Reading regularly has been a struggle for me for years. Ever since I started working a ‘real’ job when I was 19. (11 years ago). I set a reading goal last year and did not manage to complete it. It was only 12 books – 1 book per month and even still, I think I only read about half of that.
That has been even further hindered by caring for small children, along with neverending personal creative projects, and the millennial 24/7 productivity complex, wherein reading does not “produce” anything and therefore feels like a waste of time. Well, maybe not a waste, but I get caught up in the other, “more important” things I could be doing with that time.
Imagine my surprise when I hopped on Goodreads the other day to add in the books I’ve read in 2021 and found I’ve read 8 books already! Ok, that’s not really that many books, but it is quite a lot for me, in comparison to the last 10 years.
One of the big boosts for me so far this year, has been several really great reads in a row which 1. Go really quick because I tend to read a good book in 2 days when I’m really into it, and 2. Motivates me to read more books because I’m hyped from the previous read. The several great reads in a row were:
Have You Met Nora? by Nicole Blades
Love Lettering by Kate Clayborn
The Thunder Beneath Us by Nicole Blades
The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert
All of which I absolutely recommend any and everyone read! All 4 absolutely hooked me from beginning to end.
Two of those books came out of a book box, which has been one of my best purchases this year so far. A Room of One’s Own, a local bookstore in Madison, WI was getting rid of a lot of back stock earlier this year, and they set up some limited-time ‘blind date with a book’ boxes where you’d pay a flat fee and receive 5 books based on your preferences.
Out of that box, I’ve read 2 ½ books so far, two of which were incredible and the half I’m still unsure on just because of some questionable writing style choices (more on that later, when I’m done reading!) Still, it was massively worth it just for those 2 books!
It feels really good to be back in the swing of things, reading regularly and getting lost in stories. Plus, book 2 in Lindsay Ellis’ series is getting released later this year (which I’ve of course already preordered), so I know for sure I’ve got at least one more book to be read!
So tell me – what are you reading? Planning to read? Hoping to read? If you have a reading goal for 2021, how has the first half of the year gone for you?