Do You Have a 2020 Reading Goal?

When I was a kid, I must have read at least a hundred books a year. I would go to the library and check out dozens upon dozens of books at a time, and I would read all or most of them before they were due back. I wish I had that kind of drive/time/insanity these days. Even though reading is one of my greatest passions, I usually find myself reading much less than I aim to. Every year I set myself a reading goal, a certain number of books I must finish before the year is up, and every year I don’t quite reach it. Last year was an all time low - my reading goal was 25 books, and I believe I only finished 6 or 7.

I don’t know what in particular inspired me so this year; maybe it was my miserable failings last year, or my realization that in my first semester of college, I did not crack a single book that was for pleasure and not school, but I started 2020 with a burning determination: this would be the year I tackle and achieve my reading goal with roaring success. And not to jinx myself, but I have been doing pretty well so far. I’ve been making the time to read on an almost daily basis, and I’ve already finished several books this year. Some of them have been absolutely fantastic; although it’s only February, I think I’ve already found my favorite book of the year.

BOOKS I’VE FINISHED SO FAR IN 2020:

Sons and Daughters of Ease and Plenty by Ramona AusUbel

SlaughterHouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut

The Secret History by Donna Tartt

Dear Life by Alice Munro

A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway

The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion

The Conscious Closet by Elizabeth L. Cline

While the satisfaction of seeing the little bar on my Goodreads Reading Challenge inch up is more than enough for me, I’ve already noticed many other benefits from integrating regular reading time back into my life. I completely forgot what a profound effect reading has on my happiness and well-being. Reading a book makes me feel so much more fulfilled than finishing a Netflix series, and gives me so much more to think about. After reading a book, I feel compelled to hop online and learn everything there is to know about the author, and what authors and books they like to read, leading me down a spiral that ends with long list of new books to read. This is perfectly fine by me: while reading may be my favorite pastime, creating a list of “To-Read” books is my second favorite.

So today I pose to you a question, a challenge: how many books do you want to read in 2020? If you haven’t cracked a book in a while, it’s okay to start small. Don’t set a goal that’s impossible to reach; that will only serve to discourage you and hinder your reading progress. My original goal was 25 books, but after realizing that I was reading at a pace of about a book a week, I decided to be a little more ambitious and change my goal to 40. Start small, and adjust as necessary. I hope you all will join me in this challenge - after all, that’s just more people to recommend books for my “To-Read” list!

Set a 2020 Reading Goal with me! Comment your goal down below!!