A Mid Year Reading Check In
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 1 ต.ค. 2024
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Albus crashing your videos in the background makes me think he's trying to provoke you into giving him his 15 min of fame. I'm now very intrigued to see his mischievous face on screen 😊. It's got nothing to do with the fact that I'm obsessed with cats, none at all😂
Hahahaah, maybe I'll try get him to make a guest appearance!
All you need to know is that I'm a member of five libraries and that I'm trying to get my number of owned books from three digits to two unsuccessfully for years. Now draw your own conclusions.
😂😂😂😂 good luck with that!
Yes! I too love my libraries and had a large collection of my own books growing and staying a little "on the back burner" We will be moving house in 6 weeks, so decided to abandon the library entirely in an effort to empty my shelves.... less to box up. It is fun and have read some real gems that I've dusted for years😊
Am also looking forward to treating myself on relocation and buying everything I covert at the moment.
Always enjoy your videos. Keep up the hard work. Thank you. Mel x
Reading plans and owned books definitely get second place after lubrary books, more so now that i have a kobo and can read the ebooks from my library in it. For me my local library only gives 2 or three weeks and i would often have to return for other users so they get a priority for a deadline, which also give more of a push ro read since mt time to read ia sparce.
Have you read Palace Walk by Naguib Mahfouz ? It's a family saga set in turn of the century Cairo. He is an incredible writer and it might help with your translated fiction goal 🧡💛💚
No, I haven't, but I've heard great things about it so I should give it a go. Thanks for the recommendation 😊
I get really excited about the library as well although my goal this year has been to try to read from my shelves. My dnf rate so far is 25% which is lower than usual (30-34%). I think that's probably because I'm reading more from my shelves whereas I take more chances with library books.
It's good to hear that your dnf rate has been lower with books from your shelves. It must feel great to be getting through them 😊
My reading is doing great, at least for the numbers and enjoyment. When it comes to the reading plans I had starting the year, than not so much :D Let's see how we fare with those for the rest of the year.
Hahaha, well I think as long as you're enjoying you're reading, that's the main thing!
I'm always using the library and checking out my holds in Libby, plus playing around with my reading tracker in Google Sheets and making little lists (I have an in-progress series list, ideas for books to read based on season, books I'd like to get around to this year). Love bookish data! My weakness is audiobook holds in Libby, I'm always maxing them out! But now my library also has 12 partner library systems (!!) so for most titles I have super short wait times. I've found that this year I've jumped on frontlist a lot quicker than previous years so I am feeling like I've been neglecting my backlist a bit, but I also don't really buy many books to read, I usually buy them once I know I want to own a copy📚
That reading tracker sounds like a dream! Maybe I need to create something like that in time for next year. And your library system sounds amazing too! I'm forever neglecting backlist so I completely get the struggle!
@@MercysBookishMusings For years I've just used the one Book Riot makes every year and I've tweaked a couple columns and drop down options to suit my needs!
I started the Robin Hobb read along with you and only got half way through the first book as I always prioritise new books. I do really want to reread them though.
You got further than me 😂
I work at a public library and I am constantly exposed to new titles both in our library system and in ones we are able to borrow from. It makes focusing on my personal physical tbr very difficult! lol. Most of the time I try to alternate between personal and library books. This "sometimes" works. lol. I just try to remind myself that I am blessed to be surrounded by choices. 💕💕📚📚
That must be so hard! That is a v good system though. I need to copy it 🤓
I've also done a similar thing with my library. I keep requesting and borrowing books and then not reading them. I think it's ok as it's supporting the library, but each reservation is 90p, so it can add up and be a bit silly if I'm not reading most of the books! I have 12 books out at the moment and I'm waiting for 3 more to come in. After that I'm definitely going to focus on my own unread books, as I'm trying to get my owned tbr down this year.
Yes, it really does add up to keep paying to reserve them! I have 12 out atm and I think 7 on hold which is the least I've had in a while. So we're in a similar position I think 👍
I love your channel and your reading but I do think borrowing books from the library, keeping them, not reading them, sending them back then re borrowing them ( a 100 loans and only 27 read plus another 18 out ) is a bit selfish. Makes it harder for others who would like to read them and can’t afford to buy them. Like I said I really enjoy your channel but this does seem extremely excessive and I’m sorry but a bit selfish.
I've had many librarians comment on my channel and ask that people keep doing this because the more books people borrow the more funding a library is given. Plus I can see if someone is waiting to pick a book up so I return them straight away.
That’s good. I was just concerned about the people that don’t reserve books online ( it costs a £1 a book where I live). Quite often people like to pop into libraries and browse ( myself included ). If the books aren’t there because they have been sat checked out for weeks unread it doesn’t give others a chance to do that. Honestly no hate but I’m just coming at it from someone who likes to browse round my local library.
@seanandhelen yeah I get it. Most of the books I borrow are new releases so loads of people have them on hold which means as soon as I return them they get put aside for the next person to collect. It is a bit of an unfair system because its 60p to reserve a book here so you basically have to pay to read a new release as its unlikely to hit the shelves for a while. But certainly when I've borrowed an older book then returned it unread I've felt a bit guilty.
I hope you get to the realm of the elderling books! I finished the series in the last couple of months and really loved it, the books get bettter and better througout the series i think. Would love to hear your thoughts on them!
The first time through the 2nd and 3rd trilogies were my fav. So we'll see if I still feel the same :)
There's a Fitzalong hosted by Literary Diversions where they're doing one book every two months!
I have 30 books out from the library. Yes, 30! And the last 2 books I read were books I own, so it's like I'm not even trying! I don't even remember what most of these books are about or why I put them on hold in the first place. And some are books I suggested they purchase, so I should at least prioritize those. (I excuse not reading them by telling myself I've curated many of my library's better books, which will hopefully bring those books to the people in my town. That's a valuable service, right? 🤣 )
Hahaha, I say exactly the same thing when I get the library to buy books and then don't read them 😂
I think it’s great that you support your local library so much 😍 maybe there is just a balance to be found between reading library books and reading the books on your own shelves? But I think it’s perfectly okay to go through phases with both ☺️
Yes, I definitely need to find a better balance 😅 but I do love going in every week. It just feels nice being in the library and being around so many accessible books and people who love them 😊
I really like the Realm of the Elderlings audiobooks and I find audiobooks a great way to reread, especially if you combine with physical reading. I know some people don’t like the narrator for Farseer and Tawny Man, they do have quite old fashioned posh accents for some reason but I think once you get used to it they do a good job giving life to the story!
I did audiobook some of them when I read them through the first time. I don't love how posh the narrator is but it probably makes sense with Fitz's upbringing. I preferred the woman who narrated the liveship trilogy though.
I am not gravitating towards new releases, as I noticed that they often are not mentioned a year or two later (e.g Nightcrawling was among many booktubers favourites of 2022, but I haven't heard about it since).
My mid-year stats are very satisfactory!
I have 7 goals for the year and have reached all (for 6months) of them:
1. No adding US books to my tbr for 2024 (I had 23 already, took one off my tbr and added another, so that's fine)
2. Read 12 African books (read 9 so far)
3. Read 12 Non-fiction books (read 8 so far)
4. Re-read 12 books that I rated 4☆ and more (read 5. In December, I mostly reread, so that goal will be reached easily)
6. Read 6 classics/modern classics (read 11)
7. Read 96 books or 30000 pages (read 54 books and 16000 pages)
An extra stat that is not goal-related: 9 DNF's
I love looking at your stats and goals as well as sharing mine😊!
You're so right about lots of new books not being mentioned much a year later! Sounds like its workjng for you to not focus on them. Thanks so much for sharing all your goals. You're absolutely smashing them! Especially as you have so many. Have you been aware of them when choosing your next book to read or has it happened naturally?
@@MercysBookishMusings I have seperate lists for African books, classics, non- fiction and possible rereads. I also mark books by US authors on my list.
A few days before I go to the library (once a month), I decide on possible books to put on my list for that day. I chose goals of 12 and 6 because it makes it easy to keep track😊. Some months I won't make a list and I just browse...