Let’s Talk Bookish – End of Year

Aria @ Book Nook Bits is the new host for Let’s Talk Bookish! If you aren’t following her yet, good check out her blog and give her a follow!

December 29: End of Year Freebie

Prompts: It’s the fifth Friday of December, and almost the end of the year! Use this week to revisit an old LTB topic, or write about something you’re interested in! You can also check out the LTB archives on my blog and on Rukky’s for more topic ideas.

Welcome to the last week of LTB here at DTRH for 2023! It’s been quite a crazy year (do we say that every year?) and I have no doubt 2024 will also be just as eventful in its own way. Nevertheless, I wanted to take a moment at the end of this year to reflect a bit on some reading or bookish things from 2023.

I definitely succeeded this year in making sure reading was not a chore this year, and that I really only read when it was enjoyable for me. That being said, as a result I read significantly less books, unsurprisingly. But looking back, I think that was still for the better, and it was likely a lot of other factors as well that ultimately led to me reading less books this year, which I think I ought to be kind to myself about.

I had my ups and downs this year with blogging too as I experienced many things for the first time, which made me busier than usual. But I think overall I was still able to achieve my goals and look back fondly on this year as a success regarding the bookish side of things. I may have read less books in number, but I was also able to reach out to different readers this year to get suggestions on books that I would never have otherwise read. I also read a number of books for my book club that I may not have picked up otherwise. I would call that a success too!

For me I’d say this year was definitely a bit different from the rest, but all in a good way. In fact, I think there will be several things in store for next year, if things do pan out. So hopefully there will be some exciting new content for you all in the community in 2024! I am certainly looking forward to it, and I hope that I will also continue to grow as a reader and as a blogger.

I anticipate (once again) some busy moments in the upcoming year already, and I am unsure how it will ultimately affect my reading habits, but if this year has taught me anything, it’s that I really do love to read, and especially when someone else talks up a book, it really does get me excited to commit to a book no matter how busy I am that time of year. I’m glad to know that I don’t really have to worry about me “giving up” on books, and really all I got to do is to slip in various pockets of time for me to read, even if they aren’t necessarily long stretches. Looking back, I read a lot on the commute this year, which definitely helped to increase my reading volume in the end.

How do you all feel about all things bookish, looking back on this year? Is it an anomalous year, or just the same old? Do you prefer it that way (same or different)? Let me know in the comments below, and Happy New Year!