Monday, January 16, 2023

Top Ten Tuesday: Bookish Goals 2023

 


Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. This week's topic is Bookish Goals for 2023

I have been thinking a lot about my reading and blogging goals for 2023, and jotting down notes here and there, so when I saw this topic on the Top Ten Tuesday list, I decided to take this opportunity to formalize them.

My goals for the year:

  1. Read more graphic novels. I don't think I read any graphic novels (or nonfiction) last year, so any number would be an improvement, but I would like to average one a month.
  2. Read more science fiction, novels or short stories. In 2022, I read one science fiction novel and a few short stories in that genre. My aim in 2023 is to read ten novels or short story anthologies.
  3. Read more espionage novels. I did better reading espionage novels this year, a total of six. In 2023, I would like to read 10 or 12. Specific authors I would like to catch up on are Anthony Price, Victor Canning, Len Deighton, Mick Herron, and Charles Cumming.
  4. Aim at reading books on my shelves rather than buying new books. With the three goals above that will be easy because I have plenty on my shelves. I have signed up for two TBR challenges to help with that goal, Bev Hankin's Mount TBR Challenge 2023 on Goodreads, and Roof Beam Reader's TBR Pile Challenge, where I list 12 specific books to read during the year.
  5. Read more books that are on the Kindle. I buy tons of ebooks but have a hard time reading them. This ties into my next goal...
  6. Read some every morning. Anything would be fine, but I can't read ebooks at night because it interferes with my sleep, so ebooks would be a priority. 
  7. Work on my classics list. Read at least one classic a month, preferably from my Classics Club List. I am not doing well on my Classics List, and I am supposed to finish it in November 2023 and that is not going to happen.
  8. Train myself to write short reviews. Believe me, this would be a project. I don't necessarily want to write only brief reviews, but I would like to master that art.
  9. Complete more short story anthologies or collections. I would like to read more short stories, but really my goal in that area is to finish the short story books that I start. I currently have many half-finished short story books all over the house. So, a concrete goal would be to complete reading one short story book a month.
  10. Track my reading and how it fits in with my goals. I left this for last because I think it will be the hardest one to do. I want to consistently and regularly track my goals and any challenges I participate in.

  

Do you have bookish goals this year?


48 comments:

Rissi said...

I need to shorten the reviews I write too. I've done better than I used to, but still think I could likely improve. :) All the best with your 2023 goals!

CLM said...

Funny, I just bought for my brother's birthday - and reread it first, of course - the first Anthony Price because you reminded me of these books which I read so long ago.

I have never read Victor Canning (in fact, I never heard of him) or Len Deighton. I did read the first Mick Herron about four years ago and did not find it as captivating as others have. I guess the new TV show is supposed to be good, however. I do like Charles Cumming but have not read any recently.

There just isn't time, and I just finished a three-day weekend with little to show for it. Oh well.

Cathy said...

Completely with you on how it's so easy to overlook books on your Kindle. I used to get tempted by Amazon's daily and monthly deals and ended up with loads of books that I still haven't read. I'm going to be targeting some these this year too.

Laurie said...

Good luck with your goals! maybe reviewing according to the CAWPILE method might help you to shorten your reviews? You can find more explanation on The Book Roast's Youtube channel.

My TTT: https://laurieisreading.wordpress.com/2023/01/17/top-ten-tuesday-books-i-expected-more-from-in-2022/

Pam said...

This year I'd like to read at least one science fiction book because it's a genre I don't normally read.

Pam @ Read! Bake! Create!
https://readbakecreate.com/ten-more-anticipated-releases-january-june-2023/

Lydia said...

Tracking your reading is a good idea! I do some of it, but I’d like to do more, too. :)

My post: https://lydiaschoch.com/top-ten-tuesday-bookish-goals-for-2023/

Margot Kinberg said...

You have some solid goals here, Tracy. I think it's great that you're planning to read more graphic novels, too. They can be very good. And for young people, research suggests they can be really effective in encouraging students to read, even if they don't enjoy it or struggle with it. The artwork can be great, too.

iloveheartlandX said...

Good luck with your goals!
My TTT: https://jjbookblog.wordpress.com/2023/01/17/top-ten-tuesday-403/

Deanna @ A Novel Glimpse said...

#5 is one I always strive for too. Good luck on these!

Aymee said...

My younger daughter went on a major manga spree last year, so I have a ton of graphic novels to read myself! Also, reading books you already have is tough because of all the new, shiny books! LOL

Here is our Top Ten Tuesday.

Cath said...

I'm with you on all of these apart from 2 or 3. Certainly the sci-fi one and the classics. And writing shorter reviews, although I've got better at that and only do long reviews of books I really love. Others get shorter reviews or sometimes only a mention in the end of the month round-up. So it is possible to make progress!

MI6 said...

For really superb and different espionage novels read and where possible view on screen these best in class espionage thrillers:
Fiction - Len Deighton - Funeral in Berlin - shame they chose The Ipcress File for a remake rather than this
Non-fiction - Bill Fairclough - Beyond Enkription in The Burlington Files series - a raw noir sui generis novel but read this MI6 intriguing news first - https://theburlingtonfiles.org/news_2022.10.31.php.
Fiction - Mick Herron - Slow Horses in The Slough House series - an anti-Bond masterpiece laced with sardonic humour
Non-fiction - Ben Macintyre - The Spy and The Traitor + A Spy Among Friends - must reads for all espionage cognoscenti

TracyK said...

Rissi, thanks for stopping by and checking out my goals. I enjoyed your review of goals from previous years. I hope things go well for you in 2023 and that you get back to reading more.

TracyK said...

Constance, I hope your brother enjoys the Anthony Price book. It has been two years since I read one of his books and I am ready to get back to them.

Victor Canning was a very versatile writer although I have mainly read his spy fiction. I read two Mick Herron books from a series previous to the Slough House series, then read most of that series. I liked all of them and for me they just get better and better. But I can see where the premise might not be appealing to everyone.

Totally agree, there just isn't enough time, and I am retired. I am sure I won't reach all of these goals but trying is fun.

TracyK said...

Cathy, I have tried to stop adding ebooks to the Kindle since I read so few of them, but I haven't succeeded. I don't spend much on them but still. I hope I can make a small dent this year.

Todd Mason said...

Goals: Read more, write more and better, and get some sleep. Good luck with your similar if better-specified goals!

TracyK said...

Todd, those are great goals. My goals were supposed to be: read what appeals to me at the time and don't do challenges, but I signed up for some challenges and plan to do more so... I got more specific.

TracyK said...

Laurie, that is a very good suggestion. The CAWPILE method would help me focus on what I particularly liked about a book. (I haven't checked the youtube channel yet but I looked up CAWPILE and found the basics.)

Thanks so much. I am heading over to check your TTT post.

TracyK said...

Pam, I should add that as a goal, to read one book from a genre I haven't tried.

I have tried to comment at your blog Read! Bake! Create! and not been successful, but I do check out your posts.

Snapdragon said...

Gook luck on you goals.

TracyK said...

Lydia, I started out tracking my books in 2022, then fell behind. I hope I can figure out a system that works for me. I track what I read monthly, but I would like to keep some stats on things like female vs male authors, settings, genres, original date of publication, etc.

TracyK said...

Margot, graphic novels don't come easy to me, but I love the art. We have a lot of them that I haven't read yet though.

TracyK said...

iloveheartlandx, Good luck on your 2023 goals also, I have checked them out and they are varied and interesting.

TracyK said...

Deanna, I love to buy ebooks, but I don't love to read them. That goal is really challenging for me.

Lectrice Vorace said...

I'd like to read more classics, as well. Good luck with your goals this year!

My Top Ten Tuesday List

TracyK said...

Aymee, my son has read lots of manga but I haven't tried any. I do have one set on my shelves.

And yes, it is hard to not buy new books or book suggestions at other blogs.

TracyK said...

Cath, I am very optimistic on my goal to read more science fiction, less so on the Classics List. But I do hope using this list for reference will help.

It is your style of shorter reviews that I am aiming at. I hope I make some headway on that.

TracyK said...

MI6, Thanks for the suggestions. I love Len Deighton's books. I wish I could watch the adaptation of the Slough House series but we don't get that streaming service. Maybe someday.

My husband and I have both read one of Ben Macintyre's books. I read A Spy Among Friends and he read Operation Mincemeat. And we both want to read more.

TracyK said...

Thanks, Snapdragon. I hope to return to this post often to remind myself of my goals. As long as my reading and blogging are fun, it doesn't matter so much though.

TracyK said...

Lectrice, Reading more classics is one of my more difficult goals. But I do hope I can increase the number I read this year.

I like your list. Three goals to focus on is a smart way to go.

Just Another Girl and Her Books said...

Your Classics challenge sounds like the "Books every woman should read by 40" challenge I started with another blogger several years ago...I have less than 365 days to finish said list, and I think I've made exactly zero progress on it in all these years. Oops. Good luck with all of your goals. - Katie

TracyK said...

Katie, thanks for checking out my list. I sympathize with your issue with the challenge with your blogger friend. Somehow I have a problem with lists. I love to make them, but they lose their appeal immediately after that. At least I have been glad that I read most of the books I have read for my Classics List.

Bill Selnes said...

I am worn out reading your goals. I think you would have to read 24/7/364 to complete them. Good luck.

TracyK said...

Thanks for commenting, Bill. I don't think my goals are that demanding, Bill. And I expect that some will get less attention than others. Don't worry, I won't overstress over them, I will just use them as something to aim at. And I am retired now.

NancyElin said...

Good morning, at least here in NL.
Loved your "goals"....ver doable, practical (no e-readers at night) and venturing into new genres.
E-reader: Well, I've settled into a patten: NO e-reader after 0330 PM...switch to paperbacks. Since I started putting my "brain" health as a priority starting on 03 Jan last week I've clocked in 2 weeks of Zzzz 9 hrs sleep a night. I must mention STOPPED drinking coffee...only decaf. One night was a mess...be I treated myself to a mug of hot chocolate...forgetting there is a ton of caffeine in cacao!
Short stories: I have a page on my right-sidebar with "Short Story writers" I read some great collection in 2021.
Short reviews: I avoid re-hashing the plot or describing characters. One sentence about what the story is about is enough for me.I keep making small notes on GR (progresss). This gives the review a spontaneous feel...what I felt exactly after long hard chapters!
SF: Still have trouble getting into that genre...I do try...and espionage books - LOVE it.
Trying to challenge the brain so I'm keeping up on my French reading daily!

Susan said...

Why is it so hard to read the books off our own bookshelves? I have hundreds of unread books on my shelves to choose from and I still seem to ignore them in favor of library books and buying shiny new ones! What gives? At least I'm not the only one. Ha ha. Good luck with your goals!

Happy TTT (on a Wednesday)!

FictionFan said...

Good luck with your goals! I must admit I love tracking my reading almost as much as I love reading - playing with my bookish spreadsheet gives me hours of fun! And I'm with you on reading more books I already own, and with attempting to write shorter reviews without making them seem rushed or superficial. It's a skill, for sure, and I actually think it may be more time consuming than writing longer reviews...

TracyK said...

Nancy, I think my goals are doable to, and if not, I will learn to cut them back or what works (hopefully). I am glad to hear that the changes you have made to improve your sleep are working. I don't drink coffee but I do drink tea and someday may have to cut back on that. I also think chocolate is a problem for me, and I love it.

I checked out your page of short stories off your sidebar and I immediately see two authors I would like to follow up on someday: Claire Keegan and William Trevor.

I have said it before but I admire your reading in French. I know it is something I could do but I would never have time for any other reading.

TracyK said...

Susan, a very good question. I have shelves and shelves of unread books and even some in boxes in the garage. I have improved in the last year in culling books, but some I am not willing to let go of until I give them a try. Oh well, as you say, at least we are in good company, since so many people have that as a goal.

TracyK said...

FictionFan, I enjoyed tracking at the beginning of last year but found it cut into my reading and blogging time, so did not keep up with it. I need to find a happy medium.

Writing shorter reviews is going to require some effort to figure out what works for me and how to take notes that will help, etc. I also think that could be as time consuming as writing longer ones, which is why I put off pursuing that goal. My husband used to write 3-4 sentence reviews for Goodreads (long sentences), and he would agonize over getting them right, so eventually. And I know it isn't easy.

Kathy's Corner said...

Hi Tracy, I too would like to do more shorter reviews and you would think it would be easier to write a shorter review but as you say, one has to train oneself. Definitely doing the TBR challenges this year. Good luck with your goals.

TracyK said...

Kathy, I am happy to write longish reviews as long as they come easily. But I want to also be able to convey my thoughts in briefer doses when a review is hard to write. If I am unenthusiastic about a book, I don't mind skipping a review or keeping it brief. That doesn't happen often though. I sometimes have the most trouble when I love a book.

Emily said...

They look like good goals. I want to keep trying to diversify my reading.

Have a great week!

Emily @ Budget Tales Book Blog
My post:
https://budgettalesblog.wordpress.com/2023/01/19/top-ten-tuesday-on-thursday-bookish-goals-for-2023/

TracyK said...

Emily, I had a very different reading year than usual last year. Tried lots of new authors and genres I hardly ever read. I hope I can keep that up and do the goals I have listed here.

I checked your list and commented at your blog as tracybham.

Lark said...

One of my bookish goals this year is to read more science fiction, too! :D

TracyK said...

I saw that more science fiction was on your list too, Lark. I was looking at your post on my tablet earlier tonight, but I cannot comment there so had to wait until I was on my laptop. But you already (at least last year) read much more than I did. Luckily I have a lot of that genre on my shelves already.

Bronte said...

I'm going to attempt to track my reading for the first time this year and I'm excited for it - especially to get the stats!
Good luck with your goals

TracyK said...

Thanks, Bronte. Tracking reading is a great way to go, I wasn't successful last year but hope to find a better approach this year.