In January I set some specific reading goals to help me prioritize books from my own shelves. It’s time to assess my progress in the first quarter.
- Catch up on review copies, e.g., by coinciding with the paperback release dates. I’ve managed to review 9 so far, which works out to three per month. Four or more a month (so, at least weekly) would be preferable.
- Authors I own 2+ unread works by – I must read at least one book by each this year. I have crossed 3 off the list thus far: Amy Bloom, Helen Dunmore and Howard Norman. However, I have also started books by Peter Ackroyd, T.C. Boyle, Brian McLaren, Wendy Perriam and Edwin Way Teale. Considering there are 70 authors on my list, though, I need to pick up the pace. I do have plans to read quite a number in connection with future challenges, but this is a project that is probably going to extend into 2024. I will have to be strict with myself and not acquire more books by these authors in the meantime!
- I will participate in at least one reading challenge per month. Success! Nordic FINDS, Reading Indies and Reading Ireland Month down, and 1940 Club coming up soon.
- Reintroduce one set-aside book to my reading pile each week. I’ve reduced this (part physical and part digital) pile by 6 so far, so I’m only at half my quota. Sigh. Once I set a book aside it seems to be the kiss of death. Only some new deadline or thematic inclusion gets me picking these back up.
- ‘Overhauls’ of earlier book hauls to ensure no more than 3 unread remaining from any one haul. We’ve booked a last-minute overnight in Bridport later this month, so I looked up what I bought on our trip there in 2019. I promptly picked up the two unread books (by Lightman and Orwell) for before we go and/or while there. To tie in with the Dorset locale, I’ll also bring along The Chosen by Elizabeth Lowry, a novel about Thomas Hardy and his first wife. It comes out in paperback this month, so it counts toward the review catch-up, and is also on this year’s Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction shortlist.
- At least one “just because” book per fortnight. This means anything from my own shelves that isn’t a review copy. I’m smashing this goal with a whole 15 read so far! That’s more than one per week, a good rate to try to keep up.
- (A goal I added in later.) One reread per fortnight. I’m doing surprisingly well, mostly because everything we choose for book club this year seems to be a reread, but with 4 thus far I’m averaging monthly instead. Still, not a bad effort considering I hardly ever reread.
- Request fewer 2023 review books from publishers. I sent out a big batch of requests recently, but almost all have gone ignored (the story of my year), which is probably for the best. My latest coup was securing review copies of Claire Fuller and Curtis Sittenfeld’s new novels – but each did require 3+ request e-mails!
How are you doing on your (formal/informal, explicit/tacit) 2023 reading goals?
Bookish Beck = Rebecca Foster. American transplant to England. Freelance proofreader and book reviewer.
Bookish Beck 
Over lockdown I started using Netgalley which I thought would be a stopgap but now tend to use it for ARCs rather than request hard copies. I’ve found it works much better for me, no longer having to find a home for proofs I decide not to keep.
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What device do you read on? I have a Nook and a Kindle and use both for my paid review work for American publications. For me, getting a physical proof copy is a treat and makes me feel like I have something to show for my reading. I keep a fraction of them. The rest I give to book club members or fellow bloggers or put in a giveaway box or Little Free Library.
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I read on my tablet via Netgalley Shelf (not the best of apps) or Pocketbook. I surprised myself at how I took to it although I had read electronically for work before. Now I buy copies of books I particularly like when they’re in paperback. Excess copies go out on my street for my neighbours to pick over if I’ve not given them to friends and family.
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Fabulous—lots of reading goals here! I only had a few: the American Classics Reading Project (one per month; 3 for 3 so far), the Great Reread (at least one per month; 4 for 3 so far) and the 1940 Club (I already have one title at the ready for the week!)
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You’re doing brilliantly! I have two books on the go for the 1940 Club, by Cather and Dylan Thomas.
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That Cather’s going to be good!
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Main goal is to read as much as possible, and from the TBR – going reasonably well!!!
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Good and simple goals.
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You haven’t set particularly easy goals for yourself, so I think you’re doing quite well actually. Mine are not unlike Kaggsy’s, get books off the TBR and take part in a few reading events this year without feeling guilty about the rest. I’m not unhappy with how both are going.
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Thanks! I’m being pretty relaxed about it all this year.
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You’re doing really well at the moment. I am requesting much less now, just because of trying to fit it all in and actually having a little independence on what I read and most importantly what I think about a book.
You have just reminded me that I haven’t done an update of my 2023 reading goals. Might write one!
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It helps with balancing library reads, owned books and recent stuff from publishers.
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It does. Though library reservations do have a habit of all turning up at the same time…
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This is true!
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Nice work! My goal is to not take part in any reading challenges or shadowing book prizes. I am doing pretty well. The WP always tries to suck me in, but so far I’ve resisted reading anything extra from the LL other than the few titles I chose.
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I like that your goal is to NOT do things 😉 That’s sensible to only read what already interested you from a prize list. I like challenges when they get me to pick things up off my own shelves.
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Definitely easier than doing anything haha!
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A year of no challenges sounds great, Laura!
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Just noticed that you’re heading to Bridport. Wild and Homeless books is excellent and if you can go via Beaminster, pop into Little Toller
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We spotted Wild and Homeless Books when we were last there, though I think it happened to be closed at the time. The few books I bought on our last trip came from the secondhand shop opposite it, and a charity shop down the way.
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I’m keeping it simple this year. More from the TBR and keeping up the books in translation. Doing OK on both fronts at the moment. I’m in awe of how you keep up with all your goals though!
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You do seem to be reading loads in translation!
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I should have had your rule about authors with unread books on the shelves – the other day I bought yet another Compton Mackenzie, despite having SO many unread books by him on my shelves. Well done on your goal achievements so far! I didn’t have any, so at least I’m not failing…
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It was when I realized I had 7-9 unread books by some authors that I took a reality check!
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Great job, Rebecca! The reading goal I’m doing the best at so far is reading books from the very beginning of my TBR list. I’ve read two and am halfway through the third. I’m confident I will read all five before the year is out. These are books that have lingered there since 2016.
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It would be fun to look back at the earliest books I added, probably in 2011!
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I think I’m going to make this a yearly goal, to read some of the earliest titles on my Goodreads TBR. It’s very satisfying. 🙂
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I am doing really well with only taking part in book challenges if I can fulfil them from my TBR – first off, I’d promised someone I’d read a book for Reading Wales so bought it to read; second off, I specifically asked two friends for Dean Street Press books published in 1940 for my birthday in January so they were “on my TBR”. Hm. Also trying to read hardbacks before they come out in paperback (two just about done; I’ve been acquiring more hardbacks since the bookshop came), read off my TBR (not going well but I’m pushing through review and NetGalley books this month so might get some done at the end of the month) and actually spend rather than hoard my Christmas / birthday book tokens (doing SO well I had to pause while my bookshelf recovered: I think I’ve now spent all the 2021/22 season’s. So doing OK, maybe …!
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I have definitely done that, buying books in advance of them being useful towards a challenge 😉
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It’s my one main policy/goal and I don’t do a challenge if I don’t have a book for it so a big fail this year! Ah well.
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You’re doing very well! (me not so much – have done well on my nonfiction challenge, and memoir challenge but others are lagging).
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The year is still young!
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You are far better than I am at sticking to goals. I deliberately kept mine simple this year: read more of what I already own instead of chasing review copies; tick off more titles from my classics club list and get those reviews written. It hasn’t gone well 🙂
I’ve managed to resist the pull of NetGalley so far this year (a big achievement) but instead of reading all the books I already have, I keep requesting new issues from the library. Sigh…
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I can rarely resist review copies, so I always have a backlog.
Supporting your local library is virtuous! If you ever wish to participate, I host a monthly meme for library borrowing. This was the latest one: https://bookishbeck.com/2023/04/24/love-your-library-april-2023/
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