Reading goals? Do you enjoy aiming for one? Or do you prefer to go with the flow? Share why your choice works for you.
5 comments:
library addict
said...
I make several small reading goals each year.
For example this year I plan to finish Nora Roberts entire backlist (I have 16 books that have languished in my TBR, many for literal decades, hangs head in shame...LOL! 16 out of 200+ isn't that bad).
I also picked several series to read in full. This year I went for multiple series by the same author rather than my usual one series by different authors.
Then for the past 5 or 6 years I have also gone "shopping" in my TBR and picked 10 books that are "Must Reads" for the year. These can be both authors I have never read or books in a series I have let slide, etc. The point is to pick books I was excited about when I purchased them that have gotten lost in my TBR mountain.
By limiting it to only 10 books I know it is a goal I can easily reach.
I also do various self-challenges. Like an alphabet challenge where I read books where the title, author's first name, or author's last name begins with A, B, C through V this year (the 22nd letter of alphabet). As well as a few others (this year I am doing a trusty tropes challenge where I pick books that fit 22 different tropes to read).
So I loosely plan out what I want to read for the year before it starts. But there's always new releases I can't know about in advance that inevitably shoot to the top of my TBR throughout the year. So I leave room.
Some years I plan to read a series by a new to me author. I have tried to get better about not buying whole series without trying any of them first. I used to see a blurb, discover it was book four or five in a series and so buy them all. But then I'd get overwhelmed by the number of books and so not start the series. I've found if I pick one or two per year it is more manageable.
I do give myself permission to DNF. This can be temporary if a book I know I will probably like but am just not currently in the mood to read. Or permanent, as in delete delete delete! My TBR is all digital as one year my goal was to finish all of my print books and I did!
So for me, I do set a reading goal and mostly stick to it, but leave room to go with the flow as well.
Just make a goal fun for yourself and break it down in down into small, easily manageable steps. And no pressure to finish. It's reading for entertainment, there's no quiz at the end.
I usually read authors I've read before since a lot of them are writing new books in different series. If an author I haven't read in a long while brings out books during the year, I might read the book blurb to find out if I read it a long time ago.
I typically find the idea of any significant reading goals to be too overwhelming, too demanding, but I like library addict's idea of picking ten books for a year that are hiding in my bookshelf, and have been begging to be read for a long time. 10 in a whole year is probably manageable, even with my issues getting things read in the last few (or maybe several) months.
Ordinarily, I just have a loose plan to read any new books that come out in my favourite series, and then an intent to read other things that look good, as I come across them.
Lately, I've had to be a little more determined, in order to get through much of anything. I've been having to decide 'I am *going* to finish this book or that book from the library before it has to go back', or "I am going to borrow this from the library and at least scan it to see if it's worth more attention" or worth buying (and then finishing - hopefully). I"ve gotten fed up with having things on my "I wonder if this is any good" list for 2-3 years, and having made no effort, or no progress if I have made an effort.
Because of my "read for a few days and then not for several days" thing I've had going on, even my "I want to read this right now" list has gotten ridiculously long, and kind of fell by the wayside. As I said, I'm currently trying to work on my "I wonder if this is any good" library list, and other books I want to read from the library before I decide whether to buy them, so it doesn't frustrate me so much!
I guess I move to the beat of a different drummer! I never make a reading list. However, I have certain authors Nalini, Warden, Feehan whose series I read and I know will buy there new book each year. So, I wait for the Guild Hunter and Psy-Changeling book each year I am so happy when they come out. I have Kindle Unlimited so I read and test many authors. I sometime read books that are suggested to me by friends or other authors. The main category I read is PNR. I read some political books, books about women's lives etc. For me I do not like most historical romance novels. I re-read the entire series a again a month before the new book releases. So I read Guild Hunters again and will be reading BDB again because a new book is coming out in April.
I also enjoy reading books about women in other cultures.
If I had tons of money I would love to be on the magical beach Nalini found and just sit there and read every day. Being I am going to be 69 this year I find reading to bring me great joy!
5 comments:
I make several small reading goals each year.
For example this year I plan to finish Nora Roberts entire backlist (I have 16 books that have languished in my TBR, many for literal decades, hangs head in shame...LOL! 16 out of 200+ isn't that bad).
I also picked several series to read in full. This year I went for multiple series by the same author rather than my usual one series by different authors.
Then for the past 5 or 6 years I have also gone "shopping" in my TBR and picked 10 books that are "Must Reads" for the year. These can be both authors I have never read or books in a series I have let slide, etc. The point is to pick books I was excited about when I purchased them that have gotten lost in my TBR mountain.
By limiting it to only 10 books I know it is a goal I can easily reach.
I also do various self-challenges. Like an alphabet challenge where I read books where the title, author's first name, or author's last name begins with A, B, C through V this year (the 22nd letter of alphabet). As well as a few others (this year I am doing a trusty tropes challenge where I pick books that fit 22 different tropes to read).
So I loosely plan out what I want to read for the year before it starts. But there's always new releases I can't know about in advance that inevitably shoot to the top of my TBR throughout the year. So I leave room.
Some years I plan to read a series by a new to me author. I have tried to get better about not buying whole series without trying any of them first. I used to see a blurb, discover it was book four or five in a series and so buy them all. But then I'd get overwhelmed by the number of books and so not start the series. I've found if I pick one or two per year it is more manageable.
I do give myself permission to DNF. This can be temporary if a book I know I will probably like but am just not currently in the mood to read. Or permanent, as in delete delete delete! My TBR is all digital as one year my goal was to finish all of my print books and I did!
So for me, I do set a reading goal and mostly stick to it, but leave room to go with the flow as well.
Just make a goal fun for yourself and break it down in down into small, easily manageable steps. And no pressure to finish. It's reading for entertainment, there's no quiz at the end.
Every year for me is the same I read new books from my authors every year new books and audiobooks
I usually read authors I've read before since a lot of them are writing new books in different series. If an author I haven't read in a long while brings out books during the year, I might read the book blurb to find out if I read it a long time ago.
I typically find the idea of any significant reading goals to be too overwhelming, too demanding, but I like library addict's idea of picking ten books for a year that are hiding in my bookshelf, and have been begging to be read for a long time. 10 in a whole year is probably manageable, even with my issues getting things read in the last few (or maybe several) months.
Ordinarily, I just have a loose plan to read any new books that come out in my favourite series, and then an intent to read other things that look good, as I come across them.
Lately, I've had to be a little more determined, in order to get through much of anything. I've been having to decide 'I am *going* to finish this book or that book from the library before it has to go back', or "I am going to borrow this from the library and at least scan it to see if it's worth more attention" or worth buying (and then finishing - hopefully). I"ve gotten fed up with having things on my "I wonder if this is any good" list for 2-3 years, and having made no effort, or no progress if I have made an effort.
Because of my "read for a few days and then not for several days" thing I've had going on, even my "I want to read this right now" list has gotten ridiculously long, and kind of fell by the wayside. As I said, I'm currently trying to work on my "I wonder if this is any good" library list, and other books I want to read from the library before I decide whether to buy them, so it doesn't frustrate me so much!
I guess I move to the beat of a different drummer! I never make a reading list. However, I have certain authors Nalini, Warden, Feehan whose series I read and I know will buy there new book each year. So, I wait for the Guild Hunter and Psy-Changeling book each year I am so happy when they come out. I have Kindle Unlimited so I read and test many authors.
I sometime read books that are suggested to me by friends or other authors. The main category I read is PNR. I read some political books, books about women's lives etc.
For me I do not like most historical romance novels.
I re-read the entire series a again a month before the new book releases. So I read Guild Hunters again and will be reading BDB again because a new book is coming out in April.
I also enjoy reading books about women in other cultures.
If I had tons of money I would love to be on the magical beach Nalini found and just sit there and read every day. Being I am going to be 69 this year I find reading to bring me great joy!
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