Reading Goals 2022

[Jenny (Reading Envy)]

Other than participating in Russian reads in 2022, do you have any other reading goals in mind? I mean more than a number....

[Elizabeth☮]

I’m trying to pick an author and focus on their work throughout the year. I will either go with Steinbeck or Baldwin.

I also asked a friend to read middle and YA selections with me. We both teach, so we thought this might help bring in new titles to share with our students.

[Robin]

I have a general goal to read more fiction in 2022. I used to be a reader that only read fiction, and now I'm finding that I'm reading way more non-fiction. I didn't really notice it until this year. There's something nourishing about a great novel that I've been missing. At least that's how it feels as I reflect back on my reading year. A more specific goal I have is to continue reading all of Willa Cather's novels. I've read 7, and have 5 to go. That seems doable!

[Gail]

Mine is always the same....all reading done from the library. I have read just over 100 books this year and would guess 90% were audio. I support authors by buying and gifting approximately 20 print books per year.

[Divya]

Through the lockdown in India and last year, i have managed to buy a lot of books. I think my main goal for 2022 in terms of reading would be to get through the books i have on my shelves before I buy more (i don't hold out much hope, that il be successful) :)

[Jeff]

My goal is the same as the last few years - read what I own. I have enough books on my shelves to last years. But I know the next time I visit a bookstore I won't leave empty handed and the TBR will continue to grow.

[Nadine in California]

Jeff wrote: "My goal is the same as the last few years - read what I own. I have enough books on my shelves to last years. But I know the next time I visit a bookstore I won't leave empty handed and the TBR wil..."

I've given up calling this a goal after so many years of failure - now I just think of it as a hope ;)

[Jenny (Reading Envy)]

Robin wrote: "I have a general goal to read more fiction in 2022. I used to be a reader that only read fiction, and now I'm finding that I'm reading way more non-fiction. I didn't really notice it until this yea..."

Interesting! What do you think the appeal of non-fiction is for your brain lately?

I'm sure you follow the Book Cougars, but if not, Chris is a huge Cather fan and often discusses some of her more obscure works, most recently a short story published under a pen name!

[Jenny (Reading Envy)]

Gail wrote: "Mine is always the same....all reading done from the library. I have read just over 100 books this year and would guess 90% were audio. I support authors by buying and gifting approximately 20 prin..."

That's great Gail. And using the library still supports authors!

[Jenny (Reading Envy)]

Jeff wrote: "My goal is the same as the last few years - read what I own. I have enough books on my shelves to last years. But I know the next time I visit a bookstore I won't leave empty handed and the TBR wil..."

Divya wrote: "Through the lockdown in India and last year, i have managed to buy a lot of books. I think my main goal for 2022 in terms of reading would be to get through the books i have on my shelves before I ..."

One can try!

[Mina]

Jeff wrote: "My goal is the same as the last few years - read what I own. I have enough books on my shelves to last years. But I know the next time I visit a bookstore I won't leave empty handed and the TBR wil..."

So relatable! Every year my goal is to only purchase bookclub reads - anything else should come from my shelves.

[Robin]

Jenny (Reading Envy) wrote: "Robin wrote: "I have a general goal to read more fiction in 2022. I used to be a reader that only read fiction, and now I'm finding that I'm reading way more non-fiction. I didn't really notice it ..."

I'm going to try and read The Burglar's Christmas! I've followed Chris's Willa Cather Short Story Project on her blog (although I've fallen off reading the stories during the past year). Time to get back in the swing of things.

[Dree]

Nadine in California wrote: "Jeff wrote: "My goal is the same as the last few years - read what I own. I have enough books on my shelves to last years. But I know the next time I visit a bookstore I won't leave empty handed an..."

Same here! It's my only goal this year. I don't think that will help. The library calls, as does the May used book sale. (That and subscriptions are where most of my own books come from.)

[Jenny (Reading Envy)]

Dree wrote: "Nadine in California wrote: "Jeff wrote: "My goal is the same as the last few years - read what I own. I have enough books on my shelves to last years. But I know the next time I visit a bookstore ..."

I saw this great planner strategy for this - the person drew a bookshelf and labeled the books with her TBR, and as she read them colored them in. It was a visual incentive!

[Jenny (Reading Envy)]

So here's your quarterly goal check-in!

Here's my goal breakdown and how it's going:

1. Reading Envy Russia
I read The Possessed: Adventures With Russian Books and the People Who Read Them and Anna Karenina Fix: Life Lessons from Russian Literature, books about or allegedly about Russian lit.

I read:
An Evening with Claire
First Love
Zuleikha
The Time of Women

I tried at least four others that I may or may not get back to. So for goal 1 - so far so good!

2. Mid-Century Women (20th century)
Not great. I think the only qualifying book so far was read for another reason but I'll still count it - Emily of New Moon. Just yesterday I discovered a Furrowed Middlebrow book club/ reading group in Litsy so maybe I can jump on that bandwagon.

3. Indigenous Reading Circle
I've kept up pretty well with this. If I've already read the book, I'm not rereading, but I've read all the unread titles so far plus one alternate title. The Patreon group also has online discussions, and I've made it to 2/3 so far this year!

4. Around the World Completist
Of the remaining 20ish locations or so, I've read a book from one, a book set in Venezuela.

I never really set a fifth goal although I did read the entire Tournament of Books shortlist and I've been participating in Melanated Reader's 20 Books by Black Women challenge in Instagram. Anything to keep my reading as diverse as possible!