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.
I’ll read seven books over seven hundred pages. Backstory is that this year I focused on the number of books - I surpasses my goal and got to 54. But trying to get to 50 made me steer away from some long books, though two of my favorites were Bleak House and The Betrothed. (Pretty obvious incentive problem that I hadn’t considered.) I want more of those slow burns/big worlds immersion books experience. I’m starting War & Peace as the first installment. Long book suggestions welcome!
That’s exactly why I started moving away from reading a certain number of books. As the years went by I would try to outdo myself each year and eventually I was choosing short/fast/manga over more slow burn books. Then one summer I read “And Ladies of the Club” and it reminded me how much I loved really savoring a huge book.
I usually read several VLNs over the summer, i also enjoyed The Betrothed last year. I recommend The Suitable Boy, The Books of Jacob, and David Copperfield. This summer I plan, Lies and Sorcery, Ducks Newburyport and Lady Joker.
I usually set a goal for the number of books I would like to read in a calendar year. However, in 2024 I am not going to do that. It makes me feel pressured it forces me to read shorter books. It makes me obsessed with the metrics rather than the enjoyment of reading, I would like to read more classic fiction in 2024 perhaps one classic novel per month. This year, I read and enjoyed a lot of Latin American fiction. Next year, I will try to read novels from around the globe 🌎😊 I hope your 2024 will be filled with remarkable books. Happy reading! 🙂
My 2024 reading goal is to read all of J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle Earth writings. Also, a few years back some friends and I started the "Read or Die Challenge" as a way to motivate myself to delve into the pile of "gonna read these one day" books: choose any 12 physical books. At the end of the year, any that are unread get donated or traded.
No specific goals for me yet, but I hope to read more books that touch my bookish heart. I have a habit of getting lost in mediocre books that I enjoy, but I'd like to read more books that make me think, "I can't image not ever reading this book."
Currently reading one Jane Austen a month until I've completed all of her novels. I've found a couple of podcasts to listen to with each book. After that, I plan to listen to the Emily Wilson translations of The Iliad and The Odyssey. And as always, I'll be working on my long term goal of reading all of Louise Erdrich's work.
I’d like to finish Robert Alter’s incredible translation of the Hebrew Scriptures (finished the five book of Moses and the Prophets, working on his last volume on Wisdom Literature).
Continue to work my way through Shakespeare’s plays (on the histories now).
I’d also like to tackle another big book (finishing up Monte Cristo). Maybe the Narnia Series by CS Lewis and/or Great Expectations by Dickens.
Lot of other books will creep in that catch my interest, but I try to vary my reading from writers, scholars, and teachers. I shoot for 50 pages a day on average.
I like the idea of a daily page count that can come from any source. It means you’re spending time with the written word. I struggle with this and get a lot of reading done via audible which is spending time with words, stories, and ideas, but not with written words in focused contemplation.
Kyle, the written word is overrated! 😉 If you’re using audible to get reading done (especially fiction, plays, and poetry) it’s all good. I’m convinced the only reason why we have books on paper is to remember the story/poem/play. But the REAL story was always meant to be read out loud.
Personally, I try to read nonfiction on paper for better comprehension, although I do a lot of great courses through audible, so I’d put my paper/audio reading 70/30. Sometimes, especially for Shakespeare and poetry I’ll use a written text AND audio recording to help me understand what’s going on in the text.
The way I calculate audible stuff is to count 15 pages for every half hour of audible. So, if an audible recording is 12 hours long, that’s the equivalent of reading 360 pages. It works for me. 🤷♂️
My goal is to record all the books I read in 2024. I’ve never done this. Much of my reading and listening is through the Libby app from my library so I can look back at that but I don’t have a record of physical library books or borrowed books I’ve read. I rarely purchase books, so can’t look at my shelves to see what I’ve read.
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.
I’ll read seven books over seven hundred pages. Backstory is that this year I focused on the number of books - I surpasses my goal and got to 54. But trying to get to 50 made me steer away from some long books, though two of my favorites were Bleak House and The Betrothed. (Pretty obvious incentive problem that I hadn’t considered.) I want more of those slow burns/big worlds immersion books experience. I’m starting War & Peace as the first installment. Long book suggestions welcome!
That’s exactly why I started moving away from reading a certain number of books. As the years went by I would try to outdo myself each year and eventually I was choosing short/fast/manga over more slow burn books. Then one summer I read “And Ladies of the Club” and it reminded me how much I loved really savoring a huge book.
I usually read several VLNs over the summer, i also enjoyed The Betrothed last year. I recommend The Suitable Boy, The Books of Jacob, and David Copperfield. This summer I plan, Lies and Sorcery, Ducks Newburyport and Lady Joker.
Thank you for the recs! And I just finished Demon Copperhead so I should really do David Copperfield in particular.
I did David C. in advance of my book group doing Demon C. next month
Jeremy did a post about door stoppers a few weeks ago and it has tons of recs in the comments!
I forgot about that! Thanks!
I love Bleak House. The humor, the characters. But whenever I recommend it I feel like people are either thinking what an egghead, or Bleak wha?
Right?! It’s so good for lawyers (and I am one) but it’s so long, people aren’t interested. It really was a joy to read.
Such a joy!
I usually set a goal for the number of books I would like to read in a calendar year. However, in 2024 I am not going to do that. It makes me feel pressured it forces me to read shorter books. It makes me obsessed with the metrics rather than the enjoyment of reading, I would like to read more classic fiction in 2024 perhaps one classic novel per month. This year, I read and enjoyed a lot of Latin American fiction. Next year, I will try to read novels from around the globe 🌎😊 I hope your 2024 will be filled with remarkable books. Happy reading! 🙂
My 2024 reading goal is to read all of J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle Earth writings. Also, a few years back some friends and I started the "Read or Die Challenge" as a way to motivate myself to delve into the pile of "gonna read these one day" books: choose any 12 physical books. At the end of the year, any that are unread get donated or traded.
No specific goals for me yet, but I hope to read more books that touch my bookish heart. I have a habit of getting lost in mediocre books that I enjoy, but I'd like to read more books that make me think, "I can't image not ever reading this book."
I’ve got a few.
1. Read 60 books (currently at 58 for this year)
2. Read the Russians (Checkov, Dostoyevsky, Trotsky, etc)
3. Read Toni Morrison (I read Sula and Song of Solomon in high school and I don’t think I was intellectually mature enough to appreciate them)
4. Join The Big Read ☺️
Great goals!
Currently reading one Jane Austen a month until I've completed all of her novels. I've found a couple of podcasts to listen to with each book. After that, I plan to listen to the Emily Wilson translations of The Iliad and The Odyssey. And as always, I'll be working on my long term goal of reading all of Louise Erdrich's work.
Doubling the number of books on my all time greats list here: https://www.tomwhitenoise.com/bookshelf. Read on, team!
I’d like to finish Robert Alter’s incredible translation of the Hebrew Scriptures (finished the five book of Moses and the Prophets, working on his last volume on Wisdom Literature).
Continue to work my way through Shakespeare’s plays (on the histories now).
I’d also like to tackle another big book (finishing up Monte Cristo). Maybe the Narnia Series by CS Lewis and/or Great Expectations by Dickens.
Lot of other books will creep in that catch my interest, but I try to vary my reading from writers, scholars, and teachers. I shoot for 50 pages a day on average.
I like the idea of a daily page count that can come from any source. It means you’re spending time with the written word. I struggle with this and get a lot of reading done via audible which is spending time with words, stories, and ideas, but not with written words in focused contemplation.
Kyle, the written word is overrated! 😉 If you’re using audible to get reading done (especially fiction, plays, and poetry) it’s all good. I’m convinced the only reason why we have books on paper is to remember the story/poem/play. But the REAL story was always meant to be read out loud.
Personally, I try to read nonfiction on paper for better comprehension, although I do a lot of great courses through audible, so I’d put my paper/audio reading 70/30. Sometimes, especially for Shakespeare and poetry I’ll use a written text AND audio recording to help me understand what’s going on in the text.
The way I calculate audible stuff is to count 15 pages for every half hour of audible. So, if an audible recording is 12 hours long, that’s the equivalent of reading 360 pages. It works for me. 🤷♂️
Awesome perspective Jeff! Thanks.
So much more nonfiction and spanish literature 🫶🏻
My goal is to record all the books I read in 2024. I’ve never done this. Much of my reading and listening is through the Libby app from my library so I can look back at that but I don’t have a record of physical library books or borrowed books I’ve read. I rarely purchase books, so can’t look at my shelves to see what I’ve read.
I like this goal
I want to read more memoirs next year, so I think I might borrow Sonia's goal and target at least one per month.
I also plan to start reading all of Kurt Vonnegut's books in order, though I don't expect to finish next year.
I read 24 books this year so my goal for 2024 is to read 30 books.
I am trying to read more Indigenous writers in 2024.
Read Anna Karenina and read at least 5 books by Filipino writers.