Tuesday, January 16, 2018

Top 5 Bookish Resolutions and Goals



Today I am sharing with you my top five bookish resolutions for 2018. This post is part of Top Ten Tuesday, which is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. Each week there is a new theme, and I especially excited about this week's. I don't usually set resolutions for myself each year, but I do have some bookish things I want to accomplish so maybe this resolution business might be helpful : ) Keep reading, or watch the video above, to find out my bookish resolutions for 2018!


1. Read 60 books this year

In 2017, I set my Goodreads reading goal to 60 books, and I read 59! SO CLOSE. And while I could've stayed up late on New Years Eve and finished a book in progress, or read a short graphic novel, etc. in order to meet my goals, and also because being one book away is like infuriating close to success - I decided instead to leave it at 59, in part because I love sleeping, but mostly because it would've felt dishonest to rush thought a book right at the end just to meet my goal. I struggled a bit with balancing social media, blogging, YouTube, and Instagram, while also reading this year - which is the reason I am on all of the forms of social media in the first place, ironically. Towards the end of the year I made a very conscious, and at times difficult, choice to put down my phone and pick up a book. We only live once - and to choose mindlessly scrolling through Twitter again just seems like the most wasteful choice I could make in any moment. I don't ever want to feel in 2018 like I am forcing myself to read, but I also want to be more mindful of my time and remind myself that social media, while at times fun and rewarding, isn't ultimately as fulfilling as a great book can be!




2. Quote journal for the year

Keeping track of quotes I love from books is a big goal of mine in 2018. I have been wanting to do this for years, and I've made many attempts, but I think 2018 might actually be the year when it happens! I've tried in previous years to keep a log of quotes from book but just didn't keep up with it, and I am determined this year to actually make it happen. I have purchased a super cute journal from Target to keep track of my reading each month as well as my favorite quotes. In 2017, I made a video about quotes that I loved from the book "Lab Girl" by Hope Jahren. I would love to make more videos like this one in 2018, and perhaps having a video or blog post to share the quotes might motivate me to keep track of them, as well! Check out a video below with my Top 5 Quotes from Hope Jahren's book "Lab Girl".





3. Create 60 second book review for all (most) books I read in 2018

Perhaps you have stumbled onto my blog because of my YouTube channel, or maybe you have absolutely no idea what I am talking about! Either way : ) after blogging for a while I decided to start making short video reviews of the books I read. It started out as an every 3 or 4 books thing, and developed, by the end of 2017, into an almost every book I read thing. I want to keep that trend going in 2018. It's a struggle at times to even come up with 60 seconds of thoughts on a book, and other times I have to film and re film in order to fit even half of my thoughts about a book into that short of a segment. I have a lot of fun filming them though and keeping these reviews consistent is definitely a large goal of mine in 2018. Check out a playlist below of my 60 second book reviews from my YouTube channel!




4. Buddy reads

Read a book with someone you enjoy as a person and reader!? What a fun goal for 2018! Buddy reads are such a wonderful concept, and just another fun way to move reading from a solitary activity to one that builds friendships and community. I love how reminiscent this feels of school as well, which is something I am distant enough from in real life that I have started to miss. There are many days I am deep into a good, or bad, book and reflect longingly on class discussions and texting friends from class about how much we were loving, or hating, our current reading assignments. I already have at least one buddy read lined up for the year, exciting! And hope to continue to find new buddy read opportunities throughout the year. Wanna buddy read!? Shoot me an email or DM!



5. Celebrate online accomplishments with real life events

On a day to day basis, my biggest accomplishment is keeping a tiny human alive. It's a big thing, and I am happy and proud to be doing it. But also, I really value the online accomplishments I have made this past year. In 2017, I really took a lot of action and effort to blog, and make videos, and just generally make content about my reading life. But lately, I've been finding this weird disconnect between the accomplishments that occur online and my day to day life. I've hit 1,000 subscribers on YouTube and 2,000 followers on Instagram- and I feel great about it, yay! I'll soon reach my goal of making100 sixty second book reviews, double yay! And so, in 2018, I want to celebrate in my "real" life my online accomplishments. One way I've already started on this goal was by making a t shirt with my website/ channel name on it. I love it, and it's a reminder that what I do online is fun and exciting, but also a real, tangible accomplishment.


What are you reading and bookish goals for 2017!? Let me know below in the comments!

18 comments:

  1. I have loved buddy reading in 2017, and so far in 2018 it's going well too. Sounds like you have a great year ahead of you.

    Marissa
    Reading List

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    1. Thanks, Marissa! Buddy reading is new to me, in the internet sense, and I am excited to give it a try!

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    2. I hope you find some great buddy readers! ;)

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  2. Man, I love sleeping too, darn it! I could read so many more books each year if I didn't have to sleep at all. If only :) Good luck with all of your resolutions.

    Happy TTT!

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    1. Thanks, Susan! haha yeah sleeping sure does get in the way of reading, and really reading is the fastest way to get myself to fall asleep. oh well!

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  3. My goal is also 60 books for this year! You can do it!! I love the buddy read idea too. My best friend and I are reading all of Reese Witherspoon's book club picks this year so we can discuss them together! Excited for that.

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    1. I got so close last year so I'm hoping with a little extra effort I can meet it! That is an awesome book club to follow, I love most of her picks. I am about to start one of Reese's picks,Eleanor Oliphant, and have heard such good things!

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  4. Buddy reads are such fun. I have a friend and we do a feature where we both review the same book each month. However, we read a lot of the same things so we are always chatting. It's so enjoyable. Good luck with all your goals.

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    1. Thanks, Barb! That is so fun that you have found a friendship like that with a reader who you match up with so well. I love finding other book reviewers online that I have a similar reading taste to, it is such a treat!

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  5. It's awesome that your able to do both! Gong to check out your youtube channel! And a quote journal sounds like a great way to remember some of the awesome quotes we come across in books! Tori @ In Tori Lex

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    1. Thanks, Tori! I haven't found any amazing quotes that I needed to commit to paper yet, but I know I will find many over the year!

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  6. Quote journaling is so much fun! I used to do it all the time, but I am hoping to pick it back up this year. Good luck! :)

    My Top Ten Tuesday!

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    1. I've tried doing it in the past as well and only got to the end of January or February - but when a book, or a quote, are really good - nothing is better than writing it down! Especially since so many of the books I read don't belong to me, and have to be returned to the library. Keeping the quotes lets me keep a little bit, my favorite bit, of the book : )

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  7. "I don't ever want to feel in 2018 like I am forcing myself", I felt like this in previous years when I had a higher reading goal, I can honest say that reading wasn't enjoyable and I read through the books I did rather quickly. I just subscribed to your YT channel and I'm looking forward to seeing more. Best of wishes for 2018.

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  8. I like your goal about real life accomplishments :) I hope you have a successful 2018!

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  9. Oh how I feel your pain! I set my GR goal at 75 and read 74. I cheated and lowered it to keep the badge :) Good luck in 2018!

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  10. I'd love to read 20 books this year and start writing!

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  11. Love your resolutions! I’d love to do more buddy reads too!

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