Every year I tell myself that I want to read more, and every year I fail. I’ve always used excuses like ‘Oh, I have too much uni work’ or ‘I’m too busy having an actual social life’ or my favourite ‘I’ve spent all week reading a (what I found) dull book for an assignment, and my brain just cannot make sense of words right now’. However, this year is the year I read more books. Maybe. At least I’m going to try and make it the year I read more. I thought maybe the problem was that I’ve been being too broad, telling myself to read more books is almost like setting myself up for disaster. Too much choice, too much freedom and my brain just decides not to deal. So I’ve set a few goals instead because I feel like that will help make things run a lot smoother.
Read more classic books
I’m sorry okay, but sometimes I just can’t deal with the classics. They’re long and sometimes I find them boring, yet I still find the compulsion to buy them for my bookcase. (My argument is that they’re usually Penguin Classics editions and look nice on my shelf because the spines all sort of match.) So I’m going to try and read at least a few this year. I’m going to try and start with some of Fitzgerald’s because The Great Gatsby is one of my favourite books ever, so I thought that would probably ease me in, but I’m going to throw in some Orwell and Kerouac in there too. If you have any classic novels or even plays, I love a good play, that you think I should pick up then let me know in the comments down below.
Keep more up to date with new releases
I used to be so in the know of upcoming releases and new authors, but the last few years I’ve been a little out of touch. But when I did take an interest I got me so excited to pick up that book and read it. So I’m going to try and stay a little more in the loop and not just pick up a book because it looks pretty, but because I’ve actually heard about it and it sounds amazing.
Try to read at least one book a month
I thought I’d set the bar low because that way anything else is a lovely bonus. Plus theres not too much pressure for me to finish a book quickly and rush through it. Giving myself a month, still allows me to find my feet a little, decide if I’m enjoying it enough to finish and really take it in.
Read more non-fiction
I used to love buying non-fiction books, and I have loads of them on my shelf. Books about film-making, hieroglyphics, the moon landings just to name a few. So this is more of a broad goal, if I find the time to pick one up, great but I’m not going to say I want to read a certain amount because I very much doubt it will happen. I’m just going to see where my curiosity takes me and go from there.
Do not buy a new book until you finish reading one
I bulk buy books. I’ll go into a charity shop and without fail come out with at least five. I can’t help it, it’s like I can’t just buy one because it might get lonely and then if I find more than one I always have a really hard time trying to choose between them. My justification comes in the form of me telling myself that at 99p a book, having five is not going to break the bank. I feel like this is a great compromise, it’s not a buying ban (which we all know I’d be terrible at) but if I know there’s a new book I know is coming out that I’m dying to get, it’ll hopefully give me the motivation to pick up something I already have and finish it, in order to get the new one. I’m not sure how well or how long this ones going to last but we’ll see!
Do you have any book goals/resolutions this year? Or maybe you’ve got a TBR pile you’re hoping to get through this year? Let me know down in the comments, or leave links to your posts, and I’ll be sure to check them out. Oh and don’t forget to leave any ‘classic’ recommendations down there too!
Hope you reach your goal! I used to be a real bookworm before I had children so I’ve set myself a goal of 12 books for this year. I’ve just started book 3 so I’m feeling hopeful!
I was such a bookwork before I went to uni and then I think all the course reading put me off reading for pleasure! Sounds like you’re on track to smash that goal – good luck!
Great post I hope you reach your goal! I want to read more non fiction and classics books too but I find them a bit boring and struggle to get through the whole thing!
I used to love reading non-fiction when I was younger but I think it’s something I grew out of. I totally get that with the Classics though, I really struggle to keep engaged with them, but this year I’m determined!! ?
Uni put pay to my reading as well; I used to be able to read about 100 books a year but when university started that took a nose dive. Last year, I read 60 (just), and this year – even though uni has finished and I have loads of free time – I’ve set myself a challenge of only 45. I feel like I need to get back into the habit of picking up a book rather than automatically turning to the laptop, and I wanted to take the pressure off; to try and make sure I was enjoying the reading experience and not just doing it to fill a quota.
I 100% agree with you about classics, I have a want-to-love/hate relationship with them. The writing styles quite often frustrate me and the whole experience can leave me feeling a bit stupid – ‘why did I not get the big revolutionary feeling that everyone else does? Why didn’t I get on with this when everyone seems to be singing it’s praises? WHAT AM I MISSING?!’; that kinda thing – that being said, I adored Les Miserables, and 1984 and Animal Farm by George Orwell are amazing (although, I didn’t finish 1984 the first time I tried it).
I recently listed to Jane Eyre on Audio book. I got on with it so well and enjoyed it so so so much more than when I attempted to drag my way through the hard-copy; I wrote a post about why I think that is, if you’re interested.
Great post! Best of luck with your goals. 😀
I used to be the same! I’d read and read and read but now I’m lucky to even finish a book! I’ve developed a terrible habit over the last few years of not finishing a book before I start a new one and then never going back to them! I blame uni for that too! Oh definitely, I often find myself switching off the computer before bed and thinking, really I could have spent the last hour reading in bed! God I am so the same, I feel like I have to force myself to read them which them takes the enjoyme t out of it. It’s almost like you’re expected to have read them if you’re a reader and I can never quite bring myself to! 1984 and Animal Farm have both been sitting on my shelf for at least 3 years and they’ve just been gathering dust – maybe I’ll try and start with those haha! The thing with audiobooks for me is that I find myself so easily distracted because I’ll be doing something else while listening and my brain becomes more involved with what I’m actually doing it’s like it forgets it’s supposed to be listening! ? I’ll definitely give it a look, sounds like an interesting read! Thanks, I hope you hit your book goal too! ?