Hello Emma’s Diary,
A new reading season has begun, and with a new season upon us that means new and exciting books. I’ve never been able to keep up with the newest-trendiest books but this year I have a plan to fix that. Let’s see how to set and achieve our 2023 reading goal.
As someone who aspires to be a published author someday, I have been seriously lacking in the reading department. Seriously, I read a few popular series in high school, including The Lunar Chronicles, Red Queen, and a few stand-alone books, but haven’t been able to keep up since.
It’s a lot easier to read books in school when you’re avoiding doing your homework. As an adult it’s harder to justify sitting down and reading a book for hours on end. I’m someone who got sucked into productivity culture and lost track of my relaxation time. A big goal for me this year is to slow down. Reading is something that will help me do that.
So, the reason I’ve brought you all here is to tell you my 2023 reading goals in hopes you keep me accountable, and to share with you how I set these goals and how you can go about setting your own 2023 reading goal.
It’s also highly probable I haven’t read your favorite series yet so stick around and follow my socials to see what books I pick up this year and what I thought of them.
Current read
Throne of Glass series
Book: Tower of Dawn & Empire of Storms (Tandem read)
Author: Sarah J. Maas
Currently, I am reading the Throne of glass series, perhaps written by one of the most talked about authors out there.
Reading Sarah J. Maas’s books, starting with ACOTAR, was a step I took to achieve my goal of catching up with popular literature. She was everywhere on my social media, and her fandom looked so fun with so many inside jokes that I just had to join the club and read her books.
Everyone recommended doing the tandem read for this series, so if you’re interested this is the guide I followed by T. L. Branson.
I do plan on doing reviews for the Sarah J. Maas series, so stay tuned for those.
My 2023 Reading Goal
My goal this 2023 reading season is to reassimilate with the reading and writing community in order to improve as a writer. I plan to do this by setting a reading goal using the Goodreads 2023 Reading Challenge and annotating the books I read so that I can keep track of what I learned in my writer’s notebook.
My passion is reading and writing, and to become a writer you have to read. That’s the basis of my goals this year. I want to explore different authors, learn their writing styles, see what techniques work for them, and eventually try to develop my own voice by seeing what I like in these other stories.
There are a few things I need to address about myself as a reader in order to understand this goal of mine.
First off, I’ve learned that I am a critical reader. Which, for someone who wants to learn from what they’re reading and use that in their own writing, that’s probably a good thing. However, it has gotten in the way of me seeing the deeper meaning in a piece of text, and truly appreciating what the author had to offer.
So, instead, when I come across something I don’t like, I will take note of it and try to see why it’s not working for me and how it might work for others. I want to try and compensate for the negative bits by also writing down what I like about the story.
I plan to start annotating my books this reading season so that I can better track what sticks out to me and reflect on it. This will also help me not get lost in my critical mindset and create fairer assessments of a work of text.
Another thing to know about me is that I’m mostly a fantasy reader, and thus also write within this genre, but sometimes certain scenes require skills found in different genres. So, in an effort to grow as a writer, I want to try out new genres. I have enjoyed realistic fiction, romance, and thriller in the past, and will most likely try out these genres again this year.
Goodreads 2023 Reading Challenge
2022 Goal: 15
This past year was a busy year for me, so I didn’t get to the reading challenge until late into the year and only managed to read 10 out of the 15 books I had set out to read.
This year I plan to be more dedicated to the challenge.
2023 Goal: 30
Though 30 is a low goal for someone who wants to be an author someday, this is what’s reasonable for me right now. Realistically, I’d like to get up to the 50s, but I’m starting low and keeping last year’s challenge in mind.
If I start with my physical TBR this year, I’ll be able to get pretty close to reaching that number and can move on to buying some of my anticipated reads.
My Physical TBR
Now, my physical TBR is much, much smaller than what I’ve seen on Tiktok, but it is still where I will be starting with this 2023 reading goal.
Let me first tell you a story that will make my final TBR count even more laughable.
My boyfriend and I live in a small apartment with only one bookshelf, and this bookshelf is pretty much full. Not a problem for most of us, because we still go out and buy ourselves books and start little piles if we need to. Who doesn’t enjoy a nice stack of books?
Well, one day I was browsing the shelves at a store, looking around for some new books to add to the collection, when my boyfriend utters the words we all dread, “You’re on a book buying ban.”
Okay, first off, who taught him that phrase? I certainly didn’t.
I was appalled.
He tells me we don’t have any room on our bookshelf. Can you believe that?
So, long story short, until we move into a bigger place and get another bookshelf he wants me to work on reading the books I already have, and as I work through those I can buy new books. Not a terribly bad arrangement, it just means once I expand, I’ll be able to do a tour of my bookshelves with you all.
Now, are you ready for the final headcount? Disclaimer, this total only includes the first book of a series, not the completed series number.
Physical TBR: 16 books
I have little to say. After seeing so many people working towards their 50+ and multi-hundred physical TBRs it’s embarrassing to say mine is that small.
There is a benefit to this though. As long as I keep up with it, I don’t have to stress about impending book bans.
Let me walk you through some of the books on this list I anticipate reading this year.
Three Dark Crowns, by Kendare Blake
This series is stated to be a tale of rivaling royal triplets, each possessing their own magic that is sure to play a role in their fight to become the crowned queen.
With four books total in this series, I look forward to grabbing this book off my shelf this year and seeing how the journey unfolds.
Skyward, by Brandon Sanderson
I have this ongoing battle with my father, a fan of Brandon Sandersons, to read some of his work. I’ve heard many good things about his series, Mistborn, but have never had the desire to pick up the book myself. Another goal of mine this year is to push myself to read things outside of my comfort zone.
In an effort to ease myself into what Brandon Sanderson has to offer, I convinced my dad to buy me the Skyward series.
It appears there’s more to offer with this series, and it’s not yet complete, but I am excited to step into something different from what I’m used to.
Realm Breaker, by Victoria Aveyard
I do have a history with Victoria Aveyard and this book. I read the Red Queen series and quite liked the idea of the story.
I was excited to continue reading new works that Aveyard put out, but my first attempt at reading Realm Breaker didn’t go so well.
After a little over a hundred pages, I ended up taking a break and putting it down, but I want to try again this year since I believe my first attempt only failed because I was in a bit of a reading slump at the time.
Six of Crows, by Leigh Bardugo
I’ve heard a lot about this duology. I definitely bought this book after being influenced by booktok, and I look forward to seeing what it’s all about.
A Winters Promise, by Christelle Dabos
This book first caught my eye while I was browsing at Barnes and Nobles one day, and the color scheme for the series was just too beautiful to pass up.
I must admit, I do judge books by their cover, something my boyfriend critiques me quite harshly for.
However, I have since heard many good things about this series and am very excited to get started on it this year.
We Hunt the Flame, by Hafsah Faizal
Another duology, one I definitely picked out because of its mystifying cover.
Similarly to a Winters Promise, I was pleased to find out that people supported my decision and recommend this book, even if I grabbed it based on aesthetics.
Gilded, by Marissa Meyer
I am a huge fan of Marissa Meyer; my favorite series of all time is the Lunar Chronicles. Fairytale retellings are some of my favorite stories, and she manages to do it so well.
This story in particular is a Rumpelstiltskin retelling, and I’m so excited to find out how Marissa Meyer goes about this classic story.
My cousin (We love you, Megan) managed to find me a signed copy of the book at a used bookstore and I was over the moon when she told me.
Six Crimson Cranes, by Elizabeth Lim
I’m sure you know by now that I can’t keep my hands off of pretty covers, and this book was advertised to me as THE prettiest cover you’ll ever see, so of course I bought it. How could I not?
I have faith in Elizabeth Lim’s writing, I know she won’t let me down. Her fans have talked enough about this book for me to be confident that it’d be a great read regardless of the cover.
The Grimrose Girls, by Laura Pohl
Perhaps this is the middle school girl in me, but this book just radiates Gallagher Girls by Ally Carter. If you know you know.
Not only that, but this is also a fairytale retelling. Throw in some murder mystery and I’m hooked.
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, by V.E. Schwab
This book was making its way around social media a little while ago, it was nearly impossible for me to not hear about it.
I wasn’t entirely sure what it was about, but the second I saw it in store I got it immediately and looked forward to learning what the surely deserved hype was all about.
Love in the Time of Serial Killers, by Alicia Thompson
I picked this book up recently, wanting to try and get into the romance genre more, even though I’m more of a fantasy girl.
I do enjoy a good romance, but having that fantasy aspect that takes you out of reality is typically a requirement for me. However, with so many romance novels working their way into my feed, I figured why not try one out.
I definitely see myself cozying up with a book like this.
If you’re interested to see what other books are on my shelf, check out my Goodreads account, where I’ve also made an area of books I don’t currently own but anticipate reading someday.
How to Set Your 2023 reading Goal
If you’re interested in setting your own 2023 reading goal, I have a few tips for you.
When you have a goal for yourself, there’s a few key areas you want to focus on. I typically keep the SMART acronym in mind when setting a goal.
Specific-
Make sure your goal isn’t too vague, keep it specific so that it’s easier to track and more attainable.
Measurable-
Having measurable goals makes it easier to keep track of your progress. If your goal isn’t measurable and you have no way to see your progression, then it’s harder to stick to it.
Achievable-
Making sure our goals are actually attainable is typically the hardest part. We get too focused on the end goal and might bite off more than we can chew. It’s important to take note of the tools you have and the tools you’ll need to succeed.
Relevant-
How does this goal fit into your life? Is it actually relevant to you? The answers to these questions will help guide you to setting and achieving your goal. Maybe you need to tweak the goal slightly, or work on another goal before tackling this one. Figure out if you have any other goals that might relate to this one.
Timely-
Setting a timeline for your goal helps to remain focused. It also shows you how you might break up your goal into smaller chunks. I personally try not to get too focused on the timeline because then I feel more pressured and end up abandoning the plan. However, I still create a loose schedule for myself so I don’t lose any discipline in keeping up with the goal.
As long as you stick to the SMART strategy it’s pretty easy to work out the details of your goal.
A Heart-to-Heart
Aside from getting my reading numbers up and keeping up-to-date on new releases, I also strive to return to the heart of reading this year.
I heard someone say recently that being a reader used to mean getting lost in the aisles of a book store, and finding stories among the shelves that felt like your own discoveries. That was the beauty of reading before.
Now, we have social media where everyone is either critiquing or recommending books. When we enter a bookstore, we know what to look for, what’s trending.
My true goal is to use this blog to create a community of people who love reading and to share the treasures we find on the shelves. We don’t always have people in our lives that share the same interest in books that we do, so these online communities is where we can find people with similar interests.
I want to passionately share about my own discoveries and get back to what it really means to be a reader.
Adventure. Imagination. Escape.
