Since joining the blogging world I’ve participated in the yearly reading goal three times, including this year. After failing to reach my goal of 40 books the first year, I set my goal at the same place for 2021 and managed to complete it on my second try. This year I again set my goal at 40 books, expecting to read about the same amount of books as the previous two years. Instead, I ended up passing my original goal months before the year would end! Currently, I’ve read 63 books this year, 20 books beyond my original goal.
I never expected to read this many books this year, so passing my goal so early made me think about how my reading habits have changed over the past three years. Today I’d like to discuss those changes and how they’ve helped me increase my reading pace.
Reading Growth
2021 Stats Vs. 2022 Stats
| Stats | All of 2021 | 2022 Through August 14 |
|---|---|---|
| Books Read | 41 | 63 |
| Pages Read | 10,427 | 16,048 |
| % Graphic Novels/Manga/Comics | 10% | 63% |
| % Audiobooks | 17% | 13% |
| # Audiobooks | 7 | 8 |
| % 300+ Page Books | 40% | 29% |
| # 300+ Page Books | 18 | 18 |
Although it’s only August, it’s already clear that I’m going to read far more books this year than I read last year. I’m 23 books ahead of my 40-book reading goal with 4 months to go Last year I barely managed to reach my goal in December.
53% difference in graphic novels, manga, and comics!
The most noticeable change in my reading habits has been the significant increase in the amount of manga and graphic novels I’ve read. There’s also a noticeable decrease in the percentage of 300+ page books I’ve read, indicating that I’ve just been reading a lot of 200-page mangas that really don’t take long to finish. While this isn’t exactly wrong, the number of 300+ page books I’ve read is the same as last year, even if the percentage is lower. And, this isn’t even included in any longer books I might finish in the next 4 months!
From these stats, I can see that manga and graphic novels don’t just boost my reading stats, they also help me read more doorstoppers. Looking back over the past year, I usually picked up comics when I’m l don’t have the mental capacity to process long paragraphs. Instead of getting out of the habit of reading when I’m too tired or overwhelmed, I just switch to graphic novels.
It helps that graphic novels tend to be easier to digest, but I also think they provide some much-needed variety for my reading habits. This concept doesn’t surprise me. In fact, I’m kicking myself for not figuring it out sooner. I’ve heard about people eating more at buffets because there are more options, so it makes sense that this concept would also apply to reading. And, even though my audiobook percentage is a bit less this year, I’ve still listened to 8 so far compared to just 7 last year. In fact, I spent a whole month listening to romance audiobooks when I needed a break from fantasy. I think opening myself to options such as comics and audiobooks has helped me read faster and enjoy it more.
I’ve DNFed a lot of books this year
One difference I didn’t list in the table above, is the number of books I’ve DNFed this year. Of the 10 books I’ve DNFed in the past few years, 6 of them were this year. A couple were books I started in 2021, but I didn’t decide to DNF them until this year, making it much easier for me to move on to other books. After spending months trying to finish a book I didn’t like last year, I decided to become more decisive about DNFing books. It’s definitely paid off. Not only have I read and enjoyed more books this year, but I also feel less anxious about reading. I don’t like feeling like my favorite hobby is a chore, even if I’m a reviewer now. I’m not getting paid. I don’t need to finish every book I start.
Relatedly, I am very picky about accepting review requests. Like any book reviewer, I love the thought of being sent free books in exchange for reviews. However, I didn’t realize how difficult it would be to finish books I wasn’t especially excited about. Last year I accepted any request that even remotely sounded interesting, but all I ended up doing was forcing myself to read books I didn’t love only to leave negative reviews. It didn’t take long for me to figure out that I had to start saying no upfront.
I conquered the school year reading slump!
If you’ve been following my blog for a while, you might know that I tend to be inconsistent. Part of the reason is I’m bad at planning, but it’s also because I’m a student so when I get busy with classes my reading pace slows down. In fact. it’s not uncommon for me to go an entire school year without finishing a book outside of those assigned for homework.
This year, however, graphic novels and audiobooks made it much easier for me to read during the school year. I still didn’t read as much as I have this summer, but I at least wasn’t going weeks without picking up a book because I didn’t have enough mental energy. I actually mentioned in my Jade War review that I decided to put the book down during the school year, which goes back to my increased rate of DNFing this year. Whenever I realized a book was too much to process at that time, I simply put it down and picked up something else. Putting down Jade War, even temporarily, allowed me to move on to other books that didn’t demand as much attention.
The combination of giving myself more reading options like graphic novels as well as DNFing books before they sent me into a reading slump is what helped me conquer the school year slump. This has allowed me to continue making progress toward my reading goal even when I’m spending most of my energy on classes and homework.
Fanfiction…?
Another statistic I didn’t include because it’s one I don’t keep track of is the amount of fanfiction I read. Compared to last year, I know I’ve read way more fics, which seems counterintuitive. Fanfiction doesn’t count in my stats, so wouldn’t it just take my time and energy away from reading books that would count? That’s what I would have guessed. But, actually reading fanfiction has helped me overcome the infamous reading hangovers that used to cause so many reading slumps for me!
I am not someone who handles epic and emotional series gracefully. I race through them while getting unhealthily attached to the characters. Once the series inevitably ends, I feel like I’ve lost a part of myself. Cue the days to weeks-long depression where I can’t think about anything else but the characters and their stories :(.
This year, I started reading fanfiction regularly for the first time, and as it turns out, it actually helps me recover after binging series! It allows me to explore the characters, potential relationships, and alternative endings that linger in my mind after a series ends. I’ve come to love the way fanfiction helps me process the tangle of thoughts and emotions I have after finishing a great story.
So I’ve read 63 books so far this year… But is that really a good thing?
Of course, I love reaching my reading goal, but I always want to avoid forcing myself to read more or read shorter books just to get to that number. It’s why I haven’t updated my reading goal even though I passed my 40-book goal 23 books ago. I don’t want to pressure myself to read more!
But honestly, I can say that I’ve loved the pace I’ve been reading at this year. I think I’ve developed a lot of good reading habits since I started blogging three years ago, and that is the reason I’m reading more now. I’ve learned how to read during the school year without overwhelming myself, how to give myself breaks from dense fantasy books when I need them by incorporating more variety into my reading, and how to process my thoughts after finishing a particularly draining series. All of these skills have made reading more enjoyable and less stress-inducing. As a consequence. I find myself reading more.
Do you set reading goals or keep track of your reading habits? Let’s chat in the comments!
Isabel
Peyton