Well, I didn’t mean to abandon this blog for months again. And I didn’t mean to come back with yet another post about books, but here we are. I’ve missed “real” writing but haven’t made time for it. Reading is just about all I’ve been consistent with in my personal life. I even started a bookstagram account, finally!
This post is late, too. I’ve known my reading goals for a while and a few of my most anticipated 2019 releases have been released already. I still like having it documented here though, and maybe this will give someone a few more book titles to add to their to-read list.
This is my first time setting reading goals beyond just a number of books. I also have a few books I’d like to re-read this year and some 2019 releases I’m looking forward to. I’m usually not one to re-read books with so many unread ones sitting on my shelves, but it’s annoying to not be able to remember how some of my favorites got that title.
Anyway, here’s what I’m hoping to accomplish in my reading life this year:
2019 Reading Goals
- Read 55 books (I probably won’t increase this number next year because it’s not about the numbers—having a Goodreads challenge set up is just motivating for me and I like tracking it. I’m thinking I’ll eventually get to a realistic number and just set a goal for that every year).
- Read more books I already own, less free digital ARCs from publishers, less binge-buying books.
- Write at least a short review on Goodreads for every book I read (to help me remember why I liked or didn’t like a book and be able to recall that when people ask for recommendations/opinions).
- Intentionally seek out and read books by Native American authors.
- Buy new books from independent bookstores in person or online through Indie Bound (and avoid buying books from Amazon unless it’s some kind of emergency).
- Re-read a few favorites—from childhood and other ones that have been impactful for me.
Which brings me to my next list…here’s what I hope to re-read this year:
The To Re-read List
- The Pursuit of Holiness by Jerry Bridges
- Quiet by Susan Cain
- Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor
Eh, it’s not much but I usually never re-read anything, okay?
Most Anticipated 2019 Releases
I have an entire shelf dedicated to this on Goodreads that keeps growing, but I’m most excited about these few (listed in order of publication date).
- Thick: And Other Essays by Tressie McMillan Cottom (January 2019)
- Making a Difference: Impacting Culture and Society as a Christian by R.C. Sproul (January 2019)
- The Source of Self-Regard: Selected Essays, Speeches, and Meditations by Toni Morrison (February 2019)
- 7 Myths about Singleness by Sam Allberry (February 2019)
- I Miss You When I Blink: Essays by Mary Laura Philpott (April 2019)
- The Ash Family by Molly Dektar (April 2019)
- One Night in Georgia by Celeste O. Norfleet (June 2019)
- The Water Dancer by Ta-Nehisi Coates (September 2019)
That’s it! It’s already shaping up to be a good reading year. I’ve been trying to select my books more carefully. It’s been four or five years since I got back into reading consistently and now I’m able to choose books I’m more likely to enjoy and learn from.
What are your reading goals for the year? Feel free to let me know on my new Instagram dedicated to book talk, in the comments, or on Twitter!
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