Building My Goodreads Empire

Happy Spring semester! I hope everyone's classes are going well and the endless snow isn't too much of a problem. I've already had to scrape ice off my windshield an embarrassing amount of times this week, and I think my neighbors have also become acquainted with my new schedule.

One of my many, overly ambitious 2026 resolutions is to incorporate reading into my daily routine. During the summer I fly through tons of books and spend spending hours on my couch reading everything from new YA releases to classic literature. But it's always difficult for me to balance my hobbies, like reading, with academics during the school year. I barely read two books a semester. And I have a terrible habit of buying new books when I haven't finished the ones I already own, so I have a leaning tower of to-be-reads lurking in the corner of my bedroom.

Photo from Pinterest

To keep track of my reading, I created a Goodreads account. I set the personal reading goal to a whopping fifty books (which definitely borders unattainable but I love a good challenge). I've also made some changes to my routine, like reading on the bus to school and before bed. Somehow I'm confident that I can reach, and maybe even surpass, fifty books in 2026. Maybe it'll also inspire me to write more book reviews for my blog this semester!

I'm currently reading The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde, and I'm surprised by how interesting it is. It's very well written and I don't have any prior knowledge about the story (not me asking my friends not to spoil a 100 year old book...), so I'm really looking forward to learning more. My next read will probably be Emma by Jane Austen or A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens, and I also want to continue reading The Naturals series by Jennifer Lynn Barnes since I finished the first book last week. I also have a newfound addiction of buying second hand books (saves money and saves the environment!) so I wouldn't be surprised if I find myself adding even more books to my collection before finishing the ones I already have.

I think using Goodreads is really helping with my reading motivation, because finishing a book and adding it to my profile feels so satisfying. It's also nice to see what my friends are reading and add their recommendations to my own reading list. Overall I'm hoping to show off a colorful account in the near future and boast about the (hopefully fifty) books I read this year. I'm also always open to more recommendations so feel free to send your favorites my way!

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