2018 Reading: A Recap

When I was teaching in the classroom, I had this sign on my door. It was laminated, and I would fill in whatever book I was currently reading with a white board marker. I wanted my students to see that reading wasn't just for LA class, it was something that I, as their music teacher, enjoyed too! I loved the conversations it sparked with my students, and they really would ask me about my book. Talk about great accountability - if I had the same book on there for too long, they would ask, "Ms. Yeh, is that a really long book or something?"






I'm not in the classroom anymore, but I still love reading! I was inspired by my friend Mari's blog and, for the first time, kept track of my reading in 2018. I finished a total of 48 books (and started three more that I am getting close to finishing now in 2019). The nerd in me really wanted to get to a round number (50) or to one per week (52), but alas, I'll have to settle for 48. Meanwhile, here are a couple of interesting stats about my reading:

• I read 35 books for the first time, and 13 as re-reads (although one was by accident - I was a couple of chapters in, thinking it sounded really familiar, when I realized I had read it a few years ago)
• I read 5 professional books, 4 faith-based books, and the rest (39) were mostly YA novels or biographical novels.
• I really enjoy getting into series - this year, my series reads included Harry Potter, Ender's Game, The Beyonders, The Golden Compass, The Lunar Chronicles, The Breadwinner, and Dragonwatch!
• I started getting into audiobooks for the first time. I still struggle to focus when listening to books, but I really enjoyed listening to books that I have previously read on audiobook. It brought a new dimension to my imagination of the story, and if I zoned out for a bit (which is not unusual), I could still track what was happening.

Overall, I really enjoy reading for pleasure, and it's a great escape from my day-to-day life! Maybe I should read more professionally, but honestly, I do a lot of other professional reading through blogs, articles, etc. As I begin 2019, I don't have any major goals for reading this year except to keep it up and continue tracking what I read. I do have quite a list of books related to refugees or migrants that I started in 2018, and I will probably continue to work through it in 2019.

One thing I am always on the lookout for is good YA novels, especially series! My favorite stories tend to be adventure, fantasy, or historical fiction. If you have anything good to recommend - please let me know!