Hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl
Hi everybody, and welcome to a new Top Ten Tuesday!
With the start of a new year always comes the fun task of setting new goals and resolutions for the new year. Though it’s true we can do this at any point in time, I do always like the idea of a magical new beginning that the start of a new year brings.
So I thought of some bookish resolutions and goals that I want to strive towards in 2021. I tried to make these goals measurable, so maybe I can look back at the end of the year to see how I’ve done. But for now, it’s all fresh and anything is still possible!
Reading Goals
1. Read 50 books in 2021
In 2020 my goal was to read 50 books and I read 102!
So, in 2021 I want to read… 50 books… AGAIN.
Why so little when I doubled it last year? Look, it goes without saying that 2020 was a weird year and I 1) had more time due to lockdowns to read, and 2) used books as an escape mechanism even more than usual.
So I don’t want to just assume I’ll reach 100+ books again in 2021. While I do think I’ll be able to read more than 50, I don’t want to pressure myself and my enjoyment of reading matters more than the amount I read.
2. Catch up on backlist books (and finish some series while I’m at it)
I feel like this is a constant goal and yet I never feel like I actually accomplish it because I get too distracted by shiny new releases. But there are so many backlist gems I’m probably missing out on, so I really want to work on that. And this includes finishing some series I started and never finished. Like Nevernight or Gumiho. Maybe I need to make a list. I like lists and list are helpful, right?
4. Read 10 new-to-me / unhyped authors (and continue my adult urban fantasy quest)
I have a tendency to always reading books by the same authors. Previous blog posts topics where I for example list my most-read authors or list hidden gems make this fact blatantly obvious. So I want to read more authors I didn’t know before or are less hyped among the bookish community. This goal also coincides nicely with my quest to try more underrated (new) adult urban fantasy books which I started last year and will definitely continue in 2021.
5. Re-read at least 10 books
I feel like there is something magical in re-reading old favorites. In December 2020 I re-read 6 old favorites and I LOVED IT SO MUCH. It feels like coming home to a familiar world and yet also like re-discovering a world which is partly forgotten (because I have goldfish brain) at the same time. So I want to make an effort to re-read even more in 2021.
6. Step out of my comfort zone at least 4 times (AKA read something non-SFF, non-contemporary or non-romance)
Another goal that is on my list every year and yet I’ve failed at it pretty much every year. But 4 books during the whole year that are not SFF, contemporary or romance? That’s gotta be doable, right?
7. Clean up my Goodreads TBR
Look, I’ve let my TBR get out of control for too long. Half of the books on my Goodreads TBR are books I don’t even remember adding! It needs to stop. I like having a long TBR, but it needs to be manageable and most importantly, I need to actually still WANT TO READ the books on my TBR. So in 2021, I’m going on a cleaning spree!
Blogging Goals
8. Try to always have posts prepared at least one month in advance
2020 may have sucked, but on the bright side I did finally get to work ahead on my posts (I’m writing this post in November!) and let me tell you: it is a GLORIOUS and ADDICTIVE feeling to be this prepared. I want to keep it up in 2021 and try to always have at least the next month of posts prepared in advance.
9. Bloghop at least once a week
Another regular goal on this yearly list, and yet it is SO IMPORTANT. And SO DIFFICULT also. Bloghopping is the heart and soul of blogging and yet, it’s the one aspect of blogging that often feels the most difficult to keep up. But once a week, that should be a minimum and that should be doable, right?
10. Write regular book reviews again
You know, for a book blogger, I’ve been reallly slacking on the book reviews lately. And I mean lately like in the past 2-3 years *oops* Sometimes I just don’t feel like I have a lot to say. Or I feel like everyone has reviewed a book already and I’m “too late”. Or I just don’t take the time to sit down and write a review. But I want to change that and write more reviews again. They don’t have to be the long and detailed kind, they could also just be mini reviews.
And most importantly…
11. Have fun
I feel like sometimes I can get too caught up in this whole blogging thing, but the important thing I need to remember is that it’s something I do for fun. Reading is a hobby. Blogging is a hobby. It needs to be fun and that matters more than all the goals I could ever set.
Tell Me:
What are your 2021 bookish goals?
Do we have any in common?
Good luck with these! My reading was way down in 2020 but I hope to rebound in 2021. Ooh and being ahead- I miss that lol. I used to have posts scheduled out months in advance but lately.,.. not so much. Ergh.
I do want to try more UF in 2021 also. 🙂
Oh I know, I worked so hard to get my posts ready a month in advance, but then the hard part is keeping it up as well so not sure how long that’ll last 🙂 Hope your 2021 reading will be better than your 2020!
Best of luck with your goals! A Goodreads TBR shelf tidy up can be so satisfying. I love a bit of spring cleaning!
Exactly, some spring cleaning sounds exactly like what my TBR needs 🙂
Great goals. I’m sure you will achieve many of them.
My goal is to Read more Books from my TBR pile and therefore I participate in several challenges.
Thanks! Hope you’ll reach your goal to read more books from the TBR pile as well. Challenges can be so much fun, I’d love to do more of them, but I’m too much of a mood reader 🙂
I think we all have that goal. I never know what to read and I always read around five books, so there’s always room for something that suits my mood. But I know what you mean, sometimes I just don’t care much for a book I’ve looked for for such a long time. Then I wait a month and then is the right moment.
I want to reread some books this year, too. Good luck with your goals!
Rereading is so much fun! Good luck with your goals too!
Great goals! I feel like so many of these are relevant to me! especially the cleaning up of my GR TBR and trying to catch up on backlist books. Good luck with them all 😀
Thanks, good luck with your goals as well 😉
Having posts prepared in advance is the best. I’m done two weeks in advance at the moment, and I’m trying to bump that up to a full month so there’s lots of wiggle room in my schedule in case of emergency.
My post.
A month of posts ready in advance is definitely the dream! I more or less have that for now, but it’s so easily gone again as well 🙂
These are such great goals! I think prepping in advance is such a good thing (I think I wrote my goals post in December, so you had me beat!). I love to reread, so I love that goal. I love the idea of finding new authors and reading outside your comfort zone!
Haha, yeah it’s only the start of the year and my advance is already decreasing, I’m down from 2 months to 1 month. Which is obviously still great, but I know it’ll be tricky to keep that way 🙂 I’ve been re-reading a lot lately, so I hope to keep it up, I definitely love it!
Fun is the most important indeed! Hope you can do all of these ♥
Fun is definitely the key ingredient 🙂 Thanks!
Wow Lindsey! 2021 is THE year for you! Good luck.
Haha, let’s hope so Sophie 😉
We have a lot of similar goals, especially writing blog posts ahead of time and catching up on backlist. I hope you have fun achieving your goals!
They are classic reading goals for sure 🙂 Good luck with yours!
My biggest goal is to attack and conquer my TBR pile! Always easier said than done though…
I’m glad to hear that you plan on posting more reviews in 2021. As someone who follows your blog because so many of your reading tastes parallel my own, I really look forward to these. Although I may sometimes see certain books reviewed by other people or on bigger sites, your reviews actually hold more weight for me as I know they are a better indicator of how likely I am to enjoy the titles reviewed. So keep those reviews coming, even if they’re short! And best of luck attacking the rest of your 2021 bookish goals.
Haha yeah, I’ll probably be my own worst enemy when it comes to cleaning up my TBR pile – “I don’t remember this book, so it goes away… Wait, I should read the description first… Ehh, maybe it’s not my thing anymore… But what if I miss out on something? … Maybe I’d better keep it…”
I’m so glad to hear we have similar reading tastes! It is always fun to find someone with similar tastes! I’ll definitely try to review more, at the very least some regular mini reviews should be feasible 🙂
I’d like to read 50 books this year as well, I got to 45 last year and would really like to push it that bit further this year.
My TTT: https://jjbookblog.wordpress.com/2021/01/12/top-ten-tuesday-298/
Hope we’ll both reach 50 books this year! 🙂
Hopefully!
These are all great! I also didn’t want to set my reading goal too high because I know that life tends to get in the way.
Have you read any Charles DeLint during your urban fantasy challenge? His writing is beautiful.
Glad to hear I’m not the only one who prefers low reading goals! 🙂
Oh, I have to admit I didn’t know about Charles DeLint, I’ll need to check him out. Thanks for the rec!
I want to catch up on backlist books, too! I actually picked 10 that I plan to read this year for my list today. Good luck on all of these!
Oh, making a list sounds like a great idea to make sure those backlist books actually get read 🙂 Thanks!
Ah finishing up series is one I missed to include, I’ve started several series in 2020 and so far in 2021, so would be a nice one to accomplish for sure. Good Luck!! My TTT https://readwithstefani.com/2021-bookish-and-reading-resolutions/
I love finishing series, but I’m terrible when there is too long between books 🙂 Hope you’ll get to finish some series this year!
Yes! Having fun is by far the most important.
Blogposts a month ahead? Goodness Gracious Me. That’s a steep one. But I say go for it!!
I plan a bit better (so far, but I don’t get to have the posts done before the day they are actually do. Okay one or two, once or twice.
Your goals seem achievable – you can do it!
Lots of Love,
Mareli & Elza
Haha, yeah for now I’m one month ahead, but I have a feeling it won’t last long 🙂
Thanks!
Cleaning up my Goodreads TBR is a major one for me, too. That thing is like the Wild Wild West over there.
Haha yeah, it’ll definitely feel like a whole quest to clean up, that’s for sure 🙂
I love all of your goals! You captured my thoughts about rereading perfectly. And I went through my Goodreads TBR last year, removing books I no longer wanted to read, and it felt amazing! I highly recommend it. 😉 When I take the time to have blog posts done in advance, it’s the best feeling. I would love to do that more often, as well. Good luck with all of these!
Ah, I’m kind of dreading, but also kind of looking forward to cleaning up my TBR. It’ll be tough to start, but I’m sure it’ll indeed feel amazing when it’s done 🙂
These are all such great goals. I really want to re-read more this year too. I’ve slacked on that ever since I started blogging and miss it.
I’ve been re-reading a lot in December and January (currently re-reading the ACOTAR series) and I have to say I missed it so much too! It feels nice to revisit favorite worlds and I hope I can keep it up throughout the year. Good luck with your own re-reading goals!