Talk @ Books! discussion

What are your reading goals (if any) for 2021?

Number?
How do you choose? Any difference in format?
Titles?
Genres?
Series?
Book club schedule?

I am hoping to read at least 75 books this year. Generally, I have read this number in the last several years, but this year, even with the coronavirus, it was a squeaker. I used a couple of book challenges and a monthly face-to-face book discussion group, which is currently being zoomed, to choose the book next read. I read and include either printed, electronic, or audio. Although I favor historical fiction and mysteries, I read all genres. If it is a good book, I will read it regardless of the genre. I do read series but I have to mix it up. I I generally don't like to read two book in a series together. I'm generally reading three or four series at a time but intersperse one series followed by a non-series followed by another series.

I will probably set my Goodreads 2021 goal at 100. This year, I read 123 (and counting).

I plan each month using a check list. There are challenge items, a new release, a series read, TBR selections, and irl book club. There are 10 items on the checklist, but often they overlap. I might have the same book slotted in for a challenge read and a series read for example.

I prefer audiobooks, but since I always have an audiobook and print edition going at the same time, it tends to balance out.

It's so hard to get away from series books. I track the ones I'm reading with an eye to finishing them. Last week, I went through my list and was brutal. If I haven't read a book in the series in a couple of years and I don't own the next book in the series, I crossed it off the list. Then I identified the series I want to concentrate on.

The other thing I focus on are the books I own. There are way too many. I try to read the oldest print book and oldest audiobook each month so I can clear them off.

What about you Colleen? What are your goals?

I'm setting my goal in pages again this year. I stopped setting a goal in books a few years ago because I end skipping chunksters when I getting behind. I hope to read again at least 15K pages in 2021.

I also want to keep prioritizing the books I own. Other than that I haven't set any other goals. I am a moody reader, and the older I get it seems the more moody I get.

Janice wrote: "It's so hard to get away from series books. I track the ones I'm reading with an eye to finishing them. Last week, I went through my list and was brutal. If I haven't read a book in the series in a couple of years and I don't own the next book in the series, I crossed it off the list. Then I identified the series I want to concentrate on.
"

I do not have that many series in the go right now, mostly because for years I have been avoiding them. I have been reading trilogies I can start and finish the same year. I think the Ruth Galloway series is the only one over 10 books that I have on the go at the moment.
That said, I was thinking the other day that I feel like starting a couple of long series in 2021. I want to find a cast of nice characters I want to spend time with. I guess that's what I'm looking for, that comfort of being in a known place. Still I plan to decide carefully which ones I'm starting and keep it under 3 series (other than the one I'm still reading). I do not want this to get out of control!

My goal for this year was 77. If I make it I’ll set a goal of 78 for 2021. If not, I’ll keep it at 77. Mostly series & making a dent in my stacks of books at home & on my phone.

I'm going to aim for 150 again. I listen to a lot of audiobooks as well as reading my Kindle at night. I plan to continue to tackle my TBR lists which I break down by year I added each book, the goal is to never have anything on there I added more than 5 years ago. I also have a maybe shelf which I will go through and either delete or add to my TBR.
I plan on steering clear of most structured challenges if there is anything 2020 has taught me, it's not to plan too far ahead. I've enjoyed throwing my reading plans out the window and reading whatever I feel like as my mood dictates. I agree with Sandra, the older I get the more moody I become.

Sandra wrote: "I'm setting my goal in pages again this year. I stopped setting a goal in books a few years ago because I end skipping chunksters when I getting behind. I hope to read again at least 15K pages in 2..."

That makes sense, though I think I'd have a hard time not thinking of it in terms of the number of books I've read. That is so ingrained in my head. I have a couple of extreme chunksters coming up and I was reluctant to put them on my challenge because I knew they'll slow me down.

As for lengthy series, I tend to give up on them because I lose interest in the back story. The In Death series has over 50 books in it and I've read the first 9 book, plus own books 9, 10 & 11. Once I'm finished those, I plan on calling the series done.

My plan for 2021 is to read all my owned, non-series books, as well as the books for my book club. So that will be around 60 books. Some of my owned books are definitely chunksters.
I am planning to be ruthless in weeding out what goes back on the shelves as keepers. I really would like one of those nice looking bookshelves with space for pictures and nicknacks 😊

I try for 60-65 / year, mostly what's on my shelves, but work and book clubs will take me away from that. By March this year, I knew I was going to have to lower my goal, and I don't even think I'll make my 55 this year.
I have also been better lately about giving away books that I know I won't read again.

I am going for my lowest number of 50 books for the year but really wanting my main focus on getting through books at home. I will most likely add a couple shelves for 2021 so I can shelve finished books by 'home' and 'library'. Most of all I have numerous series I would love to get through. Sadly two of these are 20+ book series.

I think I'm going to take a cue from someone else here and change my personal challenge next year to page numbers. Too often, I get sidetracked by work, etc and then find myself rushing to keep the pace of my challenge, whicheads me to sacrifice chunkier books. So if I go for page numbers, I'm more likely to hit those longer works and get them off my bookshelf or my bucket list, or both.

100 books for 2021 is my goal. I read 107 this year but I was off work alot this year. Going back in February.

30 books is my goal for 2021. chances are I may do more but want to be realistic of my ability due to my work. This year I chose to read books I had on my TBR list for a while and also books I collected over the years on my bookshelf. I'm sure some of my reads will be clinical as I am a mental health/substance use counselor and always researching.

Ulyssicia wrote: "30 books is my goal for 2021. chances are I may do more but want to be realistic of my ability due to my work. This year I chose to read books I had on my TBR list for a while and also books I coll..."

Have you read Maybe You Should Talk to Someone: A Therapist, Her Therapist, and Our Lives Revealed? Our book club read it this year and thought it was great. I learned a lot - pretty fascinating and comforting.

Martha wrote: "My goal for this year was 77. If I make it I’ll set a goal of 78 for 2021. If not, I’ll keep it at 77. Mostly series & making a dent in my stacks of books at home & on my phone."

Mine is 77 as well! I only made it to 75/77 last year after pretty consistently surpassing my mark. Book length definitely does play a factor here.

I think my original goal last year (2020) was 85 but I reached that early on and upped it to 100. I wound up reading 112 but I am doing a few kiddie reads so lots of those books were Newbery winners and middle grade books so it isn't as impressive as it might otherwise be if they were all full length classics by Tolstoy! :)

My goal this year is 100 again and I still have some middle grade/Newbery reading to do so I should make it, but I have decided to take it a bit easier this year and haven't put my name to as many challenges , i.e. Author or Title challenges which obligate me to 26 books, etc. I'm going to read more of whatever I want to read this year and not feel as pressured to read books simply to complete challenges. There is nothing wrong with that - I've read lots of great books that I probably wouldn't have read otherwise if it hadn't been for challenges - but I also haven't read lots of books I want to read because they didn't fit challenges.

I am still obligated to two books a month for the two book clubs I'm part of and I am still part of a few challenges but they are more centered around books I want to read fitting the challenge than the other way around. By and large I guess you can say this is my taking a break year.

Colleen wrote: "What are your reading goals (if any) for 2021?

Number?
How do you choose? Any difference in format?
Titles?
Genres?
Series?
Book club schedule?"

When I set my goal, I usually take what I read last year and multiply by 1.5.

I'm slowly coming off a reading slump so my goal is only 24 books this year but I'm hoping to surpass it (I used to read 50-60 a year). So far I'm on book #6. I may not be ahead yet, but I'm not behind :) In order to not return to my slump, I'm just trying to make sure to pick a book I'm pretty sure I'll be able to enjoy and get some off my physical bookshelf at the same time. Because of that, I'm not participating in challenges yet. Maybe I can get back to those this summer (fingers crossed).

Good luck to everyone with their goals :)

My goals for 2021 are

1. Read 60 books, audiobooks excluded (less than last year so I can pick up photography as a hobby as well)
2. Read 22.000 pages
3. Read more owned books (at least 50%)
4. Read 6 work related books
5. Read 6 books in Portuguese
6. DNF books that will rate 1 star

I participate in a lot (too many actually) readathons, group reads and buddy reads making me have to plan ahead what I read. This years goal was to NOT make a planning and just pick up what I felt like reading. Failed miserably so I already know one of my goals for 2022 lol

Like Linda, I sometimes read shorter books for challenges. Last year was out of control. I set a goal to read fewer but better/longer books this year. I'm focusing on international books, and stretching myself with new genres and topics. China and Climate fiction are two key topics to explore. I look forward to more face-to-face book club meetings later this year.

Goals:
1.Read books from 24 different countries, 7 continents, and countries I haven't read before. I'm on target.
2. 21 books published in 2021. I'm not on target.
3. PBT monthly tag themes and fly the skies. Very fun, but hectic.
4. Around the world in 52 books. 52 creative prompts. On target.
5. Target lists - I plan to read at least one book from each list (I'm up to 12 I think), but they can overlap. Award lists (Pulitzer, Nobel, Warwick Women in Translation, Booker, etc.), "top" lists- female authors, black authors, world books, Reading lists (Obamas', NY Times notables, TED's summer reading list).

Hi, Nancy!

I actually do the Good reads reading challenge every year. This year my goal is 40 but sadly I am a bit behind this year. Hopefully I will catch up. I have a bunch of e-books as well as physical books to choose from and I try to do one of each so basically I am reading 2 books at the same time. I am mostly a fiction reader. I have tried to make a list of the books I will read ahead of time but as books are released of I get new recommendations that list usually gets left behind.

My Goodreads challenge this year was 100 books but (see above) I have not been pushing myself and I see I am only at about 65 right now. Not going to make it! In years past I would have panicked but I'm good with however it turns out this year.

I'm terribly behind on my goal, even though I lowered it from the usual 60-65.

Karen wrote: "I think my original goal last year (2020) was 85 but I reached that early on and upped it to 100. I wound up reading 112 but I am doing a few kiddie reads so lots of those books were Newbery winner..."

I agree and understand what you have said Karen! I'm in 3 book clubs and don't commit to too many rigid categories (although I'm sure I could find enough on my TBR to fit) - however, if you saw my new post I wonder if I would quit many books into the future now?

I bet you can totally do 100 books next year - no sweat and happy reading. :)

Kirsten wrote: "Colleen wrote: "What are your reading goals (if any) for 2021?

Number?
How do you choose? Any difference in format?
Titles?
Genres?
Series?
Book club schedule?"

When I set my goal, I usually ta..."

Nice - a stretch goal. :) I'm currently 4 books ahead of schedule and have felt comfortable with my last two years of the same number goal. I have *gradually been able to increase slowly.

Lynn wrote: "I'm slowly coming off a reading slump so my goal is only 24 books this year but I'm hoping to surpass it (I used to read 50-60 a year). So far I'm on book #6. I may not be ahead yet, but I'm not be..."

How was your summer reading Lynn? Make some progress with good books? Favorite read?

Hmmmm. I'm looking back at my reading for the year.

Read more books than I committed to on the GR year in books -- CHECK.

Finished some series -- CHECK.

Finished more old series than new ones started -- DEMERIT.

Read some longstanding "tomes" that have waited too long -- CHECK.

Roped my niece into reading about 30 classics this year without even realizing I'd done it -- CHECK.

Finished my *2020* list of 36 authors that I want to read everything they wrote that I already own -- yeah, I finished off 7 of them, and that's total -- 2020 AND 2021. DEMERIT!

Read 100 books I already own before allowing myself to buy any more, after numerous attempts....... yeah, great big DEMERIT for EPIC FAIL!

Jennifer wrote: "Hmmmm. I'm looking back at my reading for the year.

Read more books than I committed to on the GR year in books -- CHECK.

Finished some series -- CHECK.

Finished more old series than new ones s..."

LOLOL Jennifer - sounds like an overall successful and fun year. Hard to believe next year is right around the corner. It will be great to see what next year brings us. Set those new goals! :)

Well, I'd hoped that focusing on pages vs number of books might encourage me to get some longer books that I've had sitting around out pf the way, so I had a figure of 15000 pp in my head. I see now that so far, I've only read about 6700. The pandemic and work have maintained that hit on my ability to focus.

Linda Abhors the New GR Design wrote: "Well, I'd hoped that focusing on pages vs number of books might encourage me to get some longer books that I've had sitting around out pf the way, so I had a figure of 15000 pp in my head. I see no..."

I'm sure you're not the only one Linda! Let's hope 2022 brings a lot more relief in both of those areas - I hear you loud and clear.

Yes, please!

So I actually read 100 books this year without buying any new. Then I decided to do it again, got as far as 25, and those selfish lowlifes over at audible.com decided to do a site-wide sale. In short, I caved like a mining disaster. I consider myself a victim. LOLOLOLOL

OK, reset, start over -- 100 of the books I own before I buy any more....