Happy New Year 2024, everyone! Wishing you the best life has to offer in the new year.
January is the month of setting up goals. Of making and breaking resolutions. As much as I enjoy planning my tentative TBR for the new year (tentative being the keyword), I also enjoy reflecting on my reading in the year gone by. One of my favorites at the end of the year is to update my reading spreadsheet by Kal @ Reader Voracious. I got the automated version for 2024 and it has made tracking books so much easier.
I am a visual person and I love to see a graphical representation of how my reading has evolved. It is interesting to check out the genres I gravitated towards, where I sourced the books from, if I made a dent in my owned TBR…. and quite a few more statistics. I also take stock of how I fared in the reading challenges I signed up for.
As much as I enjoy sharing my reading statistics, I also enjoy reading all the wrap-up posts from the book community. The graphs, the stats, and the recommendations. It is the perfect way to explore new books and challenges. Read on as I share some of my 2023 reading statistics, challenge updates, and favorite picks.
The Statistics
I read 53 books in 2023 with a record number of DNFs. As expected, I read more during the slow season at work. I was able to catch up in December all thanks to Thanksgiving coming in a week early. Overall, it has been a good reading year.
One of my favorites is the genres graph. I read more contemporary fiction this year since it was all about tackling my owned TBR. When it comes to purchasing books, I tend to veer towards contemporary fiction. I didn’t venture out of my comfort zone much. I did pick a few fantasy fiction but could not finish them. Classics too are missing here. I hope to get back to them soon.
As always, the formats graph is not surprising at all. I read 27 audiobooks in 2023. Some ebooks with text-to-speech for non-fiction. I read a couple of hardcovers too (primarily review copies) although I still prefer the digital formats.
The books by release graph is more balanced than in previous years. All thanks to the Project Backlist challenge, I have made a considerable dent in my backlist TBR. Something I do plan to continue in 2024 as well.
This graph has been a major improvement since I began book blogging. Over the last few years, I have made a conscious decision to support authors by purchasing their books whenever possible, instead of review copies. There were quite a few audiobooks that I had purchased that I never got around to reading. Those along with borrowed books (Kindle Unlimited and Storytel subscriptions) do make a sizable chunk.
I have the backlist challenge to thank for the improvement here as well. I did read a considerable amount of books from my owned TBR. But then, I added a few too. I do not believe in book buying ban. Can’t do. Won’t do.
Favorite Picks of 2023
With limited reading time, I had been quite picky with my selections. No surprise that it was an excellent reading year with more than twenty 5-star reads. Limiting them to just a few below that were my absolute favorites. Trust me, that sure was a difficult exercise.
Reading Challenges
After failing spectacularly in the reading challenges I signed up for in 2020, I only participated in the Goodreads and Blogchatter challenges in the next two years. In 2023, I signed up for a few more without putting too much pressure on myself. Proud to announce I was able to complete all the challenges but one.
As always, I set a safe target of 24 at Goodreads and Blogchatter which I did plan to update later. I revised it to 50 mid-year. Glad to share that was able to reach it too. I do need to update my reads there, something I always fall behind on.
Kal @ Reader Voracious’ Project Backlist Reading Challenge was the perfect pick to tackle the owned TBR and pending ARCs. I signed up for Committed Reader (read an owned book a month) and ARCrastinator (clearing overdue ARC list) and completed it in flying colors.
I got a bingo in Shinjini @ Modern Gypsy’s 2023 Book Bingo challenge in September and continued it through the end of the year to see how many more prompts I could cross out.
Although I aced Book’d Out’s 2023 Nonfiction Reader Challenge as Nonfiction Nibbler (6 books, 6 categories), I failed the Nonfiction Nosher (12 books, one for each category). I felt particularly brave there to extend it as I had already completed it mid-year.
I do plan to participate in all these challenges again in 2024 adding some more to the mix. Reading with Muffy challenge hosted by Shalini @ Kohleyedme, 12 Challenge that some of us friends at the Bookish League are participating in, and Audiobook Challenge hosted by Caffeinated Reviewer and That’s What I Am Talking About. Wish me luck!
How was your reading year in 2023. What have been your favorite books last year? What are the ones you are looking forward to reading in 2024? Do share about them in the comments below.
2023 Reading Wrap-Up: Statistics, Favorite Picks, and Challenge Updates #BookishLeague Share on X
This post is part of the Bookish League blog hop hosted by Bohemian Bibliophile and the #TBRChallenge by Blogchatter.
Photo credit: Canva.com
January 2, 2024 @ 9:51 pm
Aye! Rock Paper Scissors is on my list too!
Gonna check out the others from your ’23 favorites. Thanks for these amazing recommendations, Ritu
January 2, 2024 @ 10:37 pm
Your stats look amazing. I have also joined Kal’s challenge this year for ARCastinator. Wish you fantastic reading and blogging year
January 4, 2024 @ 6:00 pm
I am good with reading books just horrible at remembering to update them on challenge websites. I am working on that part this year.Great to see a fellow book lover.
January 4, 2024 @ 6:10 pm
All the best for your reading in 2024! Looking at your graphs made me so tempted to check out the Excel but I know it’ll only overwhelm me so I’m going to stay away for now. I’m going to read Rock Paper Scissors this year – have heard lots of good things about it.
January 4, 2024 @ 11:40 pm
What a great reading year and let me celebrate your DNFs because I love that for you. Life is too short to read books that aren’t for you and there are more books out there than we can read in a lifetime. Huzzah for you!
Congratulations on reading so many backlist books, I’m thrilled that Project Backlist was helpful for you in this! (It was for me too, I read like 52% backlist in 2023.)
Wishing you the best for 2024, happy reading!
January 5, 2024 @ 11:47 am
Wow I love your graphics. But I wont get to doing that for myself. I have enough I want to do. This year I’m sticking to only updating my reads on TBR as goodreads did not show any interest in me hahaha! I’ve reduced the count from 40 to 25. I know I’ll read more than that. Plus I know I don’t want to read other genres. So I’m chilling and reading this year.
January 13, 2024 @ 8:40 pm
Oh my God!! What a wrap and I love the statistics. You are so organized I would love to use this template in 2024..
January 18, 2024 @ 8:54 am
I have never taken stock of books like this. But I enjoyed going through your graphs. It would be difficult to decide which genre to turn to, but I guess one grows into the process. My backlist is long, like 1000s of km long. But I shall try and pick pace and read 10 of them this year and then there are the new ones.
January 22, 2024 @ 11:45 am
I’m amazed at how organised you are Ritu and I love those graphs even as I’m certain I would never be able to make something like this. This year I just gave up trying to update the books I’ve read. I need to get back to doing that at least on Goodreads.
January 22, 2024 @ 12:10 pm
Dropping by to add that I feel terrible about missing the blog hop this month. I did manage a post, though it was 2-days late. Hopefully, I will be ready with a post next month
January 22, 2024 @ 4:27 pm
Read more dear so I get inspired to read atleast half of it. Statistical representation took me back to MBA days. Love you for being that Avid reader and I wish to become one.
January 22, 2024 @ 7:29 pm
Point1, your stats look just amazing. My 2023 was not very good reading wise, I re-read more books than new ones.
Point2, This statement ” I do not believe in book buying ban. Can’t do. Won’t do.” is so me!! I just can’t resist buying books
Point3. I applaud you for taking part in so many challenges. I literally get the hives!
Point4. One of my favourite books from last year was Lessons In Chemistry too. I am planning to read the Dust Child.
January 23, 2024 @ 7:39 pm
Aha.. I loved that graphics and very recently I made a few for my clients project report . I picked 9 books from genres spiritual/religious, Thriller/ Murder Mystery/suspense and Biography/autobiography which I will definitely read this year as its my own set TBR. I prefer taking feedbacks of my reviewer friends without getting in any much reading challenges but end up making my choices to decide what to read and what not. Close to 55 reads i recorded in 2023 lets see how much quality read I can do in 2024.
January 24, 2024 @ 8:32 pm
stares at post with stars in her eyes I wanna be you when I grow up Ritu! I looooove stats! I’m just really bad at collecting and putting them together like this. Congratulations on a wonderful 2023. Hope you have a fantastic 2024!!
January 29, 2024 @ 4:11 pm
I am so thrilled to see some of my favourites in your 5 star reads and I can’t wait to start my year with reading with muffy and book bingo challenge. This time my reading will also go beyond just leisure for personal growth and I am looking forward to devouring,learning in this reading year.
January 31, 2024 @ 9:47 pm
Stats are a great way of understanding things at a glance. I love your book reading stats for 2023 Ritu and thanks a lot for sharing your #TBR list, I would like to pick a few of these for my #TBR.
February 1, 2024 @ 11:11 am
Congratulations on wrapping up your 2023 reading journey! 📚 Your meticulous tracking and insightful reflections make for a captivating post. Your dedication to tracking statistics adds a fascinating layer to your reading experience, and it’s inspiring to see your commitment to various challenges paying off. Your honesty about DNFs and evolving preferences adds a relatable touch to your narrative. Here’s to another year of literary adventures in 2024—may your TBR pile shrink, your favorite picks multiply, and your reading challenges be conquered with ease!
February 6, 2024 @ 12:27 am
Forever your fan, Ritu! What a post!
The Authenticity Project is one of the most beautiful books I’ve read in a while, and I’ll wait to hear your views on it too. The rest of your list is going straight to my book buying list!