June 2024 Reading Recap

I have been humbled…which is probably evident since I am recapping my JUNE reading halfway through July. Between the end of the school year, Caldecott, two conferences and some big changes with July…my “for me” reading kind of face-planted in June. I lost track of what I had just read multiple times, so while I hope this is pretty accurate..it’s probably off by a few. I also didn’t track my Caldecott reading at all this month, at least not on a spreadsheet. Instead I stacked it in a big big big ole stack. Oops!

First, a little honesty. My PD (professional development) reading goal is really behind. I still haven’t finished the one I was reading (and enjoying!) in May ,and I absolutely didn’t touch it or another one in June. I don’t know when I would have had time, but I also had put it somewhere it wasn’t right in my eyesight…and that didn’t help. I still haven’t finished the Flannery O’Connor Short Stories–oh well. I took the Keira Cass book that I’ve had since it came out and haven’t read yet all the way to San Diego with me…and all the way back, completely unread. Whoops.

Let’s get into the numbers that I am tracking:

• 4 Prose novels–2 that I was reviewing for Booklist, 1 MG that I started in May and finished in June and 1 for a book club
• 2 nonfiction books–1 that I started in May and finished, and 1 that I started listening to in June and am still finishing in July.
• 2 Who HQ audiboooks
• 3 graphic novels, 1 kids chapter book, and like 30 non-Caldecott picture books for school or Capitol Choices

Wow, this month hurt me. It humbled me. I simply didn’t make reading for ME a priority, and that’s fine…because I’m working on it! June was tough–the end of the school year really wore me out, but now it’s summer and I can catch up…right?

It’s already halfway through June, so I need to be honest about getting myself back on track. My goal this month is to read at least 10 books that aren’t for the Caldecott, and to be better about tracking my Caldecott reading. I don’t really know what that’s going to look like though…I’m trying to be better about DNF’ing books I am not enjoying…but if I’m not making time to get through them, how do I know they aren’t for me? I read a couple kids chapter books earlier this month that were fun, and I’ve got a few graphic novels coming up on my schedule…but let’s see how it goes.