This has been an interesting summer, reading-wise. June and July were not terribly great reading months for- I really struggled to hook into the large majority of books. (And of course, I could not actually articulate why ha!) However, I did finally get back into reading regularly. And I’m happy to say, setting other reading goals (ie. not solely a number of books) has really helped guide my reading for the year and challenge me to read books I would not otherwise have picked up. Let’s get into my 2024 Reading Goals Update 3 for July to September 2024!
2024 Reading Goals Update 3
Before I get into the update, if you want to add me on StoryGraph (under the username AnHistorianAboutTown ), please feel free! It is the only place I log my reading now and I’m always happy to connect with more people. (I am also always very excited to see my monthly wrap-up graphics ha!)
One source of listening/reading that I was not expecting to appreciate quite so much is Spotify. I have the full membership so I get 15 hours of listening a month, and it has actually been very helpful for trying books I am on the fence about. There are some months where I’ve DNF’d several books, and Spotify lets me try 3-4 books if I have the hours left. I can’t say I would sign up for Spotify solely for this but as I’ve already got it for music, it is helpful here.
I’ve included some of my StoryGraph monthly wrap-up graphics here, by the way! (They have added several new options for the monthly wrap-up, and I’m really enjoying them. Give me all of the book stats, please!)
*NEW* Read Female Authors for 80% of Books Read- 45/50 = 90% (Q3)
This goal continues to prove somewhat challenging, especially in regards to history and biography. Non-fiction is still largely dominated by male authors, and I’m doing my best to share female authors anywhere and everywhere I can!
Interestingly, mystery is also a somewhat male genre outside of cosy mysteries. Normally, I have a mystery “spurt” from roughly August to October where I read as many mysteries as I can, but it started in June and it is still going strong. While I’ve really enjoyed some mystery books by men, I would love to see more mainstream, non-cosy mysteries by women. (I will say, it is better than some genres…)
I will say, one area that this is becoming increasingly difficult in is classics, though. I had originally planned on continuing my plan of reading one new-to-me classic a month in 2025, it’s become fairly obvious that it will be a rather male-dominated reading list. (And I would rather give the time to a newer book written by a woman!)
Use Library, NetGalley, Owned Books for 80%+ of Books Read – 40/50 = 80% (Q3)
I started reading the light novel series, The Apothecary Diaries, and the library does not have them in any format, so buying them is the only option. (Thankfully they are only about $9 CAD on Kobo, but still!) Other than those and a few audiobooks on Audible, I’ve been focusing on reading/listening to things I’ve owned for a while, in addition to the library and NetGalley. (Plus Spotify audiobooks!) I’ve been struggling to connect with books, so I will find one that I love but the next does nothing at all! (More on that below)
Read 25 New to Me Authors – 72/25 (288%)
I’m still on a drive to find new-to-me authors, and I will say, it is going very well! When I am perusing the new books at the library and on NetGalley, I make a point to particularly look into books/ authors that I’ve not seen before. Does every “new” author work out for me? No, but many do, and that’s a win!
Read 1 Classic a Month- 9/9
I am continuing on reading one new-to-me classic a month, and this quarter was… not great. In July I read Middlemarch from George Eliot, and while I know many people consider it the greatest English language novel, I found it a tedious story about unlikeable people.
In August I read Death on the Nile by Agatha Christie- shockingly I had never read it. As always, I did enjoy this one and it remains obvious why it’s one of the most popular Christie novels.
Finally, I read The Read House Mystery by AA Milne in September. At the time of publishing (1922), this was considered one of the best mysteries ever written. While I can appreciate it within the context of the time, I was really not a fan. It felt simplistic and almost slapstick, and I was not invested at all. Winnie the Pooh still reigns supreme, though!
While I had originally planned to continue this in 2025, I don’t know if I will. It is getting harder to find classic novels written by female authors, and I think a different goal could help direct my reading to my newer goals.
DNF Books (If Relevant)
Once again, I’m not going to list the books that I’ve DNF’d because the point is not to cast a negative light on any books/authors. However, I DNF’d 7 books during this quarter, which is a lot for me, and I wanted to chat about it. I’m not pushing myself to stick to a book if it feels like work to read it. And that is a big change for me. I DNF’d some fairly popular books which led me to wonder if something was wrong with me. (Probably not!)
I have noted for some books that I would like to come back to them in the future, because I think at a different time, they might grab me then. (What can I say, I am a mood reader.) In some ways, I am beginning to realise that it is less a failing of mine and more of “this isn’t a right fit”. And that seems like a victory.
Want to see my first quarter update for my 2024 reading goals? You can find it here! And my second quarter update is here!
What are your favourite books from this summer?
Cheers,
The Historian
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