Trying to get back into serious reading next year. I have a mountain of books at my house that I’ve read a few pages or the first chapter of, but for the purposes of this market I need to both start and finish reading 52 books in 2024. They can be rereads, fiction/non-fiction, etc., but manga/magazines/instruction manuals don’t count.
For context I’m applying for a grad program in English literature (to start in the fall), so not only is this 52 goal realistic but I have a sharp motivation to actually achieve it earlier than the end of the year.
Three major challenges stand in my way: I hate audiobooks, I have ADHD, and book reading doesn’t directly translate into monetary gain (which is always a concern for poors like me). That said, I feel like if I am held accountable for my reading in a public forum, I am far more likely to do it.
I plan on checking in and updating my progress on the last day of each month.
The first book I will attempt to read is the ol’ “Gödel, Escher, Bach” by Hofstadter. (If I finish, it’ll be the first time I’ve gotten past the first chapter.) Wish me luck! 📚
***Update 12/23/23***
Please connect with me on StoryGraph if you want to follow along with my reading progress on a more regular basis. (Please disregard all current reading content on my profile, I'm still trying to get the hang of the site and am just brainstorming ideas for how to lay out my books/reading/etc.) Also, it'd be more fun to see what other Folders are reading throughout the year :)
I've set my profile to public so that anyone with the link can get some info about what I'm reading/plan to read/have read and adjust their bets from there. I'm hoping to finalize my reading list by 12/31/2023, but it may have to wait until 1/5/24 due to travel/vacation/etc. I will probably start the year with a smaller book than GEB just so I don't have to lug it around on an airplane, fair warning.
Thanks to all of those who decide to follow/read along with me!
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@advil Read “five” books so far and midway through another. (Five in quotes because one was originally published as three separate novels that were later combined into a single omnibus.)
I try to keep my reading progress updated here (https://app.thestorygraph.com/profile/ophiuchus) for any interested bettors.
@shankypanky Before the end of the year I’m going to go through my bookshelves and decide which ones I absolutely want to read that I already have. I’m aiming to have 26 ready to go so I can grab one immediately upon finishing another, and still leave half my list open to whimsy.
The other trick I might use is listening to audiobooks in Japanese. I find it much more enjoyable to do that instead of normal English books as the VAs are professionals instead of freelancers. That said, the Serkis rendition of LotR sounds incredibly promising.
I think those two strategies might help put me over the edge, along with alternating fiction and nonfiction to keep it lively. One of the main reasons I take longer to read books in the first place is that I write extensively inside them while reading, so I might gain a little speed if I refrain from doing that too much.
@Broseph that all sounds like a solid strategy - I took a similar approach and started a spreadsheet where I collected the titles of some books I (theoretically) have on the go now, which I won't count but gets me started with visibility and accountability. Then I built on the list with some books I own and can choose from so I'm not in the weeds when I finish one. Similar to you, I have some real challenges with focus (and I'm great at starting books but terrible at finishing them).
I definitely think this is more attainable when you say you're also up for giving audiobooks a try. My goal is 24 and I hope that's on the low side but wanted to feel like it's a number within reach. Hope we're both celebrating this time next year!
@Broseph haha - check my markets you'll find it. I linked it there (tbh I was inspired by @firstuserhere's reading goals market/tracking although mine is much more rudimentary)
@Broseph lots of people are more motivated with lists (building or crossing things off of them) so if the spreadsheet idea is alluring it might be a good ally for your journey here!
@GrantGwynne Finished ~12. It’s hard to say exactly though because I started many more than that and dropped them partway through.