I meant to blog about this earlier, but I got too caught up in reading several books over the weekend that I sorta kinda forgot to blog. But better late than never! First off: HAPPY 2014, EVERYONE!
I’ve always liked New Year’s. One funny and surprising thing this year is I actually finished writing my 2014 goals hours before 2014 rolled around, and I suddenly felt so mature and on track for this year. So right now I’m declaring that 2014 will be a great year for me, for life in general and of course, for reading.
I think this year will be a little but busier than normal because I made some pretty huge commitments, so I will take it a little easier on the goals. Just a little, because I still want to be challenged, but I don’t want to be too challenged that it gets too pressuring. So, here we go, the 2014 reading goals:
52 Books
I set the same goal last year, and then I upped it to 75, and I almost didn’t make it. Oops! This year, I am sticking to 52 even if I reach half of it before July. Like I said, it’s going to be a bit busy this year, and 52 is a pretty manageable number. :)
3 Classics
I used to have a 5 classic books goal every year, but this time I’m trimming it to 3 because I never reach the 5! I mean, I did, but it was sort of cheating because I read children’s classic books. :D I’m going to set lower expectations and go for a lower number so I can read the other classics. I’m thinking it’s time to pick up another Austen (Sense & Sensibility, perhaps?)Â this year.
20 Filipino Books
I exceeded this goal last year, so this year it shouldn’t be too hard, right? I think I will try branching out from the contemporary romance genre and start reading those books that were assigned for Lit class in school back in college, just so I get to read some of them now without the school vibe over me. :D
I also realized that I hardly touched my print books last year because of Hannah the Kindle! So this year, I’m planning to read more print books and really get working on this TBR. I mean, I know I will still keep acquiring books, but it helps if I read some that I’ve had with me for years before I get more, right? Right? (It’s a good thing I only have like, 5 books that I really, really want to get this year. More on that on a later post. :D)
Other than that, I found that I also want to read a few more non-fiction this year, and (gasp) some financial books. I know, I’m surprised at this myself, but I’m not getting younger, and I realize it’s time to learn more about these grown-up things. :D
Of course Required Reading will still be here, which reminds me…
I posted my January books on Instagram a few days back, and like I mentioned there, I always read more on January so I added a few books to the list. Of course one of them is a spillover from December and another is a reread, but that just gives me room to read more if I have time, right? :)
- History in English Words by Owen Barfield – spillover from December, a book I’m reading as a favor to my good friend JL. 40 pages left!
- The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman – Rereading this month for our book club’s January discussion
- Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead by Brené Brown – I loved her TED videos, and I was so thrilled to get a copy of her book. Loving every bit of it so far. :)
- The Lucy Variations by Sara Zarr – some contemporary YA goodness from one of my favorite contemporary YA authors.
- Gunmetal Magic by Ilona Andrews – because I missed Kate Daniels’ world and I want some good urban fantasy. It’s been a while since I read one.
And there you go. I’m tempted to make a reading list for the entire year, but I don’t want to be too strict on myself so I will just let myself pick whatever books I want to read every month for the next 12 months. Sounds like a good plan, yes? I can’t wait to discover more good books this year.
Have a happy 2014, friends, and happy reading!
Great goals, Tina! I wanted to do a challenge on classics as well but I got scared haha!
Here’s my required reading post: http://lynaireads.luigiandlynai.net/2014/01/2014-required-reading-january/
Happy new year!
Lynai! You can start with one classic so it’s easy. Hihi. If you want to buddy read an Austen, let me know :D
Good luck, Tina! Is Les Miserables a classic? If yes, then I already have a classics challenge this year for myself! :) Happy New Year!
http://bookchilla.wordpress.com/2014/01/06/required-reading-january-2/
Yes, I think it counts as a classic! :) I hope you get to finish it this year. It’s such a big reading accomplishment, imho. :D
Holy cow, 20 Filipino books?? I cannot think of 20 books, that I haven’t read yet, that I could read this year. But then again, I just choose my reading material as I go along. I would like to go for that 5 classic books, but I gotta be honest with myself and know I can only read one or two…unless I’m reading Jane Austen. Her Pride and Prejudice is on my re-read list this year!
#romanceclass helped in making me read more Filipino books last year! This year I’m planning to work on the ones I usually ignore in the bookstore. :D Oh, and graphic novels I get from Komikon help! :)
I think last year’s Les Mis reading adventure kind of burned me out with classics. This time I have one sure classic read for a book club discussion this year; I just need to pick two more. :) Wait, make that one more because I’m surely reading Sense and Sensibility this year. :)
Sense and Sensibility fave mo from Jane? Mine is Pride, then Mansfield Park, then Persuasion. Emma had some very good lines but the main character was so irritable. Sense and Sensibility bored me, haha, but I am going to reread that again!
Oh no, my favorite is Persuasion. Then again, I’ve only read 3 Austens (P&P, Persuasion, and Emma). I meant to read S&S years ago but I just didn’t pick it up. And yeah, Emma is annoying!
Did you watch The Lizzie Bennet Diaries ba? I really liked that. And of course, the BBC adaptation (COLIN FIRTH ♥). I started watching Emma Approved on Youtube recently but I’ve only watched up to the third ep. I don’t think it’s as big as LBD just yet. :)