I may be reading 50 books this year.
Ever since I discovered reading challenges and Booktube a few years ago, I’ve wanted to have a 50 book year. It’s a very common goal online, and for avid readers it’s pretty attainable. I’m not necessarily an avid reader, but I’ve managed 24 books a year two years in a row, so it’s not an insane idea.
However I’ve recently realized that setting goals and sticking with them is only helpful so long as the goals are aligned with your interests. I’ve had a number of occasions where I stuck with a goal for far too long (usually to completion) without acknowledging that I didn’t actually want it anymore. I think I want to read 50 books this year, but more than that I want to read as much as I can while still enjoying it. I don’t want to start reading “cheat books” just to get my numbers up, and I don’t want to push myself to finish something terrible just to say I did.
So I’m setting my Goodreads challenge at 30 books, and I’m planning to read three and a half books in January. Assuming I participate in BookTubeAThon and #ReadingBingo again this year, three and a half books a month will get me to 50 and then some. So if January feels good, I’ll up the Goodreads goal a bit. If I still feel this way in a few months, it will go to 50 books.
Part of what I like about reading challenges is the way it gets you to switch up what you might normally reach for, so I decided I wanted to have a challenge list for this year as well. But in the spirit of setting goals that are aligned with my interests, I wrote my own list. It is purposely not 50 items long, and I’ll probably double up on some anyway. This way I never have to refuse a book I want to read just because it’s not on the list. If you’re looking for a challenge I’d love for you to try mine. Or better yet, write your own.
Katrina’s 2018 Reading Challenge
- Read a book you’ve already read
- Read a political or religious book you think you may disagree with
- Listen to an audiobook
- Read a book that’s over 500 pages
- Read a book your audience or friend group won’t be interested in
- Read something by Stephen King
- Quit a book before you’ve finished (or at least skim the rest)
- Read a book you were given as a gift (and didn’t specifically ask for)
- Read a book about (or with heavy themes on) race
- Read a book about (or with heavy themes on) mental illness
- Check out and read a library book
- Read a non-fiction book about your career/hobby (or a career/hobby you are hoping to get into someday)
- Get rid of a book immediately after reading it
- Read a book you “should” read
- Read a book you “shouldn’t” waste your time on
- Read a book immediately after acquiring it or hearing about it (before it even makes it to the shelf or TBR)
- Read a book you think might make you a better person
- Read the second biggest book on your shelf (or TBR)
- Read The Princess Bride (yes, literally that specific book)
- Read a book you’ve been “really meaning to read” for way too long
- Read a book of short stories
- Read a book with a cover that bothers you
- Get rid of a book without reading it
- Get at least 2 books behind or ahead of schedule at some point in the year
- Decide not to do one of the challenges on this list
Good luck and happy reading!