It’s November already! Around this time of year, many readers start glancing at their reading goals, the ones they set with so much excitement back in January. Some are catching up, trying to squeeze in those last few books before the year ends. Others are preparing their annual recaps, proudly counting how many books they’ve read in 2025.

Talking about the number of books, coincidentally, I recently came across a discussion on social media about quantity versus quality in reading.

Personally, I’ve read more than a hundred books this year. Statistically speaking, that’s quite a lot compared to the average reader. But naturally, the next question (or skepticism) that arises is about reading quality. How much do people like me, who read a lot in certain period of time, actually learn, understand, and retain from all those books?

Quality Over Quantity

Of course, quality matters. It always does, especially when it comes to reading. For me, what I learn and understand from each book is one of the most meaningful parts of this whole reading journey. That’s why I’ve built a little system to make sure the essence of what I read doesn’t get lost in the numbers. And this blog, in many ways, is part of that system.

Here’s how I do it:

• I start by highlighting passages that speak to me.
• Then I write down my reflections in my commonplace book, often rewriting lines I want to revisit later.
• After that, I move everything into Notion. It helps me keep things tidy and searchable.
• Finally, I write a review here on my blog, sharing the pieces I find most meaningful or worth passing along.

I do all this because I know I can’t rely on memory alone, my brain can only hold (and recall the information) so much. These notes and reflections become what Tiago Forte calls a Second Brain: a personal archive of everything that has inspired or shaped me through reading. It’s comforting to know that everything I’ve learned is still here, one search away, ready for me (or anyone) to revisit whenever needed.

The Reading Experience

But let’s set aside the numbers for a moment. Maybe what matters most isn’t quality or quantity, it’s the experience of reading itself.

For example, I find an incredible sense of calm whenever I read literary fiction, especially the classics. There’s something timeless about the beauty of the language and the depth of human emotion captured in those pages. Each time I immerse myself in a story written with such care, I feel a strange but wonderful connection to humanity.

At that moment, I’m not thinking about goals or book counts. I just want to get lost in the words. Sometimes I read slowly, savoring every sentence and letting the emotions linger a little longer. Other times, I fall so deeply into a story that I can’t stop turning the pages. Hours pass, and suddenly, I’ve finished more books than I ever planned to. Reading, then, stops being about chasing numbers and becomes about being fully present with each story: feeling it, living it, and carrying it quietly within me.

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In the End

Whether you read ten books or a hundred, what truly matters is what the experience leaves behind: how it shapes your thoughts, calms your heart, or sparks curiosity. Numbers fade, but the feelings and ideas we carry from each book stay with us much longer.