2023 reflections
2023 in review
My reading journey was good. This is the best summary for it. It was not without concerns and issues but overall, I felt quite proud of what I did in 2023. And yes, I talk about being proud about my reading journey.
What are the positives about my reading year?
There are a few reasons why I feel pretty good about my reading in 2023.
Number of books.
First and foremost, there is the easy metric to verify: the number of books I read and this has been a stellar year. This was my all-times highest amount of books I have ever read (at least since I have been recording this metric).
Series.
I also have been mindful of finishing series rather than always starting new ones. Did I achieve 100% completion? Absolutely not, nor that was the goal. Yet, I love that I have been paying attention to that. It has been an element of satisfaction rather than frustration!
One of the best moments of the year - and granted, it arrived at the very end of the year - was completing The Shadows of the Apt by Adrian Tchaikovsky and it felt amazing to turn the last page of the last book. The sense of accomplishment really made me feel on cloud nine for a while!
Other reflections.
While these realizations did positively impact my reading experience in 2023, they certainly helped me inform and shape my reading journey in 2024!
The first and the most important one is gender diversity; while I love talking about this topic and making sure that I give enough space to women who add wonderful stories, worlds and characters to the fantasy genre, I have not been doing enough to pushing and promoting through my reading journey and this website. So great nugget of information to change the approach for next year!
Also, I found myself obsessed with the numbers rather than the quality; now, this is a bit more nuanced than the black and white statement I made. More than anything, I would like to have more value out of my reading.
In order to do that, I would love to find the right space and time to digest what I read. Not only I love taking notes of what I am reading but I would also love to decant the reading. Learning from it. So quality over quantity mostly reflects the idea of getting more out of my readings; it is not about rushing to the next book but it is about spending a couple more minutes on the book that I read and reflect on my learnings!
I had a few weeks (mostly between August and October) during which I struggled with reading. I guess most people would call it reading slump; I disagree, as my attention was mostly focused on watching series rather than reading. I usually strike a good balance - and my journey is about enjoying my entertainment - but during these months I struggled with returning to reading. I do not have a better view as to why this was the case but I would like to gather more data should this happen again next year!
While most of my 5-star readings were given to authors I already know and love, I made a discovery in 2023. I loved Erin Morgenstern; I did not expect to enjoy The Night Circus, how evocative and magical the story was; I enjoyed connecting with the characters and wanting a happy ending for them, at all costs. So I find myself wanting to read The Starless Sea as soon as possible.
So what next?
In essence, this was a really good year for me; and the reason I am upgrading to really good is that I had learnings to apply for next year. The more I reflect on the year, the more I am satisfied; yet, not about the hard accomplishments (finishing so many books, finishing long series, dedicating myself to paying attention to series); it is the learnings for next year. This is really what makes the difference for me. I have been positively critical in my journey and I have been taking some of the things that did not fully satisfy me, so I reflected on them, digested them and adopted them to shape the next chapter of my reading experience!
How was your 2023? Did you find a new favorite book of the year? Did you find a new favorite author? Let us know in the comments down below!
