As we bid goodbye to 2023 in less than 48 hours, I’d like to look back and see where this year took me in terms of my readings that surely made a dent in my being and took me to various places all at once.
My Readings in Numbers
For easier review of how my reading challenges in the past years have gone, I maintain a spreadsheet file of the list and statistics of titles I have finished during the year.
This year, I took it upon myself to read 20 books as my yearly target. It was 50% less compared to last year’s 40 books, but I focused on immersing myself more in the titles I read this year rather than just hitting the numbers; thus, it did me better this 2023.
| Reading Stats | Year 2023 |
|---|---|
| Finished | 30 |
| Target | 20 |
| % Achieved | 150% |
| Number of Pages read | 9,833 |
| Category | Qty. |
|---|---|
| E-books | 21 |
| Books (Physical copy) | 9 |
I have overly achieved my target this year at 150% or 30 books of 20 titles, with 9,833 pages read all-in-all, 21 titles of which I read via my Kindle or via e-books. This 2024, since I have gone through a buying spree in a bookstore, I’d like to concentrate reading more on my physical copies. Reading via Kindle or any e-reader at that, has various advantages if I may say so, and I will probably talk about it in another post.
In just a bit over half a year, I have already finished my target of 20 titles. I slowed it down a bit because I had to concentrate on writing my dissertation and finishing my doctorate (which I targeted to finish by December 2023, and rightfully, the odds helped me, I finished December 2023)– so much wonderful content I can think of next–like, how targets keep you on track and craft something you can look forward to. Hehehe.
My 2023 in Titles
As raw as it gets, I will include my actual notes from my spreadsheet regarding the books that I have read this year. Consider this as my review. 😆
| Titles | Authors | Remarks |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Did You Miss Me? | Sophia Money-Coutts | UK setup. Oks naman |
| 2. More Than You’ll Ever Know | Katie Gutierrez | Psychological Thriller. Mga few chapters towards the end, alam ko na kung sino yung killer |
| 3. Fairy Tale | Stephen King | One of my best reads! Worth the pence. Longest book I read, I think, in the last 3 years |
| 4. Archer’s Voice | Mia Sheridan | Nakakakilig! |
| 5. Spare | Prince Harry | A book of rants. I should have not read this |
| 6. People We Meet on Vacation | Emily Henry | Steamy hot and adventurous |
| 7. Catcher in the Rye | J.D. Salinger | I don’t get the clout, good thing I didn’t buy the book |
| 8. The Reunion | Kayla Olson | Kakakilig din ito hehe |
| 9. Jar of Hearts | Jennifer Hillier | Ayos din ito, it could have been shorter |
| 10. The Baby Sitter Club #1: Kristy’s Great Idea | Ann M. Martin and Johannes M. Martin | Nostalgic. Thank you Papa! |
| 11. The Girl On The Train | Paula Hawkins | Typical Psychological Thriller, figured out agad kung sino pumatay |
| 12. Mission Economy: A Moonshot Guide to Changing Capitalism | Mariana Mazzucato | Worth it! Had synthesis for this |
| 13. You’re That Bitch: & Other Cute Lessons About Being Unapologetically Yourself | Bretman Rock | Incredibly funny! |
| 14. The Devil Wears Prada | Lauren Weisberger | Classic na ‘to. A little different from the movie |
| 15. Queen Charlotte | Julia Quinn & Shonda Rhimes | Yaaaaaas! |
| 16. Creating Sustainable Value in Social Enterprises Stories of Social Innovation | Maria Assunta C. Cuyegkeng Raquel Cementina-Olpoc Ana Marina A. Tan | I used this for research. We need more books about this |
| 17. Convenience Store Woman | Sayaka Murata | You’d be confident to be just you and alone (but not lonely) |
| 18. My Darling Duke | Stacy Reid | Steamy! Haha |
| 19. The Inmate | Freida McFadden | Crazy crazy! |
| 20. Ang Tundo Man May Langit Din | Andres Cristobal Cruz | Now I know why this is a must-read |
| 21. Mad Honey | Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan | AMAZING! |
| 22. Happy Place | Emily Henry | Just glad I powered through. Oks naman but I’ll never read this again |
| 23. Queridas De Rizal | Ambeth Ocampo | Jose Rizal as a ladies’ man |
| 24. When Breath Becomes Air | Paul Kalanithi | Kakaiyak huhuhu about a doctor and his battle with cancer, a memoir |
| 25. Like Water for Chocolate | Lara Esquivel | Crazy haha I couldn’t believe the ending |
| 26. Bridge to Terabithia | Katherine Paterson | I thought I would not cry but I did. It’s about losing a friend (10 y/o) |
| 27. Beautiful Disaster | Jamie McGuire | Oks at first, kakakilig but kakapikon na in the middle towards the end |
| 28. Dating Dr. Dil | Nisha Sharma | Kakilig and spicy! Love-hate relationship |
| 29. False Nostalgia: The Marcos Golden Age Myths and How to Debunk Them | JC Punongbayan | A hard book to read because it’s spitting facts. Nakakagalit |
| 30. Something Borrowed | Emily Giffin | RomCom / Oks din, fast-paced, no further fillers |
Currently, there are books I’m still reading, but better to cap off the year with 30 titles at most and get busy welcoming the year 2024. Reflecting on the things I did this year, I can say that I am blessed despite the challenges and losing people important to me.
These books are here for a reason and for me, they’re part of my everyday life as they take me on various adventures. As an introvert with an extroverted career, books help me recharge, entertain, and help me understand matters in the world that may or may not resonate with us.
Cheers to this year and to the next!
Shainne Hostalero 
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