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*Looks at calendar* Isn’t it a bit…late? to be setting goals for 2021, you ask? Well, yes, I know that it is already late February, but there are still more than 10 months left in the year, and, well, better late than never for setting up some reading goals, right?!
Generally, I don’t set any restrictions for myself when it comes to reading other than my Goodreads challenge goal, which I’ve set at 200 books for the last 8 or so years. I of course strive to be as inclusive as possible in my reading choices, and to keep up with YA and middle grade fiction since my job as a school librarian demands it, but at the end of the day, if I want to marathon 3 cozy mystery series because it’s a pandemic and nothing else sounds appealing, well, so be it.
This year, though, I do want to be a bit more intentional about my reading. Looking back on my reading choices for 2020, it was clear to me that, despite the volume of reading I was doing, there were some things I would like to do better, or at least differently. Does this mean I’m going to deprive myself of my beloved rom-coms? Of course not. But I will, ideally, be continuing to diversify my reading choices in a number of ways. So, let’s get to it: here are my reading goals for 2021.
1. 50% of books read in 2021 will be written by authors representing marginalized groups.
I have been working toward reading more inclusively for a number of years now, and last year about a third of the books I read were written by authors of color. I would like to increase that to half of the books I read in 2021. I would also like to make sure I am reading more books by Latinx authors, Indigenous authors, disabled authors, and LGBTQIAP+ authors to make sure I am getting a wide variety of perspectives and making the best choices possible for collection development in my professional life. Bonus points for intersecting identities (yes, obviously, there are no ACTUAL bonus points, but intersectionality is important).
2. Use a spreadsheet to track my reading.
Since I started keeping track of what I read, I’ve always just relied on Goodreads. And while I know I can create any number of different shelves on Goodreads, I’ve always found that to be kind of a hassle. Going along with goal #1, I want to be able to see, as my reading progresses throughout the year, whether I need to seek out books from certain perspectives, and I think using a spreadsheet will help me to do that. I personally modified a template I found on BookRiot-here’s my adjusted version if you’d like to create your own spreadsheet (just make a copy in order to adapt it and make it your own).
3. Complete AILA’s Read Native Challenge.
Again, going back to goal #1, it is very apparent, in reflecting on past reading, that I need to make a concerted effort to seek out more books by Indigenous authors. While I’ll probably focus on finding YA and middle grade books for as many of the categories as I can, working toward completing this challenge will definitely help me find more great Indigenous authors, for myself and also to share with my school community. Let me know if you’re going to be participating in this challenge, or if you have any great recommendations for any of the categories!
4. Read more books from my lesser-read genres.
I realize that this goal doesn’t sound specific and measurable enough for anyone who is a SMART goals enthusiast, but I’m okay with that. I’m not going to go out of my way to read a bunch of books I know I won’t love. However, there are kids who love to read fantasy, and science fiction, and nonfiction, and I want to have more recommendations to give them when they come to the library. Plus, I truly enjoy books in these genres, but looking at my reading list from 2020, you can hardly tell. So, I want to read at least 1 fantasy, 1 science fiction, and 1 nonfiction book each month. (Yes, I’ve already failed at this for January, but the year is young!)
5. Try Book of the Month.
The vast majority of books I read are written for kids. I am perfectly okay with this, but I do like to read the occasional book for grown-ups. However, I find that I don’t have a lot of energy to devote to finding good books for adults, because so much of my professional energy goes to collection development that I don’t necessarily want to spend a lot of my free time combing through book lists. And, since my school community does include adults, and there are a number of adult books that have crossover appeal for high school students, paying more attention to adult books will be beneficial for the library, too. If you’re interested in trying Book of the Month as well, join me! (Note: I recognize that Book of the Month is not perfect, and there have been some legitimate criticisms of the book selections available, so if you know of a service that is similar, and you’ve found to be better, please let me know!)
6. Read 250 books.
As I mentioned, ever since I started setting a Goodreads Challenge goal, I’ve aimed to read 200 books a year. The first couple years I failed miserably, but since 2015, I’ve read anywhere between 205 and 237 books each year. While I have still set my official challenge at 200 books for 2021, my secret stretch goal is to finally actually hit 250 books this year. Is it possible? Time will tell. (P.S. if you want to be my friend on Goodreads, this is me!)
Well, there you have it, friends: six reading goals for 2021. Tell me, what is one of your reading goals for this year?
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More than 200 books per year! That’s mighty impressive! I would love to reach at least 1/10th of that this year 🙂
Well, if you need any reading suggestions let me know!
Good reading goals! I’ve only recently started listening to audio books, and I’ve found that has helped me read more books in a single year. Although, I still prefer to read physical copies of books whenever I can. Thanks for sharing these goals!