My Bookish Resolutions (2023)

This blog post was written by a human.

Hello readers and writerly friends!

If you’re a returning reader, thanks for coming back and if you’re new here, welcome to the blog! This week, we’re discussing my 2023 bookish goals and resolutions. What are your goals for 2023? Leave me a comment below!

Some of these are repeat goals and some are new. Last year, my only goal was to read 22 books and I nailed it! This year, I decided I wanted to do more than just read, but I wanted to keep them simple and SMART—specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound. I’ve given myself 5 goals to strive for in 2023

My bookshelf filled with more knick-knacks than actual books. Photo by Payton Hayes.

Read All of the TBR Books On My Shelf

In 2020, I went through a book purge and got rid of almost 200 books! As a result, my bookshelf seems to be filled more with rocks, figurines, and knick-knacks, than actual books, but oh well. This year, my primary goal is to read all of the books on that shelf. I started chipping away at it in 2022, and as I completed a book, I either kept it or donated it to the library. There’s 36 books to be read on my shelf. If I can read 34 books in 2022, then this year, I can clear the shelf!

Finish the Wingbound Trilogy by Heather Trim

As you can see from my #shelfie, the series is waiting patiently on my shelf. In 2023, I plan to finish this series, starting with Wingspan in January!

Set Up a Cozy Corner or Reading Nook

My partner and I just moved into our apartment back in August 2022, and we don’t yet have our living room furnished. In 2023, I hope to get some big furniture pieces that are comfy, cozy, stylish, and together make for a great reading spot as well as watching our favorite films.

Get A New Bookshelf!

Part of the furniture plan for 2023, is to get a new bookshelf. I think we’re going with a mid-century modern or industrial themed living room with cozy accents, so this shelf has got to go. Besides, I want to use this shelf to store our towels in the bathroom. Our current shelf is flimsy at best.

Read An Early Release For 2023

This may be tricky to get my hands on, but I definitely want to try and read Yellowface by R.F. Kuang asap! I have never read an early release and it didn’t seem possible to get my hands on a copy at the end of 2022, so maybe once it’s out I can snag a copy and write a review on it as early as possible! Keep your eyes out for that!

That’s all for my 2023 Bookish Resolutions! I hope you enjoyed reading this post! I know this goal list was far shorter than 2020 and 2021. It’s been a crazy couple of years! But now that I’m back in the practice of reading and writing daily, I hope I can achieve these goals and I am certainly looking forward to trying! What are your 2023 bookish goals or resolutions? Did you complete or make progress towards your 2022 goals? Let me know in the comments below and as always, thanks for reading!

Bibliography

• Hayes, Payton. “My bookshelf filled with more knick-knacks than actual books.” January 2, 2023 (Blog post & thumbnail photo).

Related Topics

• Get Your FREE Story Binder Printables e-Book!

• My Bookish Resolutions (2023)

• Bookish End of The Year Book Survey (2022)

• Book Wrap Up & Rating All The Books I Read This Year (2022)

• 21 Bookish Resolutions for 2021

• Bookish End of the Year Survey (2021)

• How to Read More Books

• 10 Tips For Planning Your Reading Challenge (2020)

• How I Read A Book: My Book Reading Routine

• How I Got Started Reading When I Hated It

• Self Care Tips for Bookworms

• Immersion Reading: Audiobooks & Ambiance

• Get Immersed in Your Reading: Writing With All Five Senses

• Active Reading Vs. Passive Reading: Using Psychology-Based Critical Reading Skills To Increase Information Absorption & Retention

• Read Like A Writer: What Analytical Reading Can Teach Us

• Questions You Should Ask Yourself As A Reader or Critic

• Reading Slump Emergency Kit: 15 Surefire Ways To Break Out of a Reading Slump!

• 5 Contemporary Romances Everyone Should Read

• 5 Supernatural Romance Reads for February

• Classic Romance Reading Challenge for February

• Do We Really Need to Read the Classics?

• Check out more of my Bookish Things blog posts!

Recent Blog Posts

This blog post was researched, written, and published by a human author without the assistance of generative artificial intelligence (gen-AI). Gen-AI models are trained on text written by humans, therefore, the presence of specific punctuation, verbiage, tone, or predictable, marketing-style phrases alone are not sufficient indicators of gen-AI usage. I implore readers to use context clues, critical thinking, pattern recognition, research, and employ their best judgement when determining the validity of human authorship of print and digital media today. If you want to learn more about my stance on gen-AI and it’s role in media and the publishing industry, I plan to release a blog post on this topic very soon, so stay tuned for that. This disclaimer will be updated once that post goes live. In the meantime, I will continue to be transparent about which tools and resources I use in my work.

Written by Payton Hayes | Last Updated: August 30, 2025

7 Fun, Useful, Quirky, and Cute Non-Book Bookish Items

This blog was written by a human

Hi readers and writerly friends!

This week in Current Faves, I’m showing you a bunch of fun, weird, bookish things that you may or may not have heard of before! Some of these have been recommended to me time and time again while others I only recently discovered and now that I’ve got a pretty good stack of quirky bookish objects, I figured I should share them with you!

Bookly App

You might not have expected an app to make it onto a weird bookish things list but it was so good I couldn’t not put it on the list. If you don’t know, Bookly is a gorgeous app that helps you track your books, read more and improve your reading over time. You can scan your books or simply search for them online to add them to the app, from there you can track to whom you lend them, add favorite quotes and thoughts, and see insightful data that can help you improve or read even more.

Gorgeous book sleeves by Love You More Studio. Photo by @fablesandwren on Instagram.

I personally love this app because it really gets me motivated to read more books and it keeps me reading regularly because I don’t want to break my reading streak!

Book Sleeves

Does anyone remember using the paper book sleeves or the 99c spandex book sleeves to protect their textbooks back in middle school? No? Just me? Okay.

These book sleeves from Love You More Studio are absolutely stunning. They even come in holiday prints and everything! I’m going to have to snag myself a few of these!

Goodreads App

Okay, I promise this list isn’t all apps. But I had to put this one on the list too, because I recently discovered a surprising amount of my writerly friends had never heard of Goodreads even though its basically been around forever. Goodreads is an American social cataloging website that allows individuals to search its database of books, annotations, quotes, and reviews. Users can sign up and register books to generate library catalogs and reading lists. Similarly to Bookly, I really like tracking my reading progress, read, currently reading, and to-read book lists, and engaging with other readers on Goodreads.

Clear panel booklight from Shein. Photo by Payton Hayes.

Clear Panel Booklight

While this booklight is more of a necessity than a quirky object I had to include it as well because it’s amazing. If you read my Bookish Things blog post for this week, How I Read Books/ My Reading Routine, then you might remember this little gadget from that post. I raved about how awesome it was to have when the power went out last month during the Great Oklahoma Ice Storm of 2020. It was an absolute lifesaver. I found my light on Shein, but you can get them just about anywhere.

Home decor for book lovers.

Bookish Home Décor

I found these items on the ebookfriendly.com blog where Ola Kowalczyk put together a list of bookish home décor that was just too cute to ignore!

Kowalczyk says,

“In times when most of the books can be stored on a single e-reader or tablet, there comes a problem book lovers haven’t experienced before: how to express the love for books? Hundreds of books on the Kindle means you won’t need a classic floor-to-ceiling bookshelf, or, at least, you won’t need a bookshelf that large. But it’s good to have things at home that remind you of the evening you will spend with the book and a cup of delicious tea.”

—Ola Kowalczyk, Eboookfriendly.com

You can read the full blog post here.

While I personally enjoy physical copies of books, I can certainly see the appeal of keeping all of your favorite reads stored in the cloud. From book-shaped cutting boards to ceramic pencil-holders, these cute, practical, bookish home décor items are sure to serve as a warm reminder that your next read is only a swipe away.

Peter Pan Book Pillow by biseyhandmade on Etsy.

Bookish Pillows

What’s cuter and cozier than a book sleeve or cuddling up with a good book, you ask? Book-shaped pillows! These adorable and surprisingly soft bookish throw pillows on Etsy make a wonderfully whimsical addition to every book lover’s reading nook.

Solid Wood Book Shape Coasters by Cutting Boredom on Etsy.

Wood Book-Shaped Coasters

Not the cozy type? That’s alright! Maybe you’re into entertaining or you’re a craft brew aficionado? Next time your friends come over games and booze (post-pandemic of course!) whip out these beautifully made, handcrafted wooden book-shaped coasters. They have some hilariously witty twists combining the classics and alcohol which are sure to entertain.

I hope you liked my list! Please let me know in the comments what quirky and fun non-book bookish items you’ve been into lately and make sure to check out my other posts in Reader Life!

This blog post was researched, written, and published by a human author without the assistance of generative artificial intelligence (gen-AI). Gen-AI models are trained on text written by humans, therefore, the presence of specific punctuation, verbiage, tone, or predictable, marketing-style phrases alone are not sufficient indicators of gen-AI usage. I implore readers to use context clues, critical thinking, pattern recognition, research, and employ their best judgement when determining the validity of human authorship of print and digital media today. If you want to learn more about my stance on gen-AI and it’s role in media and the publishing industry, I plan to release a blog post on this topic very soon, so stay tuned for that. This disclaimer will be updated once that post goes live. In the meantime, I will continue to be transparent about which tools and resources I use in my work.

Written by Payton Hayes | Last Updated: September 1, 2025

How I Read A Book: My Book Reading Routine

This blog was written by a human

Hi readers and writerly friends,

This week in Bookish Things, we’re taking a look at my reading routine. I always love seeing how other people curate their perfect reading experiences and I know it seems to be a popular topic in the bookish world, so I figured, why not? So, snuggle up, get cozy, grab a warm beverage, and let’s take a look, shall we?

Vegan gummies and green tea. Photo by Payton Hayes.

Sips and snacks

I can never read on an empty stomach, and especially not if it’s a book that talks about food often or makes you crave certain dishes. I’m looking at you, Night Circus, with your caramel corn and other carnival treats! I probably just made you hungry for that, huh. Sorry! Anyways, I usually eat before reading or bring a snack with me and I always bring a drink either way. If you read my blog post, 20 Bookish Facts About Me, you might know, my go-tos for bookish beverages are either a hot black tea, a hot/iced mocha latte, or a nice glass of rose. Lately however, I have been enjoying Arizona Green Tea and these adorable and yummy candy kittens. (Yes, they’re vegan!) If this blog post is making you hungry, stay tuned for next week’s Bookish Things post because I will be covering 10 when a book made me hungry.

Cozy reading space

Of course, I also can’t read in an uncomfortable position, because that gets old really quick. Instead, I opt for a cozy armchair by the furnace, a nice, shady spot outside, or a good ole pillow nest if it’s a bit chilly. Either way, comfy clothes and blankets are essential. I prefer to read in a pillow nest on my bed, with blankets and my favorite pair of pajamas. I’d also recommend reading in the woods, on the beach, and some place new to you! These are all great ways to spice up your reading experience.

Clear panel booklight. Photo by Payton Hayes.

Ambiance and lighting

This one sort of ties in with the previous item in this list, but if you want to amp up the coziness factor, candles, mood lighting, and aromatherapy are key. I light either soy-based candles or put on my essential oil diffuser for a two-birds-one-stone kind of solution.  String lights or other soft lighting such as salt lamps are a great way to bring in some warmth and light to you reading space. Of course, if you have a fireplace, that’s always a great place to read. Piggybacking on that, reading lights can be a great way to keep the reading going late into the night. I am currently loving this flat reading lamp from Shein. (Later in this post, I mention how our power is currently out due to the ice storm, and I just have to say, this reading light has been a life-saver!)

Book and a notebook. Photo by Payton Hayes.

Taking notes while reading

I keep track of information during my reading process in a few different ways. Lately I have been using a plain, lined journal to keep words and definitions in. I sometimes like to jot down words that resonate with me so I can reference them later on. In my bullet-journal (and on Goodreads, let’s be honest here) I like to keep track of my reading progress by writing down how many pages I read each day. I sometimes like to highlight particularly striking passages and then leave a sticky tab on the edge of the page so I can find it easily and quickly if needed.

Books, a booklight, vegan gummies and green tea. Photo by Payton Hayes.

Reading regularly

I have been trying for years to establish a daily reading routine, but I’m still not quite there yet. What can I say? I am a mood reader, not an escapist reader! Anyhow, I try to read as often as possible and never let myself go more than two days without reading. Sometimes life gets in the way— for instance, I am writing this as the great Oklahoma Ice Storm of 2020 is happening and our power is currently out all over the Midwest City area. We are running off a generator at the moment, but before we got that set up, all I could do to pass the time was read. Suffice it to say, I was well-prepared to read for a few months…

I digress. My point is just that, as a mood-reader it is extremely hard for me to get myself to read daily, but that’s no excuse to not read regularly. Like I said, my 2-day rule is what keeps me reading often. If you are a mood reader too, consider trying this method to see if it helps. Additionally, keeping track of your reading progress might incentivize you to keep working through your TBR.

And that’s it for my reading routine! How do you read? What is your preferred reading environment like? Do you eat/drink while you read or prefer to just soak in the book instead? Let me know in the comments below!

Related topics:

21 Bookish Resolutions for 2021

20 Bookish Facts About Me

Read more from Bookish Things!

This blog post was researched, written, and published by a human author without the assistance of generative artificial intelligence (gen-AI). Gen-AI models are trained on text written by humans, therefore, the presence of specific punctuation, verbiage, tone, or predictable, marketing-style phrases alone are not sufficient indicators of gen-AI usage. I implore readers to use context clues, critical thinking, pattern recognition, research, and employ their best judgement when determining the validity of human authorship of print and digital media today. If you want to learn more about my stance on gen-AI and it’s role in media and the publishing industry, I plan to release a blog post on this topic very soon, so stay tuned for that. This disclaimer will be updated once that post goes live. In the meantime, I will continue to be transparent about which tools and resources I use in my work.

Written by Payton Hayes | Last Updated: September 1, 2025

I Visited The Full Circle Bookstore In Oklahoma City

Full Circle Bookstore’s Storefront inside of the 50 Penn Place Mall. Courtesy of the Full Circle Bookstore Website. Click here to visit the site.

This blog is written by a human

Hi readers and writerly friends!

 I took my bestie on a bookish, friend date to the Full Circle Bookstore in OKC…

And we loved it.

Yeah, we’re hitting the ground running in Reader Life this week, because I just cannot wait to tell you all about it.

Disclaimer: Yes, we went while the pandemic is still going on, but we went early in the week during a time when hardly any people where there, we wore masks and we kept our distance from people while we were browsing the store. We tried our best to keep ourselves and others safe but it was a nice little treat for us to go and spend time together and enjoy a wonderful, bookish place we’ve never been before.

Okay, back to our regularly scheduled programming.

An inside peak into the Full Circle Bookstore where guests can get lost in the seemingly endless shelves of books. Courtesy of the Full Circle Bookstore Website. Click here to visit the site. Photo by Payton Hayes.

Neither me nor my best friend Allie have ever been to Full Circle before and needless to say, we a first-time FC converts, if there is such a thing. When we rolled up to the shop at the bottom of the 50 Penn Place building, we were greeted with a quaint little storefront, painted mint green and black with chalkboard signs and jazzy music playing softly from an outdoor speaker. We were already so excited, and we hadn’t even entered the building.

Then, when we did go inside, we were greeted for the second time, only this time it was by a very friendly employee named Brent who told us all about the bookstore—some of the events they have on weekends, the different types of books they had available and where to find them, and where to find the café in the back of the shop. Did I mention they had a café? Hello—book nerd/coffee addict heaven!

The inside of the store was much like a Tardis from the hit series, Doctor Who, in that it seemed much larger on the inside than it did on the outside. And on the other hand, it was also like a hobbit hole, in that it had all these wonderful little winding hallways and hidden alcoves tucked within one another. It was like and endless maze of books and I wanted to get lost in there forever. I was constantly enchanted by all of the books there were, all of the fun little bookish knick-knacks, and even the signed first edition copies and box sets of some books. It was everything I’d ever dreamed it would be.

And can we just take a moment to talk about the incredibly vaulted ceilings, the enormous floor-to-ceiling bookshelves filled to the brim with books of every size, shape, and color, and the ladders scattered all throughout the bookstore so a book can never be out of a guests reach? It was incredible. It reminded me so much of the Hogwarts library, only it was a little less dusty and a lot more modern. Also, there weren’t screaming faces coming from the pages of the books…

Bookshelf with a ladder at the Full Circle Bookstore. Photo by Payton Hayes.

So, we stopped for coffee first, and I must recommend the toasted marshmallow latte—get it hot or cold, either way will be scrumptious. Allie and I shared a chocolate mouse and a cheese danish, both of which were delicious. We would have stayed for lunch, but the kitchen officially closes at 2pm every day, so we’d just barely missed it when we arrived around 3pm.

Then we made off for the books.

Stack of the books I bought from the Full Circle Bookstore. Photo by Payton Hayes.

Like I mentioned, the shop was seemingly endless—I found myself drooling over the fantasy books one second and suddenly, I was in the classic literature drooling over the books there too. They had just about every book you could imagine, and we certainly snagged a few for ourselves. I think Allie ended up with a few classics— A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess, and The Call of The Wild by Jack London. I sort of went overboard and ended up with six books—Emily St. John Mandel’s Station Eleven, Bram Stoker’s Dracula, Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, Ghosted by Rosie Walsh, The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien, and  The Languages of Tolkien’s Middle-earth by Ruth S. Noel. There were so many more books I wanted to buy but I was reminded by that little voice in my head—my TBR Conscience, if you will, who kept reminding me that I had over a hundred books at home, most of which I still have not read yet. So, I figured I’d take what I could carry and come back later, because I am absolutely coming back again later.

When we got to the checkout, the cashier gave us a bunch of bookmarks, a pamphlet that described upcoming events for October 2020, and stamped a couple of rewards cards for us to use when we inevitably returned (every $10 spent contributes to a total of $200 spent which rewards customers with a $30 off coupon to use in-store when they’ve met that goal).

Suffice it to say, we had a truly wonderful time, and hopefully we can go back again once things are back to normal. It would be really fun to attend a live reading from one of our local authors or stop in for a concert from one of the regular bands that play every couple of weekends or so. If you’ve never been to this book store before, be sure to check it out next time you’re in Oklahoma City and say hi to Pearl the Buffalo for me!

The Full Circle Bookstore is Located in 50 Penn Place, 1900 NW Expressway, Oklahoma City, OK 73118
Phone: 405.842.2900 or 800.683.

Visit the Full Circle Bookstore’s website here. Hours are located on their home page and events can be found here.

Neither this website, nor Payton Hayes are affiliated with The Full Circle Bookstore. I just really enjoyed my first trip there and wanted to share my experience with all of you. There are Amazon affiliate links present in this blog post.

Check out more posts in Reader Life!

Have you ever been to the Full Circle Bookstore in OKC? Where is your favorite bookstore? What bookstore should I visit next? Let me know below! Thanks for reading!

This blog post was researched, written, and published by a human author without the assistance of generative artificial intelligence (gen-AI). Gen-AI models are trained on text written by humans, therefore, the presence of specific punctuation, verbiage, tone, or predictable, marketing-style phrases alone are not sufficient indicators of gen-AI usage. I implore readers to use context clues, critical thinking, pattern recognition, research, and employ their best judgement when determining the validity of human authorship of print and digital media today. If you want to learn more about my stance on gen-AI and it’s role in media and the publishing industry, I plan to release a blog post on this topic very soon, so stay tuned for that. This disclaimer will be updated once that post goes live. In the meantime, I will continue to be transparent about which tools and resources I use in my work.

Written by Payton Hayes | Last Updated: September 1, 2025

5 Unpopular Bookish Opinions

Hi readers and writerly friends!

This week in Bookish Things, we’re getting spicy again with some unpopular bookish opinions. So buckle up, grab the pop corn, and lets get into it because I’m not holding back! (Don’t worry, no book burning here, but perhaps heretic burning…🔥)

1. The Divergent Series.

(Whoa, whoa, whoa. I see you, angry mob. Yes you, with the torches and pitchforks. Lay your siege weapons down, for just a moment and allow me to share my thoughts before you burn me at the stake.) 🔥

To bee completely fair, I didn’t ready the Divergent Series, but that’s just the issue. I started Veronica Roth’s dystopian science fiction back in 2015 but it didn’t take long before I had to put the book down and call it quits. To give the series the benefit of the doubt, I will say that maybe I didn’t give it a fair shot by prematurely re-shelving my copies before reading the entire series. However, while the action-packed writing and brilliant premise had potential, the execution just wasn’t there.

I couldn’t help but agree with Goodreads user, Wigs, when he said:

“I’ve read that she did write it in a month. Whether it’s true or not, I'd certainly believe it in a heartbeat. The whole thing is rushed and just…completely nonsensical and full of trope after trope. It seemed to me that there was little effort put into analyzing the world and zero research done for it, which is a reminder to any of us who are writers to always have a reason for something, and not just because it “sounds cool.” This book is a treasure trove of COOL PEOPLE tropes and activities. Which doesn’t seem to work on me as I really can’t stand that breed of thrill-seeking people who’d rather risk their life doing stupid shit instead of… you know, not. So what is supposed to be super awesomely cool people just, to me, looked like a band of idiots.”

You can read more from his two-star review here.

2.  Dystopic Science Fiction

Okay, if my thoughts on The Divergent Series didn’t get me crucified, then these next sentiments surely will. 🔥Perhaps my disdain for the Dystopic Science Fiction genre is what led me to have such sour view for Roth’s trilogy, but I’m not letting her off the hook just because the genre wasn’t “for me”. I think you can read books that fall outside of your preferred genres and still enjoy them. Unfortunately, for this genre, I think it was just a little too mainstream. Dystopic fiction was so overplayed between 2008-2020 that if someone so much as utters “dystopic,” “dystopia” or “apocalyptic” within my general vicinity, I will readily keel over right now. (But don’t tell my partner—I think that’s his favorite genre.😂) To be perfectly fair though, I was a Maximum Ride stan from 2013-2017 and I would say James Patterson’s avian-kid series is all but dystopic science fiction…so what do I know?🔥

3. The Dark and Brooding Male Character

Ahem, let me just get this out of the way first:

PATCH CIPRIANO IS THE ONLY EXCEPTION HERE.🔥

Okay, now that we got that taken care of, let the unapologetic tirade begin. The dark and brooding, angsty love interest (or just this character in general) is SO OVERPLAYED. I could go on all day about dystopic fanfiction being overdone, but don’t even get me  started on this character trope. It seems like almost every YA fiction ever has this character and I would hazard a guess that a good nine out of ten of these YA novels use this trope as the love interest of the main character, whether it be sooner or later in the story.

Now don’t get me wrong—I love me a good tall, dark, and handsome love interest. But the angsty teen guy with the dark hair and seemingly just as dark past (most of them are younger than 21 anyways so what’s so dark about your past? Go play some Fortnite and get over yourselves.) is nearly ubiquitous with YA fiction that has any shred of romance. From the moody Heathcliff of Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights to today’s Damon Salvatore of L.J. Smith’s Vampire Diaries, the brooding bad-boy is an overused trope that plagues the classics as well as modern fiction.

However, loosely related to the rant above, I found a fascinating article from the Telegraph about where this character trope stems from any why so many female readers gravitate towards stories with bad boys. You can read it here.

4. Hardbacks Versus Paperbacks

While not quite as flamboyantly controversial as my previous unpopular opinions as mentioned above, how could I forget the ages-old argument over which boom format is superior: Hardback or Paperback? I personally prefer paperbacks. I know, I know. I hear you. But all of the reasons that make hardcovers so appealing to most everyone else, make them repulsive to me. (Okay, maybe not repulsive, per se.) 🔥

Pros of Hardcover books:

• Durable, hardcovers that protect the pages within and provide ample structural support.

• Beautiful dust jackets that are required to protect those durable hard covers.

• Heavy and hard in the hand. (We’re not even going to go there.)

Cons of hardcover books:

• Hard covers don’t bend well due to the nature of the books. I personally like to bend my books and break their spines. (And while we’re at it, I dogear my pages too. You guys really are coming to take me away now, I can feel it in your rhythmic marching outside. Just make sure to bring coffee!)

• Annoying dust jackets that I almost always end up removing and throwing out. (Need I say more?)

• Paperbacks tend to be lighter and more comfortable to hold, generally speaking. Additionally, they usually have a matte finish which feels really nice to the touch. (Still not going there.)

Of course, all of this pretty much comes down to preference. I don’t think one book format is superior to the other, and there certainly are benefits to each format. Let us not forget the unmatched portability of kindle and audiobooks. But I personally prefer paperbacks.

5. Buying New Books Versus Used

Piggybacking slightly on the topic of physical books rather than the literature itself, I’d like to take a second to criticize all of the bookish youtubers and instagrammers buying new rather than used/preowned books. Similar to the previous list item of hardbacks versus paperbacks, it obviously comes down to preference. Many people out there simply prefer to go for elegant box sets, or matching book sets, but between all of the pristine white #shelfies and bookshelf tours out there, I can’t help but feel like many bookshelves just look a little too perfect. Ya feel? Like, yes, I totally understand wanting a nice Lord of the Rings box set, or a fancy Shadowhunter Chronicles set, but I’m not going to lie, I feel pretty high and mighty with my bookshelf of Dollar Tree and thrift store steals. (I didn’t really steal them, its just an expr—you know what, forget it.) 😈

So, what did you think of these 5 unpopular bookish opinions of mine? Do you agree? Do you disagree? Are you coming for me with a flaming torch or pitchfork? Tell me your thoughts in the comments!

Read more from Bookish Things!

Thumbnail photo by Movidagrafica Barcelona.

—Payton

Young Adult Myths Debunked! 3 Massive YA Fiction Misconceptions That Need Clarification

Hi readers and writerly friends!

I’m back again this week with 3 YA Misconceptions that just need some clarification. So grab your magnifying glasses and sleuthing caps because we’re going debunking!

These are just a few widely-believed, yet completely false views on young adult fiction.

1. YA Fiction Is Free of Cursing/Swearing and Sex.

Totally False. 😂

According to the Chicago Tribune, “The most recent Gallup Youth Survey addressing the issue of swearing was published in 2001 and found that 46 percent of surveyed teens ages 13 to 17 used profanity at least several times a week or daily, while 28 percent said they heard their parents cursing a few times a week or on a daily basis.”

You can read more from the Chicago Tribune’s article “Youth Swearing: A Curse On the Rise” by Melanie B. Glover here. 

Since most kids/teens come into their own way of speaking during their teens, it’s not completely out of the question that YA Fiction contains swearing. Most American teens swear so it makes sense that literature would mirror reality if not for the authenticity of depicting the real-life teenage experience, than to at least lend a hand to the relatability of a story and it’s characters.

However, this myth might have gotten its start from a subcategory of YA Fiction called “Clean Reads” which is named after and created by Clean Reads Press (Formerly Astraea Press). As per the Clean Reads Website, the press is proud to offer wholesome reading without compromise. They “don’t believe a story has to have profanity, sex, or graphic violence to catch a reader’s attention. Our stories – rich and vibrant with life – leap from the page, welcoming readers to a world they’ll remember long after the last words are read.” -Stephanie Taylor of Clean Reads Press.

Read more about Clean Reads Here.

While there are many wonderful written books out there that are free of profanity or mature content, sometimes readers prefer a little more sauce in their reading experience. This goes for YA Fiction as well. Similar to the presence of swearing in YA Literature, sex and graphic violence are also present there. Just because YA stands for Young Adult, doesn’t mean that it’s always intended for older kids and teens. Many adults read Young Adult fiction because of the key characteristics of the genre that are just not as prevalent in more notably adult genres.

However, writers expecting younger audiences to read their work should take care to not overuse F-bombs or involve too many details in sexually suggestive or graphically violent scenes in order to avoid limiting themselves. It is easier to market a more suggestive novel to upper YA and adult readers and more G-rated literature to lower YA and children readers. Much like the TV Content Rating system, the key difference in YA and Adult literature is the severity in explicit detail of sex/sexually suggestive scenes, violence, and amount of swearing. It all boils down to how the scenes are written.

2. YA Fiction Doesn’t Contain Heavy/Dark Subject Matter

Piggybacking on the first YA Misconception, many readers believe that young adult fiction is clear of any mention of heavy topics or dark subject matter. For whatever reason, many believe that because the seemingly angelic moniker might suggest the YA fiction genre is geared towards younger audiences that it can’t possibly be graphic, or violent, or involve discussion of taboo, difficult to breach, or problematic topics and this is simply just not true.

One prime example of this is Suzanne Collin’s Hunger Games, a dystopic YA novel in which children are forced to slaughter each other on the battleground in an annual event watched by millions for sport. Only, that’s not how its marketed, nor is it how it’s written. The thing is, the story breaches many hard-to-reckon with subjects and dark topics, but its all in the way these things are presented. It’s not like teens are reading explicit descriptions of children hacking and slashing at each other and imagining the overly-detailed images of the bloodshed they’re reading about—no, the story is presented as that of survival. Collins wastes no time on lengthy, bloodcurdling descriptions of child-violence. Instead, she gives the bare bones descriptions and spends more time on the pacing, emotions, character-building, and other story-telling elements that made Hunger Games one of, if not the most successful dystopian YA fictions of this decade.

Much like the use of sex/profanity/violence in YA literature, books geared for younger audiences can also contain dark/heavy subject matter. It’s all in the way it is written. Many of my favorite YA reads are pretty dark, but they key difference is that they are not graphic or overly-explicit.

3. YA Is Simple/Juvenile

Many non-YA-readers seem to think that—once again, due to the name YA—since young  adult fiction is directed primarily at younger audiences, the writing must have to be “dumbed down” or simple for older kids and teens to absorb and understand. However, once again this is just another ridiculous misconception for the young adult genre. As a writer, one of the very first rules I learned was to “never write down to your audience” and instead, writers should write their stories exactly as they feel they should be told, and expect readers to rise to the occasion.

Many adult readers believe that YA fiction is juvenile and thus, “not quite as literary,” or not as deserving of the same merit as adult fiction. However, this view is more indicative of the readers than the literature itself. Readers who say this, must not be well-read in the YA genre and therefore are not as familiar with the higher level of writing common to most YA novels. Unfortunately, there are a decent amount of flashy, big-name novels that ruin it for the genre as a whole, and this may be where this misconception stems from. That being said, I can’t ignore the fact that this view is a broad-sweeping generalization that would likely have people believing it if more people read more YA fiction.

Additionally, some of the most beautifully woven prose comes from the YA fiction genre and many stubborn, ignorant adult readers are doing themselves a great disservice by avoiding the genre altogether because they’re worried the writing won’t be of a high enough caliber for their enlightened minds to consume. (That sounded petty, but it’s not, I promise.) The interesting thing is, nearly 55% of YA titles are purchased by adults, according to a 2012 article by Publisher’s Weekly:

“More than half the consumers of books classified for young adults aren’t all that young. According to a new study, fully 55% of buyers of works that publishers designate for kids aged 12 to 17 -- known as YA books -- are 18 or older, with the largest segment aged 30 to 44, a group that alone accounted for 28% of YA sales. And adults aren’t just purchasing for others -- when asked about the intended recipient, they report that 78% of the time they are purchasing books for their own reading. The insights are courtesy of Understanding the Children’s Book Consumer in the Digital Age, an ongoing biannual study from Bowker Market Research that explores the changing nature of publishing for kids.” -Publisher’s Weekly.

Read more from the article here.

If that wasn’t enough to convince you, that this misconception is completely unfounded, I should add that it really gets my goat when people use this as an excuse to avoid YA fiction. People who look down on the YA genre because its “lesser” or “juvenile” because it is geared for younger audiences are just uninformed and spreading a misrepresentation of the genre as a whole. Additionally, many adult readers seem to think that YA fiction is somehow easier to write and thus, sell due to this misconception, but I digress. YA is not dumbed down, and nor is it simple. There is plenty of beautiful, elegant, and complex prose within this genre.

And that’s it for my top 3 biggest misconceptions about the YA genre. Have you ever heard any of these misinformed views before? Did you think any of these were true? Did I change your mind? Let me know in the comments below!

Thumbnail photo by Element5 Digital.

—Payton

Do We Really Need to Read the Classics?

A photo of classic novels stacked up on a white bookshelf. Photo by Payton Hayes.

Hello readers and writerly friends!

If you’re a returning reader, welcome back and if you’re new to the blog, thanks for stopping by! In this blog post we’re discussing a topic that’s been heavily debated in many of the bookish communities online—do we really need to read the classics? I made the mistake of asking this to another editor early on in my freelance career and she hit me with “do you need to eat to survive?” Okay, got it. She embodied the nit-picky editor caricature that new writers are terrified of encountering (you know the one—with the red pen, the beady eyes, and the too-tight turtleneck), but maybe she had a point and her comment reminded me of one of my favorite quotes.

“I cannot remember the books I’ve read any more than the meals I have eaten; even so, they have made me.” —Ralph Waldo Emerson

And what do you know? Emerson is regarded as a a beloved classic (albeit romantic) writer.

Writing and reading at it’s core is capturing the human experience and weaving it into the written word for all future generations to read. Reading is an integral part of the humanities and is one of the practices that sets us apart from the animal kingdom. The written word serves as humanity’s ever-expanding-and-evolving historical record. Writing and reading books is truly a tale as old as time and just as new and emerging works are essential to shaping the existing literary canon, the classics are just as important for understanding ourselves, the generations that preceded us, and the ways that history connects us all.

The Classics Teach Us To Appreciate The Evolution of Modern Literature

A photo of a metal basket holding seven classic novels on a white bookshelf. Photo by Payton Hayes.

So, what does this have to do with the classics? To better understand and appreciate contemporary writing, we must read older writing as well.

In her article, “Why Read the Classics?” on Barnes and Nobel Reads, “Literary Lady” Ginni Chen explains several compelling reasons for why modern readers should broaden their horizons by reading classic literature. While I couldn’t have said it better myself, I agree with Chen’s sentiments and wanted to continue the discussion over on my blog. I once questioned those that preached about reading the classics, chalking them up to stiff, boring, bookworms who seemed born in the wrong era. After college and reading my own share of classics for my courses, my mind was changed forever. Chen gives several amazing reasons to read the classics will make you want to rethink tossing your copy of Pride and Prejudice in the attic. Instead dust off the cover, open it up, and see what you can learn from Jane Austen’s renowned romance novel and the volumes it (and other classic reads) speaks about our humanity. You can find links to Chen’s article at the end of this blog post.

Chen explains that writing is a living, breathing entity that is immortalized in the way we tell stories and pass those techniques down from each generation:

“When you read the classics, you’re reading books that have had a pivotal role in shaping the way we read and write today. Books aren’t written or read in a vacuum. They’re woven by writers and consumed by readers with the influence of centuries of writing behind us. Whether we’re conscious of it or not, reading a book is never an isolated incident but part of a tradition.” (Chen 2015)

I agree with Chen in that to better understand and appreciate writing, we must also read classic writing so that we understand fully what contemporary writing and reading began as and where it came from to become what we practice today.

Likewise, classic writing captures the essence of humanity from the time in which it was written. They act as literary milestones of our own literary traditions. Sometimes, novels reflect or reject the values of the time period in which it was written. With literary and artistic movements such as realism or romanticism, or the rise in popularity of genres such as speculative fiction, literature typically tends to mirror the trends, political climate, social norms, and other aspects of culture from the author wrote it, whether intentionally or otherwise. Additionally, classics are often hailed for their challenging of societal constructs and values of the time. Take Kate Chopin’s writing, for example. Her works were vulnerable, rebellious, progressive, and even considered immoral at the time, and now she is known as one of the greatest American feminist writers of all time.

How does this make you love reading more?

A photo of a vintage typewriter and metal basket with classic novels on a white bookshelf. Photo by Payton Hayes.

When we familiarize ourselves with the classics, we gain a better understanding of where other books fit in. You’ll start recognizing common themes, influences, references, structures, and many more elements in your reading that perhaps you hadn’t noticed before.

Ginni compares it to developing a sudden appreciation of wine:

“It’s like developing a sudden appreciation of wine—different notes open up to your palate, you detect hidden floral, fruity, or oaky elements, and you’re better able to articulate your tastes.” (Chen 2015)

When you learn to love the classics, you also learn to love your favorite stories even more. When you go back to your favorites, you begin to pick up on these elements you found in the classics and unearth depths you had never known existed prior. Elements of these books that may have initially seemed arbitrary or like attempts at attention-seeking, but now they seem intentional, calculated and clever. These elements help you to unpack the bigger picture parts of the story and allow you to begin to understand where other things come from such as the meaning in a character’s name, the use of certain words, or the presence of certain themes and their importance with regard to both the story and society at the time.

Another way the classics aid in your growth as both a reader and writer is that they also help you better identify your favorite writer’s literary influences. Often, writers borrow style, subject, and themes from the classics and as you become more familiar with classic literature, you begin to see your favorite writers as one writer paying homage to another by reinventing their storytelling elements in a new, refreshing, and exciting way. You’ll begin to understand how we’ve been telling the same handful of stories over and over again throughout the years, and how the use of the same few techniques, in combination with unique writer voice, has birthed millions of books that can all be traced back to the classics.

Chen also compares reading the classics to travelling:

“Here’s another way of looking at it:  Think about reading as traveling the world. In your travels, the classics are those must-see historical sites that you hear about and see in dozens of reproductions—the Great Wall, the Colosseum, the Taj Mahal, the pyramids. Like these historical sites, the classics have withstood the test of time, are part of an incredible heritage, and can change your worldview entirely.” (Chen 2015)

A photo of a metal basket with classic novels on a white bookshelf. Photo by Payton Hayes.

I love that comparison because its exactly right. We always hear that being well-read is a good thing and in the bookish world it’s a title we strive for, so that should include the classics, right? Of course! I could go on and on about worldview and how we have such a limited perception of things, but I’ll spare you that rant for another time. The biggest takeaway from this blog post is that to gain a better understanding of humanity, our own existence and experiences, and how they relate to the existence and experiences of others, we absolutely must read. And moreover, we must read the classics just as we must read extensively from any genre we wish to write in. I keep bringing up writing and reading, but in the creative world, the two are inextricably linked. And that link is part of an even bigger packaged deal—understanding

ourselves and others. At it’s core, reading is in essence, see humanity through different lenses.

What do you think about reading the classics? Which classics have you read? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below and be sure to check out Ginni’s blog post because I would have never thought to speak out on this topic without first stumbling upon her words

Bibliography

• Chen, Ginni. “Why Read the Classics?” Barnes and Noble Reads Bog, July 15, 2015.

• Hayes, Payton. “A photo of classic novels stacked up on a white bookshelf.” June 5, 2020.

• Hayes, Payton. “A photo of a metal basket holding seven classic novels on a white bookshelf.” June 5, 2020 (Thumbnail photo).

• Hayes, Payton. “A photo of a vintage typewriter and metal basket with classic novels on a white bookshelf.” June 5, 2020.

• Hayes, Payton. “A photo of a metal basket with classic novels on a white bookshelf.” June 5, 2020.

• Waldo Emerson, Ralph. “I cannot remember the books I've read any more than the meals I have eaten; even so, they have made me.” Goodreads Quotes, accessed June 5, 2020.

Further Reading

• Click here to view Italo Calvino’s collelection of essays Why Read The Classics? on Amazon.

Related Topics

• 10 Tips For Planning Your Reading Challenge (2020)

• Young Adult Fiction Myths Debunked! 3 Massive YA  Misconceptions That Need Clarification

• Everything Young Adult Fiction Gets Wrong About College

• 5 Unpopular Bookish Opinions

• The Top 10 Worst Romance Tropes EVER

• 10 Times I Was Attacked By The Five Senses While Reading

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• My Top 5 Must-Read Motivational and Entrepreneurial Books

• Classic Romance Reading Challenge for February

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Recent Blog Posts

Written by Payton Hayes | Last Updated: March 20, 2025

20 Bookish Resolutions For 2020

This post was written by a human.

Hi readers and writerly friends!

I know around this time of year everyone makes new year’s resolutions, but I can’t stop myself from jumping on the bandwagon and neither can you. There’s something so fun about bookish resolutions and goals and how they take the pressure off writing goals. So without further ado, below are my 20 Bookish Resolutions for 2020. The first few items are specific books I want to read but I promise it’s not just a list of books. I have real resolutions here, people!

1. Read 30 books.

This year, my goal was to read 20 books and I read 23 so I think it’s safe to say I need a little more challenge in my life. However, I don’t want to make it too difficult that I fall into a reading slump—so 30 it is.

The Lord of The Rings box set laid flat ona black background. Photo by Payton Hayes.

2. Finish the Lord of The Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien

In the summer of 2019, I started The Lord of The Rings Trilogy and burned through the first two books rather quickly. However, when it came to reading the Return of The King, I’ve gotten sort of stuck in the pages following the battle of the Pelennor Fields. I’d like to finish it early in 2020 to complete the series and officially check it off my list!

3. Read Harry Potter by J. K. Rowling

This is the year. This is it—I can feel it in my bones. I am going to read the whole Harry Potter Series this year. I’ve spent my life avoiding spoilers but this year I am going to read it a joint the wizarding world once and for all! I think I might also watch the movies—you know, for good measure.

The House of Night Series on a bookshelf with egg-shaped candles and figurines. Photo by Payton Hayes.

4. House of Night Series by P. C. and Kristin Cast T

I have all the books and I’ve only read three. I think it’s time to cross this beast of a vampire series off my list as well. I remember enjoying the story but somehow, we got separated and I think it’s time to go back to it. It was particularly special because it’s set in Oklahoma, the state I currently live in, so it hits kind of close to home—in a good way.

The Angel Trilogy paperback copies laid flat against a black background. Photo by Payton Hayes.

5. The Angel Fire Trilogy by L. A. Weatherly

I started Angel Burn a while ago but have yet to finish it. The premise was awesome and totally up my alley—angels that have gone rogue, angel hunters, and a condition called angel burn—what’s not to love about that? It’s a new, refreshing take on the overdone angel story and I definitely want to read it in 2020.

The Starcrossed Series paperback copies laid flat against a black background. Photo by Payton Hayes.

6. The Starcrossed Series by Josephine Angelini

Wow, can I just start this one off by saying her name is so perfectly fantasy? I mean if she was named that by her parents, then she’s super lucky and unique (what can I say, I love unique names) and she already fits in her genre, but if she came up with that name as a pseudonym, then I think she’s even more genius than we give her credit for.

Also, I would really love to read this series. I started it when it was more like a choose-you-own-adventure game on Figment.com. Yeah, remember that site? The good ole days. Anyways I already know I’ll love it because I’ve read part of it before and I hope to pick it back up in the new year.

The Grisha Saga paperback copies stacked on a black bedsheet. Photo by Payton Hayes.

7. Grisha Saga by Leigh Bardugo

I have a love hate relationship with this series because 1) I genuinely do love it and 2) I hate that I’ve somehow manage to get all the way through the second book before realizing I was reading it out of order. No wonder I was so confused! Why do I keep doing this? I read the Barney the Bear Killer series by Pat Sargent out of order in third grade and the Heroes of Olympus by Rick Riordan (mostly in order) in the eighth grade.  Even so, I’d still like to read this series because the world building and premise is so beautifully and expertly done.

8. Classics

Mass market paperback classics in a gold wire basket atop a white bookshelf. Photo by Payton Hayes.

Good, now that we’ve gotten through the particulars, I’d like to include some odds and ends. I plan to read more classics, starting with the ones I have on my shelf and was supposed to read in high school and college. Professors, don’t come for me, please. Anyway, I think there is a lot to learn from classics and controversial or not, I’d like to read more of them for my own growth as a writer.

9. Dig into books by Sarah J. Maas

I think it’s finally time I jump on the hype train and find out what all the fuss is about when it comes to Sarah J. Maas Novels. I’ve heard of the Throne of Glass Series and the Court of Thorns and Roses Series and I just think it’s time to pick them up and give them a read. The covers are so lovely and there’s a badass female protagonist, so what’s not to love?

10. Review more books

If you’ve been around this blog for any period of time, you can tell my book review section on the book blog is severely lacking. In 2020 not only do I want to read more books, but I want to  review them as well. I think thinking critically about novels is important to understanding the bigger picture part of them and not getting completely wrapped up in the little parts of the story.

11. Across the Universe by Beth Revis

I really, really want to read this series. I’ve been admiring it on other bookish people’s shelves for a couple of years now and I think it’s about time I  not only picked up the series but read it. The covers are stunning and the premise just gets me every time. I need to read this series now!

12. Killer Unicorns by Diana Peterfrund

Earlier this year, I read Errant by Diana Peterfrund from YA paranormal romance collection, Kiss Me Deadly: 13 Tales of Supernatural Love by Trisha Telep and I was blown away. Hello? Killer unicorns, badass girls in pants and skirts taking down the toxic men in their lives, and the theme of following your heart and standing up for yourself? These are all things I love in a YA fantasy novel, only I didn’t realize it until I’d read Errant. The story is phenomenal—the world building is so perfectly done, I felt instantly transported to Munich.

13.  Join an irl book club

I know there’s a psychology book club at my school but this might be the year I charter and star up the official book club there, or at least join a club if I can find one. I’ve always wanted to be part of a book club and be around like-minded individuals where we can just nerd out about books and reading.

14. Stay up-to-date on bookish current events

This year, I’d like to read more books that were recently published and better yet, 2020 published novels. I’d like to do  better job of keeping up with the current bookish trends and reading what everyone else is reading so I can be part of the discussion too!

A photo of my YA bookshelf. Photo by Payton Hayes.

15. Get another bookshelf

As you can see, where I am lacking in books, I make up for it in dragons. If I am going to complete half of these resolutions, I am going to need another shelf and more books. The question is: where do I put it?

16. Read from a genre I don’t enjoy

Treading carefully around a reading slump, I’ll say this doesn’t exactly entice me, but I know it’s good for something. I’d like to read more from a genre I don’t particularly enjoy to broaden my horizons.

17. Give myself permission to leave a book unfinished

I don’t mean leaving half-read novels lying all over the place, but I think it’s important to know when to put a book down and to know it’s okay to do so. I haven’t put a book down since 2018, when I read Elusion by Claudia Gable and Cheryl Klam. I had to stop reading this book because after months, it just wasn’t pulling me in. I’d made several attempts to get into the story, but I just couldn’t. I don’t blame the authors—I know this is just a fact of the bookish world that we can’t love everything we read. I think this year, I’d like to take that freedom to let books go with me into my reading practice.

18. Read a book to buy a book

Okay, so maybe I got ahead of myself by saying I am going to need more books and another bookshelf because this year I’d like to read more books than I buy. I’d like to make a considerable dent in the bookshelf I currently have as well. I am notorious for having a mile-high TBR List and continuing to buy new books. In 2020, I’d like to set up a rewards system so every time I read a book I can buy a new one.

19. Participate in a reading challenge

I think it would be fun to take part in a reading challenge such as the gargantuan Gilmore Girls Reading Challenge, where you read the 339 books referenced in the early 2000’s TV show, or booktober where you read one spooky book every week throughout October.

20. Develop better reading habits

And last but not least, I’d like to develop a better relationship with reading. I want to get out of the mindset that I can only read when I am in the mood for it and I want to make time to read regularly. I’ve made peace with the fact that that means I might have to let some things go—move over, Netflix. But I genuinely do want to make reading a priority in my life in 2020.

And there you have it! Those are my 20 Bookish Resolutions for 2020. What do you think? Do you have any bookish resolutions for the new year? Comment below and let me know what you thought of my list!

Bibliography

• Hayes, Payton. “The House of Night Series on a bookshelf with egg-shaped candles and figurines.” January 10, 2020.

• Hayes, Payton. “The Lord of The Rings box set laid flat ona  black background.” January 10, 2020.

• Hayes, Payton. “The Angel Trilogy paperback copies laid flat against a black background.” January 10, 2020.

• Hayes, Payton. “The Starcrossed Series paperback copies laid flat against a black background.”January 10, 2020.

• Hayes, Payton. “The Grisha Saga paperback copies stacked on a black bedsheet.”January 10, 2020.

• Hayes, Payton. “Mass market paperback classics in a gold wire basket atop a white bookshelf.”January 10, 2020.

• Hayes, Payton. “A photo of my YA bookshelf.” January 10, 2020.

• Pawlik, Aneta. “Assorted-labld book lot on white wooden shelf.” Unsplash photo, uploaded on December 24, 2018 (Thumbnail photo). Accessed January 10, 2020. 

Further Reading

• The Lord of The Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien 

• The Harry Potter Series by J. K. Rowling 

• The House of Night Series by P. C. and Kristin Cast 

• The Angel Fire Trilogy by L. A. Weatherly

• The Starcrossed Series by Josephine Angelini

• Does anyone remember Figment? (Reddit post)

• The Grisha Saga by Leigh Bardugo

• Barney the Bear Killer by Pat Sargent 

• The Heroes of Olympus by Rick Riordan

• Across the Universe by Beth Revis

• The Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

• A Court of Thorns and Roses  by Sarah J. Maas

• Errant by Diana Peterfrund (Standalone e-Book from Killer Unicorns (#0.5))

• Kiss Me Deadly: 13 Tales of Supernatural Love by Trisha Telep 

• Elusion by Claudia Gable and Cheryl Klam

• Booktober 2020

• The Gilmore Girls Reading Challenge

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• Book Wrap Up & Rating All The Books I Read This Year (2022)

• 21 Bookish Resolutions for 2021

• Bookish End of the Year Survey (2020)

• See all Bookish Year-End/ New Year’s blog posts.

Related Topics

• How to Read More Books

• 10 Tips For Planning Your Reading Challenge 

• 5 Actionable New Years’ Resolutions for Writers (2020)

• Spring Cleaning For Writers: 10 Things Every Writer Should Do Before The New Year! (2019)

• Bucket List For Writers: 75+ Things Every Writer Should Do Way Before They Kick The Bucket

• Check out more of my Bookish Things and Bookworm Life blog posts!

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Before You Go

• Looking for your next read? I've got you covered. See my Reading Guides, Reading Recommendations and Reading Challenges for ideas about what to read next!

• Oh, and don't forget to Get Your FREE Story Binder Printables e-Book!

This blog post was researched, written, and published by a human author without the assistance of generative artificial intelligence (gen-AI). Gen-AI models are trained on text written by humans, therefore, the presence of specific punctuation, verbiage, tone, or predictable, marketing-style phrases alone are not sufficient indicators of gen-AI usage. I implore readers to use context clues, critical thinking, pattern recognition, research, and employ their best judgement when determining the validity of human authorship of print and digital media today. If you want to learn more about my stance on gen-AI and it’s role in media and the publishing industry, I plan to release a blog post on this topic very soon, so stay tuned for that. This disclaimer will be updated once that post goes live. In the meantime, I will continue to be transparent about which tools and resources I use in my work.

Written by Payton Hayes. | Originally published on January 10, 2020. | Last Updated: September 6, 2025.

How I Got Started Reading When I Hated It

This blog post was written by a human.

Hi readers and writerly friends!

It might be surprising to learn that a published author, creative writer, and professional editor used to hate reading books. The truth is I wasn’t always an avid reader. To fully understand how my love for books, and more importantly—my love for stories has grown over the years, I have to back up to a time before I appreciated books.

I really learned how to read books in the third grade. I hated reading because I wasn’t good at it and thus, I wasn’t good at it because I hated it. It was a vicious cycle that repeated itself anytime my teacher assigned reading for homework. This resulted in me not doing so well in school and having to be held back in the third grade. I’m not ashamed of it now, but it made me feel like a complete failure. As I got older, I realized it was essential to my growth as a student, reader, and writer and I had no idea it would ultimately become my lifelong passion.

So, even though I’d learned how to read around first grade, I really learned to read proficiently during my second round of third grade. I had a kind, caring teacher who was really dedicated to helping me grow as a reader and worked with me to build my skill. Following the third grade, I almost instantly did better in all of my studies, passing tests with accuracy that was once gated by my reading inability.

Woman covering her face with a book. Photo by Siora Photography.

 I began reading books from the Magic Tree House Series by Mary Pope Osborne and Barney the Bear-Killer, by Pat Sargent. I was drawn to Sargent’s story because of the cheetah on the cover of book seven in the series and reached for Osborne’s books of which I’d heard contained a magic tree-house that could take Jack and Sally anywhere they wanted to go. Between books that had to do my favorite animal, the cheetah, and endless adventures for kids, I had plenty of reading that I could connect with. These book series helped me to connect with compelling characters over a long stretch of books which kept me reading for a long time.

Games also helped better my reading abilities, which is why I am such a big advocate for giving children access to games. While video games are constantly under fire for promoting violence and toxic environments to children, I have to point out that playing World of Warcraft from the age of nine years old, has significantly benefited my reading skills. When I first started playing the MMO, my reading abilities weren’t too strong, and I had a lot of trouble reading game instructions and quest text. However, playing the games in combination with reading Sargent and Osborne, my reading proficiency increased.

Soon after I’d reached middle school, my family and I moved to Oklahoma and being the new girl, I turned to books until my friends found me. I got into graphic novels from James Paterson’s Maximum Ride Series and after falling in love with the characters from the manga books, I  began reading the full-length novels.

 In eighth grade, I attended Quartz Mountain Christian Camp for two weeks in the summer, and being new to the camp, I again turned to books. We had a lot of downtime in our cabins and with cell-phones off-limits, I decided to read a random book I’d packed in my suitcase on the off chance I’d get bored and have to read.

That’s exactly what happened, and the book I’d brought was Gillian Shield’s Immortal. This book was pivotal for me because it was the first time I’d read a book that I just couldn’t put down. It taught me a very important lesson in reading—there is a genre for everyone and if you don’t like reading, you just haven’t found the right genre. I didn’t know what genre it was yet, but I realized I had been reading all of the wrong books when I was younger and fantasy, romantic, thrillers, action novels and horror were where I should have been the whole time. (Okay, maybe horror isn’t something third graders should read, but still.)

My favorite genre to date, is the romantic thriller. I don’t know, maybe I really am one of those mushy, hopeless romantics after all, but there’s just something so compelling about supernatural love, forbidden romances, and tall, dark, handsome guys with way too much angst. What can I say? I think I have a type. Following Gillian Shield’s Immortals series, I dove straight into the Hush, Hush Saga, by Becca Fitzpatrick, which is my all-time favorite series to date. I’ve read it about eight times now, and I reach for the series every fall. (Except for 2019, where I got a little too excited a little too early and burned through the series in four days over the summer. Oops!)

By my freshman year of high school, I was so deep in the reading hole, I couldn’t get out. In one year, I’d read all of the Percy Jackson and Olympians series and Heroes of Olympus, both of which were written by Rick Riordan. That same year, I reread Maximum Ride, and read for the first time Gillian Shields new book, Destiny, Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, F. Scott Fitzgerald’s Great Gatsby, and the Warcraft: War of the Ancients Archive by Richard A Knaak. This was a new record for me, because not only had I read so many books in one year, I also burned through the last book, which was thicker than my upper arm, with proficiency.

Since I’d fallen in love with the game, it’s lore, and it’s characters, I was more prepared than ever to take on this thick tome of game lore, character backstory, and history of the world of Azeroth, in which the game was set. I’ve read it twice since then and every time, I enjoy it because I remember how enchanted and enthralled I’d felt when I’d first read it.

As a third grader, I’d never imagined I’d ever read at the level I do now, and as an adult I can’t imagine a life without books. They’ve helped shape me into the woman I am today, and through reading, I have cultivated a love for books and stories. I love equally the process of reading and the process of telling a story—two process that go hand in hand since a writer cannot expect to better their craft without reading the works of others.

I highly recommend reading and if it’s not something you’re interested in right now, keep looking, because I assure you, you just haven’t found the right genre yet!

And that’s the end of my hot take on reading when it’s something you hate. Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!

Bibliography

• Siora Photography. "Photo of a woman covering her face with a white book." Unsplash photo uploaded on May 16, 2019. Accessed November 27, 2019. 

Related Topics

• How I Read A Book / My Book Reading Routine

• How I Got Started Reading When I Hated It

• Self-Care Tips for Readers and Writers

• Reading Slump Emergency Kit: 15 Surefire Ways To Break Out of a Reading Slump!

• 10 Tips For Planning Your 2020 Reading Challenge

Recent Blog Posts

This blog post was researched, written, and published by a human author without the assistance of generative artificial intelligence (gen-AI). Gen-AI models are trained on text written by humans, therefore, the presence of specific punctuation, verbiage, tone, or predictable, marketing-style phrases alone are not sufficient indicators of gen-AI usage. I implore readers to use context clues, critical thinking, pattern recognition, research, and employ their best judgement when determining the validity of human authorship of print and digital media today. If you want to learn more about my stance on gen-AI and it’s role in media and the publishing industry, I plan to release a blog post on this topic very soon, so stay tuned for that. This disclaimer will be updated once that post goes live. In the meantime, I will continue to be transparent about which tools and resources I use in my work.

Written by Payton Hayes | Last Updated: September 1, 2025

Get Immersed in Your Reading: Writing With The Five Senses

This blog post was written by a human. 

Hello readers and writerly friends!

In the writing world, we always hear about ‘showing instead of telling’ but what if we, as readers helped bring the stories to life, ourselves. I’ve talked a little about immersion reading, on this blog before, but this takes it to a whole new level.

Sight

Of course, first and most impactful sense is that of sight, and it makes sense that we’d use that sense in our reading immersion. However, what might not be so obvious is that readers can create an environment in their minds, in the tangible world around them, and online to bring the stories their reading to life. First, I would create or save an existing pintrest board that is made specifically for your story. This is something I’ve been doing as a writer and it helps make my fantasy worlds more real and believable when I have something to actually look at.

Sound

The next most important sense is that of sound. You might be listening to an audiobook which definitely employs this sense. But if your reading a hard copy or e-book, you can also enjoy this kind of immersion. You can listen to playlists made for the genre of the story your reading, such as “Celtic Woods” for fantasy or “Dungeon Music” for a thriller. I really enjoy listening to video game soundtracks, and two of my favorites are the Assassin’s Creed Origins Soundtrack and the Ashenvale Soundtrack from World of Warcraft. Likewise, you can also create ambient soundscapes to play in the background while you’re reading. There are tons of ready-made mixes, such as “The Slytherin Common Room” or “Rivendell” on Ambient-Mixer.com!

Smell

The third sense, and one of the easiest to employ is that of smell. When I really want to feel immersed in the story I’m reading or writing, I will light a candle or put oils in my diffuser to give my environment a new scent and pull me deeper into the story. If you want to feel like you’re in a fall environment, you can burn a pumpkin-spiced or apple-cinnamon candle

Touch

This is one of the lesser-used senses for immersion reading but it can be incredibly effective, especially if the story is set in a certain season. (And even more effective if that season is active while you’re reading the story!) Touch sort of ties in with Smell in that if you want to feel like you’re in a certain season, you can manipulate your reading environment to match the conditions of the story! So, the story’s set in a frozen wasteland? You can just turn the A/C all the way up! (…or not.)

Taste

While not altogether impossible, this is easily the most difficult of the five senses to employ when immersing yourself in a story. Consider the setting and characters in the story and what they might eat or drink and try to recreate it. If you enjoy snacking while you read, then make something from or inspired by the story. Consider making fictitious dishes. Perhaps the characters drink tea or coffee? Brew yourself a cup, cozy up and get immersed.

What do you think about immersive reading with the 5 senses? Have you ever tried this? Let me know in the comments below!

Bibliography

• @lilartsy. “Photo of a coffee mug on top of a book.” Pexels photo, uploaded on November 12, 2019. Accessed June 29, 2019.

Further Reading

• Check out this article about ficticious dishes by Maria Popova.

• Immersion Reading: Audiobooks and Ambiance

• 10 Times I Was Attacked by The 5 Senses While Reading

• 10 Times A Book Made Me Hungry

Related Topics

• Active Reading Vs. Passive Reading: Using Psychology-Based Critical Reading Skills To Increase Information Absorption & Retention

• Read Like A Writer: What Analytical Reading Can Teach Us

• Questions You Should Ask Yourself As A Reader or Critic

• How to Read More Books

• How I Read A Book: My Book Reading Routine

• How I Got Started Reading When I Hated It

• Reading Slump Emergency Kit: 15 Surefire Ways To Break Out of a Reading Slump!

• Self-Care Tips for Readers and Writers

Recent Blog Posts

This blog post was researched, written, and published by a human author without the assistance of generative artificial intelligence (gen-AI). Gen-AI models are trained on text written by humans, therefore, the presence of specific punctuation, verbiage, tone, or predictable, marketing-style phrases alone are not sufficient indicators of gen-AI usage. I implore readers to use context clues, critical thinking, pattern recognition, research, and employ their best judgement when determining the validity of human authorship of print and digital media today. If you want to learn more about my stance on gen-AI and it’s role in media and the publishing industry, I plan to release a blog post on this topic very soon, so stay tuned for that. This disclaimer will be updated once that post goes live. In the meantime, I will continue to be transparent about which tools and resources I use in my work.

Written by Payton Hayes | Last Updated: September 1, 2025

Immersion Reading: Audiobooks and Ambiance

Woman wearing headphones while reading. Photo by Karolina Grabowska.

This blog post was written by a human. 

If you’re new to the blog, thanks for stopping by, and if you’re a returning reader, it’s nice to see you again! In this post we’re discussing the practice of immersive reading with audio. Does listening to music or white noise interfere with properly encoding information? Are audiobooks really books? While many argue that listening to an audiobook doesn’t really compare to reading a book, there’s something to be said about immersion reading—or reading text while listening to an audiobook simultaneously. By using two of the five senses, readers gain a richer reading experience and find it easier to get into the story.

So, if reading covers one sense—sight, and listening tackles a second—sound, then shouldn’t this foster a better reading experience?

Not exactly. Many readers argue that audiobooks are distracting to the story, or their reading pace differs from the reading pace of the voice actor, or the narrators read in strange voices for each character. These are all issues authors face when considering having their manuscripts formatted as an audiobook. While these are real issues for readers and authors alike, they still receive an overwhelmingly positive response, and here’s why:

1. There’s a new trend in the reading community called immersion reading. As defined above, immersion reading is when a book (or e-book) is read in tandem with an audiobook. This has helped many readers better get into the story and has fostered, for many, a richer reading experience.

2. Not all voice actors read character voices. If you’ve listened to George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire the first book in the Game of Thrones series, you know what it’s like listening to a narrator tell a story with character voices. Sometimes they nail the different character voices perfectly in timbre and tone. And at other times, it can be totally distracting and annoying. This is an issue for some because it doesn’t allow the reader’s imagination to create the characters’ voices, but instead spoon-feeds them a narrator-interpreted-and-performed character voice. However, this isn’t always bad; readers who want to focus on the writing and the content of the story won’t have to waste their time imagining voices if they hear them while they’re reading. Likewise, people who struggle with aphantasia may benefit from immersive reading with audio. According to the Cleveland Clinic, Aphantasia, or image-free thinking, is a cognitive characteristic that makes it difficult or even impossible for individuals visualize images in their mind. (Cleveland Clinic 2023) Since traditional reading often relies on mental imagery to enhance comprehension and engagement, those with aphantasia may struggle to create vivid mental pictures of scenes, characters, or abstract concepts. Readers who experience aphantasia may not be able to fully imagine the events of a story clearly in their mind, much less how each character looks and sounds. Want to learn more about aphantasia? Check out the Aphantasia Network resources in the Further Reading section at the end of this blog post.

   By pairing text with audio narration, immersive reading provides additional sensory input, helping readers process and retain information through auditory cues. The tone, pacing, and emphasis in spoken narration can bring stories to life, compensating for the lack of mental visualization. Additionally, sound effects and background music in audiobooks can enhance emotional depth and atmosphere, making narratives more engaging. This multimodal approach can improve comprehension, memory retention, and overall reading enjoyment for individuals with aphantasia. That being said, a quick check in the reviews section of your audiobook will tell you if the narrator used character voices and if their performance overall was positively or negatively received.

3. The pacing can be changed to fit your natural reading speed. Readers often read at their own pace and many argue that audiobooks don’t read as fast/slow as they’d like. If you’re using an audiobooks app, there is typically a slider that allows you to change the narration speed without butchering the narrator’s voice.

Another way for readers to experience immersion reading is by playing music in the background of your reading space. No, I don’t mean Lady Gaga should be blasting while you’re reading your next high fantasy novel. Instead, you should put on music from the Slytherin Common Room at Hogwarts, or something fantasy-based. This helps drop the reader into the setting of the story and makes for a richer reading experience. A great place to find music like this is Ambient-mixer.com or on the Ambient Mixer app. This app allows the listener to create different sound loops and has a variety of looped tracks for any genre/setting.

The description of the Slytherin Common Room details what it’s like to listen to this audio:

“You are a 5th year at Hogwarts and you're sitting in the Slytherin Common Room trying to stay awake and study. But, you have never been a very studious person so your eyelids are getting heavy and you find yourself falling asleep in a brown recliner while two other Slytherins are able to stay awake with the aid of coffee. There aren't any windows for you to see outside, but since the common room is submerged under the lake you can faintly hear the sound of water just on the other side of the walls.” (QuoteRaven)

A screenshot of the Ambient Mixer Slytherin Common Room volume control panel. Photo by Payton Hayes.

A quote from the Ambient Mixer site describes what the site offers to listeners:

“Ambient-mixer.com is a community driven project offering you some unique quality soundscapes with different atmospheres for chilling, relaxing or your recordings using our endless audio loops. You can further effectively mix and create your own sounds absolutely free, with no software installations required. You can begin listening to our sounds by clicking on the images above, which are based on different themes. All atmospheres are royalty free audio files and you can use them even in your commercial projects, thanks to the Creative Commons Sampling Plus license.” (Ambient Mixer)

While not everyone supports the use of audiobooks over reading tangible books or even e-books, immersion reading is gaining traction and becoming more popular throughout the reading community.

Bibliography

• Ambient Mixer. “What is this website all about?” (Homepage footer, paragraph 1).

• Pavel Danilyuk (@pavel-danilyuk/). “A young woman with white headphones looking at a planner.” Pexels photo, March 12, 2021. (Thumbnail photo). 

• Grabowska, Karolina (@Kaboompics.com) “Woman Sitting on the Armchair and Reading a Book While Listening to Music.” Pexels photo, January 28, 2021. 

• Hayes, Payton. “A screenshot of the Ambient Mixer Slytherin Common Room volume control panel.” Payton Hayes Blog, May 3, 2019.

• “QuoteRaven. “Slytherin Common Room.” Ambient Mixer Audio and Description, accessed May 3, 2019.

• Cleveland Clinic. “Aphantasia.” Cleveland Clinic Definition, last reviewed on August 21, 2023. 

Further Reading

• “What is Immersion Reading?” by Connie Pan, August 8, 2024.

• “What is Immersive Reading and How Can It Help Me to Read Faster?” by Darren Van Soye,  Nov 8, 2023.

• “Listen Up! Why Audiobooks Count as Reading.” by Pernille Ripp,  June 17, 2024.

• “Is Audiobook Listening Considered “Reading”?” by Dianne Coan, accessed  March 14, 2025. 

• “4 Powerful Pros and 4 Cons of Immersion Reading.” by Mark El-Ayat,  May 16, 2024. 

•  “What Is Aphantasia?” by The Aphantasia  Network, accessed March 14, 2025.

• “5 Ways to Enjoy Reading with Aphantasia.” by Bartholowmew Lander,  May 15, 2021.

• “Imagination Without Images: Aphantasia and Science Fiction Readers and Writers.” by Kim  Zarins, November 4, 2022.

• “Writing Fantasy Without a Mind’s Eye.” by Frank Shultz,  June 11, 2024.

• “Describing What You Cannot See—A Horror Writer With Aphantasia Explains His Process.” by  Chad Anctil,  October 31, 2024.

• “How to Write with Aphantasia.” by Dustin Grinnell,  June 30, 2021.

• “Being a Writer When You Literally Cannot Visualize Scenes.” by Alexandra Oliva, April 8, 2021.

Related Topics

• Active Reading Vs. Passive Reading: Using Psychology-Based Critical Reading Skills To Increase Information Absorption & Retention

• Read Like A Writer: What Analytical Reading Can Teach Us

• Questions You Should Ask Yourself As A Reader or Critic

• How to Read More Books

• How I Read A Book: My Book Reading Routine

• How I Got Started Reading When I Hated It

• Get Immersed in Your Reading: Writing With All Five Senses

• Reading Slump Emergency Kit: 15 Surefire Ways To Break Out of a Reading Slump!

• Self-Care Tips for Readers and Writers

Recent Blog Posts

This blog post was researched, written, and published by a human author without the assistance of generative artificial intelligence (gen-AI). Gen-AI models are trained on text written by humans, therefore, the presence of specific punctuation, verbiage, tone, or predictable, marketing-style phrases alone are not sufficient indicators of gen-AI usage. I implore readers to use context clues, critical thinking, pattern recognition, research, and employ their best judgement when determining the validity of human authorship of print and digital media today. If you want to learn more about my stance on gen-AI and it’s role in media and the publishing industry, I plan to release a blog post on this topic very soon, so stay tuned for that. This disclaimer will be updated once that post goes live. In the meantime, I will continue to be transparent about which tools and resources I use in my work.

Written by Payton Hayes | Last Updated: September 1, 2025