Monday 7 January 2019

2019 Reading Resolutions

Happy New Year!

I can feel that 2019 is going to be a special year. Mainly because it is my first year not in education since I was 4 years old and it will see my one year anniversary at a job I love. With the anticipation of an excellent year ahead, I've been thinking about reading goals I want to achieve by the time 2020 ticks around. Though my current success rate with resolutions is pretty poor, who's to say 2019 won't be the year that all changes?


1. Read ALL unread books in the flat

My current TBR totals 52 books, which is actually a lot better than I thought it was. Considering I read around 80 books a year, this leaves me with a few spaces to fill with upcoming/new releases, rereads, and library books. To help, I'm getting involved in The Unread Shelf Project 2019 on Instagram, and I'm also going to be extra vigilant when it comes to DNFing. I feel like the ultimate goal of a 0 TBR is within reach, and I look forward to the day I can walk into work and buy a book without feeling the overwhelming guilt about the stack left unread at home.

2. Read 2 Agatha Christies per month

A large chunk of my TBR is the Agatha Christies I have been buying whenever I see them in charity shops. There's no reason to keep letting them build up because they're murder mysteries i.e. gripping reads, and also relatively short. I currently own 14 Christies, meaning I'll be able to pick up a few throughout the year if I spot any good deals but will still be able to keep on top of them.

3. Read more German

This is a goal that I have every year, and every year the improvement is miniscule. Since starting to work though, my German has become in handy several times but I've noticed it is not as easy as it once was. My hope is that by reading more in German, my fluency will gradually build up again.

4. Read bigger books

In an effort to reach my Goodreads goal, I often shun doorstop reads, which means I'm missing out. One big book in particular I want to read this year is The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt, which I have heard nothing but good things about.

5. Read more short stories

I've never quite got into short stories, and I think this is because, again, I'm so desperate to finish a book and add it to Goodreads that I try to inhale them all at once rather than taking one at a time and mulling over them before moving onto the next one. I have some fairytale collections on my shelves which make the ideal start to this goal!

6. Be more adventurous

I have a terrible habit of being guided in my reading by what I already know. Basically, I'm a sucker by hype. I pick up things I've seen on Instagram often, or maybe I keep seeing a publicist tweet about a particular release. Rarely do I ever just pick up a book because I like it's title, or I'm intrigued by the cover - I always know something about it first. I would like this to change so that I might find those hidden gems more often, and also be able to bring something new to the table in terms of recommendations at work!

Do you have any 2019 resolutions, reading-centred or otherwise? It would be great to hear them, so let me know in the comments below!