Bekka's 2019 Bookish Goals

So. 2018 was a clusterfuck for me. Probably one of the worst years of my life, and from what I've seen, that's true for so many people. I had a decent enough reading year, but my personal life imploded. My health was shit, I had a terrible pregnancy, and my marriage ended. That all means that in 2019 bookish stuff will have to be moved to the backburner. Not only do I now have two children (a two-year-old and a newborn, if you're keeping track) but I'm now suddenly a single mom who will be entering the workforce after ten years away, and I'll also be going back to school in the fall. I'm going to have way less free time that I've been used to and my bookish/blogging/reading life is going to reflect that.

Quality > Quantity

Most years, I set myself an ambitious number goal on Goodreads. It may not be high to some, but it's high for me. Sometimes it's 100 and other years it's 75 (or 150) but it's usually pretty high and always something I actually have to work for. This year, while my Goodreads goal is 50, my biggest reading goal is to aim for quality vs quantity. I want to get to books that I've been putting off because they may be on the longer side. I want to pick up books I think will be 4 or 5 stars. Basically, I want to look back on 2019 at the end of December and feel good about the books I read. Some years I see my list of titles read and it's depressing that I chose to waste my time on books I wouldn't love all in the name of hitting an arbitrary number goal. Not this year.

Reading My Own Books

My new life means I'll be on a whole new budget. I used to have the disposable income needed to keep up with my book buying habits but that's gonna change in the new year. I'll still be getting some new releases here and there, particularly titles that are important to me, like sequels or authors I'm friends with. But in 2019 I'm going to really be focusing on reading books I already own. I've tried this in years past but I was terrible at holding myself to it. This year, I won't have too much of a choice (though I can always go to ARCs or reading library books lol.)

There's nothing quite like packing and moving to make you really think about all the crap you own. I've been inventorying my house in anticipation of moving and oh my god, do I own a lot of books. Like way too many. And the number of unread titles is downright embarrassing. I own hundreds of books I haven't read yet and I need to fix that. Also, if I'm being honest, I am mildly inspired by all of this KonMari talk recently, which brings me to my next goal.

Reevaluate My Personal Library

So, speaking of owning a crapload of books, I want to seriously take a look at my collection this year. I won't be going full Marie Kondo; I do plan on owning well over 30 books. But at the same time, I know I have a ton on my shelves that I'm not super excited about anymore. When I move, I'll actually be moving to a bigger place and I won't have to share that space with anyone but my children, so I'll have more room for my book collection. But I want that collection to reflect my current state, not the reader who went a little crazy in 2013 and thought she had to have everything that everyone else has.

So going into 2019, I'm no longer buying books just for the hype. I have to be actively interested in it independently of what others have to say. And since my book budget is smaller now, I'm only going to be buying books I'm EXCITED about. No more of this on-the-fence nonsense; no more buying books I think I maaaaybe will like; no more buying the same thing because my friends have it and ooh, shiny.

Subscription Box Madness

So I had a serious bookish subscription box problem. And I do mean problem. I just can't say no to them. With their exclusive covers and author signatures, they're so, so tempting. The problem is, I never prioritize the books that come in these boxes. So now I have a massive, major backlog of subscription box books. My goal before I move is to read the first 10-15 pages of each of these books. If I like what I read, I'll keep it, and if I don't, then it has to go. No sense in packing up books just for me to discard them at the new house. I'm going to list out the titles just so I can keep track myself.

The Language of Thorns
Wonder Woman: Warbringer
The Gilded Wolves
Circle of Shadows
Amber & Dusk
Fire & Heist
Forest of a Thousand Lanterns
Everless
Hunted
Dance of Thieves
Heart of Thorns
Last Star Burning
Starflight
Heart of Iron
The Assassin's Guide to Love and Treason
The Rattled Bones
Words on Bathroom Walls
By Your Side
Windfall
Defy the Stars
Song of the Current
The Hearts We Sold
Undead Girl Gang
The Bird and the Blade

Yearly TBR

I love making a yearly TBR. I never, ever complete them, but it's still fun to put together. Every new year I get all inspired to really tackle things I've been putting off, and even though everything is a shitshow right now, it's really no different. The only difference is the list will be smaller. Usually, it's 12, but this year it will only be 6. Well technically it's more than that since some of these are series but that's fine.

The Remnant Chronicles
The Copper Promise
The Song of the Lioness Quartet
The Winternight Trilogy
Uprooted
Crooked Kingdom

So there you have it! 2019 will be a challenge, but one I'm ready to meet head on. I know my reading will take a hit, but as long as I stick to these goals, particularly the first one, I'm sure it will still be a great reading year. What are the main goals you're working toward in 2019? Drop them in the comments!