Hey, my reading homies! Can you believe 2023 is in the rearview mirror? It was an absolute rollercoaster of reading, and I can't wait to spill the tea on my literary adventures. So please grab a cup of water, coffee, or tea, and let's chat about how I went from a goal of reading 23 books to devouring a whopping 60 by the end of the year!
At the beginning of 2023, my mission was to read 23 books-- totally doable right? Well, I crushed that goal by the end of June, and I was thinking, "What now?" Cue the light bulb moment-- I needed a bigger challenge. But what should it be?
Before deciding on my new goal for the year, I knew I needed to amp up my reading game. I began to treat my literacy goal as a project. Chile, I took this goal seriously and followed these steps to reach my new goal:
I crafted a nifty reading schedule that kept me on track without making it feel like I was on a forced march through bookland. And guess what? Audiobooks became my sidekick! I started listening to longer audiobooks while doing everyday stuff, turning the most mundane tasks into mini adventures.
I kept a book in my bag, in the car, and an audiobook in the queue. I became a reading machine.
I also got smart about picking shorter books (300 pages or less). Some might say shorter books sacrifice depth, but I found them to be like little flavor explosions of storytelling. They kept me zipping through my TBR (To BE Read) list while introducing me to authors and genres I might've missed.
Reading became my ultimate happy place. Instead of seeing it as a challenge, I transformed it into a delightful self-discovery journey. There's something magical about stepping into different worlds, connecting with characters, and soaking up new ideas. It's like a reading vacation for the soul.
Audiobooks, choosing shorter books, keeping a book with me at all times, and reminding myself of the joy reading brings me gave me optimism and the confidence to create a larger goal.
While talking to a friend about our year-end race schedules, I casually mentioned "If I sign up for that 5k, I would have raced a little over 60 miles this year".
Eureka!! That's it, I got it! I decided to match the miles I raced in 2023 with the total number of books read. 60 miles ran and 60 books read. Sounds great to me. It became a reading adventure, combining physical and intellectual pursuits, something like a literary ultra-marathon. And you know what? It was an awesome adventure.
60 BOOKS I HAVE READ IN 2023
1.The Boy From The Woods by Harlen Coben
2. The Reporter Who Knew Too Much by Mark Shaw
3. Who Moved My Cheese by Spencer Johnson
4. The Mindful Athlete by George Mumford
6. Burn The Fat Feed The Muscle by Tom Venuto
7. No Nonsense Buddhism For Beginners by Noah Rasheta
8. Killers Of The Flower Moon by David Grann
9. The Forgetting Machine by Rodrigo Quiroga
10. The Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno- Garcia
11. Always The Last To Know by Kristan Higgins
12. Drunk Mom by Jowita Bydlowska
13. Harry Potter and The Sorcerer Stone by J.K Rowling
14. If You Only Knew by Kristan Higgins
15. Fall From Grace by Danielle Steele
16. The Old Girls Network by Judy Leigh
17. Ethic I by Ashley Antoinette
18. Ethic II by Ashley Antoinette
19. Ethic III by Ashley Antoinette
20. The Art of Business and Teaching Yoga by Amy I
21. The Songs Of Achilles by Madeline Miller
22. Spare by Prince Henry The Duke of Sussex
23. The Practicing Stoic by Ward Farnsworth
24. The Things You Can See Only When You Slow Down by Haemin Sunim
25. The Seven Spiritual Laws of Yoga by Deepak Chopra
26. Rewilding by Micah Mortali
27. Animal Farm by George Orwell
28. Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin
29. The Nurses Secret by Amanda Skenandore
30. The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson
31. Objects of My Affection by Jill Smolinski
32. In The Time Of Our History by Susanne Pari
33. Honeymoon For One by Portia MacIntosh
35. The Undertaker's Assistant by Amanda Skenandore
36. The Polygamist Daughter Anna LaBaron
37. Taming The Tiger Within by Thich Nhat Hanh
38. Meditations by Marcus Aurelieus
39. Do Epic Shit by Ankur Warikoo
40. Body of Secrets by James Bamford
41. When Women Were Dragons by Kelly Barnhill
42. The Things I Wish I Knew Before My Mom Died by Ty Alexander
43. How to Ikigai by Tim Tamashiro
44. We Are Not Like Them by Christine Pride and Jo Piazza
45. The Second Life of Mirielle West
46. The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store by James McBride
47. The Bookworm Crush by Lisa Brown Roberts
48. Lessons In Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus
49. A Gamblers Jury by Victor Methos
50. A Child Called It by Dave Pelzer
51. The Soulmate by Sally Hepworth
52. Catcher in the Rye by J.D Salinger
53. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
54. One For The Money by Janet Evanovich
55. You Shouldn't Have Come Here by Jeneva Rose
56. What Is The What? by Dave Egger
57. The Woman In Me by Britney Spears
58. The Girl Who Drank The Moon by Kelly Barnhill
59. The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han
60. Absolution by Alice McDermott
Fast forward to the end of the year. I did not race that last 5k, But guess what? I smashed my initial goal of reading 23 books in 2023 by reading 60 books!!!! The feeling of accomplishment is unreal. It shows that with a sprinkle of determination, a dash of planning, and a lot of love for books, you can conquer even the loftiest reading goals.
Remember, reading should be fun! So grab a book, curl up in your favorite spot, and get lost in a story. You might surprise yourself with how much you can achieve.
TOP 5 BOOKS OF 2023
Let's make 2024 a year of bookish triumphs! Download my book bingo card, join the #24booksreadin2024 challenge, and tag me in your reading updates! I can't wait to see your progress!
I hope this post has inspired you to reach for your own reading goals. Remember, even the smallest steps can lead to big accomplishments. So go forth, book homies, and conquer your own mountains of books!
P.S. If you're looking for some book recommendations, feel free to check out my 2022 #22BooksReadIn2022 reading list, and to leave a comment below! I'm always happy to share my favorites.
Happy Reading Homies