Becoming a Slower Reader
I am in the process of reshaping and rethinking my reading goals… again. At the beginning of the year, I told myself I was going to slow all the way down and soak up each book I read. I want to remember more of the themes, characters, hidden meanings, and most of all, I want to recognize the impact each book has on my life.
I have done an ok job at this.
In a world where everyone wants to be a faster reader, I want to be a slower reader. If you know me at all, you know I am an analog girl through and through. I love simple pen and paper. It feels more tangible and memorable to me, and I really just love the scratchy/smooth feeling of it. I have completely reverted to documenting my reading journey via pen and paper like we used to do in elementary school, and it is fulfilling my deepest desires of being a slower reader.
Of course, you can do this with any of the tens of unused journals you have in your home, but I opted for the ever-so beautiful A4 leather journal from Paper Republic. They have made handcrafted leather journals in Vienna since 2012 with a really fabulous team that appreciates each individual customer. I filmed an unboxing in a recent vlog with all the extra details. Timestamp: 1:03:44 😉.
All of this to say, I think I found a system that works for me and what I need regarding my most beloved hobby. I have even resorted to writing reviews by hand and writing only in cursive! This is all absolutely riveting to me, haha.
Follow along this reading journey on Goodreads!
Video diaries of a SAHM who loves a hobby!
Join my book Club! We’re reading Judge Stone by Viola Davis and James Patterson for April.
As always, thank you for reading! I would love love love to hear about your reading goals as we move into Q2 of 2026 in the comments!
xoxo
This was a goal of mine this year and to engage deeper with my reading. Somehow I’m still reading fast and not pausing to reflect. I think I made my reading journal too complicated so it’s intimidating to use I’m going to simplify it.
I appreciate the fact that you are going against the grain and aiming to be a slower reader. I think it’s easy for readers to get caught up in comparing themselves to other reader’s goals instead of just sticking to what serves them best. My personal goal this year is set at 25 books. This year my challenge was to diversify my bookshelves with other genres besides urban fiction & romance. The urban fiction genre was becoming lack luster for me for a number of reasons. Through the pursuit of this goal, i have discovered that I am a dystopian girlie! So, I’m excited to see what the rest of the year brings. Love your content btw🩷!!!