robotnic.co

Reading Goals for 2014

by //

2014-goals

2013 is all wrapped up. (Missed it? Click here!) It’s time to look forward to 2014.

As in every year, I have a big pile of unread books and a plan to read them all. Here are a few key goals I’d like to accomplish in 2014.

Reading Goals: Books

  1. Read 52 books (including all books for book club – no slacking!)
  2. Read more non-fiction than in 2014
  3. Read more diversely – more females, more authors of colour, and try out new genres
  4. Read more books than I buy

The first should be easy enough, as should the second – I’ve several unread non-fiction picks. Three will probably be the biggest challenge, one to be the most mindful of, while four will mostly take willpower.

I’ll also plan to keep up with my current system for keeping track of the books I’ve read, by list and using Goodreads. I also intend to continue with monthly capsule review blog posts.

With these in mind…

 

Reading Goals: Short Stories & Essays

In addition, I’m giving myself a couple of shorter-reads challenges:

  1. Read 150 short stories
  2. Read essays and #longreads

In 2013, I read 6 short story collections, but most of them in the earlier half of the year. I find working my way through a collection a slog at times, and there are always short stories languishing in my Pocket to-read list, so my goal this year is to pick and choose short stories from various collections and to read more online. I’ve set my target at 150, which is 2-3 short stories per week.

Similarly, I have become a Pocket fiend since investing in an iPad, so I’d like to continue reading longreads, essays, long-form interviews and articles on a regular basis. Some of my favourite sites for these are Paris Review, New Yorker, and Vol 1 Brooklyn.

 

Other Enjoyable Habits

While I have no specific goals in mind, there are other habits that I have developed in 2013 and would like to keep up.

Lately, I’ve been listening to podcasts more frequently, particularly: Book Riot, Literary Disco, Books on the Nightstand, Book Talk by Scottish Book Trust, Bookrageous, and NPR Pop Culture Happy Hour. This year I’ll have a lot of work and walk hours to while away, so maybe I’ll add a couple more to the list.

As I mentioned in my 2013 wrap-up, BookTube has become a huge part of my reading life. It’s where I discuss books most often and have made a number of bookish friends. It’ll take a bit of effort to stay involved, but I’ll definitely be keeping in regular contact with these guys in 2014.

What are your reading goals for 2014?

52 Books: Bout of Books Read-a-Thon 8.0

by //

BookTube is a big fan of read-a-thons. There was Bout of Books 7.0 earlier this year, followed by the 30 day read and “official” BookTube-a-thon over the past 2 months.

Each time a read-a-thon has come around I’ve been far too busy to take part. To my surprise, this week is looking unexpectedly quiet – sooo… let’s do this. Here’s some info:

“The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda @ On a Book Bender and Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal. It is a week long read-a-thon that begins 12:01am Monday, August 19th and runs through Sunday, August 25th in whatever time zone you are in. Bout of Books is low-pressure, and the only reading competition is between you and your usual number of books read in a week. There are challenges, giveaways, and a grand prize, but all of these are completely optional. For all Bout of Books 8.0 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. – From the Bout of Books team”

I’d planned to post a video with my TBR choices today, but ended up – ironically or otherwise – at book club all day.

My reading choices are:

  • The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood – I’m currently on page 238 and need to finish this for Saturday, so finishing this goes first.
  • Barrel Fever by David Sedaris – Maybe, just maybe. I’m seeing Sedaris live this Wednesday so undecided whether to blow my load now or save this precious last book of his for a little while longer…
  • Burial Rites by Hannah Kent – A last minute Book Fest choice, also on Saturday. I’ve been looking forward to this one.
  • NW by Zadie Smith – Which I’m excited to be reading with my friend Kevin in our mini international new fiction book club.
  • Going Postal by Terry Pratchett – Which Jean has kindly lent me, and which I’m very keen to read.
I’m sure that will have me covered! Stick around or follow me on Tumblr (where I’m allegedly blogging every day) for updates throughout the week. I’ll also post a video on my YouTube channel tomorrow.
Wish me luck!