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What My Reading Taste Actually Looks Like (and Why I Let Go of Goals)

What happens when you stop chasing trends, ditch reading streaks, and finally admit what you don’t like to read? In this off-the-cuff solo episode, I’m talking honestly about my reading taste reset — what 2025 taught me, what I’m leaving behind, and how I’m shaping my reading life heading into 2026.

I’m sharing how cozy mysteries pulled me out of burnout, why I stopped forcing genres that don’t work for me (hello, fantasy), and how setting gentle boundaries helped me read more — and actually enjoy it again. If you’ve been stuck in decision paralysis, overwhelmed by recommendations, or quietly falling out of love with reading, this episode is for you.

1. Why 2025 became a “taste discovery” year instead of a goal-driven one
2. Letting go of fantasy, high-stress thrillers, and reading guilt
3. Falling hard for cozy mysteries, millennial mysteries, and mystery rom-coms
4. Why pop-culture nonfiction works when fiction doesn’t
5. How I use boundaries (not rules) to choose what to read next
6. Why I broke up with Goodreads, streaks, and daily reading pressure
7. Reading like meditation: consistency over perfection
8. What you’ll see more (and less) of from me going forward

[00:00] Why I needed a reading reset

[02:00] From romance burnout to cozy mysteries

[04:00] Decision paralysis & setting reading boundaries

[06:00] What romance still works for me (and what doesn’t)

[08:00] Mysteries, millennial sleuths & cozy trends

[10:00] Genres I’m stepping away from

[12:00] Pop-culture nonfiction & reading curiosity

[14:00] Letting go of Goodreads & reading streaks

[16:00] Reading for joy, not numbers

[18:00] How I plan my reading without overwhelm

Want the journal prompts I use to define my reading taste — plus curated Kindle Unlimited gems, library tips, and bonus podcast content?

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