Reading Tracking discussion

So a big goal of mine this year is to read or at least significantly start The Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan.
14 books... all of them doorstoppers.
I am not generally a fan of Fantasy. It takes some good writing and some depth way beyond pseudo-medievil battles to keep my interest. I really didn't like LOTR. However, I have recently liked The Hazel Wood (which is more of a modern fairy tale fantasy) and The Bear and the Nightingale (which is also not "high fantasy" either but getting closer...). Also I am interested in Jade City and almost read that before starting WoT.

My main motivation for reading this now is that my brother is into the series atm and I would rather have someone to talk with about the stories than wait and read it alone. It is unlikely that anyone else in my life will read this at another time. Yes, the Amazon series has started but I'm not even sure I'll watch that bc I haven't heard anything good about it yet.

I am not going to dedicate all my reading time to this. I will read these books in between my Book Club and Buddy reads as well as personal nonfiction choices. I will attempt to complete each book with as few interruptions as possible.

I want to do at least one of the books, probably #4 or #5, as the audio since the audio books for the series have been recommended to me. I mostly want to actually read it, though.

Finished #1, excited about starting #2. Also keeping up w book club reads and not struggling like I thought I might with balancing. I guess this isn't so surprising since I am almost always reading 2-5 books at a time so it's not a big deal to read nonfic simultaneously w this or to decide whether to hurry up and finish book 1 or interrupt it to read fiction with a group.

A great suggestion was made--don't commit myself to which book to try out the audio for. If the story starts to slump for me (as it likely will at some point) then switch over to audio at that time.

Finished #3 wasn't as good as #1 and #2
Did listen to a few chapters but counted them all as 'read' since it was only a few chapters just to see how the audio is. It's okay but I really feel that I got more 'into it' with real reading.

Will continue on to #4 but have 4 buddy read commitments over next 3 weeks will focus on those.

In the middle of #4...struggling a little bit.
I think the ending will ramp up a bit but the middle of a 1,000 page book is a looong middle. THEN that book is only #4 of like 14 books so it's a very long middle, indeed.
I'm wanting less battle and more about the mythology of the world in the different cultures. I know there's a lot of story left but we still don't have a great grasp on the characterization of the white and yellow ajahs. I like the Aiel/Way of the Leaf split that came up.

Picked back up months later with #4 and finished it. Started reading #5 (only about 10% through def won't make it in 2022) and enjoying the series again. I will probably finish this series but not as quickly as I had hoped.

2023 now starting book 5. I guess I missed this goal but I will trudge on.