It’s that time of year when everything is fresh and new (and cold here in Indiana!), the beginning of a *hopefully* better year than what we’ve all experienced in the past.
So what’s a reader to do at the beginning of January? Why, set her bookish goals for 2022, of course!
- Read 100 books
- Clear my Book of the Month backlist
- Listen to all Three Pines books
- Finish the 2022 POPSUGAR Reading Challenge
- Write more book reviews
1. Read 100 Books
I read 160 books in 2021, surpassing my goal of 100 by 60%. But, I like to be rational about my book goal at the start of a new year, and 100 books feels like a good number.
2. Clear My Book of the Month Backlist
I have a problem. It’s called Book of the Month, and I don’t limit myself to just one book every month. As of January 2, I have 11 books on my backlist for this awesome subscription service, and I need to finish them! Because I’m a realist (most of the time), I know I’ll get more BOTM books this year, but I want to clear this current backlist by the end of March 2022:
- A History of Wild Places by Shea Ernshaw
- Half Sick of Shadows by Laura Sebastian
- Happy and You Know It by Laura Hankin
- Home Before Dark by Riley Sager
- Not a Happy Family by Shari Lapena
- Reckless Girls by Rachel Hawkins
- The Family by Naomi Krupitsky
- The Fountains of Silence by Ruta Sepetys
- The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles
- The Magnolia Palace by Fiona Davis
- We Were Never Here by Andrea Bartz
3. Listen to All Three Pines Books
It’s no secret that I love Louise Penny’s Three Pines series. I’ve read all 17 of the full-length books and have The Hangman, a novella, to read as well. I have heard rave reviews of the audiobooks, and I feel like it’s time to revisit my beloved Three Pines, the genius Chief Inspector Armand Gamache, and all of my favorite characters. These are long books and I can never remember the order of those in the middle, so I made a graphic to keep me on track!
4. Finish the 2022 POPSUGAR Reading Challenge
2021 was my first year for a reading endeavor like the POPSUGAR challenge. I completed the “regular” version last year, and I loved it because I went out of my comfort zone to finish some of the prompts, reading books that I most likely wouldn’t have chosen on my own. This year’s plan is a tough one, but I’m committed to making it through the regular 2022 POPSUGAR Reading Challenge. Some of my favorite prompts for this year include
- A book about or set in a nonpatriarchal society
- A book by a Latinx author
- A book with a protagonist who uses a mobility aid
- A book set in the 1980s
- A book by a Pacific Islander author
- A book set in Victorian times
- An “Own Voices” SFF (science fiction and fantasy) book
5. Write More Book Reviews
I will admit that I am not the most consistent in writing reviews for the books I have read. It’s easy to write a review about a book I love, but I struggle if the book wasn’t a 5-star win for me. So, I’ve set the goal of being consistent about reviewing books and practicing my *tactful* writing skills when I don’t love a book. I know two ways to help me with this is to keep better notes while reading and then write a book review immediately after finishing the book.
Have you set bookish goals for 2022? If so, what are they?
Bookish Brain 