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2023 End-of-Year Reading Goals Check-In

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2023 End-of-Year Reading Goals Check-in

2023 End-of-Year Reading Goals Check-In

I had some super ambitious goals last year, and while I didn’t meet every single one, I did manage to keep track of them throughout the year. I’m giving myself a hefty sum of bonus points for being on top of things. Ha!

In keeping with my organizational streak, I wanted to post this recap of where I ended up by the end of the year. Here is my 2023 end-of-year reading goals check-in.

Goal: Read 150 Books

Books Read: 235

I knew when I set this goal that it was very likely I’d read well over it. At the time, I was reading a little more than three books per week, plus maybe an audiobook or two each month. At my peak, I was reading 5-6 books per week, but that was really not a sustainable pace for me. Keep in mind that I read a lot of middle-grade books and graphic novels. So these aren’t always 400 pages of dense text. This stat looks a lot more impressive than it actually is. Haha!

Goal: Read 3-5 Classics

Classics Read: 5

At my last check-in, I’d read four books I’m calling classics, and since then, I read Anne Frank’s Diary of a Girl and the graphic adaptation.

One of the classics at the top of my list to read was The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin. I’ve read half of it, but still need to finish it.

Goal: Read 3-5 Backlist Nonfiction Titles

Backlist nonfiction titles read: 10

Thank you, reading tracker spreadsheet, for proving to me that I read a lot more backlist nonfiction than I thought! A few highlights: CASTE by Isabel Wilkerson, DISFIGURED by Amanda Leduc, MEG, JO, BETH, AND AMY by Amy Boyd Rioux, and HUNT, GATHER, PARENT by Michaeleen Doucleff.

Goal: Read 10-12 Backlist Titles

Backlist Titles Read: 66

Initially, when I made this goal, I envisioned myself picking books off my shelf that have been on my reading list for a super long time and counting those books toward a goal. What ended up working really well for me was to take on a challenge (or two) to help inspire my backlist reading choices.

So, I participated in the 2023 Beat the Backlist Challenge and the 2023 Book Riot Read Hard(er) Challenge, which helped me read 66 books that came out before 2023. Pretty much knocked that one out of the park. (Special thanks to audiobooks and graphic novels.)

Reading Challenges

Read Harder: 19 of 24

Beat the Backlist: 36 of 52

I mentioned already that I belatedly joined a couple of reading challenges. Though I didn’t fully complete either one, I am happy with my progress. I ended up reading a lot more backlist titles than my original backlist reading plans, so I’m calling it a goal met.

Both challenges proved to be great experiences for me this time. I will definitely try them again in 2024.

Book List Post Goals: 12-16 Top Ten Tuesday Posts

Top Ten Tuesday Lists Posted: 8

My original goal was to participate in three to four Top Ten Tuesday posts per quarter. I posted eight Top Ten lists, four shy of my goal but better than the year before. I think I posted only two in 2022.

I’ll reroll this one for 2024 and see if I can hit my goal this time around.

Book List Post Goals: Seasonal Lists

Another list goal I set for myself was to post seasonal lists of the most-anticipated and best books I read for middle-grade and young adult fiction. I also wanted to post more holiday lists.

One thing I stumbled onto that I LOVE is the idea of doing a seasonal backlist reading update. I love this because it means I can talk about the backlist titles that I read every three months rather than waiting to ever speak about them until I can squeeze them into my calendar.

I didn’t manage to hit every single list I wanted to, but I am proud of the ones I did post this year.

Retail and Goodreads Reviews

I’m not even going to try to check this one out. I already know this was a miserable failure for me this year. I work best when I have a system, and I simply don’t have that for this part of the process. If you have a good system for sharing retail and Goodreads reviews, please let me know in the comments!

This is another goal that I’ll put back on my list for 2024.

Work on My Own Projects

Ugh. I didn’t really make any measurable progress here, either. Frankly, I agreed to review too many books to begin with. Then I also tried to review all the unsolicited books I received from publishers since I usually don’t get many. I think they’re onto me, though, because I got a lot more than I expected this year.

Additionally, I started a new job in September, and it took up a lot more time than I anticipated. I love the work, and I’m learning a lot, though, so I really can’t complain. It’s basically writing plus spreadsheets. I mean… that is one hundred percent my wheelhouse!

PLUS I was basically sick from September to early November and again right at Christmas. That threw me off a bit, too.

But yeah… all that combined meant that I tabled my projects. Here I am a year later, wondering what on earth to do about that. To be continued, I guess.

Did you meet your 2023 Reading Goals?

Now that you’ve seen the very mixed results of my 2023 end-of-year reading goals check-in, maybe you feel brave enough to tell me about your reading goals? Leave me a comment about the reading achievement you’re most proud of from last year or something you’ve set as a reading goal this year.

Review: Money Out Loud by Berna Anat

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Money Out Loud: All the Financial Stuff No One Taught Us
Berna Anat
Quill Tree Books
Published April 25, 2023

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Money Out Loud

So no one taught you about money, either? Let’s figure this me$$ out together. 

In this illustrated, deeply unserious guide to money, Berna Anat—aka the Financial Hype Woman—freaks out her immigrant parents by doing the unthinkable: Talking about money. Loudly. 

Because we’re done staying silent, anxious, and ashamed about our money. It’s time to join the party and finally learn about all the financial stuff that always felt too confusing. Stuff like: 

  • How to actually budget, save, and invest (but also make it fun) 
  • How our traumas shape our most toxic money habits, and how to create new patterns
  • How to build wealth in a system designed to keep us broke 
  • How to use money to fund our biggest dreams—and change the world

No more keeping our money on mute. It’s time to grab the mic.

My Review

I’m hardly starting out in the workforce today, but I love that a book like this exists because I remember what it was like starting out and trying to figure out all these mysterious financial things. It seemed like everyone else already knew them or that it was bad manners to talk about them, so I felt kind of adrift.

Throughout the book, the author maintains a high energy, cheering her readers on at every turn. She makes things really easy to understand. There were nuances and differences in types of accounts that I hadn’t realized until reading this book, so I’d say it’s pretty comprehensive for a beginning guide.

I also like that she breaks things down and gives readers the opportunity to process ideas about money and finances. She asks probing questions about our earliest memories of money, promises we may have made ourselves, and invites us to look at how those views impact our ideas now.

On the whole, I loved this book. I’m not someone who enjoys spending a lot of time going over my finances line by line, but I loved the ways she suggested making this more fun and helping to develop consistent habits. There’s so much great information in this book. I recommend it to anyone looking for more information about the basics of managing money, saving, reducing debt, and preparing for the future. It’s good stuff!

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
Berna Anat is a first-generation Filipino American. She acknowledges the ways in which the financial system disadvantages poor, marginalized BIPOC communities.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Strong profanity used very infrequently. More often words with special characters are used as stand-ins for swear words.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
The author mentions that she has a strong personal spiritual practice.

Violent Content
None.

Drug Content
None.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support this blog. I received a free copy of MONEY OUT LOUD in exchange for my honest review.

Review: Diary of a Confused Feminist by Kate Weston

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Diary of a Confused Feminist
Kate Weston
Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Published January 2, 2024

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Diary of a Confused Feminist

Kat wants to do GOOD FEMINISM, although she’s not always sure what that means. She also wants to be a writer, get together with Hot Josh (is this a feminist ambition?), win at her coursework and not make a TOTAL EMBARRASSMENT of herself at all times.

But the path to true feminism is filled with mortifying incidents, and when everything at school starts to get a bit too much, Kat knows she’s lost her way, and the only way forward is to ask for help . . .

Join Kat, AKA the Confused Feminist, as she navigates EVERYTHING from menstrual cups and mental health to Instagram likes and #TimesUp in her HILARIOUS, OUTRAGEOUS, and VERY EMBARRASSING diary.

My Review

I don’t think I’ve laughed so hard at a book since FINDING AUDREY by Sophie Kinsella. Seriously, this absolutely cracked me up. Kat is full of frank questions and sometimes irreverent observations. Her exploration of what feminism means and how to be a feminist felt so genuine and organic. She asks a lot of reasonable questions about her body, her period, and sex in pretty straightforward, often funny, ways.

The book is written in diary entries, as the title suggests, and I loved that, too, because it made this a pretty quick read. The scenes are generally pretty short and there’s a fair amount of white space on the pages.

I also enjoyed Kat’s relationships with her parents and brother. It’s always funny reading parents in YA novels as an actual parent. I think I may more attention to those characters than I would have as a teen, and I definitely appreciate it when they read like fully developed characters and believable parents. In this book, they’re not perfect parents by any means, but it’s clear that despite Kat wanting her privacy and rolling her eyes plenty, she loves her family members and has good relationships with them.

Not only did I laugh an absolute ton reading this book, but I cried quite a bit, too. Kat wrestles with some hard things, and one scene in particular broke my heart for her. I think the combination of the humor and the heart make this an incredible story (and a debut! Amazing!) and one that a lot of readers are going to connect with.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
Two characters describe difficult experiences with anxiety. One character is gay.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Extreme profanity used pretty frequently. Also uses some crude language for body parts.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between boy and girl. Kissing between two boys. A girl accidentally walks in on a couple having sex in a bathroom and describes their disorganized state of undress.

Spiritual Content
A couple of jokes about how God must be a man because women endure so many biological trials.

Violent Content
A girl at school bullies Kat and says some very harsh things to her. It’s pretty cruel and upsetting.

Drug Content
Kat and her friends attend two parties where teens drink. At the second one, Kat mentions there being a cloud of marijuana smoke.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support this blog.

Review: The Giver by Lois Lowry

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The Giver (The Giver Quartet #1)
Lois Lowry
Clarion Books
Published April 26, 1993

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About The Giver

In Lois Lowry’s Newbery Medal–winning classic, twelve-year-old Jonas lives in a seemingly ideal world. Not until he is given his life assignment as the Receiver does he begin to understand the dark secrets behind his fragile community.

Life in the community where Jonas lives is idyllic. Designated birthmothers produce newchildren, who are assigned to appropriate family units. Citizens are assigned their partners and their jobs. No one thinks to ask questions. Everyone obeys. Everyone is the same. Except Jonas.

Not until he is given his life assignment as the Receiver of Memory does he begin to understand the dark, complex secrets behind his fragile community. Gradually Jonas learns that power lies in feelings. But when his own power is put to the test—when he must try to save someone he loves—he may not be ready. Is it too soon? Or too late?

Told with deceptive simplicity, this is the provocative story of a boy who experiences something incredible and undertakes something impossible. In the telling it questions every value we have taken for granted and reexamines our most deeply held beliefs.

The Giver has become one of the most influential novels of our time. Don’t miss the powerful companion novels in Lois Lowry’s Giver Quartet: Gathering Blue, Messenger, and Son.

My Review

I think this is the third or fourth time I’ve read this book, but definitely the first since I’ve been blogging. I would like to read and review all four books in the quartet. The second book, GATHERING BLUE, is one I’ve read before, but I haven’t read the other two.

One of the things that stood out to me this time reading the book is the way that Jonas’s role in the pivotal moment in the book is to ride his bike for scene after scene. Whereas back at home, the community members are reeling from the presence of Jonas’s memories, and the Giver is busy helping them process the new feelings.

Reading the book again as an adult, I find it an interesting choice that we follow Jonas out of the community and don’t witness the other community members experiencing those memories. Jonas really wanted his family and Fiona to experience the emotions and memories he experienced.

I love the book, though. Jonas journeys from passively following instructions and believing that the rules of the community are all for the best. As he learns about pain and loneliness (both from the Giver’s memories and his new role which mandates that he not speak about his training to anyone) he begins to question the way the community operates. He begins to wonder if the “sameness” which forbids anyone experiencing color, emotions, or individuality actually robs the community of something precious and valuable.

It’s an important idea, especially in the current conversations about book banning and restrictions on conversations about identity. Is there a point at which we harm ourselves by so completely sanitizing books and conversations? Do we diminish or lose the ability to empathize with others or process the existence of pain in the world this way?

Anyway. All that to say that I’m glad I reread THE GIVER. It’s been thirty years since the book was first published, and it still clearly has some important things to say.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 12 up.

Representation
Jonas and the Giver both have light eyes. That appears to be a marker for the ability to receive memories. No other race details given.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
Jonas feels attraction toward his friend Fiona.

Spiritual Content
The community celebrate the life of members when they reach a certain age, before a “ceremony of release” in which a community worker euthanizes the member with an injection.

Violent Content
Jonas watches a ceremony of release in which an adult injects and euthanizes a small child. Jonas experiences memories of war in which a soldier on a battlefield dies, crying out for water. He also experiences starvation and grief in memories.

Drug Content
Community leaders instruct Jonas to take a daily medication to stop any feelings of attraction/arousal.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support this blog.

Review: Adult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents by Lindsay C. Gibson, PsyD

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Adult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents: How to Heal from Distant, Rejecting or Self-Involved Parents
Lindsay C. Gibson, PsyD
New Harbinger Publications
Published June 1, 2015

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Adult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents

If you grew up with an emotionally immature, unavailable, or selfish parent, you may have lingering feelings of anger, loneliness, betrayal, or abandonment. You may recall your childhood as a time when your emotional needs were not met, when your feelings were dismissed, or when you took on adult levels of responsibility in an effort to compensate for your parent’s behavior. These wounds can be healed, and you can move forward in your life.

In this breakthrough book, clinical psychologist Lindsay Gibson exposes the destructive nature of parents who are emotionally immature or unavailable. You will see how these parents create a sense of neglect, and discover ways to heal from the pain and confusion caused by your childhood. By freeing yourself from your parents’ emotional immaturity, you can recover your true nature, control how you react to them, and avoid disappointment. Finally, you’ll learn how to create positive, new relationships so you can build a better life.

Discover the four types of difficult parents:

  • The emotional parent instills feelings of instability and anxiety.
  • The driven parent stays busy trying to perfect everything and everyone.
  • The passive parent avoids dealing with anything upsetting. 
  • The rejecting parent is withdrawn, dismissive, and derogatory.

My Review

I came across this book while I was browsing on Twitter. Someone I’m close to was going through a challenging conflict with a parent, and when I saw this book, I thought, hey, maybe this could be a good resource.

I started reading the opening pages, and it was like… all of a sudden, some of the relationships I’ve had deep struggles with in my life started to make sense. Things clicked. Some of the descriptions of emotionally immature behavior were absolutely spot-on for some of the people in my life. So I bought the book, thinking maybe it would give me better insights on those relationships, too.

Easy to Read, Broken into Three Parts

Here’s my favorite thing about this book: it’s broken down into three parts. The first part pretty much breaks down common behaviors of emotionally immature people. The goal is learning to see the person from a more objective view and recognizing patterns, especially those that hurt.

The second part of the book turns the magnifying glass on the reader. How have we responded to the emotionally immature people in our lives? Basically, she breaks this into two big categories which she terms our healing fantasy (what we keep doing to try to “fix” the relationship) and our role-self (unnatural or unhealthy ways we’ve changed our behavior to try to make these relationships work).

Then, the last part of the book puts it all together. Now that we understand what’s happening in this other person and how we are responding, we look at dismantling the unhealthy responses. Changing our expectations. And setting up new ways to interact with this person that stop us from diving headfirst into the potholes we’ve been falling into.

There’s also a chapter that looks to future relationships and how to stop ourselves from pursuing the same harmful relationships over and over as well as how to look for signs of emotional immaturity, especially in a potential partner.

Best Relationship Book I’ve Ever Read

The writing is straightforward. Practical. Clear. I can’t think of another book on relationships that spelled things out as well as this book does. It pretty much blew my mind. I wanted to contact every person I know who has had challenging relationships with a parent and be like, “Stop what you are doing and READ THIS NOW!”

Normally I read nonfiction really slowly, but I couldn’t put this one down. Honestly, it felt so eye-opening, both in understanding behavior in others that was harmful and also in taking a hard look at myself and how my own behavior was harming me, too. Just, wow.

I liked that the book is really empowering and focuses on healing and healthy boundaries. Honestly, I can’t recommend it enough. If you find yourself having the same kinds of hurtful experiences over and over with people in your life, even if they’re not your parents, definitely check out this book.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 16 up.

Representation
No race details given about the case examples.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
Some brief references to verbal, emotional, or physical abuse.

Drug Content
References to addiction.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support this blog.

Review: Forest Feast for Kids by Erin Gleeson

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Forest Feast for Kids: Colorful Vegetarian Recipes That Are Simple to Make
Erin Gleeson
Abrams Books for Young Readers
Published February 16, 2016

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Forest Feast for Kids

The first children’s cookbook from New York Times bestselling author and popular food blogger Erin Gleeson, The Forest Feast for Kids, serves up kid-friendly vegetarian recipes that are quick, easy, and fun to make. This unique cookbook showcases the rustic simplicity of the fare through vibrant colorful photography of Gleeson’s beautiful home in the woods and of children cooking the dishes themselves.

Each meal is simple and full of fresh and lively flavors that will appeal to kids. The natural beauty of Gleeson’s surroundings and the abundance of local produce serve as the inspiration for recipes such as:

Pesto Pepper Pizza
Rainbow Chard Quiche
Kale Tacos
Watermelon Smoothies

In addition to its recipes—which span meals, party food, snacks, and beverages—this nonfiction book includes ideas for crafty table decoration, party ideas, an illustrated guide on kitchen safety, and a glossary of culinary terms. The recipes are complemented by a mix of stunning photographs and art, including Gleeson’s own fanciful watercolor illustrations and hand lettering.

This beautifully designed children’s cookbook is perfect for foodies and parents looking for healthy recipes for children. It will also appeal to fans of Erin Gleeson’s blog and The Forest Feast.

My Review

This is the first time I’ve ever reviewed a cookbook on my blog! Here’s how this happened: I did some research looking for cookbooks for kids because I wanted to get one for my daughter for Christmas. She enjoys making banana bread and some other things like that with me, so I wanted to expand our repertoire. I picked FOREST FEAST FOR KIDS because I loved the idea of cooking with fruits, veggies, and nuts.

And the recipes definitely focus on those foods. Many of them have nuts. Several use carrot or zucchini either cut into spirals or ribbons. I like the idea of adding those to pasta dishes or salads for something new and fun. It’s a vegetarian cookbook. We are not a vegetarian household, but I think there are a lot of recipes in here that we’d all enjoy.

Here are some recipes we’ve tried already and how they went.

Recipes We Made

Butternut Quesadillas, pages 58-59. One of the ingredients in this one is roasted butternut squash. We make that for dinner fairly regularly and always have a little bit left over. I was excited to find a possible way to use it. I think the thyme definitely makes this recipe. It definitely does not have a TexMex flavor, but I enjoyed it.

Bay Potatoes, page 52. This one looked simply too good not to try. It’s sliced onion, potato, and sweet potato rounds layered with bay leaves, and topped with garlic, butter, and olive oil. My daughter enjoyed putting the layers all together and drizzling the butter and oil over the top. And they came out super yummy! This one is an instant family favorite.

Carrot “Noodle” Salad, page 46. This one looks a lot simpler than it was for us to prepare. I used a spiralizer to cut the carrots, and found that to be pretty challenging. (I’ve only used it on zucchini before, which worked fine, but carrots are harder to cut.) The dressing (olive oil, lemon juice, and salt to taste) was pretty plain, so we ended up adding a raspberry vinaigrette instead. Overall, this one was okay, but probably not something we’ll repeat. My daughter didn’t care for it.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Representation
There are a few cooking photos that show kids cooking.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
None.

Drug Content
None.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support this blog.