I Read 30% Less in 2024. It Was My Best Reading Year

The 3 reasons why reading fewer books felt enriching in 2024

Some reading highlights. Image created in Canva with photos by the author.

Back in September 2024, I was shocked to check my Storygraph stats and discover I’d only read a gut-wrenching 14 books as my total of the year thus far. After a whirlwind spring and summer of trips, concerts, holidays and family visits, this made sense. Last year was the fullest, best year of my life on many levels, which naturally meant less downtime for books.

I shouldn’t have felt like a failure. But I did. The voice of reason in my mind was reminding me how I’d been advocating against reading challenges and the internet’s obsession with reading a superhuman number of books to feel included. But on the other hand, I felt this panic that I no longer qualified as a reader.

After I eventually decided that there was nothing I could do about the past, I just let the whole thing slide and lost myself in autumnal reads, book club picks and anything else my bookish heart craved. Before the end of the year, I read a further 16 books, bringing my total to 30.

My Storygraph reading stats from 2024. Image created in Canva with screenshots taken by author.