Bookish Goals for the New Year (2018)
Thursday, January 04, 2018When the clock chimed midnight and it was finally 2018, I knew I wanted to make it an organized year. I rarely set goals but last year in 2017, my bookish goals were relatively simple with read 100 pages per day and to read at least 80 books. I am so proud that I was able to surpass my goal of 80 and complete the year at 102. I did not read 100 pages every day but I was able to read much more than I ever have before. Since last year’s goals were mostly a success, I thought I’d get a little ambitious this year with my goals. Let’s go for the gold, shall we?
Read at least 50 books
I’m moving the goal down from last year. Even though I went beyond 80, there was a certain pressure that came with finishing so many books. So, this year, I want to take it easy and try not to feel so pressured in reading all the books.
Focus on Backlist Books
In doing my 2017 reading stats, I discovered I have over 500 books on my TBR. Most of those books are backlist books, meaning they were publishing in 2017 or earlier. I need to really focus on all the titles I have forgotten when a new shiny cover comes my way. This is why I will be participating in the Beat the Backlist 2018 Challenge, hosted by NovelKnight.com. After sign up, you are randomly assigned to a team filled with other readers to help motivate you to stay on track. The challenge helps readers read those books that have been on their shelves for way too long. During the challenge, I hope to read 30 or more backlist books. I will be tracking my progress in my monthly wrap-up posts, Kickin’ It.
Buy Less Books
I know I will have a problem with this one. And the goal isn’t so much of buying less books as it is to spending less money. Plus, I'm restricting myself in what books I do buy. As in the book has to be a sequel in a series or by an author I have read before and loved. This, of course, excludes review copies, box subscriptions, and gifted books.
Finish at least 12 Series
I was able to finally finish several series last year. Hopefully, I continue and to make sure the goal happens, I want to try to finish a series each month. Here are a few series that I hope to be able to finish this year:
Read More Classics
I would love to branch out and read more literary fiction, as well as more classics. I even have some classics on my shelves that have been waiting for me. I’m hoping to read at least these five:
Mansfield Park by Jane Austen | Emma by Jane Austen | The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum | Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll | Great Expectations by Charles Dickens
Write More
And last but not least, I want to start writing more. In the past few months, I’ve been working on
several outlines that are ready for first drafts. The scariest part is actually
starting, I suppose.
Happy New Year! What are your goals for the new year?
3 comments
These are really great goals! I want to read more classics this year, too. And I'm also doing Beat the Backlist! Best of luck with your goals!
ReplyDeleteHappy new year! Great goal list, and I especially like how you'll be focusing on reading through your backlist. Sometimes I feel like if a book wasn't just published .5 seconds ago, then it's lost to the abyss forever, which is really sad since age doesn't make a book any less awesome. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteThese are great goals, and I hope you get to them all! I also am striving to finish as many series (and sequels) as possible, because I have wayyyy too many unfinished ones. And I have a problem with not reading finales (because I'm scared lol :P). But I've made it my resolution to tackle them all this year haha.
ReplyDeleteAnd yes to backlist books! I discovered that in 2017, most of my favorites ended up being old releases, and not the shiny 2017 ones. I also am aiming to read more old books than new ones this year, since I'm surprisingly not anticipating as many as I thought I would.
Good luck!!