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 ยฃ1 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 ยฃ4, 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!
So I’m not sure how my comment for TTT ended up here instead of on the right post sorry about that.
Anyways I love your goals! I really want to focus more on reading books by people of color as well. I haven’t looked at my Netgalley ratio in a long time I don’t kniw if I want to see it ๐ I’m sure its a crazy number
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Haha no worries! ๐
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What a great set of goals – good luck with them, and best wishes for 2020 ๐ I’ve not got as far as considering my goals yet, so I’ll have to get back to you on those…
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Thanks! ๐
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Ooh you have quite a few books on my TBR on your list! I’m even more excited to give them a try now.
I’m especially excited about Spinning Silver I loved the first book so much and continuing in Lady Trent’s adventure. I hadn’t heard anything about the audiobook before but I’m excited to try it out now.
I posted my favorite books today as well
https://fangirlarya.wordpress.com/2019/12/31/top-ten-tuesday-best-books-of-2019/?epik=dj0yJnU9dU5DRE9sRkdNTlJlbmFCUEo5eXhWSTZBSFh2QWRUTmQmbj1ZZUJqQk9COXlFMXFtOGNXZlBhVUdBJm09MyZ0PUFBQUFBRjRMaEhn
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Spinning Silver is amazing, I hope you enjoy it!
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Great goals! I like the idea of only buying physical books that are new releases — I always go to my library sales (for a good cause!!) and come home with piles of books that I have no space for!
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I feel you – charity shops can be my downfall, especially when there are two in the town I work in that are specifically bookshops…
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I’ve really been reading more self-published novels in the last 3… maybe four, years and while I’ve found a few gems, most of the time, they aren’t as well presented as a traditionally published novel. I never read classics, despite my best mental idea that I’d like to. *shrugs* Who knows! Maybe someday I will, but I don’t see it in my near future, because I want to always enjoy what I read. Hope you complete these 2020 goals, Jess! Good luck. ๐
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Thanks Rissi! ๐
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I love your goal of using your library more in 2020 – I have an incredible local library system and it saves me so much money! I know a lot of libraries don’t always have an extensive collection, but it’s nice to use them when you can.
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Definitely! My first read of this year was a library book, so I’m hoping that’s going to be an indicator for the rest of my reading this year and stop me from spending so much money. ๐
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I love these goals. I’m also going to try to read some self published books this coming year. In fact I recently bought two! So I am ready to go๐
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Ooh I hope you enjoy them both!
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Great job on your 2019 goals, and good luck with next yearโs goals! Iโm also out of shelf space, so I need to be careful with my book buying in 2020.
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Thank you! Haha I feel like being out of shelf space is a common bookworm problem…
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