4 reading goals I set for the new year
Balancing the TBR with the joy of discovery
A delightful thing has happened this year: I haven't felt a need to go hard on my resolutions. Usually, as the year starts, I point to a few areas of my life that feel like they need attention. But this year, everything feels steady.
There is room for improvement, but when I consider what I want out of the coming year, I mostly think of the things in my life that already exist and that I want more of. What a nice feeling! I'm embracing it.
How does this translate to my reading life? I have a few simple goals set:
Read one short story collection per month. This is my one goal that is about introducing something new. I don't read many short story collections, but I always love them when I do, so I'm excited to explore new authors and genres through this goal to expand my reading life.
Read more diversely. I fell off being intentional about this last year, and it showed in my year-end review. I want to return to it. Ideally, 30-40% of my reads this year will be diverse stories and authors.
Continue doing seasonal reading check-ins. These worked for me in the second half of last year and helped me drill down on my reading taste while blending my TBR with the joy of discovery.
Purchase books second-hand when possible. This year, I have a bigger goal of shopping second-hand first in all areas of my life before buying something new. Pangobooks became my go-to for buying and selling books in 2024, and I'd love to continue using it when I'm looking to acquire a copy of a book.
What are your reading goals for this year? I'd love to hear them if you want to share!
Looking for inspiration for your own reading resolutions? I got you.
If you're looking for ideas for setting your reading life resolutions:
If you want to get out of a reading slump:
If you read the 2024 buzzy books and want some read-a-likes:
And, if you want to stack your TBR with some great reads:
Until next time,
My reading goal is different I’m making a book blanket. A crochet square with colors of the cover of each book I read and a journal entry to remember each book and square
Love the idea of reading more short story collections! And very excited for the collection we're getting from Curtis Sittenfeld this year.