With 2014 so close, it is time again to start thinking about what my reading goals will be for next year. Firstly I want to have a quick look at how I went with my 2013 Reading Goals. First of all I went on a semi book buying ban which lasted most of the year but didn’t do much to reduce my TBR (To Be Read shelf) but it did get me to use the library more (see my post Book Buying Bans Don’t Work). Secondly there was the reading goal of 150 books (on Goodreads) which I did complete. I stated in my 2013 Reading Goals post that “I would just take the time and read some bigger books and some non-fiction” which I feel I failed. I did read some bigger books and non-fiction but not enough to satisfy myself. Lastly there was the Literary Exploration reading challenge, which was a lot of fun and I did complete.
What does that mean for 2014? Well I would like to move away from a reading goal, I like the idea of trying to hit 100 or 150 books in the year but I want the freedom. I don’t want to pressure myself to read x amount of books a week or year, I want to read bigger books and with no reading goal I might be able to achieve this. I’m not sure if I will achieve this, I’m sure I’ll cave and set my reading goal on Goodreads to 150 books.
I do want to read more non-fiction, maybe I can put pressure on this and set a 2 book a month goal on myself. I’ve recently enjoyed more non-fiction and might have finally caught the (non-fiction) reading bug, especially books about books. I want to try and nurture this and hopefully I’ll find a passion towards biographies and non-fiction as well as fiction. As for reading more big books, I’ll continue working on that, but I’m not going to force anything.
Finally the Literary Exploration reading challenge is back for another year. I will be doing the ‘Insane challenge’ again, that is 36 books in different genres. I might even get cocky and try and do two books from the 36 different genres, but I will see how I go. I like that I’m willing to explore all genres and want to make sure I read more in some of the genres I don’t normally read. I will continue to advocate the joys in reading more widely and I hope the Literary Exploration reading challenge will help more people discover this.
What are other people planning for next year? Are any trying something a little bit different? I’m interested in learning more about other people’s reading goals and hopefully discover some new ways to challenge myself for 2015. Hope everyone enjoys the holiday period and are excited for 2014’s reading challenges.
I’m thinking of a year without any new challenges. I got a bit carried away in 2013 and found I was reading too much to order just because I had a deadline. So a similar feeling to your comment about missing the lack of freedom.
I hope reading freedom comes to us both.
2014 will be my first year of doing challenges. Normally I have no trouble reading a wide range of books. But I can feel myself slipping into a bit of a classics and comfort read zone lately.
I’m also enjoying the on-line blogging community more and more, so I’ve joined up to several challenges that I can link/combine. I can see that I could do the same with yours, except I don’t have a goodreads account!
You don’t need a goodreads account, you can just do it the same way as the other challenges.
Im doing the Eclectic Reader challenge this year with Book’d Out and focusing on quality rather than quantity. I also want to reduce my to read pile…I definitely need a book buying ban.
I hope a book buying ban works for you, I doesn’t for me
I have decided to ditch the reading goal count next year. Since I’ve been on it, I’ve noticed that I avoid large book because I have this urge to beat my target of 50. I think that silly as I really want to read them (large books) and I know I’m missing out on some great books…like The Passage, Under the Dome. And not only that, I’m rushing through
them and putting a lot of pressure on myself.
Some people suggested lowering the goal and then increase it as you reach it. But I do have the feeling that while it’s still there on my home page I will go back to my old ways.
Next year I’m doing the Literary Exploration challenge as well and so looking forward to it. I’ve got my books already picked out 😉 But I’m going to take it easy and do the Hard challenge, instead of the Insane one.
I hope we both read bigger books this year. I’m thinking about War and Peace and The Brothers Karamazov
Nice. Yeah I hope we do too. I’d like to read Under the Dome, Grand Days & a big whopper by Paullina Simmons that’s been sitting on my shelf for years.