Mid-Year Reading Check In & What is Mood Reading Anyway?

[MUSIC] Hello everyone and welcome to Dairy of an X English Major, the show that discusses literature and media liking your favorite English seminar course. I'm your host, Deja, a blogger at cityofdasia.com. In today's episode, I'll be doing an overview of my 2023 reading thus far, as well as discussing the concept of mood reading and how it affects my overall reading habits. Happy listening. [MUSIC] Welcome back to the podcast everyone. It has been a while since my last solo episode, but I'm finally back with one and I'm so excited because, as of recording this, it's the beginning of August. And this episode should go out not too long after that, which means that half of the year is going already. More than half of the year is going already at this point. But definitely those first six or seven months are done. They're in the books. And in the book internet world, that means it's time for a mid-year reading check-in. And I'm so excited about this because it's such a stable and just like the book internet world to do the mid-year book, freak out tag. But more on that in a bit, I wanted to kind of start off this episode by talking about the fact that I engage with my leisure reading in such an organized way. I think it's really interesting and it definitely speaks to my English major roots because I don't have to track my reading at all. No one's telling me to do it. It's not a requirement, but it's something I have done for years. And I can't not do it. I love engaging with my leisure reading as I'm reading it. And so I can kind of look back on what was I reading when I was this age. I think that's such a fun concept. And I'm so, so grateful to my younger self for stumbling upon this part of the internet because now I can look back and see what my favorite books were when I was 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20. And it goes on and I'm going to hopefully continue to do this as I grow older. But I think that's just such a fun concept. And although I mean, it's definitely something like I just said, like I've been doing it way before I ever got to college and did I want to study English or anything, but it does speak to just like this love of literature and engaging with literature and words in media too, in a way that I ended up doing in the classroom in my English classes. So it's really, it's all full circle, you know. It's no wonder that I loved what I studied so much and made this podcast because of that love. So, but yeah, the way that I just can't finish a book and let that be it, the way that it doesn't feel complete to me unless I've rated it or chatted about my thoughts with a friend or written a review of some sort, is so interesting. And I'm so glad that I have this outlet. And of course, my hope is that this podcast in my blog, et cetera, will reach those who feel the same. And I know that I'm a mom good company because the mid-year book freak out tag, I was about to say, is, but I'm recording this a bit after the fact. So was, you know, the main thing I was seeing in my feed for weeks. Everyone kind of does it at a different time. Some people do it at the beginning of the July. Others do it at the end of July or whenever or like later than that. I don't really care. I love seeing what people are reading, what they're loving, what they're not loving. I think it's very, very interesting. It's kind of like the only way to get a really general overview of what someone has been reading throughout the year or maybe books that I missed out on hadn't heard about that came out or just kind of like seeing what some of the reading trends are this year. So all that being said, I decided that I wasn't going to do the mid-year book freak out tag this year, which to define it. It's just a series of questions asking about mid-year reading and some correlatives to like the best book you've read, the worst book, most anticipated book, all those kind of things. So I didn't do it in that way, but I enjoyed the spirit of the tag. So I did do a blog post just kind of checking in on my mid-year reading. And so the segment is really kind of an extension of that. So you can definitely check out that blog post. It'll be linked in the show notes. One reason that I did decide not to do the tag in its entirety is because my reading has been very, very interesting this year. I haven't been reading as much as I have in the years past at all, that's for sure. And while I'm okay with that decrease in quantity, I admittedly am still getting used to the idea of not constantly consuming books like I have in the past. And yeah, I would just. I don't know, like for example, I typically would have read maybe 20 to 25 books already, maybe. And like the last, if this were like two years ago, but my. when I reached the halfway point in the year, a little bit past the halfway point, I had read only 12. And that definitely has been a trend over 2023 and 2022. So I'm still kind of grappling with that because it's something that I'm not really used to. And I'll talk a little bit later as to why I think that changed happened. But I know that part of it is because I am such a huge mood reader. And that is going to be a segment all on its own because I think it's so fascinating. And I've called myself a mood reader for years on end. And I'm finally ready to dissect that a little bit closer. But first, I do want to just give you that mid-year reading check-in. If you're like me, you're curious as to what I've been reading, what I liked, what I didn't. I wanted to give you that generalized overview of my 2023 reading this far. First, let's get to the stats. I've read 12 books so far this year, like I said, which was actually my goodreads read-angle for the year. So I've completed that. I always said it to something I know that I can achieve because the goodreads reading goal is like its own kind of thing. And I don't like the unnecessary pressure. So I said it to 12 and I've completed it. So yay. As far as genres, I've read 10 fantasy reads and two contemporary fiction reads. And in relation to my ratings and how I rate books, I do use a five-star scale to rate my books. And I think it's a great quick pitch indicator of how I thought about a book, even if I don't write a full review. Even if I don't write a full review on it. When I do write a review, I like to take it a bit of a step further and use a grading scale from A+ to F, just to give it a little bit more context. Like the reader of my review that gives them, I think, a bit more context on my feelings. Also, the grading scale is less limited, like the star scale. I do kind of tweak the star scale as you'll kind of hear. I use half-stars and these kind of things. But I like the grading scale because it doesn't necessarily align to certain expectations. And I think that's kind of fun. Sidebar. I definitely want to do an episode on some point all about book reviewing and rating systems. Trust me that is coming. So if you're also someone just as fascinated with that as I am, please be on the lookout because I'm going to get it scripted and I'm going to do it. But back to our topic, I do not review every book I read. But I do typically rate every book. Unless it's a classic, I just, I don't know, I've never really rated, well, I don't want to say never. In the last few years, I've decided not to really rate classics because I'm usually rating them. Yes, because it was required reading. But also like now that I'm not in school, like I don't have required reading. But I don't know. I'm reading it for a different purpose. And it just typically to me doesn't really make sense on whether I give it a start reading or not. So I just decide not to. There's really no reason behind it is kind of what I'm trying to say. Of the 12 books that I've read so far this year, five of them have written reviews that you can find on cityabdasia.com. And I'll mention with those five are at the end. And of course, they will be linked for you to check them out. I won't be doing a lot of rehashing of those reviews here specifically or like on any of the books that I've even kind of reviewed on my good reads. Since my intentions are more just to give a general overview of my reading this far. However, of course, if you've read any of these, want to chat more, you're curious about my start rating, etc. definitely make sure you're following me on my books to Graham at cityabdasia. Because that's where I check my reading and post more about it in real time. And of course, I love to discuss that's literally why I made the account. Because I love to chat about books with other people. So all that being said, let's jump right in. So the structure is I'll save my start rating and then the book that follows under that start rating book or books that fall under that start rating. So first, I had one two star read, which was alone with you in the ether by lovey Blake. I had two three star reads yellow face by rf quong and daisy jones in the six by Taylor Jenkins read. I read six four star reads queen of shadows by sera de mass called on the hawk by magey steve order kingdom of copper by essay sharka borde chain of gold by Cassandra Claire, chain of iron. by Cassandra Claire and any way the winblows by Rainbow Row. I read two four and a half star reads one for my enemy by L.A.V. Blake and the Atlas Paradox by L.A.V. Blake and one book that I did not read which was Animal Farm by George Orwell. So overall I read some pretty good books this year so far along with you and the ether yellow face one for my enemy the Alice Paradox and any way the winblows all have dedicated written reviews on my site and those will be linked in the show notes. I'm very proud of those reviews I think I was able to really kind of get down to the nitty-gritty on what worked for me or what didn't in those books. So definitely check them out if you're interested. Some general patterns and thoughts is that I have been DNFing or like not finishing DNF just means do not finish a lot this year and that has definitely had me reading at a slower pace than I have been in years past because I'm not just kind of like not gonna have books left and right but the DNFing has also kind of helped with the overall quality of what I've read. I don't think that the DNFing itself has been why I have had higher ratings. I think it's more that I've actually phased out audiobooks in favor of physically reading more and that has, I mean it was kind of unceremoniously I didn't really do it on purpose. I just have not been able to kind of fit audiobooks into my schedule. I used to listen to them on my commute. I used to listen to them as I was doing other my list task and I just haven't been doing a lot of those things anymore so I just have not really fit in audiobooks. I think honestly it's because I started listening to podcast. Hello, so I mean audiobooks have just kind of been on the back burner. Also I mean I used to listen to a lot of romances on audio and and I have been kind of burnt out on romance for the last year or so or yeah definitely that last year or so and so since I'm not really reading that genre as much as I used to I just the audiobooks haven't really been filling up my reading like they did before so audiobooks also lend themselves more toward pushing through like a not so great story since it's being read to me and it overall requires less engagement with the text and I think I'd just been like kind of craving more engagement with what I've been reading and remembering it. That's another thing when I listen to audiobooks a lot. I wouldn't really remember as much what I read and then if I didn't have a physical book I didn't have any tabs I didn't have anything to kind of go back to in reference and maybe it's also a combination of the fact that I've been trying to write more like longer views like the ones that I mentioned on my website and having the physical book kind of helps me with that early. So anyway I've been just more conscious of like setting down a book either for good or just for now which has caused me to read a bit less but overall enjoy more of what I have decided to dedicate my time to. I'm definitely adjusting to reading at such a slower pace since I definitely thought after graduating that I would be just flying through book after book and just like reading my entire physical DBR and that just didn't happen but you know the consequences that I've become a much more intentional reader which I'm grateful for and I can't wait to see what else I'll be reading during the final half of this year. Despite my excitement to see what other great novels I'll read at the end of 2023 I have been in such a weird reading mood like my mood reader tendencies have been shining through these last couple of weeks. I spent the better part of the month starting and subsequently stopping a ton of books before landing on "Mr. Impossible" by Maggie Steve Otter which is the second book in the dream or trilogy. Honestly someone needs to pay me because I have talked about this series and Maggie Steve Otter specifically so much on this podcast but y'all I just I love the Ravencichel and so I was so excited to finally dive back into the dreamer trilogy and I can say that I finally have finished "Mr. Impossible" but trying to push through and finish that book while not being in the while not being in the mood to read an urban fantasy which is the genre was not easy at all and that just showed me that like I am a mood reader through it. I already knew that but the fact that was so excited to go back into the series started it but just like so logged through it and it made it like the story itself was it kind of wasn't what I expected at all but still like I just I was excited to read it and then turns out I wasn't actually so excited to read an urban fantasy like I thought that I would so that just really was not the best and being a mood reader just really has its moments all of my mood reading woes were really just good for one thing and that was that it helped me settle on a topic for this next segment of the episode. So mood reading is a concept that I realized I had never tried to define before on purpose so I decided to take to my Instagram stories at city of dacia to see how other readers defined it. So of course I have quite a small sample size it you know in-story polls if you know how they work they're only gonna be up for 24 hours and I mean obviously people not have to participate in them so I had quite a small sample size but I'm still grateful to everyone who did participate in it and kind of like helped me with that research because it was very very helpful and it kind of like pushed me through this slump that I had of trying to figure out the script for this next part. So the results were that 88% answered yes to the question of whether they consider themselves mood readers. My second poll I asked about the definition of mood reading specifically. 89% defined mood reading as reading according to their mood or in other words reading different genres according to their mood well 5% defined in mood reading as not being in the mood to read at all and another 5% answered other and they added like a little answer box where they could specify the definition a bit more. So I got three written in definitions that I'm gonna go through so the first one is from Michaela's reads thank you so much for participating and they wrote I am a TBR plancer I make a TBR but that doesn't mean I'll read it and plancer I'm assuming is a kind of combination of planner and pancer which are like complete opposites and I totally relate to this like I TBRs or something I wish I could do like y'all I wish I had the superpower of making a TBR and knowing that I'm going to read every single book on it within reason of course like if I'm reading it such a slow pace I wish I could say I'm going to read these two books this month and do it but alas the second written in definition was from K's infinite library thank you also to them for participating and they wrote having a preset TBR of multiple genres then switching out books from within it which I think this is like the golden mood reader like someone who's like a mood reader but can kind of understand what their moods are so they already have all the options laid out in front of them I think this is really smart and hopefully it's very effective for them it's something I wish I could do the last written in definition was from Starlight pages and thank you again to them for writing it for writing something and and they wrote that they can't stick to a monthly TBR list even though they want to read books on set list and I think this is probably the one I identify with the most I don't make TBRs but if I did this this would be it like it literally that divides mood reading for me like wanting to read something and even like making the effort to read it but it's it's just not working the mood is not right and that is what I would like to discuss a little bit more I think that all of these results kind of help me understand one thing which is that mood reading is kind of a catch all term while the poll that I made suggests like a somewhat cohesive understanding of mood reading like 89% answered that mood reading is reading according to their mood or reading different genres I think that reading based on your mood means something different for different people of course and what I think is so interesting about the concept of reading based on a mood is that for me personally I don't often know exactly what my mood is when it comes to books I just I don't I wish I was maybe a bit more aware of that I will generally read anything under the sun when it comes to genre so long as the synopsis really speaks to me or at least I've seen reviews that point out of certain elements in a book that I might enjoy um there are definitely genres that I don't often reach for I can't tell you the last time I read a thriller or like you know those kind of like real like genre fiction books but I definitely have red books that you know they might not be a thriller but it has thrilling elements or elements etc so like I will generally read anything under the sun as long as there's something in that synopsis that it's really speaking to to me and it definitely aligns with my taste. But, it's hard for me to parse out what genre I'm in the mood for, unless I try a chapter of a few contenders. It's almost like I need the books to tell me what I'm in the mood for. And so I'll, you know, kind of make a list of books or like get a couple books on my shelf that I'm really, really interested in in the moment and read the first chapter and I try and stick with the one that just speaks to me the most. There are people out there that know exactly what I'm talking about. I know this sounds so grandiose and maybe a bit dramatic, but that is why I made this podcast because it's my hope that other readers and English majors will kind of understand that feeling. Like, picking up a book and reading the first chapter and just knowing this is what I'm going to be reading for the next, you know, week or however long. I cannot make a TBR list of books to read each month and actually follow through with it even if every single book on this is one that I'm interested in. Just like Starlight pages was saying, even if I purchase a book that sounds so extremely fascinating to me, I did that recently, my dad, and right up my alley, there's just no guarantee that I'll be in the mood to read it right then in there. That's, I think that's the woes of like having a physical TBR anyways because if I took the time to purchase a book and have it on my shelf and everything, then like, of course, I'm interested in reading it, but I just cannot do it right this moment because the mood is not right. I'm not in the mood for whatever that book is trying to offer me. New releases, I will say, are a bit of an anomaly in that regard since I've generally waited a long time for it to release and usually I want to read it as soon as possible to avoid spoilers. I've talked about this in my episode discussing book hype. But beyond that, this weirdly, I guess like chaotic good method of reading, like the intentions are there, but it's still so all over the place. This made like a signed reading college kind of hard for me to adjust to at first because there is no trying a chapter as I put it. It's like, okay, read the first hundred pages, read the next hundred pages, then finish the book like point like period. You know, like we're following a schedule that is something I have eventually adjusted to because mood, like you cannot be a mood reader in college. You should can, but like you can't, especially if you're in English major and all your classes are around like reading novels and talking about them. You know, it's a little bit hard to get around that. But yeah, that is something I eventually adjusted to just with years of experience in college. And especially as I began taking courses that I was really, really excited about. But in my leisure reading, the mood reading tenancies have never stopped. And usually if I can't find something to suit my reading appetite, I fall into a reading slump of not reading at all. And that is the worst feeling as a reader. But I do find comfort in knowing that I don't only do that with books, I kind of do the same thing with TV. This happened to me a couple of weeks ago actually that I was in the need to watch something else. I forget what I had just finished. I had just finished something and I just needed another show to kind of have on and go to like I need a reoccurring kind of character in my life. That is what like TV shows typically are for me. And so I was trying like the first episode of like a couple of different shows and nothing was clicking. Thankfully I'm watching Charmed right now. I have a friend who was possibly listening to this. Hello Maya, who is somewhere screaming because she's been telling me to watch the show forever. And thankfully that kind of clicked. So I'm a bit of a mood watcher I guess you could say as well. I kind of need something that's going to feel the void that I'm looking for. Which in a related way, that's probably why I rewatched my favorite show so many times didn't re-read my favorite book so many times. Because if I can't find something new that's a really hidden assert mood, I know exactly what to expect. Jomer-wise and just like tone-wise and everything from something I've already seen or read. But I don't know that re-reading a book can cure mood reading though because and this is where it gets like a little crazy. I'm not always in the mood to re-read my favorite book. Even though I know it's probably going to help with that reading stuff or at least give me into a better space of being excited about what I'm going to read next and not so frustrated about the fact that I can't find another read that's like hidden the spot. I'm not always in the mood to read exactly, you know, I'm not always in the mood to read a book that I already know that I'm going to love. I know this sounds like a bit out there, but stick with me here. I think this is because I may not be in the mood to re-read a favorite book since there are different reading types. There are different types of books that I enjoy and no I don't mean genres, but actual reading types. Let me explain. So if you're still with me going down the rabbit hole, I read a good mix of genres and subjomras. I read high fantasy, urban fantasy, paranormal romance, contemporary romance, modern classics, literary fiction, etc, etc. And within the genres, there are varying reading levels that I sort of have just made up. And I've seen other reviewers and readers kind of hint at this too. This is not just like something that is unique to me at all, but I think we all kind of have our personal reading types. So for example, I love Tony Morrison. I think she was just an exceptional writer, just an exceptional thinker, and I'm so excited to read more of her works. And for me, her books, I would say their reading type is that they're for my brain and for my heart. So I've read Sula and the blueest eye, and I'm currently reading beloved. It's kind of a reread of sorts. And I'm not necessarily reading beloved for entertainment in the same way that I would read a Sarah J. Mass book for entertainment. So Sarah J. Mass's books for me are more for my heart. I wouldn't say that they're from my head at all. They're definitely for my heart. And therefore my heart in the way that I get like this sense of community from reading such a well love author and author I've read for years and years and years, that feeling I get when like scrolling through Pinterest through fan art of her characters and discussing theories with friends, like theories of her books with friends and just kind of this just fun sense of community and just joy that I get. And like that's all for my heart. And so like SJM's books may not be for my brain per se, but it hits another part of me that's like just as important. So am I learning from like reading a Sarah J. Mass book? Like I just I mentioned Queen of Shadows earlier. I mean possibly maybe someone can make that argument, but like not in the same way that I'm learning from Tony Morrison and I'm reflecting on her powerful words. And I'm letting them linger in my head long after I finish. And I'm like scouring the internet for interviews till I hear her talk about her stuff and her own words and just like I'm taking it all in I'm a sponge and I'm soaking it all up. That is what I get from reading a 20 more. So I'm looking that's why it's for like my head and my brain and from my heart because like I love doing that just as much as I love like the community kind of like I guess fandom stuff you would say what's SJM but you know that they're they're two different they're two different reading types for me. And I mean I love them both. I love I love that I can get what I get from reading like the classics of 20 more. And I love that I can get what I get from reading the more trendy Sarah J. Mass books. So this isn't me trying to like compare those two authors in any reductive way at all. Hopefully I'm making that quite apparent. More so I'm just demonstrating that the range of what I read like the range right of what I read and that there are varying effects that are like yielded from whatever book I choose to pick up. And this is why I'm reading is so hard because it's I have such a wide reading taste that it makes it incredibly hard to know exactly what kind of reading mood I'm in. And sometimes I might want that quick con candy action pack adventure novel. But also I might want that like more thoughtful slow pace care to driven think piece or I want something that does them both. And like I think a lot of my favorite favorite books are the ones that like really balance to polar opposite reading types that I have and they just like melding together perfectly. That's definitely why Tony Morrison is like slowly becoming one of my favorite authors because I think that she she does this extremely well by balancing like really hard hitting topics about racism and so many different forms with these beautifully crafted scenes of public family and relationships and everything. And so that's that's just why I love her. But anyway, I think that having such a wide reading taste, I mean it makes it hard right. It makes it really, really hard. And I wish I were a more organized reader. I do. would read a lot quicker for one and I'd kind of knock down my physical TBR to zero and all of these things that I think some of us kind of aspire to be or the kind of readers that we want to be. But over the last couple of years, especially this year, I've just learned to accept the beauty in mood reading and how mood reading still can allow for the right book to end up in my lap after perfectly right time because doing all those tri-chapter things that I was talking about has resulted in me reading the first like hundred pages of multiple books on my shelf that I just like have not gone back to yet yet is the main word there, which is quite funny. But it's also very useful in the grand scheme of mood reading because now I'm like intimately familiar with the beginnings of various stories so I know that at some point there'll be a time that I'm craving whatever genre that book falls under or the tone or the reading type that it exudes and you know, oh no, okay, like if I'm really wanting that con candy action packed lighthearted vibe, I should go for our ex book instead. And that's not something I think I can have if I were more organized reader. So I love that I kind of have that kind of reading experience or the way that it affects my reading habits. And really in the end, it'll be like, "Kismet" when I finally pick up a book that checks all of my material mood boxes and it fits like a glove into my reading palette. So that is all I have for you today. I would love to hear some of your thoughts on this topic and what it means to be a mood reader to you and your own words. You can share them with me on the Spotify Q&A responses. And of course, if you're not listening on Spotify, you can also share your thoughts with me on any episode through the podcast Instagram. Thank you so much for listening to Dari Evan X English major. If you enjoyed this episode, make sure you follow the show on your chosen podcast listening platform, leave a review on Apple podcasts, and follow the podcast Instagram @Dari EvanXing major, that's ENG. And I'll see you all soon.