2022 Reading Goals

Hey friends 🖤I can’t believe we’re already six days into the new year and I haven’t cracked open a book or set any reading goals yet. Life has been interesting as of late, filled with client edits, adventurous kitties, and surprise snow storms. I’ve also been applying to ESL teaching positions, dealing with liver health concerns, and then there’s the arrival of my self-appointed torture device: the elliptical. So, it’s no wonder I haven’t stolen a few clandestine moments of reading under the covers or in the porcelain sanctuary.

When everything settles, though, I want to have some kind of reading goal to lean into and keep me grounded. I don’t normally make yearly goals, mostly because I’m absolute shite at them, but it’d be a nice reprieve from the constant flutter of busy life. To just sit and read and be. You know? So, here are those goals 🙂

My 2022 Reading Goals

• Read more adult science fiction and fantasy. It’s no secret I’ve been shifting more towards adult SFF stories and away from young adult. This year, I want most of the books I read to be adult fiction, specifically speculative genres like science fiction, fantasy, horror, and thrillers. I’ve even made a challenge for this goal!

• Conquer my Netgalley Shelf. I have a terrible habit of requesting more books than I can realistically read. But this year, I want to completely clear my Netgalley shelf before requesting any other ARCs.

• Read the physical books I already own. My collection of physical books isn’t actually that big. However, the ratio of books I’ve actually read vs books that collect dust is skewed. So, I want to focus on reading these books first.

• Support more lesser-known authors. It’s the most annoying feeling when I desperately want to read an off-the-beaten path hidden gem of a book, and the only stories people recommend are popular bestsellers. It starts to feel like the same 20 books are pushed, again and again, and all the others fall through the cracks. In 2022, I want to find those lesser known writers and support them. I want to read stories that haven’t been buzzed about to hell and back.

• Use The Storygraph and Readerly more than Goodreads. Nothing against Goodreads—it’s a great platform for readers to socialize on—but I want to support more of these smaller emerging sites/apps for book lovers. The way to do that is to be present on their platforms, to offer suggestions, and be part of the growth. Goodreads has had a long time to be what it is now; I simply want to give other platforms the same patience, guidance, and opportunity to be what readers need.