Reading Motivation
I’ve always loved reading, but have struggled to find books that grab me then keep me interested.
Since it’s never been a huge habit for me, I’ve never really kept track of what I read either.
With the emergence (or just my recent-ish discovery) of Bookstagram, BookSky, BookTube, etc., I’ve gone down the rabbit hole of reading much more over the last year or so. While I often lament the ills of social media, these communities have started to restore my faith in the internet ever so slightly.
Reading Goals
Since, historically, I’ve not been a heavy reader, I set my goal for last year and this year relatively low.
My 2024 reading goal was just to get through 12 books. One book a month seemed more than reasonable. I ended up getting through 20!
Naturally, I set my 2025 reading goal at 20 – I’d proven to myself I could do it, so that was my new baseline.
Well, we’re now in the third week of February, and I’ve already finished 12 books, so I think 2026 will see another adjustment.
What I Count
There seems to be a bit of a debate on the internet about what counts as reading.
Far too many people, in my opinion, seem to feel that listening to audiobooks does not count as reading a book. For a variety of reasons, I disagree with this. It is ableist to presume that someone who listens to a book gets less out of that experience than someone who reads a physical or digital copy. Different areas of the brain are activated when listening as opposed to reading with the eyes (as I like to call it) and, in the end the result is the same. A book was completed.
So, long story short, listening to audiobooks is equal to reading a physical or digital book here at The Crow’s Nest.
In that vein, I do count audiobooks in my reading tracking, so there are three audiobooks that are included in my current goal progress for 2025.
January Finishes
Murder at the Cat Show by Marian Babson
This was my introduction to Chirp. They had a huge sale either late in 2024 or right at the beginning of the year and this was one of my choices.
It’s a cozy, British mystery and great for cats and their humans.
The characters were relatable, the setting was well-described, and the writing flowed well.
Out Cold by Philip Jaekl
One of my goals last year was to try out at least one book club. I go to a local meeting once a month and have also started following along with the Morbidly Curious Book Club, which offers local and online meetups.
Out Cold was a super interesting read and made my history, science, and history of science nerd heart happy.
On Tyranny by Timothy Snyder
Read this whole book in less than a day.
This should be required reading for all, especially with what’s happening in the world at the moment.
It sparks that righteous rage that helps get stuff done.
Murder in an Irish Village by Carlene O’Connor
Pretty sure I read/listened to this one around the time it came out, but I didn’t remember anything about it, so I was pleasantly surprised all throughout.
This was an audiobook listen for me through Chirp and I loved the Irish accent of the narrator.
Another cozy mystery with great characters.
Orange is the New Black by Piper Kerman
The book was better. This was such a beautiful book and my first over-five-star rating for the year.
I breezed through this one pretty quickly, so I’ll probably revisit it again in the future to savor the story a bit more.
This was one of three “Prison Perspectives” picks for my local book club.
This is Ear Hustle by Nigel Poor and Earlonne Woods
Another over-five-star read for me, and another local book club pick for “Prison Perspectives”.
I’ve since started listening to the podcast (love a good podcast) and am loving the stories and perspectives.
This gives a wider range of experiences than Orange is the New Black, so they were both wins for me for pretty different reasons.
Quartet in Autumn by Barbara Pym
Probably because I was watching Severance while reading this, I got some of the same vibes with this book.
This was my pick for the Overeducated Women with Cats 2025 reading challenge’s prompt of a book with a middle-aged main character.
Quick and engaging read with quirky but relatable characters.
All That is Wicked by Kate Winkler Dawson
This was the Morbidly Curious Book Club kickoff pick for 2025.
It held my attention and I finished, but there were points that dragged a bit.
Overall a really interesting topic, featuring a lesser-known criminal, with flavors of not only true crime but also psychology.
Over My Dead Body by Greg Melville
As a kid who spent time trekking through cemeteries with my genealogy-enthusiast mom, this book hit home a bit.
This was voted the Best of 2024 Morbidly Curious pick and my morbid history fascination was touched by this.
Really well-written and a great listen!
February In Progress, Finished, and TBR
I’m not a huge fan of TBR, to be honest. Since I’ve been reading at least two book club picks per month and otherwise gravitate to what I feel like reading, I struggle with keeping a strict order to everything I want to read.
On that note, below are I guess my top-of-list reads for the month – what I’d like to get to next assuming nothing else comes up that interests me more in the meantime – as well as my recent finishes and in-progress reads.
Cinema Love by Jiaming Tang (finished)
February’s first finish. A really beautiful read and a pick for my local book club’s “Modern Love” theme.
Tang’s debut novel is well-written and touching.
Girl, Interrupted by Susanna Kaysen (finished)
Oddly enough, considering this is one of my favorite movies and it was filmed about 20 minutes from my hometown, I didn’t realize this was a book until recently.
Very quick read for me (I read it in a day). It’s a great story but, in this case, I do tend to prefer the movie overall.
The House of My Mother by Shari Franke (finished)
As an avid watcher of things like 20/20 and Dateline, I’ve seen the major specials on this story as it’s been breaking and was absolutely fascinated.
This was my first Book of the Month order and it did not disappoint.
I read this in about a day and a half because I just couldn’t put it down. Excellently written, moving, and heartbreaking, yet hopeful.
Tremors in the Blood by Amit Katwala (in progress)
February pick for Morbidly Curious and another for my nerdy history and true crime-loving soul.
I’m about halfway through and am really enjoying it.
The Shining by Stephen King (in progress)
Emily’s first Stephen King!
So far I’m enjoying it. I haven’t gotten to the real grim stuff just yet, but I have seen the movie so I have an idea of what’s coming.
Since I’m writing this during the biggest snowstorm we’ve had in years, I’d say this is a great pick for the current weather ❄️ 🌨️.
Challenger by Adam Higginbotham (in progress)
Midnight in Chernobyl was one of those books that altered my brain chemistry, so I was naturally excited when Challenger was released.
This has been on my short list but wasn’t really in next-up status. I saw it was available at the library, though, so I decided to grab it and slot it in now.
Murder at an Irish Wedding by Carlene O’Connor (in progress)
Second in the Irish Village Mystery series and just as cozy and engaging as O’Connor’s first installment.
I love the pace and humor meets who-done-it nature of these books and my favorite medium for them is audio.
The Witches: Salem, 1692 by Stacy Schiff (next to start)
This was one of three options for my local book club’s March theme of Women’s History Month: Witches.
Seeing as how I’m in my witchy, female rage era, it seemed fitting.
I’ve also always been fascinated (and a little scared) by the witch trials.
The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander (TBR)
This has been recommended to me several times and has been on my TBR for years. I was really drawn in by the prison perspectives theme of my local book club last month and am still interested in finding some more books on the topic.
Under the Banner of Heaven by Jon Krakauer
My husband has recommended I read this more than once and there are few books he’s recommended more passionately.
After watching American Primeval on Netflix, I was interested in learning more about the history of the Mormon Church’s push west.
What are you reading?
Feel free to comment on this post or join the discussion on my Bookstagram and/or BookSky pages.
Have you read any of these? What were your thoughts?