📚 2023 Full Reading Journal Flip Through + 4th Quarter Books

[@JournalAway]

Hi guys! I want to mention that I kept my comments about J.K. Rowling purposely quite vague, didn't comment on her exact words, etc. because I'm very hesitant to open that can of worms and see possible arguing or disrespectful comments here because of that. Even though I personally have quite strong opinions on this (and many other) subjects (for those of you who haven't watched the video, I fully disagree with her views on the transgender community), I rarely if ever like to address them on my social media because that's just not what my content is about, and I'm sure none of you have subscribed for that. I also don't want to force my opinions on people I barely know or tell you how to think or act. In my mind, I wish my channel could be a place where we leave politics and differing opinions out of the conversation, and simply come together to enjoy common interests as internet friends, not as people on the opposite teams. Maybe this is naive for me to think, but I hope that in the long run, these are some ways we eventually come closer as a society and get past our personal biases, strive for equal rights for everyone, and learn to see that diversity is beautiful and that even seemingly different people are not so different from us after all. So, I kindly wish we could all be polite in the comments and respect each other 🤍

[@cameronbutterfly]

I respect you for even mentioning it as someone who is trans and use to love her art I appreciate you speaking on it even though you stay out of politics online ❤

[@cherriqu3583]

thank you for speaking up about the issue even if it makes you uncomfortable!

[@faithjolley6034]

I appreciate you engaging with the topic, even if you're not wanting to bring politics to your safe space! I will say that for anyone who wants to know what JK has said and is looking for an analysis of it, ContraPoints on youtube is a transwoman philosopher who has tackled this from a place of understanding, but not with tolerance, talking about how JK is transphobic because of her trauma, which is understandable, but it doesn't excuse trying to take away people's rights. I would 100% recommend her video essays for people trying to understand the context of it and other transgender issues! I learned a lot and even changed my own opinion 💜

[@Karen-ve6ds]

Anna, you’re a lovely girl, just saying. 😊 I am inspired by your artistic flair and only wish I could replicate it!

[@carlienvandernet7902]

I don’t agree with J.K.Rowlings ideas either, but I love her books and that is what your journal is about.

[@ohnotagainplease]

Hey! I remember being flu sick a year ago and coming across your reading journal videos - they inspired me to start my own! In my fever, I purchased a colour printer (no regrets) and started scrapbooking! I actually kept it up the whole year, and read many more books than before! I love how you combine scrapbooking and painting in your other journals, and you're very skilled at explaining what you're doing in a nice, cozy way. Thank you for inspiring me! Just started my 2024 reading journal a few days ago :)

[@JournalAway]

Thank you so much! 😍 Haha, a colour printer is one of the funniest fever buys I've heard 🤣 But that's so amazing to hear! I've noticed that having the reading journal and (in my case) making videos about it has motivated me to read a lot more too! 😊 It's amazing!

[@LittleJoSleep]

I don't read a lot of the same books you do, but I always love seeing what you've read, and seeing how you've done your journal! I could listen to you talking about books all day. Thanks for sharing! ❤

[@JournalAway]

Awww thank you so much! 🥹❤️ I hope we'll have some similar books next year, haha!

[@ChantelleArts]

Your journal is stunning, the themes are amazing ☺☺☺

[@JournalAway]

Thank you so much! 😍❤️

[@carlienvandernet7902]

Thanks for some more gorgeous pages in your reading journal. Those pictures you used are just perfect 🤍

[@JournalAway]

Thank you so much 🥹🤍

[@shannenmcdonald6238]

Loved this video and love the positivity on your channel to make this a safe place for everyone 🩵🩷🤍🩷🩵 you never have to apologize for making your chanel a safe place.

[@JournalAway]

Thank you so much, I really appreciate your opinion 🥹🤍

[@MabruBlack]

Loved the video! You’re one of the people who inspired me to make my own reading journal, and your quarter method is one of the least intimidating formats I’ve seen. My job has really long hours and I get almost no free time to myself, so last year I only read 4 books 😅but this year I plan to organize my time better and read more. I can’t wait to see your new set up!

[@JournalAway]

Thank you so much! 😍 And I know how you feel, work-life balance is the hardest thing for me to manage/maintain 😅 But hey, 4 books is a great achievement!!

[@HappierbySeppy]

I'm always so impressed with your creativity! Do you plan before you create a spread or do you just sit down and create it? Would love to hear more about your process !

[@JournalAway]

Ohh I'm sure to share more in the upcoming videos! 😊 I don't really have a plan, so I just sit down with a few different decorations and start trying different combinations. But I do think there's a "formula" that I find helpful, so I'll try to explain that more in the future! 😊

[@convivialivy]

Phenomenal choice of books!

[@JournalAway]

Thank you so much! I'm so lucky to get many great ones recommended to me by my community! 🥰

[@gurkmeja2021]

Such lovely inspiring spreads 🌟✨️🌟 You are talented in so many ways! 👍 I hope your 2024 will be fantastic! 🕯💖 /Ditte 🤓 🇸🇪

[@SableCatDog]

Heya. Im a trans guy and I need you to know I'm so, so touched you mentioned JKR and backed us up on that. I agree that you don't need to talk about that stuff here and it's absolutely up to you whether you talk about her or not, I would never have judged you if you hadn't talked about it. But the fact that you did, and that you don't want her on your channel, and the things you said about us - god, thank you for that. Given the amount of hate we get atm it's HUGE to hear this from people, especially people I already liked and respected. THANK YOU ❤❤❤ We hear you and we appreciate you. You make a huge difference by showing us we ARE supported by so many people.

[@JournalAway]

Thank you so much for this sweet comment, I was nervous to talk about this because I know it upsets some people, but this made it all worth it 🥹❤️ I'm truly so sorry for the hate and discrimination you have to face on the daily. I think in her case, many probably haven't seen some of her stronger or recent tweets, and go by the earlier statements where she seemed much more loving and vague. Or at least that's what I'd like to think 🙁

[@Kirsui]

I have thoroughly enjoyed watching your reading journal updates the past year, and am definitely looking foward to what this year has in store! I love the style you use for making your book review spreads, they always look very aesthetically pleasing. My favourite book from last year was the Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo. I listened to the audiobook and literally could not put it down. Fantastic read, can definitely recommend.

[@JournalAway]

Thank you so much for the kind words 🥹❤️ Ohh I've had Ninth House on my reading list for a while but I just can't handle falling in love with a series that's not finished 😄 I have the memory of a goldfish so I forget everything and it's hard to get back to the story, lol

[@Bookbonkers8439]

I love the scrapbook style spreads that you do! I’ve tried to do those kind in my reading journal and they don’t look nearly as good as yours do! One of my favorite books of last year is The Wishing Game by Meg Shaffer. It was so magical to me, and it’s a book about books, who doesn’t love that!

[@JournalAway]

Thank you so much! 😍 I think this style requires a lot of practice. Some spreads turn out better than others 😅 Ohh I haven'y heard about this one! I'll look it up!

[@hamptot7120]

The Shadow of the Wind is one of the best books i have ever read if not the best. It is beautiful. Carlos Ruiz Zafon sadly passed awar in 2020. The was a walking tour of Barcelona based on the book. I wish The Cemetary of Forgotton books was a real place. I would go there. I'd want to live there. 😍

[@JournalAway]

Yes, I heard that he sadly past away, too. We're so lucky for the amazing books he left for us 🤍 And I know, right?? I want to live there too!! 😍

[@VioletPhoenix922]

15 books is wonderful, not embarrassing! The point is to enjoy reading, so whatever number of books anyone reads is great. It makes me sad when people turn reading into a slog just to try to hit some arbitrary number they think they “should” read. I’m glad you didn’t do that, and gave yourself space for life to happen too! Love that you loved The Shadow of the Wind. One of my all-time favorites too, and one I recommend to everyone. My favorite book this year was A Woman is No Man by Etaf Rum (pub 2019). Not a thriller, but a deeply compelling story anyway, and based on her own life/experiences. Highly recommend!

[@JournalAway]

I feel the same way! I'm not even emotionally ready to start with a new world and characters right after finishing a good series, I get too attached, haha! I don't know how people do that! Thank you so much for your recommendation! I'll look it up! 😊

[@khazianan]

love this!

[@JournalAway]

Thank you so much! 😍

[@Liamliayaum906]

For Her Consideration by Amy Spalding was my favorite book of 2023. It's a queer romcom.

[@JournalAway]

Ohh I desperately need some romcoms on my list!! I rarely read contemporary but I'd like to branch out this year. Thank you for the recommendation, I'll check this out! 😊

[@Space.Panda1805]

Hello Anna! How are you? Your reading journal 🥰Unfortunately, I have no patience for do the same every time I read, but I understand it's different for you because you have a KZbin chanel and probably helps you 🤭Yours looks so cute

[@annaarts23]

One of my favourite books this year I can recommend, a thriller since you like those, was 'everyone in my family has killed someone' by Benjamin Stevenson which was gripping and so fun! Can't wait to see how you set up your new journal - it's been lovely seeing all these spreads come together in this one!

[@JournalAway]

Ohh thank you for the kind words and the recommendation, this seems so promising! 😍 I'll add it to my list!

[@cameronbutterfly]

One of my top reads that got up moving out of a reading slump was One Dark Window but I will say it’s not for everyone but I gave it 4 stars!

[@JournalAway]

Haha I actually just added this to my list before posting this video! So happy to hear you enjoyed it, I think I'll read this series this year 😊

[@starlite156]

Hey I only read 22 books in 2023! I don't understand how the people I normally see put out these types of videos read 100+ books in one year 😅

[@VioletPhoenix922]

Generally, there are a few things possibly going on: reading is their job (like working in publishing or making book content) so they can-and have to-devote serious time to it, reading is their main hobby so they do that instead of many other things and devote a fair amount of time to it, they read quickly, they don’t have a lot of additional responsibilities and demands on their time (like they may not have partners/kids), their friend group is composed of readers so their social time is reading-centered (more book clubs than dance clubs 😂) and/or some combination of the above. I read a lot of books per year, but I’m single with no kids, I read faster than average, and a lot of my friend groups and social activities are reading-centered, so it’s how I choose to spend a significant amount of my time. And it’s also totally okay and wonderful if you read a completely different amount because your life looks different and you have different needs/priorities/interests!

[@JournalAway]

Haha, thank you so much for shining a light to this mystery @VioletPhoenix922! 😂 I read in English which is not my native language, so reading is still probably slower for me than it would be in Finnish (I guess, at least). It can be surprising to see people reading 100+ books but if they still enjoy it (apart from maybe doing it as their job, lol), there's nothing wrong about it either!

[@MadeByJuju]

I loved your reading journal setups this year! For 2024, I highly recommend for you to read All Th Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr it is a masterpiece of World War Two historical fiction. It is a very long book, so if you want a shorter read, I also recommend reading the Beekeeper of Aleppo by Christie Leferty which is also an incredible story about the war in Syria and mental health .

[@tess3000]

I want to read All the Light We Cannot See, because I finished and highly highly recommend Cloud Cuckoo Land by the same author!! The writing was just amazing. I can’t wait read more by him!

[@JournalAway]

Thank you so much for the kind words and these grear recommendations! ❤️ I've been thinking about reading some more historical fiction, but it requires a certain mood for me. This seems like a great option, though!

[@lorraineboudreault7380]

How does one get the little book cover stickers?

[@JournalAway]

I download the book cover pictures and print them out myself 😄 I get a lot of questions about them so I promise to include a tutorial in the 2024 reading journal setup video!

[@thecatwhosawstars]

Have you read recursion by Blake Crouch

[@JournalAway]

I haven't! I'll look it up! 😊

[@agblackness]

Happy now year! An amazing year with your video's. I known that I commented very rar, it it because I enjoy your voice and video too much to stop, and is a little bit hard for me to write in English because I am not a native. I am excited to see what are you preparing this year with you art. 🎉🎉 Sorry for the long comment and the mistake a made. I hope to understand my good though for your work ❤

[@JournalAway]

Your English is perfectly understandable!! 😊 Thank you so much, I appreciate all the silent watchers equally as much as the others! 🥹❤️

[@wowkir]

I would look more into the JK Rowling controversy before talking about it, if I were you. Just a friendly caution. As I understand it, she has zero animosity towards the LGBTQ community. I looked into her tweets that started it all and there’s nothing hateful there. Alot of people just jumped on the bandwagon and renounced her name without ever looking into it. I absolutely support all people of all persuasions - but cancel culture is one of the most toxic inventions of our time, and people online really need to chill out and be more forgiving. In my opinion. Anyway, always like your creations. Just wanted to throw my support for JK Rowling out there.

[@JournalAway]

I completely see where you're coming from and trying to avoid contributing to cancel culture is exactly why I've mentioned her work in the past. I probably worded it a bit wrong in the video, but what I meant is that I didn't know much about her comments previously, but I did look quite deeply into the subject by reading her tweets and comments throughout the years (even recent ones) which eventually made me change my mind. I also thought that her first tweets and explanations about this subject seemed much more loving and that the reaction to them seemed very strong. However, I was personally much more surprised about her more recent tweets. She clearly has quite strong opinions about certain groups of people and I couldn't help but see her views as hurtful or discriminating. I will still continue reading her books on my own and probably still post them on my Goodreads account because I think separating art from the artist is possible and we don't need to agree with everyone about everything. However, JK Rowling specifically is such a widely talked about person (which I think is mostly her own doing for being so vocal about her opinions) that I've noticed that it's really hard to talk about her publicly without people feeling like I'm taking a stance one way or another, or assuming things I'm not mentioning. I know it's mostly selfish on my part, and not equal for the reasons you mentioned as well, but I don't wish people to associate my views with hers or think that this is one more community where their identities are not respected. It's such a difficult thing to balance when making videos for a wide audience and I wish I didn't need to make these decisions but finally, I chose that I want to prioritize the people in my community who might be affected, over equally supporting her work like everyone else's.

[@wowkir]

@@JournalAway Thank you for your reply. Very well said :-)

[@MarcelaChandía]

It seems weird to me to talk about inclusion and not discrimination while publicly cancelling the work of a person, based on a situation that you admit you don't know well about. Respect should be for all equally, not just for those with whom we agree. Just saying 🤷‍♀ About your journal, I love your spreads, and your collages are so creative!!! ❤

[@JournalAway]

I completely see where you're coming from and this is the reason I've mentioned her work in the past. I think it's such a difficult subject and I understand that there's no solution that everyone agrees with. I think it's okay to separate the work from the creator and I will continue reading her books on my own and probably still post them in my Goodreads account. Also, I have friends and family members that have completely different opinions with me and I still respect them as people. However, she specifically is such a widely talked about person (which I think is mostly her own doing for being so vocal about her opinions) that I've noticed that it's really hard to talk abour her publicly without people feeling like I'm taking a stance one way or another, or assuming things I'm not mentioning. I think I worded it a bit wrong in the video, but what I meant is that I didn't know much about her comments in the past, but I did look quite deeply into the subject by reading her tweets and comments throughout the years (even recent ones) before I spoke about it in this video. Personally, I was surprised to find out how how strongly she talks against a group of people and I couldn't help but see her views as hurtful or discriminating. I know it's mostly selfish from my part, and not equal as you mentioned, but I don't wish people to assosiate my views with hers or think that this is one more community where their identities are not respected. I wish I didn't need to make these decisions but finally, I chose that I want to prioritize the people in my community who might be affected, over equally supporting her work like everyone elses.

[@MarcelaChandía]

It's your channel, your safe heaven in Internet, so it's up to you to choose how you want address this things. I'm just sad that this world we cannot have all different opinions and postures and always have to explain or apologize for what or who we like. If you like a book, or movie, etc., you like it and should be it. Anyway, it just sads me. Thanks for your kind response 🙏

[@CiceroSpeaketh]

@@MarcelaChandía Yep, totally agree with you.JKR has been stigmatized to a shocking extent even though her books were about how to fight back against fascism (in the wizarding world...) It shows the lack of critical thought among those who are mistaking the virtual world for the real world. Women are being cancelled for calling themselves and others women, or not women....It's a MAD world. Meanwhile, @JournalAway this is a beautiful layout and book journal. You've got a new follower.

[@chokers]

i think excluding politics does more harm than good because everything is inherently political & you run the risk of inviting bigotry & willful ignorance in communities & whatnot if there is no clear boundary set against harmful ideologies, comments, etc.

[@JournalAway]

I totally see where you’re coming from. However, I’ve actually seen the exact opposite happen on my channel compared to many other channels I follow. I think the more you talk about something (for example politics, your views and opinions) the more you attract people who want to talk about those things and express their opinions as well, and sometimes in ignorant ways. And if you never mention those subjects, no one talks about them either. I’m so lucky to have a very warm and accepting community and I’ve never seen a comment that was harmful against anyone. And if there ever would be, I’d just delete them or KZbin filters would do it for me.