Want to know how to set reading goals? Here are two methods that will help you set reading goals you will actually be able to achieve. 

Setting reading goals can get complicated. As someone who loves to set reading goals every year, I have first-hand experience. But I also know how it can go wrong. 

You are going to learn two methods for setting your reading goals using traditional SMART goals and using the identity goal method. (Don’t worry. Both will be explained in great detail below.)

After learning about how to set reading goals, you will be prepared to have the most satisfying reading year to date. 

This post is all about how to set reading goals that every reader should know about. 

Before We Get Started

One thing I want to talk about before we get started is something that I believe is very important to the reading life (and the theme of this blog) — your reading life should bring you joy. 

The keyword there is you. I have personally gotten caught up in the latest books that everyone is talking about on Bookstagram and elsewhere, and most of the time, these books end up being a huge disappointment for me. 

So as we go through this process, I really want you to think about the books, authors, genres, and any other variables that you have noticed that have brought the most joy to your reading life so we can add more of those things into your life. 

On the flip side, also think about those things that have derailed your reading life, so you can also know the things that you want to avoid.

Evaluate Your Previous Reading Year

Before diving into setting your goals, I recommend spending a little time evaluating your previous reading year.

If you keep track of the books you read somewhere, it’s time to open that journal, Goodreads account, spreadsheet, or whatever it is you used.

Grab a journal or a Google Doc, and write down what you liked about the books you read this year and your reading life in general. Here are some questions you can try to answer in this step:

• Are you happy with how many books you read?
• Are you happy with how often you were able to read? Did you develop a new reading habit that really worked for you?
• Did you discover any new authors you loved?
• Did you read more backlist titles by your favorite authors that you enjoyed?
• What genre(s) did you really enjoy? What new genre(s) did you discover?
• Note any 5-star reads on your list and what they have in common.
• Did you do a reading challenge that you loved?
• Did you develop a new tracking system that you loved?

Note: If you didn’t keep track of the books you read, you can still do this exercise. You’ll just have to do it from memory.

Next, write down what you didn’t like about the books you read or your reading life in general. Here are some questions that may help with this part:

• Do you feel like you read too few books or too many?
• Did you struggle to find time to read?
• Did you fall into any reading ruts during the year, and why do you think that happened?
• Did you get stuck in only a handful of genres?
• Are there books you finished that you wish you would have DNFd?
• Did you fail to read backlist titles by favorite authors?
• What do you wish you would have done differently?

You can use this information to start setting your reading goals. 

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Option 1: Create Identity-Based Goals

This method comes from the book Atomic Habits by James Clear. In fact, Clear doesn’t describe these as goals. Instead he describes them as “identity-based habits.”

Clear says that “the key to building lasting habits is focusing on creating a new identity first.” In other words, we need to change what we believe about ourselves. The way we start doing that is to think about the kind of person we want to become. 

For example, let’s say you wanted to lose weight. Clear says that instead of making a goal to lose 20 pounds, create an identity goal to “become the type of person who moves everyday.”

Let’s apply this to reading. 

Here are some examples of reading goals: 

• Read 50 books
• Read for 1 hour per day. 
• Spend less money on books.
• Read more backlist titles by favorite authors.
• Keep a reading journal.
• Complete a reading challenge

Now, we’re going to take one of these goals and convert it into an identity-based goal. 

Here is the process we are going to follow: 

• Step 1: Name the goal you want to achieve. 
• Step 2: Describe the type of person who would achieve this goal. 
• Step 3: List 3-5 small steps or habits you can take to become this type of person. 

For our example, I’m going to use this goal: Read 50 books. 

• Step 1: Read 50 books in one year. 
• Step 2: Become the type of person who reads 50 books every year. 
• Step 3: Habits needed to become this type of person.
  • Read every morning for 30 minutes when I wake up. 
  • Track my reading habits every day in a habit tracker. 
  • Don’t watch TV on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Spend this time reading instead. 
  • Listen to audiobooks on my commute. 

In summary, you are first deciding the type of person you want to become and then listing habits needed to be that person. 

I really like this method. There’s something about it that feels more motivating than most typical goal setting methods. 

Option 2: Create SMART Goals

I think most people have heard of SMART goals, but just in case, here’s a summary: SMART is an acronym for:

• Specific
• Measurable
• Achievable
• Relevant 
• Time-bound

Goals have a tendency to be very abstract such as: read more books, watch less TV, lose weight. The SMART goal method takes such goals and turns them into something more concrete. 

Let’s take the goal “read more books” and convert this into a smart goal.

Read 50 books in 2024. 

Simply by adding the number and the year, we’ve made this goal specific, measurable, and time bound. It is relevant to the topic of reading. If you want to have a number reading goal this year, just make sure the number you choose is something achievable for you. 

Reading Goal Ideas

If you’re anything like me, you’ve been thinking about your reading goals for the coming year for several months now, but if you can use some inspiration, here are some ideas:

• Read X number of books.
• Read all the backlist titles by [insert author]
• Read more books from your own bookshelf. (This is going to be one of my reading goals this year.)
• Turn off all electronics by 7 PM and read until it’s time to go to bed. 
• Complete a reading challenge
• DNF more books
• Read one book from a genre you don’t normally read.
• Track your daily reading habits. 
• Keep a book journal. 
• Complete a reading challenge. (There’s a fun reading challenge right here, if you’re looking for one
• Make at least 50 percent of the books you read be books you already own.
• Make at least 50 percent of the books you read be books from the library.
• Read X number of non-fiction books.
• Make a list of specific titles you want to make sure you don’t want to miss. (This is something I do almost every year.)
• Re-read X number of books.
• Read for at least X minutes per day.
• Join a book club.

Something else I like to do each year is to make a list of books I want to make sure I don’t miss in the coming year. 

How to Reach Your Reading Goals: It’s All About the Habits

No matter which method you choose, achieving goals all comes down to our habits. In some cases, we need to start new habits, but we may also have habits we need to stop.

Habit Stacking

One tactic I’ve used for starting new habits (that has actually worked) is called habit-stacking. (This also comes from Atomic Habits.) This is how habit-stacking works:

• You start with a habit you already do. For example, maybe when you get up in the morning you make coffee. 
• Choose a new habit you’re going to do right after making your coffee every day. 
• Implement the new habit. 
• Once you establish a new habit, you can start adding other new habits. In other words, you’re stacking new habits on top of current habits. 

Track Your Habits

Another tactic I’ve used that also helps is tracking my habits in a habit tracker. This can be done with a journal, a spreadsheet, with a platform like Notion, or one of the many habit-tracking apps.

Choose the one that you think will be the easiest for you to stick with.

Closing Thoughts

I want to close with a couple of thoughts:

• Your reading goals are personal. We’re all individuals, which means that we are likely to have some different goals, and that’s okay.
• Be careful with numbers. While there are some cases in which aiming for a specific number of books makes perfect sense. We also never want to read for a number. If we’re just flying through books, and not taking the time to enjoy and reflect on those books, I think we’re missing out on one of the important parts of the reading process. And I think reading for a number can very quickly kill the joy we get from reading. (Even thought, I get it . . . you want to read all.the.books.)

What are your own reading goals? I would love to hear about what goals you decide to set this year!

The post How to Set Reading Goals (and Actually Achieve Them): Two Ways appeared first on Passion of Audiobooks.

Are there any benefits of reading fiction?

Sometimes reading fiction can feel like a guilty pleasure or an escape from reality (for me it can be both of those things). We may think that we should really be spending more time reading those non-fiction books where we will actually learn something.

If this sounds like you, I have good news — study after study shows that reading is not just a fun hobby, but a healthy habit we would all benefit from.

Here’s the truth about reading in a nutshell: if someone could create a pill with all the benefits of reading books, we would all be lining up to buy it. 

For example, check out this description about what is happening to all the areas of the brain when you read: 

“As a complex skill, reading involves all of the regions of the brain, because it involves all cognitive functioning of humans –verbal and non-verbal — such as attention, planning, abstract reasoning, predicting, inhibition, use of strategies, problem solving, working memory, and long-term storage memory and retrieval of vocabulary and concepts, the procedural skill of retrieval, the use of grammatical knowledge, and the motor mechanism for visual processing, and production.”

Siusana Kweldju (language expert)

While nonfiction books are the place to go for gaining knowledge about something, they don’t do anything for our emotional intelligence, stress levels, blood pressure, and other amazing benefits. That’s the work of fictional books.

This post is all about the benefits of reading fiction.

Let’s dive in!

1

It Improves Decision Making

Reading fiction may help you make better decisions.

In order to think through difficult decisions, psychologists say that it’s best if human beings are able to consider all the information that may impact that decision while also thinking rationally and creatively at the same time.

We have a natural tendency to want to reach quick decisions. While this seems like a positive thing, psychologists say this often comes at the cost of not considering important and more accurate information that would lead to a better decision.

This need to reach a quick decision is called “cognitive closure.”

Researchers at the University of Toronto performed a study that was published in the Creativity Research Journal in 2013 that found that reading fictional stories as opposed to nonfiction essays led to a reduced need for cognitive closure, at least for the short term. The effect was longer for those who were regular readers.

“When one reads fictional literature, one is encouraged to simulate other minds, and is thereby released from concerns for urgency and permanence,” the researchers found.

When we simulate the thoughts of others without the need for urgency the result is that it opens our minds to different perspectives.

2

It Improves Your Ability to Navigate Difficult Situations

Life is full of difficult situations in both our personal lives and in the workplace.

Reading fiction helps improve problem-solving skills by providing a way for readers to think through difficult situations before they have to face them in their real life.

Joseph Badaracco, Professor of Business Ethics at Harvard University, has his students read several works of fiction because the stories force his students to “really get inside individuals who are making decisions,” he said in an interview with Harvard Business Review.

Bardaracco has his students read stories where there are conflicting points of view that are all legitimate.

“The students really struggle with the fact that there are competing sound views. Part of them are pulled one way, and part of them are pulled another way,” he said. “They’re engaged in the ethical reality of the situation.”

Bardaracco believes that reading fiction prepares people for the complex and messy situations they are bound to face in the complex world of the workplace.

If it works for business students, then it must also help prepare us for difficult situations we face throughout our lives.

Something I think about is how Jesus used parables (short fictional stories) to help his listeners understand the often difficult ideas he was trying to convey. It’s easier for us to make sense of things when we can first look at certain situations in a fictional setting before applying them to ourselves.

One book that has had this effect on me personally is The Dutch House by Ann Patchett. The Dutch House portrays a mother who is very religious and spends copious hours serving the poor in soup kitchens and other similar venues. Seems like a good thing, right? It does until you realize the fallout from her actions is the neglect of her own children, who bear lifelong physical and mental scars that stem from this neglect.

As someone who is a Christian and a Mother, it can be easy to think I should be volunteering my time for this and that in my church and community. This book has served as an important reminder that if I overdo it, it will be my family who will suffer the consequences.

3

It Exercises Your Memory

What is the best way to improve your memory? A retired brain doctor recommends choosing fiction whenever you can as a way to exercise your brain.

In an article for CNBC, former neurologist Richard Restack wrote that fiction is the best reading material for exercising your memory.

While a non-fiction book is great for learning about a subject, fiction “requires you to exercise your memory, as you proceed from beginning to end and retain a variety of details, characters and plots,” Restack says.

“I’ve noticed over my years as a neuropsychiatrist that people with early dementia, as one of the first signs of the encroaching illness, often stop reading novels,” he added.

Other recommendations for keeping your brain sharp are testing your memory of details in art when you visit an art museum, keeping naps under 90 minutes, playing brain games at parties, eating brain foods, and more.

4

It Can Help Mitigate Cognitive Decline

Reading is a cognitive activity that plays a role in reducing age-related declines, a long-term study published in the journal Psychiatry found.

The 2021 study performed by a psychology professor at Brandeis University over nine years found that when individuals without college degrees increased their cognitive activities, it resulted in a decrease in the decline of their executive functioning (EF).

The types of cognitive activities listed include:

• Reading books, magazines or newspapers
• Doing word games such as crossword puzzles, or scrabble
• Attending educational lectures or courses
• Writing (i.e. letters, journaling, or stories)

Executive functioning is important because it includes working memory, verbal fluency, inductive reasoning, processing, attention switching, and general self-control.

Loss of executive functioning is related to cognitive impairment, dementia, and Alzheimer’s disease.

The study took place over nine years and found that, “individuals without a college degree who increased their cognitive activity showed significantly less decline in EF compared to those with a college degree who decreased or maintained their cognitive activity across the 9 years.”

The study also found that those with college degrees also had a reduction in age-related cognitive decline. So I guess you can consider this a point in favor of college degrees, as well.

The study author hypothesizes that this is because those with college degrees were already engaging in cognitive activities before the study began.

5

It Lowers Stress

Next time you feel stressed, pick up a good book. Two studies show that reading significantly lowers stress.

Reading not only results in lower stress levels, but it also comes withe health benefits — it lowers your blood pressure and heart rate, a study performed at Seton Hall University found.

The Seton Hall study was published in the Journal of College Teaching & Learning in 2009. It evaluated doctoral students, who are typically under a lot of stress. The study looked at how three activities would affect stress levels: yoga, humor, and reading.

The researchers evaluated stress levels by measuring blood pressure and heart rates assessed before and after engaging in the three activities.

“The results suggest that one 30-minute session of yoga, humor, and reading acutely reduced physiological and psychological stress in students enrolled in graduate DPT and OT programs,” the researchers concluded.

This study had participants read articles about historical events and innovative technology that was non-provocative and not related in any way to the students’ doctoral programs.

A second study performed at the University of Sussex in the U.K. by Mindlab International found that reading reduces stress better and faster than other typical remedies such as listening to music, walking, playing video games, or drinking a cup of tea. And it only takes six minutes to start experiencing the benefits!

“Losing yourself in a book is the ultimate relaxation,” Dr. David Lewis, the cognitive neuropsychologist who conducted the study, said. “It really doesn’t matter what book you read, by losing yourself in a thoroughly engrossing book you can escape from the worries and stresses of the everyday world and spend a while exploring the domain of the author’s imagination.”

“This is more than merely a distraction but an active engaging of the imagination as the words on the printed page stimulate your creativity and cause you to enter what is essentially an altered state of consciousness,” Lewis added.

6

It Increases Empathy

If you want to become a more empathetic person, make reading fiction a regular part of your life.

When readers are emotionally transported into the fictional story they are reading, they develop higher levels of empathy, a 2013 study found. Non-fiction reading material does not have the same effect.

There was previous research that showed this effect, but the researchers in this study wanted to explore this issue further because they said it wasn’t clear if fiction made people more empathetic or if empathetic people tended to read more fiction.

This study was published on PLOS ONE and conducted at Erasmus University Rotterdam in the Netherlands.

When people read fiction, they are emotionally transported into the narrative world. It is this “mental journey” that “makes it possible for readers to change as a consequence of reading fiction, because it elicits various processes, including emotional involvement in the story and identification with the characters.”

The researchers performed two different studies as part of their research.

In Study 1, they had participants read either a Sherlock Holmes story or non-fiction material. In Study 2, participants read a chapter from Blindness by Saramago.

They said they specifically chose these stories because they both include events that happen to the main character: one has to solve a murder and the other becomes spontaneously blind. The researchers also thought both books would have wide appeal. They also wanted to test the effect of reading fiction using different literary genres.

The non-fiction readers read news stories about riots in Libya and the nuclear disaster in Japan.

What the study showed is that when readers are emotionally transported into the story, it “causes empathetic skills to increase over time.” Specifically, “empathy was enhanced over a period of one week.”

And when readers are not emotionally transported, “the reverse occurs.”

“When people read a Sherlock Holmes story and become fully engaged in the story and identify strongly with the main characters, empathy is enhanced over time and empathy decreases for non-transported readers,” the researchers said.

7

It Develops Critical Thinking Skills

Books can and should be used to develop our critical thinking skills, two researchers argue. But this happens actively not passively.

While we often read to escape and be transported into other worlds, Linda Elder and Richard Paul of the Center for Critical Thinking at Sonoma State University recommend taking some time to really engage with the text using what they call “close reading.”

“Every book we read is a potential teacher,” Elder and Paul write. “When we become good readers, we can learn the essential meanings of an unlimited number of teachers whose teachings live on, ever available, in the books they have written. When we take the core ideas of those teachings into our minds through careful reading, we can productively use them in our lives.”

How do you become a close reader? Elder and Paul recommend asking yourself the following questions:

• Can I summarize the meaning of this text in my own words?
• Can I give examples from my own experience of what the text is saying?
• Can I generate metaphors and diagrams to illustrate what the text is saying?
• What is clear to me and what do I need to be clarified?
• Can I connect the core ideas in this text to other core ideas I understand?

“In reading the written work of others, you enter their minds,” the authors explain. “In coming to terms with the mind of another, you can come to better discover your own mind, both its strengths and its weaknesses.”

A great way to become a close reader is to keep a book journal where you spend some time either while you are reading or after you finish each book where you reflect on the book.

I think book clubs force us to read more closely. When we know we are going to be discussing a book, it forces us to engage with the text on a deeper level.

8

It Increases Emotional Intelligence

Reading fiction can help us “develop those in-demand emotional skills,” one professor wrote in the Harvard Business Review.

While you may not think reading fiction belongs in a business environment, Christine Seifert, professor of communication at Westminster College in Salt Lake City, Utah, makes the case that that’s exactly where it should be used to develop emotional intelligence.

“Some of the most valuable skills that managers look for in employees are often difficult to define, let alone evaluate or quantify: self-discipline, self-awareness, creative problem-solving, empathy, learning agility, adaptiveness, flexibility, positivity, rational judgment, generosity, and kindness, among others,” Seifert explains.

And the research shows that reading literary fiction is a tool that helps develop the skills needed those “soft skills” that workers, managers, and leaders all need to thrive in their roles.

“When we read, we hone and strengthen several different cognitive muscles, so to speak, that are the root of the EQ,” Seifert said. “In other words, the act of reading is the very activity—if done right—that can develop the qualities, traits, and characteristics of those employees that organizations hope to attract and retain.”

The University of Toronto study we discussed above about how reading improves decision-making skills demonstrates this.

“Individuals who resist the need for cognitive closure tend to be more thoughtful, more creative, and more comfortable with competing narratives—all characteristics of high EQ,” Seifert concludes.

9

It Improves Theory of Mind

If you tend to read more popular fiction than literary fiction, a 2013 study makes a case for why literary fiction may come with more benefits when it comes to developing what’s called your “theory of mind.”

Theory of Mind “is the ability to infer and understand another’s mental state (the beliefs, thoughts, intentions and feelings of another) and use this information to explain and predict human behavior,” according to the Encyclopedia of Behavioral Neuroscience.

In other words, it makes you a more understanding person, improves your social skills, and results in better social cognition.

It typically starts to develop at around age four to five, and when children fail to develop a healthy theory of mind, it can come with some negative outcomes.

“When children struggle with theory of mind, they may have difficulty understanding abstract language, making friends, engaging in conversation, or understanding characters perspectives in stories to name a few,” according to pediatric therapist Nikki McRory.

I’m sure we can all think of adults who struggle with this and see why it’s important to have a healthy theory of mind.

The study published in 2013 concluded after performing five experiments that reading literary fiction helps to enhance theory of mind when compared to nonfiction, popular fiction, or reading nothing at all.

The study was performed by David Comer Kidd and Emanuele Castano at The New School for Social Research in New York.

When participants read excerpts from popular fiction such as The Sins of the Mother by Danielle Steele, there wasn’t much improvement. When they read literary fiction excerpts from literary fiction choices such as The Round House by Louise Erdrich, they showed a significant increase in the theory of mind in their tests.

So, what’s the difference between literary fiction and popular fiction and why would there be such a stark difference between the effect of the two?

Literary fiction is often described as character-driven while popular fiction which tends to be more plot-driven.

“Popular fiction tends to portray situations that are otherworldly and follow a formula to take readers on a roller-coaster ride of emotions and exciting experiences,” Scientific American explains.

“Literary fiction, by contrast, focuses more on the psychology of characters and their relationships,” the science magazine added.

“This genre prompts the reader to imagine the characters’ introspective dialogues. This psychological awareness carries over into the real world, which is full of complicated individuals whose inner lives are usually difficult to fathom.”

If you are looking for some good literary fiction to read, some of my favorite literary fiction novels are Hannah Coulter by Wendell Berry, Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, Winter Solstice by Rosamund Pilcher, and Crossing to Safety by Wallace Stegner, to name a few.

10

It Improves Focus and Attention

We’ve all seen our ability to focus take a hit in recent years as the internet and social media have become more and more a part of our lives.

If you are looking to improve your ability to focus, spend more time reading, experts say.

How does reading help improve focus and concentration?

Reading is both a cognitive and emotional activity.

“It is the emotional factor that influences the deployment and operation of attention, especially in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex,” language expert Siusana Kweldju explains in a paper about how the brain functions during reading.

The reason these two areas are activated when we read is that it is these same areas that are used for attention and planning, Kweldju explains.

“Without attention, a reader cannot translate print into speech, and it is crucial for achieving fluent and automatic reading,” she adds.

11

It Improves Communications Skills

While an activity you do by yourself may not seem like it would help you in the social world, experts now believe that that reading has a positive effect on communication skills.  

“It is believed that reading and speaking skills have a reciprocal relationship,” said Chris Muscato, professor at University of Northern Colorado. “As one increases, so does this other. Reading improves speaking skills, and speaking skills improve reading.”

How does this work?

“Reading increases vocabulary and teaches people how to use new words in context,” Muscato explains. “Reading comprehension is based on the ability to piece sounds into words, into sentences, into ideas.”

“Awareness of individual sounds within words helps people improve their pronunciation, awareness of spelling and grammar helps people form proper sentences, and all of these increase the ability of non-native speakers to understand what people are saying around them,” he added.

​There is also a connection between reading and improvements in accuracy and fluency when speaking. 

Bottom Line

Every night when I climb into bed, I read a book, and it’s almost always a fiction book. Years ago, I started to realize that when I was reading fiction at night, it would help me forget whatever stressful situation I might be dealing with because I could enter someone else’s world and life.

I would feel my whole body relax and as my eyes would grow heavy, it would make it a lot easier for me to drift off to sleep. On occasion, there are nights when I’m not able read, and the difference is palpable.

Reading these studies was only confirmation of what I already knew was true in my own life, but sometimes it’s nice to read that there really are scientific studies that backs it up.

So if you were looking for reasons to read more or if you have people in your life who think reading is a waste of time, just send them this post so they can know that reading is much more than just a hobby.

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The post 11 Mind-Blowing Benefits of Reading Fiction Books appeared first on Passion of Audiobooks.

I used to be a devoted book finisher. If I started a book, I finished it. Not finishing books was for wimps and lazy people, I thought. But in recent years, I have changed my perspective on the practice of not finishing a book and now you might say I not only embrace the practice, but I am an advocate. 

If you are struggling through your current read, you may be wondering how long you have to give a book before giving up on it? Or will there be a payoff at the end that will make your current frustrations worth it? 

And that’s why I call the struggle to DNF books the reader’s dilemma. As readers, we take our reading lives seriously, and we always aim to treat our books with the upmost care and respect. And abandoning a book goes against our nature. 

Yet, there are times when the dreaded decision must be made. The good news is that you are not alone. I am here to hold your hand and guide you through the process of knowing the right time to say goodbye. 

This blog post is all about how to decide when to DNF books. 

Let’s dive in. 

DNF Meaning: What Does DNF Mean?

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First things first. Let’s do some defining. What exactly does it mean to DNF a book?

DNF stands for “Did Not Finish” a book. DNF-ing books doesn’t refer to someone starting a book and then merely forgetting to finish it. In the book world, it refers to someone making an active decision to stop reading a book because they simply are not enjoying the reading experience or it is simply not right for them at this time.

And this may be for any number of reasons that we will explore below. 

Why it’s Okay to DNF Books

I think time-management expert Laura Vanderkam makes the best case for why we SHOULD DNF books (and not feel guilty about it). 

Her argument comes down to this:

• You only have so many years on this planet 
• You can only read so many books per year
• You don’t have enough time to read all the books that you want to read anyway
• So read the ones you want and don’t waste times on the ones not working for you

If you want to break it down into a more concrete terms, she puts it like this: “If I live for 50 more years and read 50 books a year, that’s 2500 books. That is a small enough number as it is. I wouldn’t want that number to be even smaller because I tried to soldier through a book that I wasn’t feeling motivated to read.”

In another blog post, Vanderkam expands on the concept further: “If you’re only going to read 2500 more books (or fewer!) then you want to be sure that any given book is worth including in that canon . . . . If something just isn’t working for you, you want to let it go, so you can try something else that might be worth including in your life list.”

No, it never feels good to abandon a book, but the good news is that closing the chapter on one book only means that beginning a new chapter with other books on your TBR pile that you will love, treasure, and enjoy. 

After all, if your reading life isn’t bringing you joy, then what’s the point?

Signs You Should DNF a Book

You’re having a hard time getting through your current read, but how do you know if DNFing a book is the right thing to do? 

While people DNF a book for different reasons, here are some of the main reasons I have decided to DNF books in recent years:

• The Writing style. Sometimes the writing style or the format of the book just isn’t working for me. For example, some stories are told by going back and forth between the past and the present. Some authors are able to pull this off and keep my attention, while other authors lose me in the process. 
• Ground-hog day. Another format that I don’t always enjoy is the ground-hog day format where the main character is having the same experience over and over again. One book that uses this motif — that I wish I had DNFed — was Recursion by Blake Crouch. I had to literally force my self to finish this book. 
• I don’t care about the main character. This doesn’t happen very often, but there is one book I DNFed because 100 pages in I realized I simply didn’t care about the main character. So, I decided to move on. 
• I strongly dislike the main character. Studies show that when we read fiction, we are simulating the thoughts of the characters in the books we are reading. There’s value to this, but there are also some downsides. I recently DNFed a book because the main character started to become creepy and gross, and I didn’t want to live in his head anymore. 
• It’s the genre. Not all genres work for everyone. For example, one genre I’ve started to realize that I don’t always enjoy is magical realism. When I recently DNFed a book in this genre, I started to noticed a theme. (Take note when this happens. It can work as a guide for you in the future.)

Other signs you should DNF a book include: 

• You’re not in the mood. Sometimes it’s not the book’s fault. If you’re a mood reader, you just may not be in the mood for that book at that time. 
• It’s feels like a Chore. If you feel like you’re forcing yourself to finish a book, this may be another sign the book isn’t right right for you.

What reasons have you chosen to DNF a book? While everyone is different, I would love to hear about them.

How Much Time to Wait Before Deciding to DNF a Book

It’s possible you may decide after the first chapter that a book isn’t for you, but my general advice is to give it more time than that. I generally like to follow what is called the “four-chapter rule.”

Let me explain what it is and how it works. 

The Four Chapter Rule: What it is and How I Use it

When I was homeschooling my kids, I used to attend homeschooling conferences where there would be workshops on a variety of topics. One workshop I attended about reading literature by speaker and author Susan Wise Bauer, the expected question came up: What if my child says he or she doesn’t like the book? Do you ever let them stop reading a book? 

The answer Bauer gave has stuck with me, and I now apply it to my own reading life. She called it the “four-chapter rule.” It works exactly how it sounds: give each book a minimum of four chapters before giving up on it. This is the best strategy I have found.

Why? While some books may hook you from the first chapter, it’s very common for books to start slow. However, the stage is typically set by the end of the fourth chapter. 

This rule has served me very well. There have been several times when I’ve gotten to say chapter two or three, and I’m feeling a little bored. But I always make myself at least get to chapter four, and I’m glad I have because I would have given up on a lot of my favorite books if it weren’t for The Four Chapter Rule.

Give it a try, and let me know what you think!

Keep a DNF List

As readers, we like to track the books we’ve completed, but I also recommend keeping a list of the books you decided to DNF. 

When you add a book to your DNF list, add a note about why you DNFed that book. As you add more and more books to this list, you may start to notice a pattern. You may start to learn something about yourself, specifically what books you like and what books you don’t like. 

How to DNF a Book on Goodreads

If you track the books you read on Goodreads, you may want a way to keep track of the books you DNF on that platform. There is a way to track the books you DNF on Goodreads by creating a DNF shelf. 

I put this video together to walk you through the process, but there are also written instructions below.

Here’s how to set it up: 

• Log into your Goodreads Account
• Click on “My Books” at the top of the page
• Click on “Add Shelf” at the bottom of this column on the left-hand side of the page
• Then, click “Edit” next to the word “Bookshelves” at the top of that same column.
• Find the shelf you just created on that list and click on the box in the column marked “exclusive.” This means that any book you put on this shelf cannot be on any other shelf. There will be a pop-up box warning you of this. Click “OK.” 

How to use the shelf: 

• Click on a book in your “Currently Reading” list that you’ve decided to DNF. 
• Click on the button below the book that says “Currently Reading.”
• You will then see a list of your “Exclusive Shelves” 
• Select your DNF Shelf

That’s how you DNF a book on Goodreads. 

To see a list of all the books you’ve DNFed, go back to “My Books” and click on the DNF shelf.

What About Good Books That Are Hard Reads?

I am someone who believes it is worth reading at least a handful of classics each year. But these good books can definitely be hard reads. A lot of books that are considered classics tend to be older and written with an older style of English. If you decide to pick up a book like this and you are struggling through it, you may need a different approach. 

Here is how to approach harder reads: 

• First, don’t read a hard book when you are tired. Reading tough texts when you’re tired will certainly make you want to give up. 
• Approach it slowly. Commit to only one chapter per day or one section per day. In the case of a play, you might decide to do one scene per day or Act. As you become more comfortable with the language and style, you may be comfortable reading more. But starting slowly will prevent you from becoming overwhelmed. 
• Listen to the audiobook along with the physical book. If you are finding the older language difficult to get through, it may help to listen to the audiobook at the same time. (I actually do this a lot when I read the Bible. It definitely helps with passages that are genealogies, etc.)

You may still decide to DNF a classic, but I think this approach will make it a lot easier. 

Beware of the Overhyped Book

I think this is worth talking about because I know I’m not the only one who gets lured into reading a book that’s being hyped on social media and elsewhere. Now, just because a lot of people are talking about a book doesn’t mean it’s bad, but I have noticed that several of my DNFed books are those that were overhyped. 

Here is how I’m learning to approach these books: 

• Is the book by an author you like? If yes, then proceed.
• Don’t trust other authors book reviews. There are books that I DNFed that were promoted by authors I like, but I have learned that no author is going to say anything bad about another author because they all want their fellow authors to be successful. It’s like an exclusive club. And the truth is that I appreciate that. That being said, just because a favorite author is promoting a book by author you like doesn’t mean you will like the book by the new author.
• Take it for a test drive. One of the advantages of ebooks is that most platforms will let you read a sample of the book before purchasing. While this doesn’t mean you may not DNF it later on, it does allow you to test a book to see if you want to keep reading. 
• Let it percolate. Wait until the book has been released and out for a few months and see what people are still saying about it months later.

You might still get burned, but these tactics should help. 

Conclusion: DNFing Books = Freedom 

A book should never feel like a prison sentence. What you read is up to you! And it doesn’t matter how many other people liked the book. If you don’t like it, you are free to move on. 

I hope you now see a DNF-ed book as an asset to your reading life not a sign of failure. When you decide to end one book, you only open up new opportunities to more great books in your life that will allow you to enjoy your reading time again. 

So if there’s a book in your life that you are dreading to read right now, then you are free to say goodbye. 

Let me know if any of these tips worked for you. Happy Reading!

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My preferred way of reading a book is the old-fashioned way — with a physical book. But as a working mother of four and an avid reader, I know for a fact that if audiobooks didn’t exist, I wouldn’t read nearly as many books as I do. As a result, I have become a huge fan of audiobooks, as they have become an essential part of my reading life,

And according to the stats, I’m not alone because many people listen to audiobooks. According to the long-running Infinite Dial report, 45 percent of the U.S. population are audiobook listeners. That’s roughly 129 million people. 

While audiobooks are not new (I remember checking out audio books from the library in the form of cassette tapes and/or CDs in the 90s), their popularity has grown in recent years with the advent of smartphones and audiobook platforms that allow you to access audiobooks for a small fee every month. (Back in the day, audiobooks were very expensive.) Technology has made audiobooks so easily accessible and affordable. 

As the use of audiobooks has increased, it brings up a lot of questions, including but not limited to the following:

• Is listening to an audiobook the same as reading a physical book?
• Does an audiobook count as reading?
• What are the pros of audiobooks?
• What are the cons of audio books?
• Do we learn better when we read the written word or when we listen?
• Do we retain information better when we read or listen?
• What about comprehension?
• Is listening to an audiobook ever better than reading?
• Is the brain activated differently when reading vs listening?
• Are there significant differences between reading and listening?
• Should a reading challenge include audiobooks?

This post aims to answer all these questions and more. 

Is Listening to an Audiobook the Same as Reading?

Comprehension

One factor that researchers have looked at is the question of comprehension. Does comprehension go down when you listen to a book versus reading it?

The conclusion is, no. 

A 2016 study found “no statistical differences were found” in the comprehension of those who listened to audio books compared to those who read the text. 

The study also compared reading and listening to those who did both simultaneously, which resulted in the same conclusion — that there was no significant difference in comprehension. 

The audiobook study was performed by Beth Rogowsky, Barabara Calhoun, and Paula Tallal.

The researchers did not just look at immediate comprehension. They also examined comprehension differences between women and men and comprehension differences two weeks after reading or listening to the material. 

Men and women were found to have the same levels of comprehension, and all participants had the same level of comprehension two weeks later. 

Cognitive Processes

Are there any cognitive differences between reading traditional books and listening? Reading and listening are technically two different skills that activate two different areas of the brain, but when it comes to the mental processes required for language processing, the same areas of the brain are used, according to a neuroscientist. 

Neuroscientist Dr. Kristen Willeumier told the health website Well and Good that while speech and print activate the brain differently, “semantic processing of the information occurs in the same cortical areas” and “both formats engage in multiple brain networks.”

“A consistent reading practice strengthens your ability to communicate and will improve your vocabulary, reasoning, concentration, and critical thinking skills while enhancing brain network connectivity,” Willeumier explained. 

Reading is a cognitively demanding activity that taps into several areas of the brain. And whether you are reading actual books or listening to the story, the brain still has to work to connect the details together, follow the plot, and make predictions about what’s going to happen in the story, she added.

Prosody

University of Virginia Professor of Psychology and reading researcher Daniel Willingham wrote in The New York Times that one of the differences between listening to the audio version and traditional reading is prosody. 

Prosody is described as the pitch, the tempo, and the stress used when pronouncing and speaking words. 

When we read, we have to infer meaning from the context in cases where the meaning could vary. 

Willingham uses the example of someone saying, “What a great party.” This could be interpreted as a compliment or a put-down. 

When reading, we have to figure that out on our own. An audiobook can serve as a tool here by providing the correct tone needed to interpret meaning. 

Organization

When reading a print or digital book, Willingham explains that there are organizational content signals such as paragraphs, chapter breaks, and headings. 

These things aid readers especially when reading books that address difficult subject matters. 

Audiobooks lack these cues you see in a printed book, which means that audiobooks may not be the best choice for all types of content. That being said, several audiobook platforms organize the content into chapters and show how long each chapter will take. 

What are the Benefits of Audiobooks?

One of the reasons audiobooks have grown in popularity is because there are so many benefits. Some of these include the following: 

• Make Long Commutes More Enjoyable. One of my favorite times to listen to an audiobook is in my car. Long drives can be drudgery, but I now look forward to my long commutes because I know I will also be able to use the time to read a good book.
• May Lead to Greater Empathy. Neuroscientist Kristen Wileumier says listening to audiobooks may lead to greater empathy and increased emotional intelligence. “Listening to an emotionally-driven storyteller engages emotional circuits in the brain and can heighten the intensity and imagery of the episodes, leading to deeper processing of the narrative and greater enjoyment of the material than experienced by reading a book,” she told Well and Good.
• You Can Multitask. One of my favorite parts of this form of reading is that I’m able to get a book in while working on other things. That being said, I have found that this typically only works for me if I’m working on mundane, mindless tasks such as washing dishes, cleaning, folding laundry, or, as I said above, driving. It also doesn’t work if I’m working on a mentally demanding task. 
• It Can Be a Group Activity. While I read several books aloud to my kids, we also listened to books together. This can also be a great way to pass time on a long road trip. One of our favorite activities is listening to audiobooks in the morning while driving to school. As of this writing, my six-year-old daughter is obsessed with the audio version of Winnie the Pooh.
• Easily Accessible. With the advent of audiobook apps, I love that I can pop in a book to pass the time if I get stuck waiting somewhere and I forgot to bring a physical book with me. 
• Great Performances. Most audiobooks you find today are performed by professional voice actors, and a good audiobook narrator can really make the story come alive. One recording that truly amazed me was Pride and Prejudice, which was read by actress Rosamund Pike. Her rendition of the male voices in the book will convince you that other actors are involved. In some cases, books will be recorded with a full cast. One of my favorites is Daisy Jones and the Six. This book was so well done that I actually can’t imagine the physical book being better, in this case. 
• Supports Those With Learning Disabilities. Reading researcher Daniel Willingham wrote in The New York Times that listening to the audio format of a book makes it easier for those who struggle with dyslexia to read books because “they allow listeners to get the meaning while skirting the work of decoding.”
• Supports Those With Visual Impairment. Audiobooks allow blind people and those with low vision a legitimate way to read an entire book without just relying on braille books. 
• Helps Reluctant Readers. I think one of the perks of an audiobook is that it may help reluctant readers who are still developing their reading skills be able to read books that are above their grade level.

What are the Benefits of Reading a Physical Book?

The research on the benefits of reading a book is mind-blowing. I often say that if someone could put all the benefits of reading into a pill, we would all be willing to wait in long lines to get it. Here are just some of the benefits of reading a physical book over an audiobook, although these benefits may vary depending on whether we are talking about someone more of a visual learner or an auditory learner:

• Retaining Information. A study done at the University of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada found that when individuals read a written text, whether aloud to themselves or silently, they retain the information better than when listening to the material being read to them. 
• It Holds Your Attention Better. The same University of Waterloo study also found that when we read aloud to ourselves, there is a significant improvement in our interest level compared to listening to someone read aloud.
• You Can Highlight or Annotate. I’m someone who likes to highlight, star, and underline favorite passages in books. I also like to write notes in the margins. I will also sometimes take notes in the end pages of a book if I find it makes sense.
• Better for Those With Hearing Impairments. Visual reading works better for those with significant hearing loss or with hearing impairments. 
• Better for Difficult Texts. Reading expert Daniel Willingham says that real books are a better option for difficult texts where the aim is learning. When we read, it makes us focus and go at it a bit more slowly. “We reread the hard bits. We stop and think,” Willingham explains. This is “easier with print” when compared to the spoken word.

Do you want to learn more about all the benefits of reading? Check out my in-depth post about the amazing benefits of reading fiction. 

What are the Cons of Audiobooks?

• When There are A LOT of Characters. Now, this is just a personal observation, but whenever I listen to a book with A LOT of characters, I find it more difficult to keep track of everyone. (Have you noticed this, too?)
• It’s Slow. Technically speaking, it takes people longer to listen to the audio version of a book than to read it. Studies show that we typically read 200 to 400 words per minute. By comparison, an audiobook clocks in at about 150-160 words per minute. 
• You Can’t Highlight or Write in the Margins. I like to underline favorite quotes and take notes in the margins of my books — and not just nonfiction books. While some audiobook platforms have a way to “bookmark” passages you want to remember, it’s simply not as good as with a physical book or ebook. 
• Your Mind Wanders More. The University of Toronto study mentioned above also found that our minds wander more when we listen to an audiobook. That being said, the study also found that our minds wander more when we read silently versus reading the book aloud to ourselves. 
• Bad Performances. Just like there are great and amazing performances, some bad performances have led me to DNF a book. 
• Nonfiction books. Because you can’t highlight or take notes, and our minds tend to wander more when listening to audiobooks, I don’t think they are as good an option when it comes to nonfiction books. That being said, I have listened to several nonfiction books and found that listening to a nonfiction book is a way to determine if you want to buy the physical book. I have done this with a couple of books: Deep Work by Cal Newport, Building a Story Brand by Donald Miller, and Brain Maker by Dr. David Perlmutter. 

What are the Cons of Reading a Physical Book?

I don’t believe there are any cons to reading a book, but there are a few downsides when compared to listening to audiobooks. Here are a few: 

• No multitasking. One main con of reading a physical book or ebook is that you aren’t able to do other things while reading. This isn’t always a bad thing, but it’s definitely a downside compared to listening to a book. 
• Difficult pronunciations. One of the cons of reading is when you have a lot of confusing names or words you don’t know; this is where audiobooks can help improve the reading experience. 
• Long books. Holding a tome in your hands can be immensely intimidating. Holding your phone in your hand or your pocket is not. Audiobooks (and ebooks) make long books much more approachable. 
• Difficult texts. The same goes for difficult texts. Some books are more challenging to read or get through than others, and if you’re reading a physical book, you are pretty much on your own. This is where an audiobook can be used as a tool to make it easier to get through books that are difficult to read. Next time you want to read a classic book, try listening to it the first time you read it.

Audiobooks vs Reading: Which is Better?

As someone who has listened to hundreds of audiobooks, the answer to this question is that it depends.

Willingham says that audiobooks and print books seem to be equivalent to narrative texts but not to expository prose. In other words, they seem to work for fiction and narrative non-fiction but may not work as well for informational non-fiction. 

“Stories tend to be more predictable and employ familiar ideas, and expository essays more likely include unfamiliar content and require more strategic reading,” he explains. 

My experience is the same. I really enjoy fiction books on audio, and even then, there are certain genres that seem to have an edge. Some genres I especially like on audio are mysteries, thrillers, and some literary fiction. Slow-burn literary fiction does not work as well on audio because it may not hold your attention. 

While I have tried to listen to some nonfiction prose on audio, if I really liked the book, I ended up buying the physical book because I knew that would be the best format if I wanted to reference it later. 

It also depends on the audiobook narrator. In many cases, the narrator’s voice is perfect for the book, and sometimes it doesn’t quite work. 

For example, I recently listened to The Ocean at the End of the Sea by Neil Gaiman. Gaiman likes to read his own books, but I sometimes found it challenging to listen to. 

Why Audiobooks Have Become So Popular: A Brief History

The truth is that listening to books, or should we say stories, is nothing new. 

There is actually a long history of stories being passed down through an oral tradition, which was common in ancient times and before the age of the printing press. 

When I was in college, I remember learning that Homer’s Odyssey and Iliad were passed down orally. Those stories are easily as long as a novel. Yet, that oral tradition preserved those stories so that we still have them today. 

When I was a kid in the 80s, we used to call audiobooks “books on tape” because cassette tapes were the most commonly used medium of the day. Later on, they were called “books on CD” as compact discs became more common. But here’s the thing… it was expensive to own an audiobook compared to buying a physical book because books on tape or CD were very expensive. Purchasing a physical audiobook could cost $60 a pop or more. 

The digital age has changed, and the audiobook market has grown dramatically. In 2022, the audiobook market was valued at $5,364.9 million, and it is expected to grow 26 percent from 2023 to 2030, according to Grand View Research.

Conclusion: Is Listening to an Audiobook Cheating?

At the end of the day, listening to an audiobook is the same as being read aloud to. Maybe you had parents who read books aloud to you or teachers who would read aloud to the whole class. 

While we now know that listening to an audiobook is not exactly the same as reading, we also know that there are enough similarities to conclude that listening to the book should still count as reading. This is especially true if you are listening to narrative fiction. 

And if you want to listen to the audio version of a book for your book club, no, you are not cheating. 

So, enjoy those audiobooks!

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I have mixed feelings about sharing this list.

I’m a strong believer that if you aren’t enjoying a book that you should move on to one that you will. You are only able to read so many books in a lifetime, so don’t waste time on a book that isn’t working.

BUT . . . just because I didn’t finish a book doesn’t mean that the book is bad or the author is bad. It merely means that the book wasn’t right for me OR it just wasn’t working for me at the time.

And that’s why I’m writing this blog post. I would love to hear from those who finished one or more of these book and loved it to tell me why I may want to reconsider. Maybe if I picked it up again, it would resonate me differently in a new state of mind or a new year.

How I Decide to DNF Books

I wrote extensively about DNFing books in this blog post. One principal I use pretty regularly when deciding to call it quits on a book or keep going is what is known as the “four-chapter rule.”

It’s as simple as it sounds. I give myself at least four chapters before I will give up on a book. The reason for this is that while it’s not uncommon for books to start slow, usually by the fourth chapter you have a pretty good sense of where the book is going and if you want to keep going with it.

This method has served me well, as there are several books I kept reading until I got to the fourth chapter, and I’m glad I did because several of those books went on to be some of my faves.

Books I Did Not Finish in 2023

Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin

This book sucked me right in. I really loved the first part of it and the friendship between Sam and Sadie. But I got to about halfway through this book and found that I just didn’t care enough about them to keep going.

If there’s one book in this list I may pick up again, it may be this one because I know this book won a lot of awards in 2022 and was a fave of many. I also typically love a good campus novel.

The Secret Book of Flora Lea by Patti Callahan Henry

This is another one that initially sucked me in, and historical fiction is a genre I typically enjoy. But something I don’t like in historical fiction is when historical characters come across as too modern — in other words, not very historical. I can’t remember the specifics, but that’s what I remember was happening with this one.

That being said, I’ve seen this book show up on many people’s favorite books of 2023, so maybe I judged this one too early.

Maame by Jessica George

I loved the premise of this book and the main character, but the main reason I decided to DNF this book is that it was just a bit too crude for my taste. (If you want specifics, you can email me for more details.) I won’t say graphic because I don’t think it was that graphic. The crudeness didn’t come from the main character. It came from one of her friends and from Google. Because the main character is a bit of a late bloomer, she’s too embarrassed to ask people questions about men as she starts to date. So she takes her questions to Google. I didn’t mind this at first, but it started to get a bit old.

It would take a lot of convincing to finish this one.

Sorrow and Bliss by Meg Mason

I started reading this book after hearing it recommended by Ann Patchett. While I had no problem getting into the book, it just seemed like a bit of a downer. I have a hard time reading sad or stressful books if I’m dealing with stress in my own life. (I want my books to be a mood-lifter, not make me more depressed.)

Does this one turn around at some point? If it does, I may pick it up again.

The Fortunes of Jaded Women by Carolyn Huynh

My main reason for DNFing this book was because I was listening to this one on audio, and I found the narrator difficult to listen to. But that may not be the narrator’s fault. The book frequently switches between characters, and from my experience, such formats can be a bit tricky to follow on audio. (That, and books with a lot of characters.)

So here’s the question . . . do you think it would be picking up a physical copy??

Bright Lights, Big Christmas by Mary Kay Andrews

I love a good Christmas book, and I was excited to read this new one by Mary Kay Andrews. There are two reasons I decided to give up. First, this is supposed to be a Christmas romance, and I really wasn’t sensing any chemistry between the love interests. Second, I found the main character to be a bit annoying. She came across as very naive, and I think she’s supposed to be fairly well-educated. It just didn’t make sense. And with so many other Christmas books I wanted to read, I decided to move on.

Countdown to Christmas by Jo Thomas

Jo Thomas writes books about food and romance, which sounded perfect for a Christmas read, but unfortunately, this one fell flat for me. First, as I said in my intro, I learned this year that in order for me to like a book I need to be able to have empathy for one or more of the main characters, and I was struggling with that with this book. For the romance books, I prefer to see the romance happening more organically. This one felt a bit too heavy-handed for me.

Comfort & Joy by Kristin Hannah

This one fell into the unbelievable premise trap for me. The main character in this book is dealing with a horrible situation. Her sister and husband are having an affair. When her sister shows up to drop off the wedding invitation, she gets in her car, drives to the airport, and buys a ticket to the next flight to anywhere. (You seriously can’t blame her!) But here’s where it got weird for me. The plane crashes and she walks away from the plane and goes to the nearest motel. She doesn’t go to the doctor, she doesn’t tell the airline that she’s okay. She just walks away. What?!? And why?!? Am I missing something here?

Are there any books on this list you think are worth finishing? I would love to hear which book and why.

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The last couple of years were kind of a doozy when it came to my reading life. It wasn’t just an issue of being busy and stressed — I was in survival mode. And when you’re in survival mode, you simply don’t read as much. Well, at least I don’t. 

That’s why I’m super excited about this year. The things that were causing mega issues in my life were resolved about halfway through 2022, and I slowly started to feel my life get back to normal, which also included my desire to settle down and read a book. All I can say is that it’s nice to be back. 

What I Want to Avoid

Now that I’m ready to embrace reading again, this has also caused me to think a lot about what I want my reading life to look like, and what I don’t. 

In previous years, I would find myself getting caught up in all the new releases that people were saying were the “must reads” of the year. And the result: I was following the trends more than following my gut. And some of those books ended up being the most disappointing reads for me.

This doesn’t mean I won’t read any new releases or bestsellers, but I do want to keep those to a minimum. 

While I do track the books I read, something I always try to avoid is reading for a number. For that reason, I never set a number goal.

What I Want My Reading Life to Look Like

In a perfect world, every book we read would be a 5 star read, but we all know that isn’t going to happen. We need to explore and try new authors and new books, even if we think it will be outside of our comfort zone. 

But we also know which authors we already know and like, so one of my goals will be to read more of those authors. 

I also want to read more of the books that are already on my shelves. After all, I bought those books because I wanted to read them, not just so they could sit on my shelves and look pretty. 

My 2023 Reading Goals

With all that in mind, here are my 2023 Reading Goals:

Goal #1: 80/20 Old and New

The first goal is to balance new books with previous published books, I’m aiming for 80% previously published and 20% new books published in 2023. 

Goal #2: Read Books from My Own Shelves

For this goal, I want 75% of my books to come from my own shelves (or Kindle). In other words, anything I purchased before 2023. 

Goal #3: Read More Backlist Titles

I want to read more backlist title from authors I already know I love.

Some of these include: 

• Ann Patchett
• Louise Penny 
• Kristin Hannah
• J. Ryan Stradal
• Wendell Berry
• Sally Hepworth
• Megan Goldin
• Madeline Miller
• Celeste Ng
• And more!

Goal #4: Read at least 10% Nonfiction Books

It can be easy to neglect nonfiction books, and I want to make sure I don’t make that mistake this year. 

Goal #5: Do at least 5 Re-Reads.

This is something I don’t do enough, but I always enjoy the experience. 

Goal #6: Read Books My Kids Have Recommended to Me

So many times, my kids have finished books and said, “Mom, you would really like this book.” And I simply haven’t read some of their recommendations enough. 

Some of these recommendations include: 

• The Harry Potter Series. I might be the last person on the planet who hasn’t read this whole series. I only read the first book when the books were first coming out.
• The Michael Vey Series. My older teens have been telling me for a few years how much they love this series. In fact, they say it’s at least as good as Harry Potter, if not better. 
• Read Player One. Both my teen boy and girl loved this book.
• The Scythe Series. My teen boy loves this series.
• Books by Andy Weir. My techy teen boy has devoured each one of Weir’s novels.

Goal #7: Read Through the Old Testament

One of my favorite things to do is a chronological reading through the Bible.

The only problem I run into each time I do it, is that you don’t get to the New Testament until October. By then, the holidays start kicking in, and it ends up feeling really rushed. So… what I’ve decided to do this year is focus only on the Old Testament, and then in 2024, I will read through the New Testament and then maybe I’ll be able to read through it a few times.

Reading through the Bible can be a daunting task. I was never able to make it much past Exodus until I discovered The Bible Recap by Tara Leigh Cobble. In summary, The Bible Recap is an explainer podcast. You read the passage for the day and then tune into the podcast to match. All Tara-Leigh does is tell you what’s going on, and she cheers you on to keep going. (She has also created a YouTube channel where you can watch the podcast for the day, and she has the same content published in a book.)

Conclusion

I will report back at the end of the year and let you all know how I did.

What are your 2023 reading goals??

The post My 2023 Reading Goals: What I Want to Read and What I Want to Avoid appeared first on Passion of Audiobooks.