It’s summer break and binge reading is now in session! This past quarter, I read 42 books or 12749 pages, which brings my mid-year total to 70 books or 21302 pages (last year I read 78 books in the entire year!), of which 85% were by women authors and 72% by authors of colour. I read one of my favourite books in my life, received the hottest ARC of the year, and was featured by Penguin Random House, which boosted my lil bookstagram to 2k — it’s been a good quarter in books.

Going into the third quarter, I think I want to rein myself in a bit. I’ve been absolutely flying through books and not even stopping to write monthly reviews (trying out this quarterly thing right now). For some books, one quick read through is all I need, but for others, I need more time to process, especially for those I’m too emotionally invested in, which are always harder to find the words for. Maybe in November or December I’ll reread all my 2022 favourites.

In other news, I designed the perfect crochet checker tote the size of three hardbacks. I needed a bag small enough for my small self, but big enough to hold multiple books or a book and some knick knacks. I entertained the idea of selling a small drop (like ten bags, aspirationally) since people have been wanting them, but work is picking up so I’m taking my time making bags in my spare moments that I’ll probably just give away to friends instead of rushing for a drop.

The first quarter was filled with buddy reads. In January and February, Trish and I read a bunch of translated fiction including Lonely Castle in the Mirror by Mizuki Tsujimura, Heaven by Mieko Kawakami, My Brilliant Life by Ae-ran Kim, and Human Acts by Han Kang, as well as A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki; Monica, Riley, and I continued Ice Planet Barbarians with the second book in the series, and Cindy joined us for Piranesi by Susanna Clarke; Sadia and I read The Cabinet by Un-su Kim; Nicholas and I read Candide by Voltaire; and Evie and I read The Love Songs of WEB Du Bois by Honoree Fanonne Jeffers. I also joined Alina‘s Dante Book Club, and we’re still working our way through Inferno one canto a week (I’m way behind).

Reading slowed down in March as I busied myself with midterms. It was the first time I felt academically overwhelmed since I started my masters, not in terms of workload but in terms of simply knowing what’s going on and questioning whether I’m smart enough to be here. It all worked out though. Getting through March helped me find my ease through the rest of the term. Anyways, during that month I gave another go at audiobooks, and I think it’s finally clicking for me! I’m loving audiobooks for classics to help me process the archaic language, for fun plot-driven YA novels and romance, and for some nonfiction with interesting topics but too tedious to read myself. Audiobooks have also been great companions while crocheting. That said, I’ve also found that I need to take a break from audiobooks every once in awhile. I’m all for making the most of every minute of the day, but it’s not the most peaceful experience having a narrator yapping in your ear in your downtime.

In total, I read 28 books or 7940 pages, of which 79% were by women authors and 75% by authors of colour. That last stat is incredible for me, since I usually average 40% authors of colour. It’ll probably go down as the year progresses, but what a way to start!