I found the Goodreads yearly book goal tracker last year and haven’t looked back since. I started with 15 books for half of 2023. Then, I finished that, so I moved on to 17 books and hit that goal by the end of the year. In 2024, my reading goal is 30 books, and I’m currently three books ahead of schedule. From a seasoned veteran (not really, but that’s beside the point) to someone looking for answers, here are a couple of ways that I’m currently staying on top of my yearly reading goals.
- Find a Good Series
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I always find myself reading one-off books and not knowing where to go. Finding a series of books takes that search out of the picture. I’ve found that the “What comes after this book?” guessing game left me refusing to finish books until I knew I had another one. Getting invested in a longer series can quickly get you closer to your reading goal. I read all five Percy Jackson and the Olympians books within two weeks, which moved me forward in my goal. That also leads me to my next point.
- Page Count Doesn’t Have to Matter
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If you want page count to matter, then be my guest. I value the content of the books I read over the length — quality over quantity if you will. When I read shorter books with content I’m interested in, I find myself reading faster and reading more. If page count matters to you and your goals, congratulations, because I could never. Making sure you choose a book you can lock into is so important.
- Ask For Book Recommendations from Friends
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Whether it be the aforementioned Percy Jackson series or The Song of Achilles (thank you to my friend, Julia), I have absolutely adored book recs from friends. Sometimes, I find myself in a slump of being unable to figure out what I want to read next. I don’t have a new series to start, and I don’t have anything that’s piquing my interest. Having a fresh set of eyes on your shelves can help kickstart your need to read something.
- Use a Book Tracker
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There are many amazing ways to track your book intake during the year. You can use a physical book tracker, a good old-fashioned pen, and paper, like these from Etsy. You can also make your own with some paper and some stickers, or elect to use a virtual option. If you have a Goodreads account, you can use their annual reading goal tracker. You log your books on your account, and Goodreads will tell you if you’re behind, on track, or ahead of your goal.
- Choose an Attainable Goal for Yourself
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Choosing an attainable number of books for your reading goal can be tricky and frustrating. If you’ve had a reading goal in the past, use that as a baseline for your new reading goal. If you wanted to read 15 books last year and you read 17, maybe consider making your 2024 reading goal 20 books. If you wanted to read 20 books last year and only read 15, consider making your 2024 reading goal 17 books. You don’t have to go into this blind. If you haven’t had a reading goal in the past, start with a smaller number. Think of how many books you’ve read per month and consider using that as a baseline for creating your reading goal.
- Changing Your Reading Goal is Okay
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I always feel bad when I fall behind on my reading goal, but when I do, I’ll drop my reading goal if I must. It doesn’t mean that I couldn’t meet my original goal or that I don’t want to meet it; it’s about staying sane. I’ll drive myself insane if I feel too far behind on my reading goal. When I fall behind and get stressed out, I find it’s easier to adjust my reading goal and avoid that stress.
If you’re interested in my progress, please follow it via my Goodreads account!