How is your reading journey?

Hi. After many long years of procrastination, I decided to put my foot down and learn how to read. I did well enough on reading to pass the JLPT N3 this year, and I work as a literal Japanese interpreter, but I have long neglected developing my reading skills. I decided to jump in and read my first novel, 西の魔女が死んだ. I'm about 19 pages in, and DEAR GOD IS IT EXCRUCIATING. I understand the grammar perfectly fine, but I have to stop every few sentences to look up vocab or kanji, which soups down my reading time to like 3 pages an hour. I don't know how I'm going to make it through the whole book this year at that pace!

I'm still leveling my way through Wanikani and have about 1000 kanji under my belt. But reading this is really something else! Does it get better ;-;? Am I going about this the right way?

The book is quite a nice read, besides the fact I keep getting tripped up by vocab and kanji.

UPDATE: Guys, I just read through 3 pages in 15 minutes. I downloaded the book on my kindle and I can look up words with the tap of a button. Most of these words have been plant names. I just learned 勿忘草, which is my favorite flower. This process is suddenly quite enjoyable. I'm glowing. Life is good. I can't wait to see how this affects my reading progression. Thank you guys so much!