From Reading 100 Books Last Year To 7 Books This Year
Reading Beyond The Numbers
Hey there! How’s your November going? It’s getting a little cold here.
As the year is drawing to an end, I am at my seventh book of 2023. A stark contrast to my hundred books quest last year. But I’m perfectly fine with it. I like it better.
Reading a hundred books in a year sounds pretty impressive, doesn’t it? Well… not necessarily. At least it wasn’t for me.
It all started off rather casually. When I started reading last year, I never set out with a goal to read a hundred books. But around the second week of December, I realised I had read a whopping eighty two books. An with that, I went, "Now I HAVE TO make it to hundred." And so, my mad dash began.
I went in full throttle, seeking out shorter books and racing through them. Sometimes when I didn’t have time to sit down and read, I’d listen to audiobooks, at 2x speed, at times missing out important bits, but I didn’t have time to stop for them. I didn’t have time for understanding any nuance or delving deeper into the plot. My only focus was hitting that magic number.
As I went on like that, reading wasn't enjoyable anymore. It turned into a mere task to accomplish, a checkmark on a list. It was superficial, and devoid of the joy that reading has always brought me. In fact, looking back at it now, I can hardly recall anything substantial from those reads. My reading during those two weeks seems to have been completely and absolutely pointless. Even when I made it to the hundred books mark, all I had was a feeling of pointlessness.
I’m not saying having a number in mind is bad for reading, it definitely works for a lot of people. But unfortunately it wasn’t for me, and it was important for me to recognise that.
That’s why this year I decided to take a step back and read without any number to race towards. I slowed down to absorb the stories, characters, and themes more deeply. Taking time to pause, reflect, and understand. And it helped me rediscover the joy of reading. It made the experience immensely richer. I realised that this experience, not the number, is what truly matters when it comes to reading.
What about you? Did you set any reading goals this year? Did you hit your mark? Don’t forget to let me know.
For more of my bookish ramblings, you can also find me on Instagram
Also, if you’d like me to write for you, you can contact me at joyiewrites@gmail.com