Reading Goals for This Year

Goal #1 Read More Non-Fiction

Because I read so much fiction, I have to force myself to read something non-fiction. I used to aim for a rotation of three fiction books, followed by one non-fiction. But in recent years, I’ve been showing no love to non-fiction books. I read two non-fiction books in 2021, and that is why I need to make non-fiction more of a focal point in 2022. Plus, who doesn’t enjoy learning new things from other interesting people?

A common misconception is that non-fiction books are all educational textbooks. This isn’t the case. Non-fiction can include things like memoirs, autobiographies, journals, art books, hobbyist guides, and more. You can tailor your non-fiction choices to fit your own personal interests. For example, last year, I read Jamil Lindsey’s Somethings I Been Thru, which is a memoir written by a black journalist. There was a bunch of things I could relate to in Jamil’s experiences. I also read Jessie Kwak’s From Chaos to Creativity, a book that explains how to organize your creative thinking with actionable steps. Both of these fit into the experience I was trying to create for myself last year. And this is what I need more of.

Non-fiction book recommendations

The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment by Eckhart Tolle Amazon US / Amazon UK

This book was recommended to me by an acquaintance when we were talking about mindfulness. I told him about the anxiety and low moods I experience and he suggested I check out The Power of Now either in text or audiobook. He mentioned that it was one of the first books that helped him. I already have this on my list of non-fiction books to check out this year, and I may even begin reading it this month.

The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference by Malcolm Gladwell Amazon US / Amazon UK

The Tipping Point takes a look at ideas that crossover into the wider consciousness and spread like wildfire. The tipping point refers to the moment when ideas, trends, and social behaviour cross a threshold. This concept is interesting to me, particularly because I worked in digital marketing. And since we love in the age of social media, where things quickly spread through the worldwide consciousness, I think this is something everyone should look into more. Because it’s incredibly easy for thousands of people to be indoctrinated with an idea or ideology. And if this power is used by the wrong forces, we have a major cause for concern. Thankfully, The Tipping Point focuses more on the business side of things, and not the risk factor involved with ideas crossing the threshold.

Goal #2 Read Some Dark Fantasy

Last year, I stepped into the array of grimdark fantasy, and I acquired a taste for the darker side of storytelling. I read The Poppy War, which eased me into the darker side of fantasy nicely. The Poppy War started off very light, and got progressively grim as the story escalated. This was a nice contrast. And now I’m fully prepared to read something completely masochistic.

Dark Fantasy recommendations

The Blade Itself by Joe Abercrombie Amazon US / Amazon UK

I set myself a challenge with Joe Abercrombie’s The Blade Itself. In my head, I said “I wonder how long it takes for someone to get stabbed in this book.” And it was on the very first page that someone is struck with an axe. If that isn’t setting the tone, I don’t know what is. This is hailed as a must-read grimdark fantasy series, and if you haven’t read it yet, then 2022 is the year to start.

The Dragon Republic by R. F. Kuang Amazon US / Amazon UK

The Dragon Republic is the second book in The Poppy War series, so naturally, I’ll be continuing with Rin’s story this year. But if you have yet to read The Poppy War, I recommend checking that out this year if you want a taste of some darker fantasy.

Goal #3 Read More Science Fiction

I’ve always been more of a fantasy reader, but in recent times I have a vested interest in following the world of science fiction more closely. More specifically, I want to read space opera scifi. But there’s also still a good number of Neal Stephenson books I want to read, despite how thick they are. I wouldn’t mind also throwing in something in the modern cyberpunk realm also. Because that sub-genre is experiencing a huge resurgence.

Scifi book recommendations

Dune Amazon US / Amazon UK

By now, I don’t need to say much about Frank Herbet’s classic science fiction space exploration novel. Last year saw the release of a modern Dune motion picture. I still haven’t seen the movie, and that’s because I had always planned to read the book first, and it has to be the right time for me. I plan to make 2022 the right time.

The Diamond Age by Neal Stephenson Amazon US / Amazon UK

The Diamond Age is all about nanotechnology, which is the application of small atoms and molecules. The story focuses on a young girl, and something called The Primer. The Primer is a special book created by a nonotech engineer, and The Primer is meant to steer its reader intellectually toward a more interesting life. The Diamond Age touches on themes of education, social class, ethnicity, and the nature of artificial intelligence.

Goal #4 Read Money & Economics Books

In both 2020 and 2021, I found myself watching documentaries about how money and economies work. These aren’t things I thought I’d find myself interested in five or ten years ago, but now I thirst for this knowledge more than ever. Even the stories about how people manipulate these systems are fascinating to me. This year, I want to expand on this interest in my reading.

Money & Economics book recommendations

The Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey Amazon US / Amazon UK

David Ramsey’s guide for financial fitness is a highly praised body of work for its ability to simplify the idea of money management. Although it’s written by an American, the information can be applied in most international markets.

Other People’s Money: Masters of the Universe or Servants of the People? Amazon US / Amazon UK

Industry insider John Kay breaks down how the financial world’s perceived profitability isn’t based on the generation of new wealth, it’s instead based on other people’s money. Of course, this pretty much explains how the global banking system operates. This book sheds light on what has gone wrong in the financial sector, and why the system is mismanaged to the point that financial sectors are repeatedly being bailed out. It’s important to have a good understanding of how rigged some systems can be, as this will help you make well-informed decisions with your money.

Goal #5 Read More Mature Manga

What I love the most about Manga, is that the storytellers aren’t afraid to push the boundaries on storytelling. They know how to take it there. And they do so with some of the most alluring artwork imaginable. In the same way, I want to push my fantasy to the darker side, I want to explore more mature themes in my manga this year.

Mature Manga recommendations

Yamikin Ushijima-kun

This manga tells the story of a black market loan shark. It follows Kaoru Ushijima’s personal journey through the underworld as he aims to collect on the numerous debts he has knowingly inflicted on poor, desperate people. I’m drawn to manga like this as they shed light on a world that exists, but might be hidden to everyday people who don’t stray out at night.

Note: It’s very hard to find a legal means of reading the Yamikin Ushijima-kun manga in English, but if you really want to read it, then all you need to do is search for it.

Goodnight Punpun Amazon US / Amazon UK

Known as Punpun Onodera in Japan, Goodnight Punpun is about a socially awkward boy who meets a girl named Aiko Tanaka. Through this new friendship, Punpun begins to learn how fickle maintaining a relationship can be, and he begins to battle with a natural instinct to become reclusive.

What are your 2022 reading goals? Share them in the comment section below. And if you have read any of the recommended books here, let me know what you think.

What happens when you set a high Goodreads goal

In January of this year, life was much different to how it is right now. Back then, reading was my nightly ritual and ending my day without reading one or two books was unfathomable. So I set my Goodreads goal to 32 as I felt that was an attainable goal based on my reading speed (I consider myself a slow reader).

In 2019, my goal was 23 and I ended the year with 44 total books finished. So based on that, I felt like 32 was nothing for me to achieve. I went in with the attitude that I was going to hit that goal by mid-2020.

And then the pandemic hit. And then it started affecting people around me. People I knew of my whole life started passing away. Add in a number of other personal observations and it was clear that my mindset was shifting from what it was in January. My situation was changing and I was no longer reading every day.

This led to me falling behind on my Goodreads goal, and as a result, I went into each new book thinking about how quickly I could finish it; instead of going in to enjoy it. This is exactly the kind of mindset that kills the value of the reading experience.

I thought back to last year, when I’d reached my Goodreads goal halfway through 2019. For the remaining months I’d been able to read whatever I wanted at my own pace. And that was when I really fell in love with the act of reading again. That was exactly why I ended up reading 21 books over my goal. Because I got to enjoy the act of reading without the mindset of raising an insignificant number.

When you set your Goodreads goal too high, you’ll begin to select books based on length. You’ll try to speed through them instead of taking in the words. And you’ll feel disappointment every time your Goodreads tells you that you’re x amount of books behind schedule.

My Reading Goal for 2021

Whether I complete my 2020 goal or not, my plan for 2021 is to set my Goodreads goal to just 12 books for the whole year. That’s a book a month. And although I feel I can hit that goal easily, my real goal is to fall back in love with the reading experience without the subconscious nagging to fill that challenge meter. I want to read whatever I’m in the mood for at any given time. And I want to read multiple books at the same time if I feel like it; without the added pressure of finishing each one.

In this complicated time in history, it’s time to focus on what exactly makes reading so important. And that’s what I intend to do in 2021.

Please do share your thoughts on Goodreads goals. Let us know what your 2020 goal was and what your 2021 goal will be!