Can you believe it? The 2020s are just around the corner! So today I’m here to reflect back on my 2019 reading goals and set myself some new goals for the new year.

My 2019 Reading Goals

My 100 Authors of Colour Challenge

This wasn’t a specific goal for this year, so much as a reminder to myself to continue to pick up new authors of colour so I can reach my goal of having read 100 authors of colour by the time I turn 30 in 2021.

The authors of colour I read for the first time this year are:

• Zen Cho
• Koushun Takami
• Renee Ahdieh
• Khaled Hosseini
• Roshani Chokshi
• Alyssa Cole
• Mary Anne Mohanraj
• Rebecca Roanhorse
• Malinda Lo
• Justina Ireland

Not bad going, but I still would like to be at a point where I’m reading as many authors of colour as the white authors I’m reading, and I’m not quite there yet.

Reach 80% Feedback Ratio on NetGalley

I haven’t managed this, sadly, but I do feel like in the second half of 2019 I was getting much better at prioritising the books I’ve received through NetGalley! This is something I’m hoping I’ll achieve in 2020 instead.

Read a Classic

Womp womp. I didn’t manage this one either and, to be honest, reading classics is never going to be something I can force myself to do when I’m not in the mood. There are still plenty of classics I’m interested in reading, but right now in my reading life I’m interested in the stories that are being published now or in recent years and that’s something I’m going to embrace.

Finish 3 Series

I have done this! In fact, I finished 6: the Grisha trilogy by Leigh Bardugo; the Strange the Dreamer duology by Laini Taylor; The Folk of the Air trilogy by Holly Black; the Sleepless duology by Sarah Vaughn and Laila del Duca; The Memoirs of Lady Trent by Marie Brennan; the Book of the Ancestor trilogy by Mark Lawrence.

Other than The Memoirs of Lady Trent, I actually started and finished all of these series this year! Falling back in love with series has been lovely, and there are so many sequels I can’t wait to pick up in 2020.

Read a Translated Novel

I’ve also done this! Battle Royale and HEX are both translated novels.

My 2020 Reading Goals

Only buy physical books that are 2020 releases

I have zero shelf space, and yet I’m always picking up new books because I just can’t resist – especially if I happen across a book I’ve always wanted in a charity shop.

Now I am going to let myself be a little lenient with this goal; if I do happen to come across a book I’ve always wanted for £1 in a charity shop I’m not going to stop myself from getting it, especially when that money will be going to charity anyway. This goal is here, though, not only to try and take up a little less shelf space, but also because I want to make an effort to read my backlist books in 2020.

There are some books that have been on my shelves for years that I’m not getting to because I’m a complete magpie who likes shiny new things. I’m not going to stop myself from reading and enjoying new releases, but I’m hoping this goal will encourage me to pick up some of the older books I already own.

You might have noticed this doesn’t include Kindle books, and I’m happy with that – I do read a lot on my Kindle and the majority of the time when I buy a book for my Kindle it’s because I’ve found it for a very cheap price. The books on my physical bookshelves, though, need more love!

Use the library more

It’s crazy how little I used my library in 2019, and that’s something I’d like to change! Now I will say, in my defence, that my library service isn’t the best for me. I read a lot of SFF and sadly my library’s SFF selection is shocking and inter-library loans cost £4, so they often don’t have the books that I’m looking for anyway and by the time I’ve paid for the inter-library loan I might as well have bought my own paperback copy.

When I can find books from them, though – particularly audiobooks – I want to use them. Libraries need love now more than ever and I want to make sure I’m supporting mine!

Read at least one self-published novel

I very rarely seek out self-published novels, and because of that I feel like there are so many amazing stories I’m missing out on. The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet is one of my favourite books and it started out as a self-published novel, so I’d like to support self-published authors more in 2020.

One 2020 release I have my eye on is Livingston Girls by Briana Morgan, which involves boarding schools and witchcraft and therefore sounds like candy to me.

Read at least one translated novel

I’m really proud of the translated books I managed to cross off my TBR in 2019, and I’d like to make sure I continue to reach for translated work in 2020 without giving myself a huge quota to fill. I’m very much a mood reader so I have no idea what kind of reading year 2020 will be, but hopefully I’ll be able to fit in at least one translated novel!

Read three non-fiction books

Non-fiction is a genre I really enjoy, but I’ve accidentally neglected it over the past couple of years. I’m not mad about that because I’ve read some amazing fiction, but I do own a lot of non-fiction that I’m still really excited about (and the best book I’ve read this year has ended up being a non-fiction title) so I’d like to cross a few more off my TBR in 2020 – particularly the Tudor books I own!

What are some of your reading goals for 2020?