Taking a hiatus from reading is a normal part of life, and It’s nothing to feel bad about it. I just started reading again last year, which is why I’m excited to help you do the same! So if you’re looking to start a new reading habit but struggle with finding the time, then keep on reading to learn my tips on how to create a new reading habit.

Read a YA novel or thriller

Even if these aren’t your kind of books, I recommend starting out with a thriller or young adult book when if you’re first starting your reading journey. These books are typically written so that they pique your interest right away. The key to starting a reading habit is to keep up the momentum, and let’s be honest, a slow burn just doesn’t do it for beginners. Keep it light and keep it interesting.

Shop My Favorite Fantasy Books

Read the first three chapters of any book right away

Even the best books can take a few chapters to get into. When you’re ready to start your new reading habit, make sure you have plenty of uninterrupted time to read the first few chapters of the book. Turn off your phone, mute the notifications, light a candle, and get ready to full dive into a new story. Hopefully you picked a solid book that you’ll want to keep reading over the next few days or weeks.

Dapple in multiple genres

If it’s been a long time since you had the time to sit down and read, then you may not know what kind of books that you enjoy. This the perfect time to dipple and dapple in multiple genres to see what kind of books that you enjoy. From fantasy to mysteries, there’s so many options to choose from. To give you a head start on where to begin, ask yourself a few questions:

• What books did you love to read as a kid? Was there a specific one that stands out?
• What kind of movies and TV shows do you enjoy watching?
• What topics do you tend to gravitate towards? Romance? Fantasy? True crime?

Add reading to another habit or ritual

If you’ve read Atomic Habits by James Clear (which you definitely should!), then you know that it’s easier to start a new habit by adding it to something that you already do. Reading takes time that you may think that you don’t have, but you do. If you’re spending time watching TV or scrolling on TikTok, then you have the extra time to crack open a book. What I’ve found to work for me is to add it my existing routine.  When I first started reading again, I used to read a few chapters before I went to bed to help me relax from a busy day. That simple change really helped me get into the habit of reading plus it helped me sleep better at night too.

Set an attainable reading goal

Goals are the ideas that help us push toward the future, and I’m very goal driven. They help give you focus and allow you to monitor your progress. If you’re a goal orientated like me, then setting an attainable reading goal may help you get into the habit of reading. The key though is to set a goal that is actually attainable, such as reading a book a month or maybe two a month. But at the end of the day, reading is meant to be a hobby so keep it fun and read as much as you can without pushing yourself overboard.

Keep a TBR list

Once you build up the momentum of reading your first few books, you’ll want to create a running list of the books that you may want to read in the future. This way as soon as you finish one book, you can quickly scan your TBR, or to be read, list for something new to snag. Jot down any book that sparks your interest. I like to use Goodreads to save my TBR list and document my progress towards my reading goal.

DNF books

“DNF” means “did not finish”, and trust me, there will be plenty of books that you simply don’t want to finish once you start reading regularly. Many people will continue reading a book even if they hate it because they don’t want to leave it unfinished. But starting a new hobby is supposed to be fun.

This is something that I’m also still working on as well. So, here’s a gentle reminder for you and me that it’s okay to put the book down and ditch it. Even if it’s for a book club. Even if your best friend loves it. Life is too short to read boring books that don’t spark your interest.

Talk about it!

Who doesn’t love talking about books with others? While I don’t tell Nci every single detail, it has become a running joke about how fast I can read a new book and how many pages I finished. I enjoy talking about my favorite books, and I like to slip it into casual conversations if I can. It feels good to talk about your hobbies and passions with others. If you don’t have a community that you can do that with, feel free to sign up for a book club or online community where people have the same interests as you.

You may also like: What I Read in 2021 and My Top 10 Favorite Tv Shows

The post Creating a Reading Habit: Tips to Read More and Love it appeared first on Uniquely Mickie.

I’ve read 20 books this year, which is pretty wild as I haven’t picked up a book for fun in so long! Because I love reading other people’s reading list, I figured I’d share what I read last year and some of my absolute favorites. I’m a big fan of series so you’ll find quite a few in this list.

Unleash the Power of Storytelling: Win Hearts, Change Minds, and Get Results

Rating: 4/5

Description: Unleash the Power of Storytelling offers a practical roadmap to crafting and delivering more powerful, persuasive stories that you can use to get more of what you want out of your career and your life.

My Thoughts: Unleash the Power of Storytelling came highly recommended by so many famous influencers that I decided to put it on my reading list. As the description says, it’s a clear cut roadmap about how to delivery powerful stories in a way that allows you to get what you want in life. Stories are everywhere; you just have to know where to look for them. Highly recommend for everyone!

Goddess of the Sea

Rating: 3.5/5

Description: On the night of her twenty-fifth birthday, alone in her apartment, Air Force Sergeant Christine Canady
wished for one thing: a little magic in her life. After drinking way too much champagne, she performed, of all crazy things, a goddess-summoning ritual, hoping that it would somehow make her life a little less ordinary…but she never believed the spell would actually work.

When her military plane crashes into the ocean, CC’s mission overseas takes an unexpected turn. She awakens to find herself in a legendary time and place where magic rules the land—occupying the body of the mythic mermaid Undine. But there is danger in the waters and the goddess Gaea turns this modern, military gal into a beautiful damsel so that she can seek shelter on land.

CC is soon rescued (literally) by a knight in shining armor. She should be falling in love with this dream-come-true, but instead she aches for the sea and Dylan, the sexy merman who has stolen her heart.

My Thoughts: This book was my first fantasy book that I picked up when I started to get back into reading. It did not disappoint, and it was a good love story mixed with fantasy. We all want a little magic in our live, and the book showcases that you should be mindful of what you ask for. You might get exactly what you ask for.

First Time Pharmacist

Rating: 2/5

Description: Pharmacists often don’t feel like they’re ready upon graduation. Along with helping you handle insurance
issues, prevent misfills, deal with the workload, and take care of yourself and your license, this book helps pharmacists build great relationships with their patients and their teams.

Graduating from the University of Florida with his PharmD, Dr. Richard Waithe now has seven years of community pharmacy experience including Pharmacy Manager of a Target, CVS, and Publix Pharmacy. In his book, First Time Pharmacist, Dr. Waithe shares his best practices, keys to success, and biggest lessons he’s learned to better prepare you to be the pharmacist you always hoped you’d be.

My Thoughts: To be honest, I wasn’t really a big fan of this book. I really like the idea of what the book was supposed to be, but it was a little too basic for my liking. If you haven’t ever worked in a retail pharmacy before, then you should definitely read it. But if you have, then it’s a bit of a waste of time as it doesn’t dive into anything you wouldn’t already know from experience. It was a miss for me.

Shiver (The Wolves of Mercy Trilogy)

Rating: 4/5

Description: For years, Grace has watched the wolves in the woods behind her house. One yellow-eyed wolf—her wolf—is a chilling presence she can’t seem to live without.

Meanwhile, Sam has lived two lives: In winter, the frozen woods, the protection of the pack, and the silent company of a fearless girl. In summer, a few precious months of being human… until the cold makes him shift back again.

Now, Grace meets a yellow-eyed boy whose familiarity takes her breath away. It’s her wolf. It has to be. But as winter nears, Sam must fight to stay human—or risk losing himself, and Grace, forever.

My Thoughts: What more could you ask for – a romance, fantasy book that hooks you from the very beginning. The Wolves of Mercy is a coming of age series mixed with the folklore of werewolves. With so many secrets and twists, it’s hard not to root for Grace and Sam’s love story. The author did a great job of showcasing their stories and building them up throughout the entire series.

Other Books in the series are Linger (#2) and Forever (#3).

The One Thing

Rating: 4/5

Description: The One Thing explains the success habit to overcome the six lies that block our success, beat the seven thieves that steal time, and leverage the laws of purpose, priority, and productivity.

My Thoughts: Self-help and biographies are not normally my cup of tea, but this book came highly recommended in one of the blogging courses I invested in this year. I have to admit that it’s pretty good and really helps to simplify your to-do list to the things that will make a difference. A long, overwhelming to-do list is the thing of the past!

Spin the Dawn (The Blood of Stars #1)

Rating: 5/5

Description: Maia Tamarin dreams of becoming the greatest tailor in the land, but as a girl, the best she can hope for is to marry well. When a royal messenger summons her ailing father, once a tailor of renown, to court, Maia poses as a boy and takes his place. She knows her life is forfeit if her secret is discovered, but she’ll take that risk to achieve her dream and save her family from ruin. There’s just one catch: Maia is one of twelve tailors vying for the job.

Backstabbing and lies run rampant as the tailors compete in challenges to prove their artistry and skill. Maia’s task is further complicated when she draws the attention of the court magician, Edan, whose piercing eyes seem to see straight through her disguise.

And nothing could have prepared her for the final challenge: to sew three magic gowns for the emperor’s reluctant bride-to-be, from the laughter of the sun, the tears of the moon, and the blood of stars. With this impossible task before her, she embarks on a journey to the far reaches of the kingdom, seeking the sun, the moon, and the stars, and finding more than she ever could have imagined.

My Thoughts: Spin the Dawn is definitely a true mix of Project Runway and Mulan. I love that Maia takes on the goal of becoming the greatest tailor despite the world telling her that only men could have that role and war splitting her family apart. Filled with lies, magic, and near death experiences, you’re only option is to fall in love with the main characters of this fantasy story. My only complaint is that the story ends after only two books – I need more!

The other book in the series is Unravel the Dusk (#2).

Flame in the Mist 

Rating: 5/5

Description: The only daughter of a prominent samurai, Mariko has always known she’d been raised for one purpose and one purpose only: to marry. Never mind her cunning, which rivals that of her twin brother, Kenshin, or her skills as an accomplished alchemist. Since Mariko was not born a boy, her fate was sealed the moment she drew her first breath.

So, at just seventeen years old, Mariko is sent to the imperial palace to meet her betrothed, a man she did not choose, for the very first time. But the journey is cut short when Mariko’s convoy is viciously attacked by the Black Clan, a dangerous group of bandits who’ve been hired to kill Mariko before she reaches the palace.

The lone survivor, Mariko narrowly escapes to the woods, where she plots her revenge. Dressed as a peasant boy, she sets out to infiltrate the Black Clan and hunt down those responsible for the target on her back. Once she’s within their ranks, though, Mariko finds for the first time she’s appreciated for her intellect and abilities. She even finds herself falling in love—a love that will force her to question everything she’s ever known about her family, her purpose, and her deepest desires.

My Thoughts: I am the biggest sucker for any enemies-to-lovers plot or stories of women going undercover as men to get what they want. I saw this book on a whim while I was browsing through Goodreads and wow it was so good! Gives me a little bit of a Mulan vibe, but it’s amazing in it’s own right. I only wish that the series kept going past the second book as I soaked up the series in a matter of days.

The other book in the series is Smoke in the Sun (#2). 

Midnight Sun (The Twilight Saga #5)

Rating: 3/5

Description: When Edward Cullen and Bella Swan met in Twilight, an iconic love story was born. But until now, fans have heard only Bella’s side of the story. At last, readers can experience Edward’s version in the long-awaited companion novel, Midnight Sun.

This unforgettable tale as told through Edward’s eyes takes on a new and decidedly dark twist. Meeting Bella is both the most unnerving and intriguing event he has experienced in all his years as a vampire. As we learn more fascinating details about Edward’s past and the complexity of his inner thoughts, we understand why this is the defining struggle of his life. How can he justify following his heart if it means leading Bella into danger?

My Thoughts: Just like many people, I really enjoyed the Twilight series in high school (hate the movies!) so when I saw that another book in the series came out, I had to read it. While I still love the original version better, it was definitely interesting to read the story from Edward’s point of views, his struggles, and what he was thinking during his journey with Bella.

Mexican Gothic

Rating: 3.5/5

Description: After receiving a frantic letter from her newly-wed cousin begging for someone to save her from a mysterious doom, Noemí Taboada heads to High Place, a distant house in the Mexican countryside. She’s not sure what she will find—her cousin’s husband, a handsome Englishman, is a stranger, and Noemí knows little about the region.   
 
Noemí is also an unlikely rescuer: She’s a glamorous debutante, and her chic gowns and perfect red lipstick are more suited for cocktail parties than amateur sleuthing. But she’s also tough and smart, with an indomitable will, and she is not afraid: Not of her cousin’s new husband, who is both menacing and alluring; not of his father, the ancient patriarch who seems to be fascinated by Noemí; and not even of the house itself, which begins to invade Noemi’s dreams with visions of blood and doom.
 
Her only ally in this inhospitable abode is the family’s youngest son. Shy and gentle, he seems to want to help Noemí, but might also be hiding dark knowledge of his family’s past. For there are many secrets behind the walls of High Place. The family’s once colossal wealth and faded mining empire kept them from prying eyes, but as Noemí digs deeper she unearths stories of violence and madness. 
 
And Noemí, mesmerized by the terrifying yet seductive world of High Place, may soon find it impossible to ever leave this enigmatic house behind.

My Thoughts: I had no idea what I was in for when I saw this book recommendation on my Instagram ads. While the story starts off slow, you can tell immediately that something big is going to happening, but you just aren’t sure exactly what. I was expecting murder, mystery, or something of like. It’s definite more than you could anticipate, and I would recommend reading it. You may not to read this one close to bed or at night as it gets pretty creepy at times.

Matched (Matched #1)

Rating: 3/5

Description: In the Society, officials decide. Who you love. Where you work. When you die.

Cassia has always trusted their choices. It’s hardly any price to pay for a long life, the perfect job, the ideal mate. So when her best friend appears on the Matching screen, Cassia knows with complete certainty that he is the one…until she sees another face flash for an instant before the screen fades to black. Now Cassia is faced with impossible choices: between Xander and Ky, between the only life she’s known and a path no one else has ever dared follow—between perfection and passion.

Matched is a story for right now and storytelling with the resonance of a classic.

My Thoughts: In the beginning, I wasn’t quite sure if this was a series that I would like or want to keep reading. The series is kind of slow to start, but you soon fall in love with each of the main characters for different reasons. I enjoyed the first two books as there were plenty of twists, turns, and small deviances that spice the books up. But the last one fell a little flat to me, and it wasn’t what I was expecting at all. The ending left much to be desired and lack the same energy as the first two books. 

Other books in the series Crossed (#2) and Reached (#3).

Crown of Feathers (Trilogy)

Rating: 10/5

Description: In a world ruled by fierce warrior queens, a grand empire was built upon the backs of Phoenix Riders—legendary heroes who soared through the sky on wings of fire—until a war between two sisters ripped it all apart.

Sixteen years later, Veronyka is a war orphan who dreams of becoming a Phoenix Rider from the stories of old. After a shocking betrayal from her controlling sister, Veronyka strikes out alone to find the Riders—even if that means disguising herself as a boy to join their ranks.

Just as Veronyka finally feels like she belongs, her sister turns up and reveals a tangled web of lies between them that will change everything. And meanwhile, the new empire has learned of the Riders’ return and intends to destroy them once and for all.

My Thoughts: 10/10! If you’re a fan of books like Eragon and Harry Potter, then this series will be right up your jam. The author sets up the story right from the beginning showing you the stark differences between sisters and how they view the world. After only a few chapters of the first book in the series, I was completely hooked and had to keep reading to find out what happened next. I also loved that the author writes the story from different viewpoints as you get a wider view of what’s happening in the story at the same time. It’s beautifully written, and I 100% recommend for anyone to read! Totally obsessed!

Other books in the series are Heart of Flames (#2) and Wings of Shadow (#3).

The post What I Read In 2021 appeared first on Uniquely Mickie.