Happy Tuesday everyone! I hope that your week is going well and that you are also doing well. I know, most of us are still shrugging off some of that holiday hangover. But with the new year also comes new opportunities for us to be better, opportunities for us to turn on a new leaf. The new year also means new opportunities for reading new books and for new reading adventures. It is also a fresh canvas of book blogging year wanting to be painted with new memories.

As it is Tuesday, let me share a Top 5 Tuesday update for the year. Top 5 Tuesday was originally created by Shanah @ the Bionic Bookworm but is now currently being hosted by Meeghan @ Meeghan Reads.

This week’s topic: Top 5 bookish resolutions for 2024

Ah. New Year’s resolutions. There is a lot that I want to change or, at least, improve where my reading is concerned. Setting reading resolutions and goals has also become an integral part of my annual tradition. This will be a shorter version as I plan to share a more extensive list of my 2024 reading resolutions and goals. Without more ado, here are five of my 2023 bookish resolutions. Happy reading!

1. READ MORE AND BUY LESS! 

Kicking off this list is a familiar resolution. I guess this resolution will be a constant until I can overturn the reality of buying more books while reading less. I failed to achieve this ever since I made it part of my annual reading resolutions. I fail every single time as there are many good books out there wanting to be read. I used to have a quarterly spending limit but not once did I adhere to this limit. I’ll just have to hold the fort and trust in my constitution this time and resist the temptation of buying even more books that are bound to collect dust in my (burgeoning) bookshelf anyway. Tsk!

2. FOCUS ON BOOKS I ALREADY OWN

This is in conjunction with my first reading resolution. I have quite gathered a pile of unread books already. They are just gathering dust on my bookshelf although the Beat the Backlist challenge has been a great help in easing unread books I purchased from years back. Now, I want to focus more on the books that I already own.

3. READ AT LEAST FIVE WORKS OF FILIPINO WRITERS

In 2023, I resolved to read at least three works by Filipino writers. I was able to achieve this and went one book ahead of my goal. For this year, I will be upping the ante and setting a target of five books. It is just unfortunate that I have underexplored my part of the literary world. With this, I am hoping to close the gap. I have so many books by Filipino writers I am looking forward to. I am just hoping I won’t fail this year and that I will get to carry this over in the coming years.

4. READ MORE TRANSLATED WORKS.

One of the things I noted when I was completing my reading statistics is the glaring disparity between works originally written in English and those that were originally written in another language. Works written in English account for over 80% of all the books I read. To redress this, I resolved to read more translated works this year. I was able to do so in 2023, the first time that I read more translated works. The ultimate goal is to make translated works account for at least a third of all the books I read by 2025. (Crossing my fingers).

5. TAKE IT ALL IN STRIDES.

After years of reading, it is important to give me space and time and not be driven by the stresses of the various forces that are flowing in from all corners. To reiterate, reading is not about quantity but about quality. It is supposed to be a safe haven, an escape. Slow down if you must. Read at your own pace. What is important is that you appreciate the book in 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.