It’s hard to believe that 2016 is coming to a close already. My reading goal for 2016 was simply to read more books than I have ever read before in a single year. This was represented by my GoodReads reading challenge, with which I set reading 20 books as my goal. I completed that goal roughly about 3 months ago and I’m proud.
Now it’s time to really take it up a notch in 2017 by branching out and being more diverse with my choice of books. This will of course be reflected in the book club picks, so look forward to some obscure picks mixed in with some well-known names. With that being said, here’s a list of my main reading goals for 2017.
Reading Goal #1: Read 30 books
I managed to read over 20 books this year, so adding 10 more onto the challenge in 2017 should be an easy task. After reading more consistently in 2016 I feel as though I’ve become more accustomed to making time to get through books. I also believe that I’ve mastered reading faster without harming my comprehension of the book. Being a slow reader was one of my biggest setbacks, so I’m proud that I can now get through a book faster than before. Perhaps now I can read more 500+ page books in 2017. Nonetheless, I think 30 is a nice reachable goal to aim for, and I already have a list of books that I’m looking forward to devouring.
Reading Goal #2: Read a horror book
This has been something I’ve wanted to do for a while. The closest I’ve come to this is reading Needful Things by Stephen King; but it didn’t feel like a fully seasoned horror book. I remember the first time I read Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire; I was young at the time and hadn’t read anything as intense as that graveyard scene. It sent chills down my spine and left a lasting impression on me even after I’d finished the book. This is a feeling that I’ve been waiting for a book to give me again ever since. For that reason I want to read at least one horror book in 2017 and I pray that it has me scared to leave my room without a baseball bat in my hand.
Reading Goal #3: Visit more bookstores
The worst thing about living in Luton, England is that there are no major bookstores to visit. Sure, there are shops that sell books, but every bookworm knows that it’s not the same thing. We used to have a Waterstones but that vanished around the time they went into administration and hasn’t come back since. There’s an amazing feeling I get when I visit a massive bookstore with multiple floors, and that’s why I want to make that feeling a big part of my 2017. I will make the effort to travel into London and visit some of the book shops on my list. Some of these include: Waterstones in Piccadilly, JP Books in Soho and Foyles in Charing Cross. If you’re familiar with book shops in London then please drop in your comments with some more recommendations below.
Reading Goal #4: Read more foreign books
It’s not like I haven’t previously read foreign books, but I certainly feel like I haven’t given many of them a chance. I keep hearing that there’s some great stuff out there from non-English speaking territories, so I want to ensure that I read more translated books in 2017. Some countries I’d like to read from are Poland, Italy, Japan and Nigeria. I’d also love to read more Jamaican stories after loving A Brief History of Seven Killings this year.
Share your reading goals for 2017 below!
