2017 Reading Goals

As people close to me know, I'm an avid reader. My tastes run the gamut from journalistic non-fiction to LGBTQ romance to apocalyptic YA to religious memoirs. I'll try most books, although I tend to go through phases. I also have a hard time with anything that I perceive as a "classic" or "required reading," which is probably a throwback from my middle school days.

I track my reading on Goodreads so that I have a record of what I've read and can see what other readers enjoy. Last year, I read 83 books, down from a high of 119 books a few years back. My goal is 52 books for the year, or the equivalent of a book a week. I try to read at least a few minutes each day, but I do tend to read in spurts that roughly correspond to school breaks. 

In 2017, there are a few additional goals that I'd like to focus on in terms of my reading.

1. Focus on quality, not quantity. I read quickly, but I can read so quickly that I don't fully process what I've read. Sometimes the beauty of the language is lost as I rush to finish or to find out what happens. This year, I'd like to make sure that I savor the books that I'm reading. If I don't like a book, I'll stop reading it. If I'm enjoying it, I'd like to take my time and really delve deeply into considering the content. 

2. More highlighting. Related to my first goal, I'd like to take more notes and highlight more. I usually read on my Kindle, so I'd like to use the highlighting system that's built in. Since I'm often reading library books, I plan to transfer my highlights to an Evernote note once I've finished each book. That way, I can have a record of the passages that I found meaningful after I return the books to the library.

3. Apply what I'm learning. This applies mostly to nonfiction books. I like to read self-help books, but I don't always try out different concepts in real life. How many healthy lifestyle books have I read? Lots, but few lasting changes seem to have come from my reading. This year, I'd like to try to apply what I'm reading about to my life in a more meaningful way. I don't want to be rigid about forcing myself to try out things that aren't appealing, but I do want to give things a solid try. 


These goals aren't set in stone, but I do want to keep them in mind and use them to guide my reading for the year. I'll review them from time to time to make sure that they're still serving me. 

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