Popsugar Reading Challenge
If you have been around for any number of years now you will know that I usually do the Popsugar Reading Challenge. It is a way for me to get outside of my comfort zone with books and push myself to read more. Towards the end of November I started creating the spreadsheet for the reading challenge and thinking about possible ideas for books; however, the more I thought about it the more I wasn't looking forward to completing it. I love that the challenge gets me to read books outside of my favorite genres and more of what I wouldn't normally reach for, and I hope to still be able to do those things. My plan is to use the challenges as a jumping off point, but not to tie myself down to finishing it. I will be using the prompts throughout the year when I am feeling stuck on what to read or if I just find a particular prompt fun.
Goodreads Goal
A few years ago I did something huge... I read over 100 books in one year. In the years that have followed, I have pushed myself and let myself down when I didn't reach that goal. This year, I really thought about what reaching that goal means for me, and it isn't about reading the most. Although I would love to have another year of reading over 100 books, I want to focus on reading books that I know I will enjoy. I want to get to the books I have been putting off since they didn't fit in my Popsugar Reading Challenge. I am learning that my life looks different from year to year and to not put the pressure on myself to complete a set number of books. With that in mind, my intention is to set my goal low, maybe 25 books, and go from there.
What Will I Be Reading
Like I mentioned, I really want to read a lot of the books that I purchased throughout the year that I couldn't squeeze into my challenge and wouldn't let myself read it otherwise. I have a kindle full of books that I am excited for but have been putting off for one reason or another. Several of those titles were preorders that I couldn't wait to get my hands on. My goal for the new year is to focus on reading a lot of what I already own or borrowing from the library and friends.
Book Reviews
This has been a large part of my content for some time now; however, I have been finding myself less and less excited about reviewing books. For me, I find myself being overly critical and worrying about how I am going to sum up the plot without giving things away instead of just enjoying my reading experience. I am not sure how this will play out in my content moving forward. I do plan to still do a monthly post with the books I have read; however, I am leaning more towards just sharing which books I read for that month. I do want to keep the floor open to do book reviews, but maybe just one post for a book that I have a lot of things to say about it. Reading, although a large part of my content, is still a hobby of enjoyment and often for self-care for me. I would love to know any ideas you have for these monthly posts though!
Book Buying in the New Year
Next year I want to be more conscious of my spending on books. Ever since I purchased my first Kindle I have been one to purchase anything that looked good and was either on sale or a good price. In 2018 I want to focus on only buying books that I am truly excited about and will read. If there are books that I want to read but I am not dying to read, I will try to find them in my library or used with the goal to donate or resale if I do not love it.
My Book Collection
Another goal I want to accomplish in the new year is to go through my book collection again. A few years ago I went through and pulled out all the books I wasn't as excited about. I want to go through again and only keep the books I love or am excited about reading. The truth is, reading tastes change. I have had most of my physical copies for several years now and many of them are still unread. I want to donate or resale anything I won't be reading in the coming year, two years at the most.
So these are my reading and book-related goals for the new year! I hope that you enjoyed this post as much as I enjoyed coming up with my goals. What are your reading goals for 2018? Are there any books that you are looking forward to reading in the new year?
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