My 2023 Reading Spreadsheet & Stats 🤓 + Reading Goals for 2024 🎉 | The Book Castle | 2024

[@BrookeReadsBooks333]

I am with you 1000%, I cannot get into audiobooks at all. It just doesnt register, I lose interest, easily distracted, my mind wanders BIGTIME. It’s definitely not just your struggle 🖤🕯️

[@TheBookCastle]

I’m glad it’s not just me heheh 😅

[@RyeMiArt]

Audiobooks are half maybe even more of my reads because I spend at least 40 minutes walking to/from work 5 days a week and that is mostly when I listen to audiobooks. I think it is great way to transform 'dead time' into something more productive. Good luck with your 2024 goals!

[@TheBookCastle]

Love that 😍

[@munglejoela]

You probably already know this but Storygraph tracks most of the same things you do - I've been using it for a few years now and love it. I think if something isn't enjoyable - either audiobooks or classics for you, then it's fine not to read it. Reading is meant to be enjoyable! Audiobooks are a lifesaver for me as with a chronic illness I can't always physically read and listening really helps. I had around 16% non fiction but I had several non-fiction books in my faves of the year, so that tells me I should read more non fiction as I obviously really enjoy it. I'll try to factor that into my reading more this year.

[@BertaRS]

On Storygraph you can also hide if you're ahead or behind on your reading goals, it removes that stress source if you want to.

[@anjar1285]

Same here, audiobooks are a gamechanger for me. It is perfect when i feel too unwell to Do anything else but am not able to sleep. It is so nice to be able to Listen to a book while having to lay down insteadt of doing nothing and feeling like half my time is wasted. And i love audiobooks while cleaning. If one is really good, i will clean more :D

[@catsandbats77]

I have to be doing something else while listening to audiobooks. I used to really struggle with it, then in 2022 I started listening on my commute. I feel like it makes me more present while driving, because it keeps my mind from wandering off while driving to and from work. I listen when I clean, do laundry, color in coloring books, etc.... I can't just sit and listen though. Edited to add that it's refreshing to see a booktuber have goals that aren't "read 150 books this year."

[@anjar1285]

I needed to learn to listen to audiobooks. I started with books i already knew and wanted to reread. So it didnt matter if i wasnt concentrating too well. Then i found out, that there are certain activities in which i can concentrate on audiobooks quite well (cleaning mostly) and the ones in which i cannot (grocery shopping or if i dont do anything with my hands.) I have genres that work better in audiobook and some that i have to actually read. And i have days when i can concentrate really well on audiobooks, on others i am not able to listen an all. Also, the narrator is really important for me. Some i love listening to, some are neutral and some are a no go. In addition i have a really hard time concentrating on english audiobooks, even if i have no problem to read them (i am german).

[@outi3852]

I also have hard time with audiobooks. Either I can't concentrate, can't remember what happened, or fall asleep 😂 People who are able to do other things and listen to an audiobook at the same time seem like wizards to me.

[@TheBookCastle]

Right?? Totally agree 😅

[@emiliepaquet5159]

I have similar intentions to yours for 2024: read a few more classics than the 7-8 I read in 2023, read a few books in French which is my native language, reread a couple books - around 2-3 maybe, and read a couple non-fiction as I only read 2 last year. I want to keep it very chill! I read 52 books last year and I’m unable to do audiobooks. Similar!

[@TheBookCastle]

We’re definitely going for the same things, I love that 😍

[@nadyatrifonova2439]

I listen to audiobooks while i'm doing something else, because i lose focus too. I listen while i do chores in the house (with headphones) or while i play on my phone. It's the only way for me but it works 😅

[@bujobyfilo]

Funny how stats are kind of addictive 😆 I read 41 books in 2023 and I'll try to read about as much in 2024. Just like you, I'm not into audiobooks, but I can't stand listening to radio or podcasts either 🤷‍♀️

[@eileennielsen5165]

Hi Alice 🙂 Ever since I started watching " book-tubes" this past year, I have pressured myself to reading so many a mont. I wasn't enjoying my reading. This year. I am NOT setting any goals. I just want to read and enjoy like I did. I probably have 200 bks. in my little 1 bdrm. apt. to read. I have many notebks. and list pads and cut out advertisements of books I want to read. Plus I love libraries, so when I go I might pick up 2/3 bks. not on my lists. My life is sooooo serious, so many stressful things I have NO control over. I just want to enjoy my reading. I also, cannot do audio books. I just can't concentrate , my mind wanders. I prefer hard covers but not exclusively. I LOVE Poetry. I keep a Reading Journal with many of the same headings as your spread sheets have. This was interesting, thank you. 🤗

[@Cozyknitsandreads]

Love seeing your statistics and goals for 2024. :) 2023 was the first year where I fully tracked my reading on storygraph instead of goodreads (though I have my historic data from goodreads also imported into storygraph) and I really enjoyed the insights - esp. around mood. I set my reading goal to 12k pages per year, because I realized while I was still on goodreads that the "number of books"-goal made me personally favor shorter books. 🙈

[@carolynmonahan2488]

Just finished The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store. Sooooooo good. Goals this year are to read 50 Books of which 6 are nonfiction (The Book of Eels, What an Owl Knows, and The One Thing among them. Hopefully, 3 classics - Middlemarch in March (and June) and a Dickens. Oh, and see one Shakespeare play.I want to keep my options open for the rest.I am also a visual learner and auditory books don't work for me.

[@starlasell5698]

❤📚 Great video. I read ninety-nine point nine percent fiction, mostly for escape/entertainment. If I read one non-fiction, I feel accomplished. 😅 Saying that, I started the year reading Talking as Fast as I Can by Lauren Graham. My husband and I watched all the seasons of The Gilmore Girls for the first time this year ... and I'm enjoying the book. I look forward to all your 2024 videos and recommendations. Good luck with your goals! 😊 Edit: I read over 100 books in 2023, but set my goal at 80 for this year ...less audio 😉 and slowing down to really appreciate and absorb the story!

[@wondroushaze]

Yesss I love statistics 🤓😍 my only reading goal is to read 45 books which I managed to do in 2023!

[@carleybarnes4365]

I plan on reading all the unread classics on my shelves this year.

[@TheBookCastle]

Amazing, good luck! 😍

[@hibabelimi5328]

I like your videos. From Algeria

[@grethen123]

Nice reading year! Good luck with your goals, esp new ones, like increasing nonfiction and norwegian

[@Lena-if3pg]

I tried, I think, 2 audiobooks in my life and I gave up. It just doesn't work for me. As for my reading goals, on Storygraph the goal is 25 books and 7000 pages for 2024. I won't put pressure on myself because I'm in uni and this feels very appropriate. I usually read way more books than this but still, let's keep it chill!😊

[@grethen123]

Interesting, that you have classics as a flag, rather then one of the genres!

[@helenm4357]

When I was younger I could not do audiobooks but now as an older person I really enjoy them. For me, It helps especially with non-fiction and long books ie over 500pages. 2023 was a great 5 star reading year for me and a great non-fiction reading year. 😃

[@ReadingNymph]

Im the same with audio books 😅 I read 2 audio books last year I want to reread more and also make progress in all the series I have started 😅

[@RachelB.BookReferences]

I just got into audiobooks this year, but only for mystery thrillers, really. For nearly all other books, I need to think a little more while reading and be able to easily take notes. I normslly read 70% nonfiction, but this year, I read 70% fiction, so it was a very strange year for me, and very meh. I'm excited to prioritize nonfiction again, and have started with Invisible Women, which I'm really liking!

[@TheBookCastle]

Oooh that’s a great one 🖤

[@joyceredman2136]

Thanks for the spreadsheet idea. I am going to try it to see how the end of 2024 looks like1

[@carleybarnes4365]

I read 54 books too!

[@amena7387]

I love this Alice ! It is amazing how much we learn about ourselves when we track what we read. I also track my readings, but my spreadsheet has less info on it. I will add some colums after watching yours !

[@herbookmaterials]

Such a fun video☺ I'm also a fan of numbers and statistics, and love doing end of year wrap ups, so I really enjoyed your take of it. Having a spreadsheet of all books read plus some of their features is a great idea, I don't know why it never came to my mind😂 So far, I've been tracking all books in a notepad, which is why the statistics part always takes me ages... Especially finding out the genres is time consuming when doing all books at the same time.

[@ashleymorlan5707]

I prefer audiobooks for nonfiction or poetry.

[@prairierose1115]

👏👏👏👏👏