DEBORAH CROMBIE: Now that we tackled our resolutions for 2023 (including not making resolutions!) let's extend that conversation to books. Does anyone set reading goals for the coming year? I'm a great fan of Anne Bogel's Modern Mrs. Darcy blog, and she's big on reading goals and plans. She publishes a lovely book journal every year (now sold out, so it's popular.)
I, however, have never set reading goals, except the most haphazard sort: read more non-fiction; get to more of those books on my to-read stack, and more of the mumble-mumble-how-many-ever books on my Kindle (that is another blog!); sit down with a cuppa by the fire and really enjoy some treasures like my illustrated Wind in the Willows and my new illustrated Harry Potters.
I've never kept a proper "what I've read" book journal, either, although I've wasted many a pretty blank book with only a page or two filled in. But three or four years ago, I started making notes of what I was reading (or listening to) in my weekly planner. There's a space for notes on the right-hand page and I've very faithfully written down that week's books, along with some little notations, sometimes stars, very occasionally a sad face, sometimes mini reviews. It's been so interesting at the end of the year to look back, not just to see what I've read but what experiences particular books bring up, and also how my reading tastes fluctuated.
In 2022, I can tell you that I read (or listened to) 86 books, not counting re-reads (or maybe these should be counted?) I have no idea if this is high, low, or average–not that it matters! Is it seriously nerdy to want to keep track of this?
Do you, dear Reds, keep a record of your reading?
HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN: Goals? NO. My goals have to do with sleep and word count. And when I read your question about a book diary, my first thought was no, never, never done that, not gonna do that.
But I have to say, reading about your little notations, that’s so interesting, and pretty tempting. Hmmm.
I read at least a book a week for my Crime Time interviews on A Mighty Blaze, and I keep those on a special shelf. I do love looking at it–and it’s funny, some of them I could still tell you every little detail about. And some I think, oh, I read that? Not a clue.
I’m also always reading for blurbs, and it’s fun to see my words on covers and think, oh, yes, that was really good!
And I think 86 is about right. In that ballpark, with Crime Time and arcs and First Chapter Fun, and even, gasp, books for fun.
So, Debs, again. I’m kinda tempted. Because I NEED one more thing to do.
RHYS BOWEN: My goal would be to read books I actually choose to read rather than that big pile of “ waiting to be blurbed”.
Having become the go-to person for stories historical I am approached by my publishers , other publishers, writers, agents. I try not to say no because other writers have been generous to me but it does cut into the time I have to read for pleasure and outside my own genre.
Also since I’m now writing two and a half books a year I find there are books I can’t read when I’m writing or I pick up a writer’s style. I love going on vacation and catching up with my reading. There’s a new Kate Morton coming out soon. Love her books!
JENN McKINLAY: I don’t really have reading goals. I keep track of what I’ve read by posting a picture of the book in my Instagram story. I just checked - I posted 37 books last year but that doesn’t include the ones I didn’t think were worthy of sharing or ARCs I read for blurbs. I like to think that books find me when I need to read them, so I likely won’t make any goals other than to make sure I read every day, usually before bed, which has been my habit since I was a kid.
HALLIE EPHRON: I don’t have reading goals either. What I do have is a pile of books I’ve been meaning to get to. Books other people have told me are fantastic but that I’ve not yet cracked the spine. Like the nonfiction THE HARE WITH THE AMBER EYES. And because everyone is talking about it, LESSONS IN CHEMISTRY. The novel GILEAD. That one’s been on my list for decades. And there’s the book in the pile. Her HOUSEKEEPING is one of my all-time favorites, stuck in my head for decades after I read it.
LUCY BURDETTE: Oh no please don’t make me set book goals!! Like Hank, my goals are word count and sleep. Like Jenn, I read every night before bed and it’s my relaxation from busy days. I really want to read what appeals to me right in that moment–not what I should be reading. I realized that the way I keep track is on Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/lucy-burdette Do the rest of you use BB? Except I won’t list a book that I can’t recommend. Recently I read one by an author I like very much and was so looking forward to. It was just awful. I will keep that to myself…
JULIA SPENCER-FLEMING: I'm going to throw in my lot with Debs here: I'm going to make a reading plan for 2023. Why? Because last year I had a lot of fallow periods where I just couldn't find anything I really, truly wanted to dive in to. I would look at book rec lists or reviews or bookshelves and it was like scrolling through one of the less-popular tiers of Netflix: "Nah...maybe...Ugh."
I've decided what I need is to create a few lists based on theme, or subject, or author, or... I don't know, I'm open to suggestion. Then I can start at the top of the list and work my way down. I'm not going to commit to finishing every book, or to a certain number of books, but I think that planning my TBR pile will keep me from aimlessly poking around or worse, trying to find something "just like" the last read and failing.
DEBS: Well, I can see I'm definitely falling on the nerdy end of the spectrum here! Readers, do you set reading goals? Or keep track of what you read in a year?
No goal-setting here [although I always toss a number in the Goodreads Reading Challenge at the beginning of the year] . . . my main goal is to read enough books from my teetering to-be-read pile so that I can keep it from collapsing . . . but that’s about it.
ReplyDeleteI don’t keep a list a list of what I’m reading/have read, but I could easily retrieve that information because I do keep a copy of any reviews I might write . . . .
Sounds like a good system, Joan!
DeleteDebs, I am the biggest nerd of them all, and when I looked up Modern Mrs. Darcy, I could barely contain my excitement at all the book lists awaiting me. I am besotted with lists, and book lists in particular. My goals for the new year are always reading goals. My list of new books coming out in 2023 (New Books in 2023) is filling up quite nicely. I have a month by month listing of new books coming out that interest me. I will never get to all the books listed for a month, but I highlight the ones I do read. Also, there is a list for my planned reading for each month, which might include some back titles I haven't gotten to yet. These are the books that I want to read and review. Reviewing helps me keep track of what the books are about that I read, so that's a bonus I get from reviewing. I also have a list for books from the previous year that I didn't get to and want to read, and there might be a few from years before, too. Did I mention that I'm working on a way to slow down time?
ReplyDeleteGoodreads is my book journal for books I've read every year. I do the Goodreads Book Challenge, trying to estimate how many books I will read during the year. Goodreads puts the cover of the book read in your challenge list, and I, or anyone else, can click on the cover to take you to the synopsis of the book and my review. And, at the end of each year, I print out a copy of all the book covers as my list of books read that year. I currently have those print-outs in a folder, but I'm going to hole-punch them and put them in a notebook. This way, my children and grandchildren can just look in that notebook to see what books I read. What do you mean they won't set down and look at that? Hahaha! Before I started keeping track on Goodreads, for about five or six years I kept pocket-sized journals, little blue ones I got from Barnes and Noble. You can now buy them on Amazon, but I think they're red now. I will include these little journals with the notebook for my family to treasure when I'm gone. Hey, it's my legacy. I'm hoping it will soften the blow of when I spend all our money before I go. I think they'll appreciate it.
Debs, I will thank you/curse you in advance for the rabbit hole of Modern Mrs. Darcy. I doubt I will get anything done tomorrow but looking through her lists.
Kathy, you're a hoot. I know your family will cherish your journals, as your legacy.
DeleteKathy, I award you the Nerdiest of All title, and we love you to bits!! You are staggeringly organized. Have you read The Reading List by Sara Nisha Adams? So good, and I think you'd really enjoy it. (I think it was a suggestion from Modern Mrs. Darcy...)
DeleteDebs, I happily accept the title and return the love! I do have to note that the organization doesn't work as well as it should. I saw in later comments you mentioned being a reading magpie, and I too often am thrown off track by those shiny objects. And, yes, I have read The Reading List and loved it so much. It is now on my list (yes, another list) of my all-time favorite reading. It's one of those books I want everyone to read.
DeleteKaren, I shudder to think what fate awaits my treasure trove of books.
Thanks to my blog, I do keep track of everything I read in a year. In multiple places since I also log/review them at Goodreads and Amazon and....
ReplyDeleteAs to goals, I always join the Goodreads challenge. I set my goal low in January, 100 books, and then usually increase it in the fall when I hit my initial goal.
There are lots of other reading challenges out there on book blogs. I've always joined a few, but I joined a lot for me this year - 17. But I picked ones that I will naturally fall into, like cozies or historical fiction, and then picked levels that I will naturally fall into without too much extra work on my part. It's more a way to spreading my reviews around a little more than anything to do with challenging myself.
On a monthly basis, I look at the ARCs I have, and then mix in books that are screaming at my from my TBR mountain range. I try not to read the same author too close together to allow other authors into the mix.
But here's the thing, I find all this fun. Maybe it's the plotter, I mean planner, in me, but I enjoy mixing it all up like this. I just wish I had more time to read because there are so many books calling my name.
(How's this for a long winded answer to a relatively simple question?)
We all wish we had Time Turners, Mark!
DeleteI don't set reading goals. I do keep a list of books I read.
ReplyDeleteWe know you read a lot for your reviews, Dru!
DeleteSigh. This whole post and comments made me hang my head. I don't make reading goals, and the closest I come to lists are a daily mish-mash: "finish draft (of a story); call Carla about Saturday; trim nails, download new Sherlock bk" That sort of list. About the most "writerly" listing I ever did was during a dry spell when I made lists of colors, thinking I could draw from them in the future: Every name I could think of for red; for blue; yellow: green; black; etc. But now you all have piqued my curiosity about Modern Mrs Darcy. Perhaps she'll inspire me.
ReplyDeleteElizabeth, thanks for suggesting the vegetarian cookbook yesterday. I had a project that kept me busy until dinner time so it was late when I saw your response;-)
DeleteYou're welcome. Only it's Madhur Jaffrey, not Joffrey. We don't have our shipping yet and thus our books, but it's the one that's vegetarian and primarily eastern cuisines--Indian, Asian, etc.
DeleteElizabeth, Modern Mrs Darcy is the only other book/life related blog I read regularly other than JRW. Some of my favorite books the last couple of years have come from suggestions on MMD.
DeleteThanks for this. II just checked out her site, but it looks very complicated. Joining. Access to content. All of that. I was expecting, well, a blog. Do you have a tip on the best way to navigate her link witihout getting drawn into so many different aspects?
DeleteI'm in the word count and sleep crew, and not keeping track. I do read every evening, and on vacation, but I'm sure if I set a goal even of jotting down finished books in my daily to-do notebook, I would fail, so why try?
ReplyDeleteGood point, Edith.
DeleteOver on Goodreads, they have a Reading Challenge option each year. I take part in that by setting a goal (always achievable) of books to read in a given year. And since I do that, there is a record of which books I read in a given year.
ReplyDeleteIt's such a good system. I'm beginning to think I'm the only one not using it.
DeleteI used to keep a reading journal, then moved to goodreads. Now, I send a Friday morning email to a group of far-flung friends, mentioning what I'm reading and watching on TV (pre-pandemic, it was movies we had watched in a theatre and local stage and concert productions). I'm in a mystery writers zoom book group and write a monthly book review for the Writers Who Kill blog.
ReplyDeleteI love your reading group share, Margaret! What a fun idea!
DeleteMy goal for this year is to review more books on Amazon and Goodreads. I only review books I really like a lot. Never write a hurtful review! So, I have decided to forego asking for arcs except from authors I already love.
ReplyDeleteAt the beginning of the pandemic, I started a notebook in which I write a synopsis of every book I read on Kindle, Hoopla or paper. Because I love reading series, I can remind myself of characters and plots for 100 authors pretty easily. I have completely filled 2 notebooks. I have not counted, but there must be hundreds of pages most written on both sides.
On Audible, I review as I read. It is quite simple and because most narrators are very good, there is always something positive to say. However, I screen my Audible selections and won't even take a "free" book if the narrator isn't someone I can listen to for hours. I think I have also listened to 100 or so books but Audible, which tells me every week how many minutes I have spent listening, did not tell me my yearly count. (Also, I do reread and re-listen to favorites.) I
Oh, to answer your question, I don't set goals other than to share my opinion more often.
We--writers and readers--love that you share your opinions, Judy! I screen Audible narrators, too. It's got to be such a subjective thing, don't you think? And while I can't listen to a book if I don't like the narrator (or sometimes I'll struggle through, feeling irritated the whole time), a great narrator is such a joy.
DeleteI would be interested in a list (again, a list) or some suggestions on your favorite narrators, Judy and Debs.
DeleteKathy, happy to share that but I'll have to compile one first. Would you listen to romances or to women's fiction? I know you read cozies. How about straight detective, police procedural or any other genre? Let me know which kinds of books you'd listen to, and I'll go to my Audible files and pull out some of the best narrators that I have come across. Also, would you recognize a Boston accent as opposed to a New York accent? It's a real question.
DeleteI have recorded and summarized the books I have read each year for over 40 years. First I used index cards & a manual typewriter, then switched to inputting my books into a DOS database for 20 years. Lately, I keep track of my reading on Goodreads.
ReplyDeleteI have joined the Goodreads reading challenge since 2016. 2022 was the first year I read less than 100 books due to Omicron zapping my reading mojo for 8 months. I only read 15 books from January-August but ramped up to reading 83 books from September-December for a total of 98.
My 2023 Goodreads reading goal is back up to 170 books. I read 160-175 books each year before 2022.
Wow!
DeleteI agree. Wow!
DeleteThanks, but I know plenty of people who read more books in a year than I do. That 200+ books in a year goal still eludes me.
DeleteWow, Grace! And do you remember them all?
DeleteHA HA, no way I can remember them! But I can bring up each book reviewed in the DOS database. There are individual book reviews & annual lists of books read from the 1980s to 2016. After 2016, I can check Goodreads.
DeleteCovid wrecked me for reading, too, but I did not bounce back as well as you!
DeleteI have been entering a goal in the Goodreads reading challenge since 2014. My average is currently at 66 books per year. I used to take it as a true challenge and up my goal each year, but I found myself racing through books and not enjoying them. Now I just put in 52 and use it as a way to keep track of the titles I have read each year.
ReplyDeleteI have no interest in book journaling as it seems too much like doing book reports in school which I absolutely hated. I do star them all and write short reviews for many of them on goodreads.
I read one book at a time and very rarely ever do an audio book. I read daily and most of it is at bedtime. I do want to read the books I currently have in my possession before I acquire more so that is a vague goal for this year.
If I took up that goal, Brenda, and if I counted the books on Kindle, I would never buy another book:-)
DeleteI am also trying to limit buying books until my pile and my Kindle are more respectable. Hah!
DeleteThe closest I come to is the Goodreads Reading Challenge. Last year I set a goal of 60 books and read 65 (and yes, re-reads count). It comes in helpful at the end of the year and people start asking questions.
ReplyDeleteYears ago, I wanted to keep a reading journal, and I started, but I didn't much like it. It felt very slow and cumbersome to write by hand. I had been on Goodreads for a long time, so I started keeping track of my reading there. That works very well for me, and I wish more of my reading friends would do it too, because I get ideas from others. Last year I had a Goodreads goal of 75, but read 83 (and I just read, don't really listen to books), This year I reduced my goal to 70, just because I want some space to read longer non-fiction books without worrying about getting behind.
ReplyDeleteHallie, our book group read Housekeeping last year and I agree that it's memorable--I can still see the house, the lake, the train tracks, so atmospheric. BTW, I totally think re-reads count. During the pandemic, I re-read many books on my shelves, including the old Deborah Crombies and Julia-Spencer Flemings. So satisfying.
Our book club read Housekeeping several years ago. The meeting fell on a date I couldn't attend, so I didn't read it for the discussion, but I did read Gilead when it was chosen, and then also Home, the next book in the series. Robinson is a gifted writer.
DeleteMarilyn Robinson's Gilead is on Kindle Unlimited at the moment. I haven't read it so will maybe add to my Kindle.
DeleteGillian, I often re read books. I had to stop using Goodreads for many reasons. Now I am using StoryGraph.
DeleteDiana
Great post today! I have the exact reading journal photographed in this blog.
ReplyDeleteFunny story....I checked out a new book by Lucy Burdette from the library. I was so excited, thinking it was a new book. It was the Key West foodie mystery series. I checked it out, read the book and I am thinking. "I read this book before" then looked at the year of publication. I had read it when it first came out. As I said, I am so bad at remembering titles!
After this, I decided that perhaps it was a good idea to keep track of books that I have read! On my Instagram feed, I often post about books.
Gave up on reading goals especially the number of books. I want to read for fun.
Diana
I have done the same thing--a memorable one was a Sharyn McCrumb. I checked it out from the library, but didn't remember that I had already read it until I came to a scene on page 52, where there was a small error that bothered me both times! Sigh.
DeleteWe love your Insta feed, Diana!
DeleteGillian, thank you for sharing. Diana
DeleteDeborah, thank you! I try my best!😊. Diana
DeleteDIana! What is your insta feed??
Deletewonderwomandbookish. - quite a long name for my IG!
DeleteI don't set book goals, but I would like to try to get into the habit of writing some notes about the books I've read. I think that was mentioned on another post, that some folks do that.
ReplyDeleteEach book moves me in a different way. And each book gives me a little lesson in what it is to be human. And the messiness or joy of relating to other people, each on their own journey of discovery. I'd like to try to firm up those lessons by jotting them down in a notebook. Perhaps 2023 is the year!
I absolutely love this idea, JC. That sounds like the perfect use for a proper book journal.
DeleteI do keep track of books I have read and I do the Goodreads challenge only because then there will be a neat list of what books I have read each year. But now I'm wishing I have kept track of who recommended the book. Since many times it is months or even longer before I actually get to read a book on my list, I no longer remember why I put it on the list in the first place. So if I were to make any resolutions it would be to make not of who recommended what. But how and where would I do that
ReplyDeleteA dilemma!
DeleteNo reading goals here in terms of numbers of books per year. No journaling, except sometimes if a book really moves me or excites me (that's usually nonfiction, an 'aha' moment of insight). The only reading hope I have for this year is to be able to find a book that so captures my wandering mind that I can read it from cover to cover. Except for re-reads, that ability has sadly eluded me most of this past year.
ReplyDeleteOh, Flora, that sounds so frustrating. I would if audio books would be any better?
Delete
DeleteDeborah, I'm going to be doing a series of small quilts--I've been thinking about checking out audio books to keep me company while I sew.
That's a great idea, Flora.
DeleteI have patches like that Flora. I'm going to try and break out a little this year and read things I normally wouldn't - we'll see how it goes!
DeleteYou all who cannot read should be checked for neurological and vision issues.
DeleteYup I do keep a diary in Excel – for very practical reasons. As some of you know, my books come from the library and consist mostly of audiobooks, and some e-books, and very few book books. Audios are easy to ‘read’ while you are doing things. E-books are mostly cozies for going to bed, with the occasional Book Club book that only comes in that format, and book books are only Book Club books that I have to waste my time and sit down to read. (I also think I don’t comprehend them as well, but maybe it is only because my body is having a fit sitting still.)
ReplyDeleteI started the diary because it seemed that every other book was WW2, and it was becoming ‘one of these books is almost just like the other’ and the titles were so similar. On the other hand there are also fabulous writers of the genre like Winspear.
The list also allowed me to keep track of the order of books in a series, so that I could read them in sequence.
We also ‘read’ books together in the car – long books for long travel, and other books for short jaunts to Sydney. Then there are the 2 Book Clubs/month – also out of the two local libraries – they provide the books.
Last year I posted 253 books ‘read’ or started (audio’s), and probably 25 more in a not collated list for cozies. Of the 253, some were not finished, but there is always a note as to why not – ‘boring’, ‘can’t like any of the characters’, not enough time in my life to read this drivel’. There are also notes on them all, with a score out of 10 like this: 1-Dec-22 – French - Bobbi French - The Good Women of Safe Harbour - Nfld culture knowledge was important but not necessary, ticked a lot of boxes - abortion, friendship, adoption, death, MAiD, but she got me in the end! 9.5/10. Pure enjoyment! These notes let me go back and see what I read and what I thought of it.
So right now, I am almost finished Nowhere to Hide as an audio, reading Grilled for Murder in bed, finished Alan Doyle in the short car trip, reading WhiteThorn on the long car trip, have Anxious People to read for Book Club, and drooling to read Joy Ellis last Fens book.
I see there are already 6 books on my list for 2023. 2 were terrible, 1 was a quit, 1 was hilarious, and 2 are still being read. Just a drop in the bucket of all that is out there to read…
So now I am off to deliver a dozen dozen eggs to the FoodBank (we have way too many eggs right now!). I will finish one of the reading books on the drive, and think I will start Sweet Sweet Revenge (Jonas Jonason) this afternoon while I put away the groceries.
Again, Wow! Glad you included that short review of the NFLD book. Hubs and I have been there three times so I think I'll read that book.
DeleteWow, Margo, you really do need a system to keep up! Love your notations, too!
DeleteWhat they said. I set a reading goal on Goodreads. Last year I really missed my mark. Yes, I read the books. No, I didn't review or even list them. When I did, list them somehow the did not record the site. So I got mad, took my books and went home. New year, new computer and new challenges. I am writing more stuff and maybe less reviews. I hope to not get too attached to the idea of challenges, just relax into the day and have fun.
ReplyDeleteThat is the best method, Coralee. I do have books I have to read for quotes, or research, but otherwise I just read for fun and I love seeing what different directions that takes me.
DeleteI don't need to set book goals because, at least since I've been retired, I've typically read 200 books or more each year. However, I do set one for Goodreads because they ask me to, and because I'm hoping it somehow helps me win books from them (although I've only ever won two). But since 2006 I have recorded the titles, authors, and my ratings for all the books I have read. It helps me when I'm trying to decide whether to read a book by a particular author, or whether I've read a book already. Because I read a lot, I have sometimes made it three-quarters through a book and thought--hmm, this sounds familiar (yes, I've read it before). Since 2018 I have also summarized each book I have read, and since I started requesting ARCs on NetGalley in 2021, I have written a review of each, which I post on NetGalley and Goodreads, and then on Amazon when the book is released . I have to write the review immediately after I have finished the book or it fades in my memory as I read each successive book. It's worth it to me because even though I don't have a blog or an Instagram or Twitter account, I have scored about 150 ARCs from NetGalley to date, and it has become a lovely new source of books for me, in addition to the library, of course..
ReplyDeleteThat sounds very organized to me, Margie! And I know we all appreciate the trouble you go to to review books on NetGalley and Amazon.
DeleteFantastic, Margie!
DeleteHurray, Margie! And yes, a good and wise review is so incredibly appreciated...it can make SUCH a difference!
DeleteI don't set goals other than to have at least one really interesting book to read at any given moment. I have, however, sometimes kept lists. Way back in the fifth grade my teacher wanted all of us to keep a list of all the books we read during the school year. I found that interesting, and kept up the practice in sixth and seventh grade, getting up to 100 books per academic year, plus an additional 50 over the summer. And, yes, re-reads count. I haven't kept lists since, but I started one at the beginning of this year, mainly because we talked about it. So I guess we'll see how it goes!
ReplyDeleteAre you putting in your planner, Gigi, or keeping a separate journal?
DeleteI'm putting it in one of the notebooks that came with my fancy leather folios--a notebook I had no real use for until I hit upon the idea of a book list! Room on the side for comments if necessary.
DeleteLast year was the first time I've ever tried to keep track of how many books I've read, at least since I started reading ebooks. It used to be easier: just count all the books that get piled up after reading them. Now ebooks and audiobooks complicate the count. Also, 2022 was the first year since I had Covid in 2020 that I had the attention span to read more like I used to.
ReplyDeleteI started using OneNote to list books by month, and up until the first week of July it worked. Then my Microsoft account went kerflooey and OneNote "lost" the page I was using to list books. I found it again eventually, but that was months--and many books--later.
Up until July, though, I'd read 76 books. Not as many as I used to, but a good number.
Another good reason to use paper, lol! I know I sound like a complete Luddite, but I do use Google calendar as well as my paper planner, and I do use One Note as well, but I really like having a paper record of what I've done/am doing. And crossing things off a digital list is somehow just not as satisfying.
DeleteI'm a big physical list maker, too... though I might email myself a reminder or two occasionally. and I've never been comfortable with an online calendar. I still keep a paper one. And I so agree on how satisfying it is to actually CHECK items off a to do list.
DeleteI kept the list on my phone, which is usually with me. I tend to misplace paper lists.
DeleteIt really is satisfying to check off tasks!
No reading goals here. I read for pure pleasure. I did start keeping track of what I read several years ago. I have a designated notebook that I write the date, title, and author. That's all. I do have some books listed on Goodreads but those are mainly books I've reviewed through NetGalley or books on a wishlist. My complete list is on paper.
ReplyDeleteI set a yearly goal on Goodreads and since I read 99% of my books on Kindle, it keeps track as I finish. The few paper books I read, I add in manually. 84 last year. I can also rate the books. I rarely review unless a book is outstanding, or I have won it in a giveaway. I haven't used Bookbub, but I think I should start. So, I'm four books into this year - it's a good time to start :)
ReplyDeleteI do use bookbub for the books I read on Kindle, but I don't pay much attention to what I've listed.
DeleteNo reading goals for me. Books and reading are part of my life -- new authors, new books, and also old favourites (over and over again). However, I do copy favourite sentences and meaningful passages into a lovely journal.
ReplyDeleteThat's such a nice idea, and one of those things I always think I'll do and then don't get around to. Sigh.
DeleteI don’t have reading goals. If I see a book that seems interesting at the library or a bookstore I want to be free to read it ASAP! (And of course that’s why it takes me so long to get to my TBR pile!)
ReplyDeleteDebRo
DebRo, that's why my TBR pile is insurmountable. I'm a magpie--there is always something new and shiny to read!
DeleteI just re-added my contribution to the discussion, which got lost thanks to the vagaries of Blogger, but here it is as a comment, just in case:
ReplyDeleteI'm going to throw in my lot with Debs here: I'm going to make a reading plan for 2023. Why? Because last year I had a lot of fallow periods where I just couldn't find anything I really, truly wanted to dive in to. I would look at book rec lists or reviews or bookshelves and it was like scrolling through one of the less-popular tiers of Netflix: "Nah...maybe...Ugh."
I've decided what I need is to create a few lists based on theme, or subject, or author, or... I don't know, I'm open to suggestion. Then I can start at the top of the list and work my way down. I'm not going to commit to finishing every book, or to a certain number of books, but I think that planning my TBR pile will keep me from aimlessly poking around or worse, trying to find something "just like" the last read and failing.
Hi! Dar Simpson here. I do keep a list of books I read but if you want to see a really interesting person's list go to https://www.kittlingbooks.com/ and look at today's blog! Amazing!
ReplyDeleteSo interesting!! Thanks for the link! I'm going to pour over this later!
DeleteI set goals on Goodreads, mostly for tracking and bragging purposes. 100-125 books per year. But it’s only an average. A better count might be pages. There’s a big difference in 125 and 800+.
ReplyDeleteI only read at night in bed or on a long flight. Can’t read if there’s any distraction. I go to bed, turn my phone off, pull the blinds, and read for at least three hours! I probably average 2-3 books a week.
Just read Your Guide to Not Getting Murdered in an English Village. Laughed until I wept. It’s an illustrated — think Gorey — novella by two people I wish I knew Have a look and enjoy!
Oh, I have BIG to do list, on paper. ANd although I do use an Outlook calendar, it's in addition to the paper one, You all are amazing, truly, so wonderfully organized and thoughtful. And keeping track is kinda Proustian.
ReplyDeleteIt is, Hank, absolutely. My planner is my miniature Sam Pepys!
DeleteI totally admire people who have a plan - I m by nature a planner too - but I don't do it for books, beyond keeping a running list in a small notebook, to remind me of titles I want to read.(Ok. Truth is that the notebook is in 4 sections, divided by color-edged paper. #1 is mysteries, #2 is other fiction, # is non fiction. #4 is separate lists of "best books." But this is all a memory aid. Here's why I don't have a "plan": I spent many years in business research, responsible for following a number of loosely related industries. I read - well, skimmed - the general business sources AND all the trade magazines AND a lot of weekly newsletters.And that's when I stopped being part of a book club. On my own time, I was going to read what I felt like, and I still do. I do read out of my comfort zone- 2 outstanding ones this year were Winter Count and Razorblade Tears - and I do read books I know are silly too, but fun, and I re-read old favorites too. (A thrilling page turner is not a good idea late at night) And I have a few very fat non-fiction books I want to read someday, and I will. Works for me.
ReplyDeleteI'm coming in late today, so I've just read all the posts and so much enjoyed all of your descriptions of how you keep track of what you've read. Thanks for starting this subject, Debs! After all this posted advice, I've decided on two goals for 2023: a) to keep track of every book I read and listen to (included what I re-read, because I do love re-reading old favorites, especially before going to sleep) and b) to review any book that I can in good conscience give four or five stars to. When I think of how much I want good Amazon reviews for PESTICIDE, I'm ashamed that I don't take the time to review more of the books I read or listen to. So thanks, everyone, for helping me set this year's goals!
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