Reading Envy Readers discussion

One of my favorite episodes of the podcast was when Jenny discussed her reading goals for the year. I was always impressed by her focus when making said goals.

Anyone have any reading goals in 2023?

My main goal is to get books off my physical shelves at home.

Elizabeth☮ wrote: "One of my favorite episodes of the podcast was when Jenny discussed her reading goals for the year. I was always impressed by her focus when making said goals.

Anyone have any reading goals in 202..."

I always liked those episodes, too. She would have a different goal every year. I always have the same goal every year: read what I own. I have years of reading on my shelves at home and always seem to find more books when I stroll through bookstores. Also, I'd like to read more classics, they rarely disappoint me.

It’s hard to resist a book that doesn’t sit on your shelf!

Elizabeth☮ wrote: "It’s hard to resist a book that doesn’t sit on your shelf!" That is correct!

I’d like to get some of the books that have been on my GR “Want to Read” shelf the longest moved over to my “Read” shelf….or even onto my “DNF” shelf if they aren’t to my taste after giving them a 50ish page try (a la Jenny’s speed dating method).

That’s always a good plan Kim. I give some books less than fifty pages if they aren’t engaging me.

I think I always liked hearing about Jenny's reading goals more than making my own. I liked her approach to setting a variety of goals and then doing activities like the speed dating to help with the decision-making process. My past goals for reading more books in translation were influenced by Jenny's goal to read a book from each country and learn about other cultures and historical periods in the process.

My ambivalence about goal-setting is related to what everyone is saying about reading unread books I already own. It seems like the longer a book sits on your shelf, the less appealing it becomes, so it's good to make it a goal to read the books I buy more quickly. But I also only read in the range of 40-70 books per year, so it's challenging to set a lot of new goals if the books on my shelf don't already align with them. Last year I started a new tradition of taking a picture of my fiction TBR shelf at the start of the year. I had 20 books on it, but only read 12 of them in the past year. Only one of those 12 was a bail, and it came after an excruciating 211 pages.

So now I'm thinking my goals for this year should be more about the process for choosing my books, instead of which books to choose:

1. Read (or attempt) the 8 remaining books on my fiction TBR shelf at the start of last year.

2. Library fiction speed dating: four times a year, try speed dating books from the library. Use themes for each one - e.g., genre, country, historical focus, etc.

3. Audio non-fiction face-off: whenever I choose from my 'available now' audio book list, try listening to one hour of two, decide on one to read, or return both and remove from my list.

4. Bail on more books. Part of my reluctance to bail is probably because I'm a slow reader, and even 50 pages can take some time. The more time it takes, the more I feel obligated to continue. But I think being a slow reader is also partially due to trying to stick with books that I'm reluctant to pick up because I'm not enjoying them!

Admirable goals Vinny. I don’t have any problem bailing on a book. I hope you see some positive results with your 2023 goals.

Jenny inspired me to tackle the books I own that are compilations or collections or poetry, essays or short stories. I’m going to try to knock some of those off my shelf this year.

I own zero books and my goal is always the same..to read library books exclusively. I can't always get every book I want but I just move on. I support authors by purchasing books as gifts.
It is great to hear about everyone's goals. Happy New Year!

Jenny and I chatted about "Read What You Own" several times - Everytime I pick a book up that has been on my shelf for any amount of time - I think of her.

Same Mina. She was so good at cleaning off her shelves.

I tried book speed dating for the first time and really enjoyed it. I’m certain I would have read all 5 of these until the end if I bought them, but I’m only moving forward with two. I never bail on books, so I felt like this gave me the freedom to stop reading.
I think a podcast would be better for summarizing these, but wanted to do a brief summary in remembrance of Jenny:

1. Nada by Jean-Patrick Manchette (23 pages read): A team of inept, anarchist criminals plot to kidnap the U.S. Ambassador to France. Fast-paced and tries to be funny. It's compulsive enough that I had difficulty putting it down, but I hated the characters. Verdict: Return

2. His Own Man by Edgard Telles Ribeiro (22 pages read): The protégé of a Machiavelian diplomat in 1960s Brazil chronicles the sinister rise of his mentor. The writing is good, but it seems like the opening lays bare what kind of story it will be, without leaving much for curiosity. Verdict: Return

3. Dept. of Speculation by Jenny Offill (22 pages read): I would’ve gotten around to reading Offill at some point, but without this speed date, who knows how long? I instantly liked her unique style of delivering short bursts of narrative and asides. I laughed out loud several times, even though it’s far from a comedy. Verdict: Kept and read

4. Interior Chinatown by Charles Yu (19 pages read): This was the most cerebral of the bunch, but it sounds like an intriguing examination of selfhood under an American society that can’t let go of Asian stereotypes. I want to read it, but not right this moment. Verdict: Return and pick up again later.

5. The Dreams, by Naguib Mahfouz (20 pages read): How’s this for a concept? Take 104 actual dreams you had and polish each one into a story. Mahfouz published this collection at age 89, six years after being stabbed in the neck by a religious extremist. What a fascinating introduction to an author I’d never read before. Verdict: Continue reading before bed.

Elizabeth☮ wrote: "One of my favorite episodes of the podcast was when Jenny discussed her reading goals for the year. I was always impressed by her focus when making said goals.
Anyone have any reading goals in 2023.."

Awwwwww I love you for this Elizabeth☮! I still miss Jenny and her podcast; a real favourite. Thank you for keeping the forum alive in her memory!

This year my only reading goal is to keep on reading... And not to buy many books but read from my shelf/the library/found & borrowed books. The only exemption is bookgroup reads.

Doing o-kay so far: today I finished my 16th book of the year and that means that my 2023 goal of 22 books total is still within reach :-)

Good for you Vinny! I love the idea of speed dating, but I can’t seem to carve out the time.

Thanks Gnoe. I miss Jenny and her many reading recommendations. I don’t think I’ll ever know someone so widely read again.

Good luck with your reading goal. It sounds like you’ll hit the mark!