LIFE'S A PEARL

Happy July!

That means we’re already halfway through the year and it’s time for a mid year reading life check in!

This weekend I’ll be sharing another fun mid year post with the Mid Year Book Freak Out Tag for the first time on my blog.

Today I’m sharing an overview on how my reading life is going this year and how my various bookish goals are shaping up.

Total Books Read: Goodreads Goal

So far in 2023 I’ve read 113 books.

This is a new record for me in the first half of the year!

My original goodreads goal was 100 books, a standard number for me the last couple years.

For the first time I upped my total books read goal to 150.

I’m actually on track to hit 200 which I’ve never done before. But I like to keep my goal pretty easily attainable (for my reading life) and low pressure. I find that seeing I’m ahead helps me maintain my momentum. So 150 is it for now.

Clearly I’m reading more than ever at the moment and I have some mixed feelings about it.

On one hand I think I’m using my time better to be able to read more. Books are my main form of entertainment. I watch very little TV. I’ve even cut back a ton on my podcast listening which leaves more room for audiobooks.

I’m leaning into whatever genre is calling to me – romance at the moment – and I’m keeping a big list of books ready to choose my next read from. Series reading also helps me keep momentum because there’s often a book to pick up next.

On the other hand, I’m trying to be aware of why I’m turning to books so much. I’ve questioned if I’m using reading as an escape too often from real life. It’s been a great year so far but also a tough one in a lot of ways. Such is life.

For now I’ve landed on if reading is helping me cope, then right on!

This year I also started being better about keeping notes on my current reads. Not only does this help when it comes to reviews, it’s another way for me to think about and interact with the content I’m taking in as I’m reading.

My 2023 Reading Life Bucket List

Overall my 2023 reading life bucket list is going well.

There are a few areas I need to catch up in – like my 12 authors to read again.

A couple goals that I decided didn’t fit well with my reading life this year – like keeping a reading spreadsheet.

And some fun ones I’m excited to end the year with – like my book advent calendars!

Reading Goals

New Experiences

Community Goals

Just for Fun Goals

My Seasonal TBRs

With the exception of spring, my seasonal TBRs have gone really well!

I read all of my winter books. I’ve read 16 of 20 on my summer tbr at the moment!

In the future I may change up my spring tbr so it’s more about mood reading.

One idea for that is to do prompts instead of set books so I can find a title I’m drawn to in the moment. Another idea is to keep it open ended for catch ups on books, series, or authors I wanted to check out the year before but didn’t get around to.

I’m really excited to see how my fall tbr shapes up this year. It’s my favorite and biggest reading season! But I’m not quite sure how I’ll cross over my romance mood with the fall vibes.

I may be in for a lot of paranormal series. Which is fine by me!

Kindle Unlimited Reading Goal

In May, I added a new reading goal with my Kindle Unlimited love affair.

I want to average 3 reads on there a month to make sure I’m using the service. Plus it’s a great way to try new authors and find favorite independently published romances. 

Depending on what I’m in the mood for, I know this will fluctuate. Some months I might be reading exclusively KU and other months I might be mostly reading from Libby catching up on library holds. Hence the average goal. 

To help me stay fresh in my selections from KU, I also have a new feature planned for the blog every two months or so, What’s in my Kindle Unlimited Library?

Obviously this is still a very new goal but June wound up being a great mix of KU, Libby, and already owned books.

I hope the rest of the year is just as plentiful with amazing reads as the first half has been! Happy reading everyone!

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What are some of your reading goals and how are they going so far in 2023?