As we barrel towards the new year, I’d love to hear about the bookish goals you have for 2024. Surely you’ve been thinking about it; let’s get them in writing! Whether it’s a number (books read, page count, etc.), a personal challenge to read outside your comfort zone, a specific reading project/list, a posture you’d like to take, or something else entirely—there is no wrong answer here.
For my part, here’s a few random thoughts as I sit on the couch:
I have the Pulitzer Project going, which took a backseat for the last two months as I immersed myself in Steinbeck for the Big Read. In 2024, I’m probably going to prioritize the fiction winners over the other categories. Because. . .
More than anything these days, I crave wisdom and emotion over raw information or hot-take reactions. Our modern world has an overabundance of content and information and a dearth of wisdom. We know more than ever before, but as a society, we’re also more miserable. More facts do not equal more wisdom. Plus, at least in my current phase of life, I have a preference for emotionally evocative stories over recitations of history. . .
Which is to say that in 2024 I’m going to lean into classic fiction and likely more philosophy than I’ve read before. In the second half of ‘23, I read a lot of classics and quite enjoyed it. I had a classics phase in my mid-twenties and I seem to be having another one here in my mid-thirties. The books that last have done so for a reason (for the most part) and I’m generally more disappointed than not when it comes to new-release fiction (for a number of economic reasons that I explored back in April).
I know that those broad ideas don’t exactly correlate to measurable goals, but I’m okay with that. If I had to put a number to it, I’d say that I hope to read ~50 books found in the top 1,000 at thegreatestbooks.org (a website that has compiled a master list of books based on hundreds of “Best Books” lists from around the world). That would roughly double what I did this year on the classics front.
Okay, your turn! What’s on tap for 2024?
I feel like I’ve spent a decade or more quantifying, planning and joining (and failing) challenges. My goal for the last few years has been to just read without plans or numbers in mind.
I have taken on an online reading challenge to read 24in24. I specifically want each book to be taken place in a different country. 24 books 24 countries.
I want to read one nonfiction/memoir a month. One short story a day. I will stop right here.