2020 Reading Resolutions and Goals

First of all, happy new year everyone! It is a new set of 366 pages we can write on.

As part of a yearly tradition, the new year also brings in an opportunity to set goals and resolutions to guide us for the year. To kick start start my new year, I have come up with my personal reading goals and resolutions, the third time I will do so. I fared better in 2019 than I did in 2018. Quantifying my goals seemed to help although I still missed the mark on some. I step into 2020 with the hopes that I get to accomplish my goals for this year (at least in terms of reading)

Without more ado, here are my reading resolutions for 2020.

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1. READ MORE AND BUY LESS! 

Again, this will form part of my new year’s resolution. It is shaping up to be a yearly tradition as I simply fail every single time. Haha! I continuously fail in achieving this resolution as I tend to buy more than I could read. For 2020, I am limiting myself to 10 books per quarter, for a total of 40 books for the entire year. I hope I can hold the fort this time and just resist the temptation of buying even more books that are bound to collect dust in my (burgeoning) bookshelf anyway. Tsk!

P.S. I already bought eight books so far and January has not even ended. SMH really. Can I just start my new year on January 25, in line with the Chinese New Year? Haha!

2. Read at least 60 Books.

Last year, my target was a modest 50 books but I ended up reading 56 books, which is a good number. For this year, I want to up the ante and challenge myself more so my goal is to read at least 60 books. But somewhere in the pile of books I am planning to read this year are two 1,000 plus pages books (Peter Nadas’ Parallel Stories and Lucy Ellmann’s Ducks, Newburyport). I am in for a bind but I am staying optimistic considering how much of a moody and slow reader I can be at times.

3. Read at least 50 pages every day

To achieve my second goal for the year, my target is to read at least 50 pages a day. Barring my mood and the demands of my job, this is something that I feel is something that I can accomplish. Again, I have at least two 1,000+ pagers on queue this year.

4. Read all 20 books in My 2020 Top 20 Reading List.

I nearly failed last year when I had to scramble for every last second just to make the cut for my 2019 Top 20 Reading List. It was the second consecutive year that I was able to hit the mark, although barely. For the fourth year in a row, I am crafting a list of books that will make up my 2020 Top 20 Reading List. The goal again, is to read all this year. This is a yearly tradition that I always look forward to. However, I am still in the process of completing my 2020 list although I have some books already in mind.

5. Beat the Backlist.

I am a back list type of reader. Of the 56 books I read last year, 48 books were published beyond 2019. However, I still have countless books published beyond 2020 (and a couple of books published in 2019). To solve this puzzle, I am signing up again for the Beat the Backlist challenge hosted by NovelKnight.

For the 2019 edition, I listed fifteen books. Unfortunately, I was only able to read six of the fifteen books. For 2020, I am coming up with a more realistic number, 12 books (one book per month). Some of these books were carried over from the 2019 list. Here’s to hoping I’d be able to read them all this time around.

6. Read diversely.

If there is one thing that I can be proud of in terms of reading is that I am able to adapt to various genres and subjects. This is one way I get over reading slumps. It also helps me fight reading boredom. Although this has become quite implied, reading books from a wide array of genres and themes will again form part of my 2020 reading goals and resolutions.

7. Read at least three works by Filipino authors.

I have always had an aversion for works by Filipino authors but lately I am building up my appetite for these works. In 2019, I was (gladly) able to accomplish my target of reading two works by Filipino authors. I am moving forward a step this time and aim for three books. Maybe next year I’ll aim for four to show my progression! Haha. I had one in 2018.

8. Read 15 books from the 1,001 Books You Must Read Before You Die list.

Thankfully, I hit my goal in 2019. My target was to read 15 books from this expansive list and I was able to go beyond that. For 2020, I will still be aiming for fifteen books. I just have to align it with the other reading challenges I have signed up for this year for optimization. I think this will not be much of a problem because I still have about 50 unread books belonging to this list. Oh yes, I have a bad case of book hoarding!

9. Read at least two nonfiction books.

Aside from reading local authors, I also have an aversion for nonfiction books. Unfortunately, I was not able to build on the momentum I sustained in 2018 as I only managed to read just one nonfiction book in 2019 (unless The Tattooist of Auschwitz counts?). For 2020, I’ll keep it low on this part again and aim for a conservative two nonfiction books.

10. Read at least one book from each of the six continents

Now this is a new resolution because I ditched the “classic reading challenge” resolution. I have recently discovered that each corner of the globe echo with different voices and stories. As part of my advocacy for diversity, I am aiming for at least one book from each of the six continents.

Could anyone please give a book recommendation for Oceania/Australia? 🙂

11. Post regularly here in my book blog.

This was part of my 2019 resolution although it was only in the year that I was able to find a stable platform to do a “regular” book blogging stint. This is in part due to my participation in various book blogging posts such as WWW Wednesday, Top Five/Ten Tuesdays, First Impression Friday, and just recently, Goodreads Mondays. All these activities ensured that I have my hands all tied up. Nonetheless, these are book blogging activities that I enjoy and will carry over into 2020.

12. Complete book review within a week of finishing a book.

I can be a laggard in terms of writing a book review. This was also part of my 2019 reading resolution but I failed, horribly. At year end, I found myself with a list of 15 books for review. It was going well at the start of the year. But then I got employed in March, hampering my earlier momentum. I am hoping that I can get it right in 2020.

13. TAKE IT ALL IN STRIDES.

After years of reading, it is important to give myself a space and time and not be driven by stresses of the various forces that is flowing in from all corners. Reading is not about the quantity but about the quality. Slow down if you must. Read at your own pace. What is important is that you appreciate the book on your hand. A gentle reminder to myself and to fellow readers who are hampered by various pressures: drink in the books one page at-a-time.

The year of the metal rat has began (not really, it will officially start on Chinese New Year, January 25). The only thing that I am looking forward to this year is that the books I read fill my soul, give me a deeper insight of the world, and offer me a broader perspective of life and its peripheries. I hope it will do the same to all of you fellow readers! Again, happy new year!

How was your 2019 in terms of reading? What are your reading goals and resolutions this year? Let me know your thoughts and let’s talk down in the comments section. 🙂