One Bookdragon’s New Year’s Resolutions

2017 was a slightly frustrating year for me as a reader. There were a lot of books that I DNF (when previously I hated doing that), some authors I had been enjoying that I’ve written off (ha, sorry), and I faced the very real problem of hitting a slump.

So, hoping to avoid such travesties in 2018, here are my bookdragon’s new year’s resolutions:

I shall finish what I start. Yes, I am going to force myself if necessary to finish every book I begin reading. This should probably mean a) conducting a lot more research before adding titles to my TBR and b) not letting myself be swayed by hype. Sometimes the hype is well-deserved. But unfortunately, it mostly just increases the weight on my back as I trudge through the snow from the library. (Spoiler: it isn’t worth it.)

ARCs will be few and far between. Unless I or the author make a specific request. I love the concept of ARCs, especially for indie authors. But I, as a reader, don’t have the time, energy, or desire to commit to taking part in the evaluating-advance-copy-for-a-review bit this year.

There will be no pressure to review absolutely everything. Yes, it is very helpful in the community if you explain in particulars what you did or didn’t like about a book. However, not every rating on Goodreads has to be a 4-paragraph, beautifully-detailed mini-literary critique. A couple of sentences highlighting what you feel to be the title’s biggest pros/cons often work just as well.

I am not going to guilt myself into leaving my comfort zone. Trying to suffer through romances, contemporary YA, or historical fiction anymore is not my idea of fun. If you love these genres, please don’t throw anything. I appreciate really well-told stories of any kind. Though reading all of them ain’t my cup of tea. Some authors’ styles and I don’t mix; sometimes the content makes me twitch (even when the seedier elements are necessary for the plot); and pure fluff just doesn’t float my boat.

So, yes, I’ll be reading a lot of fantasy, historical fantasy, and speculative fiction. And your point is?

Instead of attempting to begin all the new series, I will complete the ones I’ve commenced. I am behind on Warriors, The Familiars, Apprentice Cat (all of which White Fang is champing at the bit for me to get to), and he’s going to force me to read Obsidio when that’s out. Plus, at the rate Kyle Shultz is hoping to publish his next titles, I better get ready!

More buying, less borrowing this year. It’s because I want to encourage myself to finish everything, and embrace quality over quantity. At the library, I have a greater chance of being impulsive — and all that literal trudging-and-hauling is getting old. Spending money on shiny new novels feels special, and I’m much more likely to limit my purchases to those selections I expect to enjoy and wish to savor.

My Goodreads challenge goal will remain low. This year, I set my challenge at a very reasonable 20 books, and thought it would probably take me till around October to hit that tally. I reached it in April. It was intensely satisfying to see the numbers keep climbing (“You have read 30…40…60 books out of 20!”), and I did begin pushing myself a little too much, just for that emotional rush. But my back suffered (remember, all that library requesting), as well as my emotional state when I’d raced through hyped new releases that I thought were terrible. Again: not worth it.

Hype and I will have a distant, skeptical relationship. This is how I always used to feel about a title that supposedly the entire world was flailing over. Now I have learned the hard way that this approach is the best for me. It honestly irks me when I spent the time and mental effort to plow through a book that just makes me want to fling kumquats afterwards. Especially when I had a feeling before even opening the cover that I wasn’t going to like it. (Note: Listen to your gut, moth.)

Reading shall be for enjoyment first, for blogging or reviewing or “not missing out” second (or even not at all). I read novels for fun — not as competition, not to be up on something trendy. I’d very nearly forgotten that. When I, as a writer, take in someone else’s wonderful and engaging fiction, it helps me recharge creatively, and pushes me to want to do the same myself. All of this is much more important than a tally on a social media page.