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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!
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Don’t forget it’s a personal challenge and we all have a part to play when we review books after they have been read whether good or bad or just not your cup of tea! Happy reading in 2021 all xx
One suggestion is to choose authors whose books you have read and enjoyed. I just finished the latest Ken Follett book, the Evening and the Morning and even though it was just over 900 pages, I enjoyed it as much as I did all his earlier works.
I tried Book Bundles at our library and it really boosted how many books I was reading a week. When I request a book bundle, I don't know what I'm getting. I answer a few questions about genres, authors, etc, I like, what I don't like and they prepare a bundle for me. When it's ready, they notify me and I head over to pick them up from the curbside pick-up. It's like Christmas or having a birthday! I can't wait to get home and open up the bag to see what I have been given. It has boosted my reading as I can't wait to read these great books!
Seneca: “since you cannot read all the books which you may possess, it is enough to possess only as many books as you can read.”
YOU GUYS ARE INSANE! Im just gonna keep my ground low here haha 12 books in this year like last year hehe
Hmm, “ Listen to audiobooks. This is a great way to read more and multitask.” this is not reading! It is listening, besides multitasking is not a way to appreciate a book :/
Great! I can use these tips for my 100 books reading challenge!
there are plenty in the kindle store I acquired a few for free Stockhorst wrote: "Hi, I'm a German living abroad, but care for reading books written in the German language.Unfortunately, I don't find in your advertisments any information how to order such books, if any, and get..."
Edward wrote: "Hmm, “ Listen to audiobooks. This is a great way to read more and multitask.” this is not reading! It is listening, besides multitasking is not a way to appreciate a book :/"Agreed. I haven't tried audiobooks, one reason being I know I would tune out and miss the story. I may try it one day at the gym, but for books I have a mild interest in.
Donna wrote: "Going for 1,300 this year after completing 1,214 last year! Here's to good health and happy reading!"How do you read that many books, what’s your secret?
The process of setting a goal should be based on the amount of time you have to spend on reading. Many people are working full-time, taking care of others, or just trying to survive. Just surviving can take a great deal of time. So please don't compare yourself to anyone else. Quantity is not the same as quality. If you have the opportunity and means try listening to audiobooks. And definitely rereading favorites counts. This isn't a competition with other Goodreads readers and I don't know how individuals are able to read 1000+ books in one year. That requires reading an average of 2.7 books per day which is astounding but not something that all of us can reasonably accomplish. For those of us living in first world countries, we take the ability to read and write for granted. Millions of people in the U.S. are currently drowning in poverty and their kids can't afford to buy books and don't have access to libraries or stable wi-fi. That is why I love to click on websites like The Literacy Site which donates books to kids.Here is the link if you are interested: https://thehungersite.greatergood.com...
My goal is 6 books. I read history and presidential biographies which sometime are lengthy. So far this year I have not finished any books and don't feel inadequate when others are reading 1300. The goal is not how many but personal enjoyment. I am currently enjoying wading through the Oxford English History of America series, about 800-900 pages each. Great reads especially at my 10 pages a day.
I also read books of poetry. They tend to be short so I even reread the books. I think it is a great way to add to your challenge.
I have set my goal at 100 for the past 4 years. At year end I have read between 186 and 205 books per year. I’m at 30 for this year’s challenge so far. I’m retired, so I have a lot of time to read.
good tips😊 last year my goal was 50 books and i completed 58 , this year i am going for 70 books, i have finished 5 already
Peggy wrote: "I don’t need tips for finding books to read. My Want to Read list has about 70 books on it! I need tips for finding time to read. Audio books are not for me."I am the exact same sadly.. Especially being a nursing student. By the time my readings/homework/studies for my classes are finished I have no energy to read anymore. I have over 200 in my Want to Read but just can't find time and I've been so heartbroken over it recently!
I hope to find to read 10 books for the year and hope my writers will write good books to read.
LightWorker wrote: "I'm going for a goal of 15 again, I feel so inadequate XD"Please don't feel inadequate. I don't think any of us have to feel that way, regardless of how much or little we read.
Just remember, it is YOUR challenge for yourself, not a competition with others.
Happy reading
Last year I read 61 books. I believe I can finish 80 this year!
jhnm wrote: "OMG! Goodreads acknowledges the existence of the Southern Hemisphere."It's a conspiracy theory, everyone knows there's no southern hemisphere. We have a northern hemisphere and a cube below to help the planet sit on a table.
I would really recommend setting up a habit of tracking the Kindle daily deals if you're looking to grow your digital library.