that I have tracked.  I'm not sure why. I seemed to have read more at the end of the year:

The graph above is from my Story Graph account - an account I started in 2024 for its statistical tracking.

Here are how the stats worked out:

Question 1: What was the format of the book?  Hard copy? Kindle? Audiobook?  Audiobook is the winner, at 80%.  I read a lot as I drive to work, using audiobooks, so this is not surprising. I started reading from my Kindle more at the end of the year, using a 5% of the book per day goal.  Amazingly enough, when you read a book, you eventually finish it.  :-)

Question 2: Had I read the book before?  Again this year, to make sure I didn't get in a rut of only re-reading books, I set a goal of at least 30% new books. 52% were new books to me.  This is down from last year, but I'm OK with that.

Question 3: What was the genre of the books I read?    The winner this year was romance, at 36%. followed by fantasy at 25%.  Last year's  "winner" was mystery.  Another one of my goals for 2024 was to read at least 4 "spiritual development" books.  I read 6; that category came in at 9% .

Question 4: When were the books published?  39% of the books I read were published between 2020 and 2024; close behind that was 30% of the books from 2010-2019. 

Question 5: I gave each book a star rating of 1-5.  I gave each star rating a definition (which is too much stuff to share in this post) - fiction and non-fiction had different rating definitions.  My average rating was 4.0.  My lowest rating was 1.5, and the highest was 5.  

This is my Goodreads profile if you are interested in seeing what I've read.  This page is my Blog Library.  I list faith books here (or other books I've blogged about) with links to the posts.

Reading Goals for 2025

On September 8 I wrote about my 2024 reading goals.  While you can see from that post that I have a few concerns about setting reading goals, I do like having them overall, and want to set some for 2025.  

1. Read 50 books.  So far this year (as of December 19), I've read 64 books.  I've already met the 50 book goal, but 64 books seems like an anomaly compared to previous years.  I'm going to keep the number at 50 for 2025.
2. Read 18,000 pages. My average book size this year was 360 pages.  If I read 50 books, that will be 18,000 pages.  Number of pages is a new goal for me.  I'm able to do it because I have created a Story Graph account.  Story Graph will convert audiobooks to number of pages.  
3. Read at least four Spiritual Development books. 
4. Read at least 30% new books.  As of today, 53% of the books I have read have been new to me.  I like re-reads, but I don't want to only re-read.  Hence this goal.

This isn't a reading goal, but I also want to revamp how I track my reading in my bullet journal and in my reading journal, so I'm giving that some thought. 

I'm keeping updated accounts in both Good Reads and Story Graph.  So far that hasn't proven to be an issue at all. I like what each one provides even though at first blush it might seem duplicative. 

I love data!

By the way, this is an image from UnSplash of someone else's library. Do you love to look at pictures of wonderful libraries?  I do.

Update on End of Year Book Tag

I thought I would take a moment to update the End of Year book tag post that I uploaded on November 11. After that, I'll talk (later this week) about the reading goals I'm setting for 2025.

Is there a book you have started that you would like to finish by the end of the year?

I finished Hounded - a book I started on January 25.  I also finished Go Tell the Bees that I'm Gone by Diana Gabaldon - a book I started sometime in 2021.  I discovered (she says facetiously) that if you read a little bit of a book each day, you can get to the end.  I found as I read these books, that I wanted to read a little bit more than a little bit each day.  Two books down that I have wanted to finish. 

Do you have an autumnal book to transition to the end of the year with?

I finished Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, my sort of autumnal book. 

Is there a new release you are still waiting for?

The Mirror (The Lost Bride Trilogy #2) by Nora Roberts was released on November 19.  I read it (listened to it). 

What are three books you want to read by the end of the year?

As of November 19, this was my TBR so far for the rest of the year:

• Inheritance (The Lost Bride Trilogy #1) by Nora Roberts - Finished.
• Artificial Conditions (Murderbot #2) by Martha Wells - Finshed today.
• Below Zero by Ali Hazelwood - Finished.
• All the Good: A Wesleyan Way of Christmas - Finished - maybe before Advent or very close to the beginning of it.
• The Mirror by Nora Roberts - Finshed.
• Hounded by David Rosenfelt - Finished.

Is there a book that you think could still shock you and become your favorite book of the year?

The Mirror was a five star read for me - a new favorite. That's not shocking. 

End-of-Year Book Tag

I was watching a video from Katie is Reading on YouTube. She talked through questions from an End-of-Year tag. I enjoyed thinking about the questions, so here they are with my answers.

Is there a book you have started that you would like to finish by the end of the year?

On January 25, I started Hounded by David Rosenfelt. It is the 12th Andy Carpenter book in this series. I habitually read these books on my Kindle (instead of listening to them). The problem is that I don't find much time to read books (with my eyes) unless I am reading them for a specific purpose (like a class). I would like to finish this one by the end of the year. I'm 50% done with it.

Do you have an autumnal book to transition to the end of the year with?

I think you could call this an autumnal book, although I don't reserve reading this series to any particular season. I started a reread of the Harry Potter series in December of 2023. I'm currently reading #7 - Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. I'll finish it either this week or next.

Is there a new release you are still waiting for?

Yes - I'm looking forward to the release of The Mirror (The Lost Bride Trilogy #2) by Nora Roberts on November 19.

What are three books you want to read by the end of the year?

I have more than three. Here is my TBR so far for the rest of the year:

• Inheritance (The Lost Bride Trilogy #1) by Nora Roberts - a reread to be ready for the second in the series.
• Artificial Conditions (Murderbot #2) by Martha Wells - I read #1 this month and really enjoyed it.
• Below Zero by Ali Hazelwood - I read the first two in this series, and only have this one left.
• All the Good: A Wesleyan Way of Christmas - a book to read during Advent
• The Mirror by Nora Roberts
• Hounded by David Rosenfelt

There will be more - I just haven't picked them out yet. I would like to find something fun for the Christmas season.

Is there a book that you think could still shock you and become your favorite book of the year?

I really enjoy books by Nora Roberts, so The Mirror could become a new favorite. It wouldn't be shocking, though.

Have you already started making reading plans for 2025?

No, not really. I am working my way through the Amelia Peabody books by Elizabeth Peters, so I imagine I will read some of those. If I finish that series, I might start another series of hers as a reread. I'll probably throw in some more Murderbot books. There will probably be two JD Robb In Death books released - I'll read those. And I'll pick up at least one new Andy Carpenter book (by David Rosenfelt).

I'll probably set a goal of at least four books for spiritual development - that was one of my goals this year. That will probably include The Gospel of John by Amy Jill-Levine.

Reading Goals

I've been thinking about goals - reading goals, specifically - and the real effects they have on reading.  

My reading goals this year are:

• Read at least 30% new to me books.  I like to re-read books, but I want to make sure I am always reading some new material.  In truth, I have no trouble meeting this 30% goal.  Last year, I had this goal, and I read 69% new books (books I had never read before).  I think this goal achieves a good balance between indulging in my reading joy of re-reading great books (or books I read a long time ago) and making sure I am reading new things, too.
• Read at least four books that will help my spiritual growth. So far this year, I've read three, and I have a fourth one almost complete.  Last year, because of a class I took, I far exceeded this goal.  I think this one is a good goal that makes sure I am reading books for spiritual growth, and am still leaving room for books for fun.

Reading, for me, is mainly for the joy and pleasure of it. I like storytelling and stories - books are great stories to read for fun.  I also read for intellectual and spiritual growth - and I like doing that. I want goals that will help me to balance the fun of reading with my reading purposes.  These two goals are doing that.

I don't have a written goal for how many books to read in a year. Last year, I read 52 books.  I just looked that up as I was writing this post, and I was surprised to find it wasn't 48. In my mind, I have have had the goal of reading 50 books for the year - what I thought was two more than last year.  Does it really matter how many books I read? No. But I can see the unintended consequence of this unwritten goal.  I find myself choosing books that are shorter than others so that I can read more of them. That isn't a goal of mine; I don't mind long books. I don't want to avoid them. I makes me wonder if I should switch to a page number goal, or just forget it. In 2022, I read 35 books, and it was fine.  I don't really need a goal to encourage reading - I read.  

But still - 50 books sounds great to me.