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Read More Books in 2021 with the Goodreads Reading Challenge!
Your fellow Goodreaders who have successfully done the Goodreads Reading Challenge over the years have shown us several ways to help you reach your goal. Here are some of the best tips:
- Push yourself, but be realistic. Avoid the dreaded reading slump by committing to an achievable goal. You can always increase the number of books later. (Yes! You can always change your goal during the year. This is meant to be a fun way to motivate yourself, after all. No pressure from us if you need to adjust either up or down.)
- Trying to figure out a goal? Use the calendar as a guideline: 12 books (one per month), 24 books (two per month), or even 52 books (one per week).
- Get scientific: Check out this expert advice on how to develop a reading habit.
- Remember, this is fun! This challenge is all about what you want to read. But don't take our word for it: See what several of our very bookish Goodreads members have to say.
Boost Your Progress
- Rereading counts! So by all means, go ahead and dive into those old favorites.
- Listen to audiobooks. This is a great way to read more and multitask.
- Put books on hold at your local library so it's easier to start your next book.
- Use your Want to Read shelf to help keep track of what you'd like to read next.
- If you’re an Amazon Prime member, there are multiple ways you can read free books as part of your membership! You can read for free with Prime Reading (available in the U.S., Canada, Brazil, the U.K., Germany, Spain, France, Italy, India, Japan, China, and Australia). Or, check out First Reads to get one free, pre-release Kindle book a month (available in the U.S., U.K., and Australia).
Find More Books You'll Love
- Explore our News and Interviews section for great books lists, interviews with favorite authors, and much more.
- Check out the winners and nominees from the 2020 Goodreads Choice Awards for hundreds of new books Goodreads members love.
- Browse through Goodreads including our user-generated reading lists, the most popular new books of the month, and the most read books right now.
- Get started with a seasonal read with these reader-approved wintertime books. (And for our friends in the Southern Hemisphere, there are some great year-round reads in this list of Goodreads staffers' top three books of the year.)
- Discover new books in favorite genres including speculative fiction, mystery, young adult, and romance.
Wishing you all a wonderful year of good reading! Tell us in the comments how many books you aspire to read this year!
Comments Showing 101-150 of 173 (173 new)
message 101:
by
Karen
(new)
Feb 11, 2021 09:45AM
Put your phone down and pick up a book 😊
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Robin Loves wrote: "I set my goal the same as last year! Which is 500 books. I ended 2020 at 626 books and just finished #18 for this year."I set my goal at 75 for the last couple years. I want to be sure I read at LEAST my goal. Last year I read 100. This year I have already finished 13. How in the world do you have tine for 500 books!
LightWorker wrote: "I'm going for a goal of 15 again, I feel so inadequate XD"Don't feel inadequate. Some years I read more because I have less going on (like 2020 when I only worked for the first half of the year due to moving to a different state for my husband's job and not being able to take my job with me). Some years I have other priorities (still out of work and so far have only read two books but that is because I'm expecting our first baby and I'm taking classes on birth, child rearing, and photography so I can document his childhood). In 2018, I was too busy raising an energetic puppy to find much reading time but in 2019 I was able to accomplish a bit more reading because I had some downtime. Not everyone has lots of time to read.
I usually set my goal to 20 books. Sometimes I reach it, sometimes I don't, and sometimes I pass it. In 2020, I read 36. In 2019, I read 20. In 2018, I read 2. In 2017, I read 21 books.
Go to bed without your phone! Take only your Kindle and you'll read so much more (and have a lot more peace of mind.)
I didn't know audio books counted. Surely that is not reading? I can see why people manage to get through so many books if this is allowed. Bit of a cheat if you ask me.
Robin Loves wrote: "I set my goal the same as last year! Which is 500 books. I ended 2020 at 626 books and just finished #18 for this year."Teach me your ways :o
Am I the only person tagetting fewer books this year?i've managed 15 - 18 for last couple of years, and confess to a few "pulp fiction" types in that number...
This year the target is 12 - but all must be award winning.
Quality not quantity!!
Robin Loves wrote: "I set my goal the same as last year! Which is 500 books. I ended 2020 at 626 books and just finished #18 for this year."How do you read so fast & so much!??! Wow!
This year I have gotten more involved with Goodreads and I increased my challenge to show that. I've already read 13 of my 60 book challenge and hope to exceed it like I did last year.
If you buy a multi book set, be sure to sign in and mark each individual book as read, The kindle app only counts the set. I'm 78 and love to read. With the kindle app I always have a book available with me on my phone. Even in Cardiac Rehab I read while on the bike or treadmill. I go thru 3-5 books a week in normal weeks so about 150 or so for the year.
La meta de este año es de 125,leo como promedio 10 por mes,a veces más,voy por 20. Leer siempre ha sido mi pasion. Cuando trabajaba podia leer menos, ahora ya le dedico mas tiempo y diario.
Robin Loves wrote: "I set my goal the same as last year! Which is 500 books. I ended 2020 at 626 books and just finished #18 for this year."Logistically how do you read this many? Two books a day? Tell me the secret!
Clare wrote: "I’ve signed up and set my goal. I’ve just finished my first book but it’s not showing in my challenge but. Any help?"That's happened to me too. If you add the dates you started and finished the book, it should show up on your Reading Challenge.
Jessica wrote: "如意 wrote: "Happy reading year to everyone!! (❁´◡`❁)
My goal of just 15 books looks so meagre compared to the majority here.. Σ(〃▽〃٥) Some of you are amazing readers!
It makes me want to increase m..."
When I want to include a long fantasy book (Wheel of Time, Game of Throne series, etc.), I just reduce my goal number to allow for those. I also have some quick short books ready for the end of the year (especially Christmas-themed ones, which are usually short) to reach the goal. It's a way to get a wide array of genres and authors on my "read" list.I also try to check off certain categories, at least one in each category: Stephen King, dystopian, religious, non-fiction, music, page-to-screen, Christmas, sci-fi, humor, classic, local, something by a friend, etc. That also gives me a well-rounded list, and makes sure that I'm not ignoring certain types of books.
Hi, excuse me for my bad English... I set 71 books in 2020, my goal was 100.In 2021 same goal but I read 14 books till now then I am going in a good pace.
LightWorker wrote: "I'm going for a goal of 15 again, I feel so inadequate XD"No goal is inadequate! People who work full-time or have small kids to take care of, or other important things in their lives, aren't going to have as much reading time as people with less demanding lives. I think just reading and enjoying it is a goal, no matter how many books you read in a year!
Robin Loves wrote: "I set my goal the same as last year! Which is 500 books. I ended 2020 at 626 books and just finished #18 for this year."wow you are good. I put mine to 200 and I didn't make it in 2020. I think as I'm getting older I'm slowing down. I know I can read more if I stay offline more. when I'm reading a ebook just too easy to keep checking email, facebook and you tube. Right now I'm at 22 books for the year. I have a bunch on my kindle that I went though and found a bunch that are less than 100 pages I put those on one collection and I found other's that are under 200 pages so maybe I can get to those after I catch up on my net galley arcs, library books and other ones I have started.
My goal is 30 books in 2021 - I like them long!
I read 98 books last year & have set this year’s challenge at 90. It is not all about quantity - what you read & enjoy is just as important. I read a few really long books last year & having just completed an online literature course, I will hopefully be dipping into some more challenging novels. Just great to be reading & part of this reading community.
I spent most of January reading a book by Patricia Cornwell which only bore the title Scarpetta. It was 500 pages long but I don’t seem to be able to add it to my list not even manually.
Last year, I set my goal for 200 and I think I ended up at 262. This year, I'm going for 300. I love to read. It keeps me sane.
Sorry, but listening to an audio book is not reading. Those two activities involve very different mental processes. Listening may allow you to consume information contained in books when you don't have the time or wherewithal to fix your eyes to the page but the experience and the way you digest the information is not the same as reading. Sitting in front of a video fire place and sitting in front of a real fireplace share some similar benefits but the experiences are not nearly the same.
I have wondered if a book bundle only counts as one book?
Monikat wrote: "I read more every year and always exceed my goal. My tips are as follows.A) Always know what to read next,
B) Don't hesitate to put down a book that doesn't make you want to pick it up. You shoul..."
Awesome tips.
My goal is set the same as last year, 400. I ended up reading 604 last year. If I make 400, great but I'm not going to worry as I just enjoy reading! I just finished my 61st book yesterday.
I wish I can read 365 books per year (audiobooks - the best hint :))But I am able to read only about 300 pages per day. So this year I set the goal to 240 (last year I have read 239 books)
Robin Loves wrote: "I set my goal the same as last year! Which is 500 books. I ended 2020 at 626 books and just finished #18 for this year."Amazing! How can you read two books a day!
I came back to the UK after nearly five years abroad, where most of my reading was on a Kindle. I've missed reading paper based books so much that most of my reading this year will try to combine paper based books, the Kindle and Audible purchases. My target no doubt will go up as the year progresses, it's currently at 12 (one per month).
I started a book journal this year. It's really helping to keep me on track. And my reading list this year is my Kindle local storage - all those books taking up space on my device that I haven't gotten around to. My goal is to read 65 books this year, and I'm already nearly halfway! Half the fun of the Goodreads Challenge, for me, is to try to go beyond my goal, so when I reach 65, I'll just keep reading until the end of the year, and see how much farther I get.
I’m aiming at the same 25 books this year, thought I was doing a lot of reading, that allows me two weeks per read.
Last year my goal was 45 and I barely made it. I do a lot of audio books so I can get more “reading” in while I do other things. But I still love turning the pages of a real book.
Nina wrote: "Robin Loves wrote: "I set my goal the same as last year! Which is 500 books. I ended 2020 at 626 books and just finished #18 for this year."YOU are my inspiration. I have 100 as a reading goal and..."
I'm impressed!! Usually I set (and reach) a goal of 65-75 books. This last year I read 132 books, and so far this year I've read 27.
All of you are so inspirational! I can just about manage 6 books a year!
Wow! I liked it better when it was a goal of how many pages. I picked up a 1600 page book and know it will take quite a while, so I just set a goal of 2 books this year! Usually about 50, so will see how it goes! I'm a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner, so am not staying home and quarantined or anything (I wish! I'd get a lot of reading then!)
Rule number 1: This is not a competition, do it for fun!
Gabriel wrote: "Rule number 1: This is not a competition, do it for fun!"Absolutely! Reading helps me relieve stress. We don't want to increase it by pressuring ourselves!
S. Rudi. I signed up to read 52 books this year! I love a challenge🌴
How does listening to audiobooks count as reading? Listening to music doesn't count as performing music, does it?
Robin Loves wrote: "I set my goal the same as last year! Which is 500 books. I ended 2020 at 626 books and just finished #18 for this year."how is that possible...
My goal this year is 90! I think that with online school and everything, I will be able to make it.
I set my goal for 675. I read 803 last year and 600 the year before. I always exceed my goal by 15 or more books.
I set my goal for one more book than what I read last year which was 46!
Lois wrote: "I set my goal at 75 for the last couple years. I want to be sure I read at LEAST my goal..."Same, but my yearly goal is 25 books. During the past several years, I have managed to read 25 to 35 books. If I have surpassed my 25 book goal, I will increase it to 30. But generally I can't read more than 25. I'd rather have a lower goal and make it, than a high goal and miss it!
Mark wrote: "Sorry, but listening to an audio book is not reading. Those two activities involve very different mental processes. Listening may allow you to consume information contained in books when you don't ..."I haven't tried audio books for various reasons, one of them being that actively reading and passively listening are very different for me. I tend to tune out when listening to something, so I wouldn't want to count it as being "read" if I have not paid attention. I may one day try audio books to listen to while working out for books I have a mild interest in.
Stephanie wrote: "Wow! I liked it better when it was a goal of how many pages. I picked up a 1600 page book and know it will take quite a while, so I just set a goal of 2 books this year! Usually about 50, so will s..."Yes, there should be two challenges -- number of books and number of pages! That way you can count books you gave up on, and a 1000 page book is far different than a 300 page book! Although I have noticed that page counts on GR is not accurate.
My only goal needs to be UPDATING MY READING CHALLENDGe.
Robin Loves wrote: "I set my goal the same as last year! Which is 500 books. I ended 2020 at 626 books and just finished #18 for this year."You read two books a day, at the least! How is that possible? What do you do for a living?
