This year, I am setting some reading goals. These are not challenges, just some general goals that I am setting for myself. Here goes:
- I am going to cut way back on requesting ARCs. I will make a list of books that interest me, but will only request if it is an author or series that I am already reading. I have to stop requesting every book I want to read when I realistically will not get them read prior to publishing.
2. I plan on getting both my EW and NG ratio up to 70% by the end of the year. That might not sound hard to many of you, but it will only happen if I can achieve the above goal.
3. I am going to stop participating in so many challenges. I have a couple of year long ones that I am going to participate in, and I am going to try to do my “Spell the Month in Books” challenge (half of the books to spell the month each month), but not so many pop-up type challenges.
4. I am going to limit my blog tour participation to no more than 8 per month. This year I had some months where I was participating in 15 tours. I want more flexibility to read what feels right to me.
There you have it, some very general reading goals, but ones I need to implement if I want my TBR to be reduced from over 2600.
January 13, 2021 at 8:08 pm
I think your instinct to pare everything back this year is spot on, Carla. And I know what you mean about requesting arcs – last year I went a tad crazy with my Netgalley reads! I hope this coming year you are able to relax and enjoy the experience of reading – although I love the sound of spelling the month in books!
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January 9, 2021 at 12:33 pm
I fully understand the cutting down on challenges. I was bold at the beginning of last year. Then pandemic threw off my reading until I couldn’t focus long enough to get past the second sentence. I just started back to reading at the end of the year after having removed myself from all challenges and reducing my person goal down to 100 then 50. I ended up on GR personal challenge of 26/52!
This year I have just the GR personal challenge of 100 books (now that I am back in the groove!) May me pass our goals (in my case, instead of lacking) of success in 2021!
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January 9, 2021 at 1:43 pm
This past year was hard for so many people. I found myself reading more as it helped keep my mine occupied, but I became a huge mood reader. I want to read more of what calls to me rather than what I have to read. Most of the challenges I am doing this year are a bit more generic, except for the one big one. I shall see how I do, but I won’t fret if I don’t get them completed. I hope you have a good reading year ahead.
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December 30, 2020 at 2:39 pm
Excellent goals! I want to cut back on ARCs and blog tours as well as challenges too… I’m hoping to finally make a dent in my TBR and backlist that way next year. Good luck! xx
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December 30, 2020 at 4:41 pm
I think a lot of us are feeling that way. Good luck doing the same.
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December 29, 2020 at 7:08 am
Great goals, Carla. Iβm just hoping to get some reading done period. Itβs been a tough year for me.
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December 28, 2020 at 10:44 pm
I have the same general goal as your first one. I need to cut down on requests. There are things I want to read that are not ARC’s so I need to be more selective. It’s hard.
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December 29, 2020 at 8:20 am
That is exactly it, Linda. I have been reading a lot of books from my library and not ARCs. I am trying to do better.
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December 28, 2020 at 9:10 pm
Great goals! I, too, am setting a limit on my ARCs. I’m trying to limit myself to 3 or 4 per month. We’ll see how it goes. π Good luck!
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December 29, 2020 at 8:23 am
That sounds awesome Dedra. Right now I am getting about a week, so my goal will be to cut down to 2 or 3 a week to start, then maybe down to 1. Good luck to you as well.
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December 28, 2020 at 7:08 pm
I’m wishing you luck, Carlaππ€
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December 29, 2020 at 8:16 am
Thanks Michelle.
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December 28, 2020 at 5:10 pm
Congratulations on setting limits for yourself, Carlaπ Without them, weβre like kids in a candy store and then get heartsick over what weβve done to ourselves. Iβve been on a NG diet for the past few years and itβs working. Good luck!
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December 29, 2020 at 8:14 am
That is the perfect description Jo. I have added shelf to Goodreads for all those “blog recommendations” that I want to read, instead of requesting them. Thanks, I hope I can stick to it.
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December 28, 2020 at 4:22 pm
Great goals Carla. Iβm going to try to behave myself as well in regards to requests.
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December 29, 2020 at 8:12 am
Let’s hope we can both do it, Kim.
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December 28, 2020 at 2:41 pm
Your goals sound great! I wrangled my Netgalley ratio into control this year and it feels great! Iβm now really selective! I agree with creating space for mood reading!
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December 28, 2020 at 3:01 pm
I would love to get it to 80% but that won’t happen this year, I have too many to read, but 70% sounds a bit more realistic for me.
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December 28, 2020 at 3:11 pm
70 is a great goal! Last year I hovered around 70 and so this year I decided to make the push for 80. Iβve only blogged and used Netgalley for 3 1/2 years so it hadnβt grown too unwieldy! On the other hand, it will take forever to earn review badges!
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December 28, 2020 at 1:26 pm
Your goals sound good! I should take your advice myself and cut back on requesting from NG. I’ve already cut back on the GR challenges I’m doing and as far as ones I announced on the blog, I probably will just do a couple of Lori’s (Dollycas) like Alphabet Soup and Literary Escapes. You’ve got a good plan, and I know it’ll help you!
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December 28, 2020 at 1:37 pm
Thanks Tari. I have so many cozy series that I have gotten behind on, I want more flexibiility and this should help. Enjoy the challenges you decide on.
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December 28, 2020 at 1:09 pm
Good luck on your goals. I am thinking about reopening my Goodreads. I have miss it. I still get upset when I think about it and it now a year.
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December 28, 2020 at 1:37 pm
Thanks Betty. It is easy to restart, go for it.
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December 28, 2020 at 1:47 pm
It has been a year since I have opened an AMAZON account.
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December 28, 2020 at 12:41 pm
Good luck, Carla! I’m definitely cutting down on the number of review tours I’m doing in 2021 to enable me to read more of the books I already have. I cut down on my NG searching this year but some publishers are lovely and let me know when something I’ll enjoy reading is coming up there and then I just can’t resist adding them. Hopefully recovering from having your eyes operated on will help make reading easier. Good luck!!
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December 28, 2020 at 1:40 pm
Thanks Elaine. I am only doing blogs for Harlequin and Bookouture right now. Both have plenty of offers to keep me busy, but they are usually all in my comfort zone and I know I can decline and there is no pressure. Good luck cutting back on your requests for ARCs. Yes, it is wonderful how well I can read now. I am in heaven with my new “eyes”.
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December 28, 2020 at 12:23 pm
Good luck with your goals this coming year, Carla! They all sound very reasonable. I am actually going to take on more challenges this coming year. I don’t know why exactly, only that I feel like I want a little more structure than I have had recently. I hope you have a Happy New Year!
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December 28, 2020 at 1:42 pm
Thanks, I did a lot of challenges this year, probably way too many, so to scale down will be pretty easy. If you haven’t done it before, The Popsugar Challenge is a good one and it gets you picking up books you might not read otherwise. Happy New Year to you as well.
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December 28, 2020 at 11:27 am
Good luck Carla, especially with NG and EW π
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December 28, 2020 at 12:01 pm
I will need it for sure! π
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December 28, 2020 at 11:11 am
Unlike you, I think I’ll take on challenges rather than goals. LOL
Good luck to us both.
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December 28, 2020 at 11:22 am
I will still do a few challenges, just not as many as I have in previous years.
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December 28, 2020 at 11:04 am
Good luck Carla! I am resolved to do the same with NG and EW. I will keep a list of what catches my eye but I can’t keep clicking the request button! I’ve already cut back on blog tours and am only going to accept them for authors I already read.
We can do this!!ππͺππ
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December 28, 2020 at 11:06 am
Yes, we can!
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