I've decided that I'm not going to sign up for any reading challenges this year, and I'm not making long lists of the books I want to read either. While I really enjoy participating in reading challenges, and I love making lists, this year I want to allow room in my reading for sudden changes of mood, new books, rereads, books from off my own shelves, and library serendipity.
I also want to read more nonfiction this year.
And there are several series that I've recently started, and newer books by favorite authors that I've neglected, that I'd love to get caught up on this year.
And even though I love splurging on books, I'm going to try and limit my book buying to ten books or fewer this year because my bookshelves are overflowing, and I haven't read all the ones I already own.
My last bookish goal has to do with my blog. Over the years I've put a lot of pressure on myself to publish a certain number of posts each week, and to review a certain number of books each month, and I need to step back from that. Because blogging should be fun, not stressful. So this year, I'm not going to worry about how many posts I write each week, or how many books I review. And if I need to take a break once in awhile, then that's what I'm going to do.
I'm still working on my personal goals, but I want to try and cultivate a more positive mindset this year, embrace the good things in life and not be afraid of failure, remember to breathe and be in the moment, practice having an attitude of gratitude, and seek happiness.
Good luck with your own goals...bookish and otherwise!
And happy reading!
Hi Lark, I know what you mean about blogging becoming stressful. I read now with an eye towards what am I going to say about the book. I would like to review 3 or 4 books in a post and make the reviewers shorter but short reviews are not easy to write either. I too don't read enough non-fiction.
ReplyDeleteI struggle to write long reviews these days, so I stick with short reviews...but then I'm not sure how much value they have. But they do help me remember the books I'm reading a little better, so I guess that's good.
DeleteI hear you on the pressure of blogging. When I read a longer book, I definitely have it in the back of my mind about when I'm going to get to reviewing it. UGH. It's always a struggle, but remember to be gentle to yourself. I love reading your blog, no matter what or when you're writing and I'm sure your other readers do too.
ReplyDeleteReading more non-fiction is also good! I try to alternate a fiction book with a non-fiction book and that helps too.
You're so kind! Thank you. I needed to hear that. :D And your idea of alternating fiction with nonfiction is a good one.
DeleteThey are all great goals, Lark. I think avoiding too many lists and challenges and just reading whatever you feel like reading is a good idea. Happy New Year!
ReplyDeleteI just need reading to be joyful and fun this year. No stress. No obligations. Just good books. :D
DeleteI looove these goals. I hope you have a wonderful and *relaxing* reading year full of amazing books! Happy New Year!
ReplyDeleteThank you! I wish you the same. :D
DeleteI'm with you on reading. I think people put too much efforts in reading goals when we really should just enjoy reading. As for blogging, I think less is better.
ReplyDeleteGood luck with your goals. Have a lovely new year.
And I just might be blogging a bit less this year, we'll see how it goes. I hope you have a happy 2024, too! :D
DeleteI really like your goals and I agree with your reasons for not doing blog tours and challenges. I think readers want to be free to choose when and where and if, when it comes to their personal reading. May you reach all your goals this year.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much! I look forward to wandering through my books and reading whatever catches my eye each month.
DeleteKudos on taking a more relaxed view on reading and blogging. I hope it makes for a great year full of wonderful books!
ReplyDeleteI'm hoping that, too! Happy New Year. :D
DeleteSounds like a great plan, Lark. Bottom line is that reading should be fun, an escape from stress and the everyday problems that plague us all. When blogging becomes more like work than fun, it's definitely time to slow down or take a break. I've done it two or three times in the last several years - for various reasons - and the breaks have always resulted in me coming back with way more enthusiasm than I felt on the way out. Read what you want to read; when you want to read it.
ReplyDeleteYou mention book purchases, too. That's a problem we all have; I think I bought ten of the "on sale" books just between Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve. That brought me to 55 for the year in total, and I have read exactly 18 of them. It's an addiction.
Have a great year!
Thank you, Sam! And acquiring books is definitely one of my addictions. The other is checking out too many library books every time I go to the library. That should be another goal of mine this year. ;D
DeleteThese are great goals! Like you, one of my goals is to try not to put as much pressure on myself with my blog. I always try to have at least four posts a week, but with life being so stressful lately, I just haven't had as much time to read, so that's really stretched my ability to keep up with the normal pace of my blog. Like you said, reading should be fun. So, I'm gonna take it a little slower this year.
ReplyDeleteGood luck on your goals, Lark! Happy New Year! :)
Life has been stressful lately for everyone, I think. My work schedule has changed the amount of time I used to have to spend on my blog...and on reading and commenting on other blogs. It's hard to find a balance with it all. But hopefully we can both do that this year. :D
DeleteWonderful goals! I 100% agree, blogging should be whatever you want it to be, and definitely shouldn't become a source of stress (something I need to remind myself of as well). I don't do challenges either, for the same reason -- I want to read for me, not because a book fits a particular category. Good luck with your goals! Wishing you a terrific start to 2024!
ReplyDeleteThank you! I'm going to try and be a more relaxed and happier version of myself this year. I hope 2024 turns out to be a wonderful year for you, too. :D
DeleteI am doing the exact same. No reading challenges, even though I love them!!! I am planning to do the Goodreads challenge, I set my goal at 200, simply because I do normally get that many. I am hoping to try some new things as well! Happy New Year!!!
ReplyDeleteI've been getting close to or above 200 books each year lately, too. But I don't worry about my numbers. Just about finding good books to read...and the time to read them. :D
DeleteLark, first of all, Happy New Year to you and your family! Secondly, I love what you wrote above. I think many of us have scaled back a bit on the blogging, but I also think we enjoy checking in with each other now and then. I have no set goals (as in numerical) either. I just want to enjoy my reading and have it be my 'happy' place again.
ReplyDeleteI do love being part of our blogging community! Everyone's friendship means so much, and I love talking books with other book bloggers. It's why I don't want to give blogging up, but I need to find a way to make it less stressful on myself this year.
DeleteBlogging should be fun so only do what is fun for you. Happy New Year. I hope you find a lot of good books this year.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Mary! I need to work on not putting pressure on myself...in all aspects of my life...and stop being such a stress case. ;D
DeleteHappy New Year!!!
ReplyDeleteWonderful goals! And I want to get back to some authors and series I feel I've neglected as well.
Also, I just finished your stoy and I love it. Such a good ending!
Have you seen Sammy Hagar lately? He sounds great for his age and he always looks like he's having so much fun :):)
Thanks for reading our Kindle Vella story...and for all your positive feedback and kind comments! It really means a lot. And Sammy Hagar is so great. He does look like he's always having fun. I love that he's still rocking. :D
DeleteHappy New Year! It is nice to just read a book and not have to think about a blog post for it, isn't it? I haven't decided about challenges myself for this year.
ReplyDeleteHappy reading, & I'm sure I'll enjoy however many blog posts you do decide to write in the new year!
Thank you! It's dumb that I put so much pressure on myself to find the perfect books to review and post about...I need to just stop worrying and read what I want this year. :D
DeleteHappy New Year Lark! Reading challenges are so fun but at the same time they can be a source of pressure. It's a fine balance for sure. Most importantly I hope you have a lot of fun with your books this year!
ReplyDeleteSome years I really enjoy a good reading challenge, other years I just can't face having to read a certain list of books and then have to review them...and this year I just don't have it in me to commit to any reading challenge. No matter how fun they sound. :D
DeleteYes, feeling the pressure of blogging is a sign to step back. It's a hobby and shouldn't feel like a 2nd job. I feel like it is sometimes. I didn't sign up for any challenges that would be hard for me to complete. Audiobooks are the way I mainly read now, Library Love, and Goodreads. Wishing you a Happy New Year, Lark! :)
ReplyDeleteWhen the challenge fits in with what you read anyway then it makes sense to sign up for it...that's why Susan's Bookish Books Reading Challenge worked so well for me last year. But I just don't need the extra pressure this year. So I'm just going to read what I want in 2024. :D
DeleteHappy New Year Lark! I like that you're keeping your reading flexible. I can't wait to see what great books you read. I'm sure you will continue to be a terrible influence on me in the best way!
ReplyDeleteYou add to my TBR list every week! And I love it. :D
DeleteI have to say I really like your bookish goals for '24. More non-fiction, less pressure and no intentional TBR lists. 2023 was really bad for my reading challenges, I never managed to stick to any lists. Wish you a very happy reading year ahead, where reading is more joy than tedium!
ReplyDelete~Lex (lexlingua.co)
It can be so hard sticking to a list...especially when your mood changes, or your life changes. I have some books in mind that I want to read this year, but mostly I'm just going to go where my mood takes me. :D
DeleteI like your goals, Lark. We don't want to put too much pressure in our reading goals and blogging; afterall they're all meant to be fun. Here's wishing you a Happy New Year and a year filled with good books, Lark! :)
ReplyDeleteThank you, Melody! I'm looking forward to our next buddy read at the end of the month. :D
DeleteSome really excellent plans for 2024, Lark. I have one 2 year official bingo challenge to finish this year but apart from that I'm not doing any more either. Instead, I made some personal goals and armed with a trusty new notebook :-) will see how I go. If I get there, I get there, if I don't no one will know except me. And best of all, no pressure and I can read what I like. Happy New Year!
ReplyDeleteNo pressure is the best way to read! And I like not having lots of lists, because then I have room in my reading life when new books crop up, which they always do. :D
DeleteI'm completely on board with your reading goals. Happy New Year!
ReplyDelete:D They feel like the right goals for me this year. And I'm excited to see what I end up reading.
DeleteNot having any challenges is great! I did that last year and it was so nice but mainly bc I knew I was having a baby mid-way through the year. I am going to do a 24 of 24 backlist books and finish the series. I am SO bad about starting series and never finishing them and that's my focus this year! I hope you get caught up too!
ReplyDeleteI've been struggling to keep up with and/or finish series lately, too. Good luck with your 24 of 24 backlist books challenge. I hope you're able to finish the series you want to this year. :D
DeleteThese are all great goals for the year, Lark. I am stepping back from challenges this year too. I really like the direction you are going with your personal goals. I should consider doing the same. I hope you have a wonderful 2024, Lark.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much! I wish you luck on all your goals and in your life this year, too. :D
DeleteGood luck with your bookish goals this year, Lark. I agree: blogging should be fun. Here's hoping you get to read more of what you want this year.
ReplyDeleteI'm certainly going to make an effort to stop putting so much pressure on myself and to just step back, breathe, and have some fun this year. :D
DeleteThese are wonderful plans, Lark, and I agree with making reading and blogging as stress free as possible. I'm limiting my reading challenges to only two short seasonal ones. Happy 2024!
ReplyDeleteGood luck with your two reading challenges! I look forward to seeing what you find to read this year. :D
DeleteLark, I love these goals! I'm with you - blogging should be fun. I lost sight of that last year and I stopped blogging. So, this year, I just want to go back to sharing about the books I love and posting when the mood strikes. No pressure, just fun. Good luck with your bookish goals!
ReplyDeleteI wish you fun on your reading and blogging journey this year. Hopefully we can both recapture our love of it this year. :D
DeleteThese are great ways to simplify your life and add balance. Happy New Year!
ReplyDeleteThank you! I wish you all the best in 2024. :D
DeleteYou're entering 2024 with such a strong sense of purpose and grace. I learned long ago that there's great freedom in not imposing the limitations of plans or goals strictly onto my life. In fact, reading a book a week is one of the few resolutions that has truly stuck with me, and even then there are years where it doesn't happen. I hope this is a year of peace and joy for you, however that manifests in your own life!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Ethan! That means a lot to me. :D
DeleteGo where your reading & blogging mood takes you! That's the best. Mood reading is often when you find the best books. Cheers.
ReplyDeleteThat's what I'm hoping for this year. :D
DeleteThese are wonderful goals, Lark! You're right that blogging needs to be fun or what is the point. I don't know that I could limit myself to adding only 10 books in a year though :) Good luck!
ReplyDeleteI went over my 10 book limit last year, but knowing I was trying to keep my book purchases down made me more careful about the books I did choose to buy, and that was good. We'll see what happens this year. ;D
DeleteHaving flexibility in your reading schedule is so nice! You get to explore all kinds of books that you might not have otherwise. Here's to a great year of reading in 2024!
ReplyDeleteAnd that's what I'd really like to do this year...explore and discover new and wonderful books to read. :D
DeleteAdmirable goals. You never want something you do for fun (i.e., blog) turn into a chore. I found that when I just posted when I felt I had something to share and not on a schedule, the joy returned! I do like to make sure I have a healthy dose of nonfiction in my reading life---I love stories and could read fiction nonstop, but I also find the nonfiction to be the ones that stick in my head the longest. Good luck with meeting your goals!
ReplyDeleteThank you! I'm hoping to recapture my own joy of blogging and reading this year. We'll see how it goes. :D
DeleteHappy New Year, Lark! I think these are all fabulous goals. I finally gave up trying to do a set number of blog posts per week in 2023 and enjoyed the freedom.
ReplyDeleteThat's what I'm hoping for this year! :D
DeleteThese sound like reasonable goals. I stepped back from reading challenges a few years ago. They were stressing me out. I also have decided that blogging ultimately is for me so I should write what I want, when I want. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year.
I don't want to stop blogging, but I need to find a way to make it less stressful on myself. And thanks for all your kind comments over the years. :D
DeleteSounds like you've got a great mindset about blogging going into the new year. I will always look forward to your posts, no matter how often you publish them :) I'm also putting myself on a book buying ban since my bookshelves are literally bending under the weight of all my unread books. I bought plenty in 2023 - now I just need to focus on reading them and not buying anymore. Good luck to both of us!
ReplyDeleteI hope you're able to get some of your own unread books read this year. That's always a struggle for me. I'm so excited to buy them...and then I don't read them. Who knows why? ;D
DeleteThese are wonderful goals, Lark. I especially love your comment about "this year I want to allow room in my reading for sudden changes of mood, new books, rereads, books from off my own shelves, and library serendipity." Yes. That.
ReplyDeleteI pulled back on challenges this year, but I did sign up for a few, including the one I host. The ones I kept all allow for a great deal of flexibility in what I choose to read, so I'm sure that whatever I end up reading, a lot the books will satisfy at least one of the challenges I'm doing.
I agree with you entirely that blogging should be fun. I hope that taking some of the pressure off yourself will help you enjoy it more when you do blog!
Happy New Year, and best of luck with all your goals, both personal and book-related.
Reading challenges with that kind of flexibility are the best. I still feel pressure to post about the books I read for them though, otherwise I probably would have done your Backlist Reader Challenge again. Thanks for all your kind wishes! I hope you have a wonderful year this year, too. :D
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