With wrapping up 2017 comes the time to start looking ahead into 2018. You can never really predict how the year is going to go. Even so, I like making goals for each year when it comes to my reading. Goals are something to work towards, even if we sometimes tend to set ourselves up to fail.
They are almost always worth it though. If they even make you read one book more than you usually would have for a certain type of challenge like Beat the Backlist from last year, I feel that is worth it. Even if at the time to wrap up it doesn’t always immediately feel like that.
Reading Challenge
60 Books
This year I am again going for the number of 60 books. While I did read a lot more in 2017 than I thought I would I have noticed that I like to have a low goal. And Merijn will start sleeping less and less as he gets older this year so… Less me time. I weep.
Read 5 Books by Dutch Authors from My Shelves
Last year I had a similar goal where I wanted to read all books by dutch authors on my shelves. This was a bit too much to ask from myself. While it certainly isn’t a huge list, I did add to it throughout the year and I always struggle more to pick up books by Dutch authors. The number of 5 just seems a lot more managable.
Do NOT Let Physical TBR Grow This Year
Last year this goal of lowering my physical tbr obviously did not work. I initially set my goal up for this year to hit below 120 but as I counted the books on my shelves I clearly did not count well throughout the year. Because after removing some books from my shelves I still hit a staggering 185 unread books. Yeah. I decided to not overachieve on this goal and just try and not make it grow. If I make it smaller, yeay, but not making it grow seems to be a bigger priority right now…
Finish or Catch-Up to 10 Series
This year we are continuing on with finishing series and supporting each other over on Books Ever After. I did finish a few series last year and it is just nice to know you aren’t the only one. Next to that, it is good to write out all those series you are meaning to finish. It would be great to get to all of these below but I am making my goal slightly more managable by making it 10.
Finish
Wayfarers by Becky Chambers (1/3)
De Demon van Fellswyck by Jurgen Snoeren (1/2)
Chrestomanci by Diana Wynne Jones (2/6)
Shattered Realms by Cinda Williams Chima (1/3)
Graceling Realm by Kristin Cashore (1/3)
Dark Gifts by Vic James (1/3)
Death arc by Terry Pratchett (4/5)
Nicholas Flamel by Michael Scott (3/6 + 0/2 novella’s)
Memory, Sorrow and Thorn by Tad Williams (1/4 (in Dutch))
Copper Cat by Jen Williams (2/3)
Catch-Up (with what I own or what is already published)
The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon (1/3)
Wings of Fire by Tui T. Sutherland (2/5)
Talon by Julie Kagawa (1/3)
In Death by J.D. Robb (4/8)
Top 15 TBR of 2018
For this I am hovering over some of the books from last year that I had on my 17 tbr of 2017. And of course some new ones. Some of these will be new series, others will be books from series that are mentioned above. It depends on how much they were on my mind as was creating this list.
- The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin
- The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss
- Fire by Kristin Cashore
- The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson
- Half Bad by Sally Green
- Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor
- Ship of Magic by Robin Hobb
- A Closed and Common Orbit by Becky Chambers
- Revocatie by Jurgen Snoeren
- Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman
- The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden
- The Last Magician by Lisa Maxwell
- In Transit by Margaretha van Andel
- The Empty Grave by Jonathan Stroud
- The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
Read 5 Classics
I kind of always give myself this goal, even if I hardly ever complete it. It is just to remember myself that I shouldn’t just collect classics, but reading them would be nice as well.
Beat the Backlist 2018
40 Backlist Books
You can read my full sign-up post here.
These sound like great goals! I really only force myself to read classics when I have a retelling I want to read. Otherwise, I’ve mostly given up on those. Good luck with all of these!
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Haha I can imagine. Not a lot of the classics are super appealing. I have to say that I am also more drawn towards the children classics than the big ‘literary’ ones.
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Awesome goals!! I have a problem with starting series and not finishing them and I probably should have done a goal to do with that this year, but there’s too many books from 2017 I still haven’t read so maybe next year! (I already have wayyy too many goals for this year and I don’t want to set myself up for too much failure). I’m not even gonna try to decrease the size of my physical TBR… Lol not gonna happen!! I have no self control.
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One can only do so much in a year. 😉 Good luck with all of your goals!
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Good luck with you challenges 🙂
I’m doing Beat the Backlist as well because I have SO many books that I never found time to read last year. I can’t keep away from brand new books so I end up with massive TBR lists/piles.
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Thank you! Same. It is so hard keeping the balance.
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Oh yes, those classics. They’re so beautiful, but it’s so hard to start reading them. Weirdly enough though, I usually love them when I start reading them (they’re classics for a reason, of course!)
Hopefully you’ll be able to keep up with your reading goal as Merijn grows! 🙂
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Ah true. I’ve liked a few of them. Though some I don’t understand why they are so loved like Frankenstein haha.
Thanks. I hope so too. 😀
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Good luck with the goals you’ve set for yourself. And The name of the wind is so awesome!!!!
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Thank you! I have such high hopes for that one!
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So many great goals! I’m so bad at resolutios! 😋
Maybe I should make book resolutions too this year. Number 1 has to be: actually try to accomplish those resolutions 😁
I hope you’ll have an amazing book year. 😊
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Haha. For some these resolutions work and others do better without them. 😉
I hope the same for you.
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I’ve set my reading challenge also on 60 again, just like you! Everything above that is a bonus but it doesn’t put so much pressure on it to reach a certain high number for me. I love your goal of reading 5 books by Dutch authors.. I’m afraid to say I know English authors best and I hadn’t heard of these authors. I would like to read a novel (Puta) by Sterre Caron though because I’m hearing lots of praise about her but I haven’t been able to get a novel for a low price yet ;-). I read a few reviews of Strange The Dreamer and I hear it’s a really great book so happy reading this year!!
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Agreed. It worked really well for me last year when i had the same goal and ended up doubling the number. I’d never read that much before. I am the same. I also know mostly English authors but I’ve been trying to give Dutch authors more chances as well. 🙂
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I want to finish the Graceling trilogy! I read the first one and my best friend loves the rest, so I just need to get them and finish them.
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I have the next two so I just really need to pick them up. I hope we will love them. 😀
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These look like some great goals which are doable but still provide some challenge! I’m keeping it all very vague and lowkey for myself this year. My Goodreads goal is also 60 as I didn’t reach my goal in 2017 so I prefer to keep it lower and actually achieve it this year 🙂 I do love that you have a list of the series you want to finish and the top 15 books you want to read, makes it all very tangible.
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Thanks! Yeah I’d like to say there was a year where I completed all my goals. One can hope, right? 😉
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I like your goals!
Especially the catch up on series. It’s so easy (AND exciting) to keep starting new ones, but then the ones you actually liked are forgotten and then you don’t remember them anymore and have to reread before continuing! At least that’s how it often happens for me. I want to continue/finish more series as well this year!
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Thanks! I agree, but keeping up with series is so hard.
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Heel veel succes Annemieke. Wel grappig hoe we onze uitdagingen bijschaven hé. 🙂 Ik ben benieuwd waar mijn tbr-aantal dit jaar zal eindigen. Momenteel ben ik bezig met het tellen en indelen per genre van mijn ongelezen boeken. EIgenlijk hoop ik dat de blogpost die daar uit voortkomt nog wat extra motivatie vormt om nog meer eigen boeken te lezen.
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Dank je. Ja ik ben ook benieuwd. Oh ik ben erg benieuwd naar die post. Ik ga vrijdag hopelijk mijn boekenkasten weer eens herindelen. Maar hoe weet ik nog niet, haha.
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I have a ton of series to finish as well! It’s hard when there are so many delicious new series to start, lol.
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Ugh yes. It’s like every time I finish one series there are 5 more waiting for me to start with those tempting covers…
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When you pick your next Pratchett arc let me know so we can “buddy read”. I know I always get behind, ha ha, but it is still nice to be able to discuss along the way. 💜
I think it was good to just leave your physical book goal at no growth. 👍
I hope you like The Bear and the Nightengale. The first 30% was a bit boring to me, but the rest of the book slammed and the sequel was amazing. ☺
I also need to read the next Chamber’s book. 🚀
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Will do! I think it might be the witches since I have almost all of them. Or maybe the moist von lipwig one haha.
I really hope so too. Fingers crossed I’ll get to it next year (edit why did I type year, obviously month lol)!
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