Focus on Reading 2.0: Year End Reading Traditions

[Theresa]

I know December Flurries and finishing 2022 year long challenges dominate the discussions and reviews, along with plotting 2023, but I was wondering if anyone has a special year end reading habit or goal besides those. Is there a special book or books you make a point of rereading? Or a particular author whose work, new or old, you make sure to read in December? Why?

Do you have any read-aloud traditions at a holiday gathering? If so, how did it start?

[Book Concierge]

I try to re-read Truman Capote's A Christmas Memory each year on my birthday.

[Phair]

I have no particular year-end reading traditions but my joy in late December is setting up my paper journal for the coming year. Then I am also doing my statistics for the current year. Among the things I now track are totals for: genres & formats read, gender of authors, how many owned books vs library, what publication years I’ve read, how current year compares to previous years. As a former library director I loved the annual statistics so I’ve translated that into my personal reading. I’ve kept paper journals since 2001 but in since retirement they’ve gotten a bit more data heavy. It’s fun!
And I also ponder what goals I’ll have for the coming year but I almost never succeed in reaching those goals.

[Holly R W]

Since joining Goodreads, I have enjoyed writing a "Year in Review" post and reading the same posts from my Goodreads friends. They're often witty and fun. They share the favorite books that they've read.

I also like reading PBT members' lists of their top books. I get a lot of good recommendations for my TBR.

I'm also curious to see which two challenges have been selected by our members for 2023.

[Amy]

Yes, it’s true that December can be about finishing up challenges and getting to anything special that wasn’t gotten to, but I really do like the fall flurries tradition. I like books about winter and snow and anything that seems sort of magical and truth is lately they’ve had some pretty good Hanukkah romances, I have never minded being born between Christmas and New Year’s because I always think it’s a very special time that everyone is focused on light and love and staying connected to families in tradition. People seem a little kinder a little more open to miracles and being part of the miracle so while I am not a huge Christmas romance, I love this time of year. It fits with my magical sensibilities. I have a bunch of winter magic holiday books planned and I’m so looking forward to this month!

[Theresa]

Well, most of my year end reading traditions revolve around more plebian reading - rereading if possible mysteries Rest You Merry and The Twelve Deaths Of Christmas, selections from David Sedaris 'Holidays on Ice, and carrying on the decades old family tradition of reading How the Grinch Stole Christmas!. That last started when my youngest sister was a child - around 1970. I can still hear my mother's voice reading it. I also have a couple Christmas romances I might revisit - tattered old paperbacks.

I have a collection of Christmas childrens books I have collected in my travels that I will dip into - a cajun version of Twas the Night Before Christmas, for example, or Babar and Father Christmas in french. I also have a copy of the Golden Book Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and reread it!

I also at some point read one of my illustrated copies of 'Twas the Night Before Christmas, the traditional version, even though I can recite it from memory. There is something about reading it, the words on the page with wonderful illustrations.

I think this year it is time to once again read A Child's Christmas in Wales. So I do add a few more literary reads to my agenda. Sometimes.

[Theresa]

Holly R W wrote: "Since joining Goodreads, I have enjoyed writing a "Year in Review" post and reading the same posts from my Goodreads friends. They're often witty and fun. They share the favorite books that they've..."

I have never thought of writing up a year in review summary! What an interesting idea as opposed to just lists! May need to think on doing that.

[Holly R W]

@Theresa, here is the link to '2022 on Goodreads' for this year's review. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5...
Just put it on your TBR as you would do for any book. When you open it up, you can write your own review of this year as well as read what your GR friends write.

As an example, here is what I wrote for '2021 on Goodreads'.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Theresa]

Holly R W wrote: "@Theresa, here is the link to '2022 on Goodreads' for this year's review. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5...
Just put it on y..."

I had no idea that existed! Thank you and I've tagged it Want to Read so I can set it up at some point. I actually sort of do a review type of thing during the year in my PBT thread tracking challenges, in a much wordier form (I am a lawyer after all).
Theresa Tumbles Through Her TBR

I talk about rabbit holes I fell down, expound in a lot of detail connections I make when reading specific books, and more. I think in the past I've even done a mini-summary of the year in that thread.

I will definitely start doing this! I have a new tradition starting!

[LibraryCin]

Phair wrote: "I have no particular year-end reading traditions but my joy in late December is setting up my paper journal for the coming year. Then I am also doing my statistics for the current year. Among the t..."

This is similar to me. The stats for this year, setting up for next year, etc. I usually try to do that on Jan 1, so I can make sure to get all of December in there.

[LibraryCin]

Holly R W wrote: "@Theresa, here is the link to '2022 on Goodreads' for this year's review. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5...
Just put it on y..."

Like Theresa, I had no idea this existed, either! Good to know. If I remember, I can add all my stats and year favourites there. :-) (I do share them on facebook, as well, just as its own post.)

[Joy D]

I enjoy writing and reading the "year in review" summary, and reading lists of everyone's favorite books for the year.

I also like looking at my spreadsheet where I keep all my reading stats, seeing what I want to keep doing or what I want to change for the next year.

I enjoy Fall Flurries, so I read one or more books set in cold climates.

I love the process of deciding what challenges to do next year, and setting up possible reading lists (which generally get changed, but it's still fun to do).