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I agree. I have no goals other than enjoy reading. I have no clue how many books I read in a year or how many I have read in my lifetime. I truly don't care. I just enjoy reading.

I think the more logical goal is to read a certain minimum per day or even per week depending your schedule. I will read 2 hours per day, doesn't matter how many books you finish, just that you are setting time aside to read.

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I don't have a reading goal, but I do keep track of what I've read throughout the year. Once I'm done reading a book, I take a pic of the cover and post to a thread on Twitter. That way I can go back and look to see what I've read.

I have finally reached the point where I quit a book if I don't enjoy it rather than forcing myself to read it. Life is too short and there are too many good books to waste time reading something I don't enjoy.

My goal is to feel happy about what I'm reading.

There was a period of about a month where I only read one book, but all that meant is I was reading War and Peace. Likewise I can read multiple books a day for a few days straight, and all that means is I'm reading some light novel/manga series. And of course VNs aren't even technically books, but I still count things like Fate/Stay Night or House in Fata Morgana as reading.

My goal is just that I spend a reasonable amount of my free time reading. Obviously that's impossible to quantify, especially since it depends on how much free time I have. But its the only reasonable metric I've found, even if I just have to go by feel.

People have goals. For example: I want to go the gym at least 3 times a week. I for example aim to study a langauge for 30 minutes a day. Reading is just another goal. Some people take hobbies seriously idk.

I think specific themes can be fun as goals. Like, read a book set in every state/province in your country, read a book that starts with each letter of the alphabet, read a book focused on each of the five senses, read books by authors with your same first name, etc. If you love a certain author, you could make a challenge of reading their entire backlist. You can find your very specific subgenre of interest and read every book that covers the topic. For example, I’m super interested in sci-fi/fantasy + exploring archaeology/ancient ruins, so I’ve made a list of every book I can find that focus on these things and am working my way through the list. I think focusing on themes makes a reading list more fun and hobby-like than trying to achieve a total book count. And if you want to keep book numbers as a goal, maybe focus on amount of time (ex: 30min a day) or pages (25 pages a day) instead of total books read.

I've started reading more, now that I stopped giving my self goals. It's an enjoyable pastime, an escape from reality. Making reading goals turns all of that into busy work for me. The only limits I set myself now are how many more books I can add to my TBR pile (no it doesn't work, you already know that).

Enjoy the ride at your own pace and don't look at it like a competition. Accountability is great, but you shouldn't force yourself into doing something you don't enjoy. Were already forced into enough BS nowadays.

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I set and met goals for a couple years and quite frankly it took away some of my joy of reading. It started feeling like I was just reading to reach a goal and not because I just wanted to read. I realized, for me, there is no such thing as reading too little or too much. I just read when I want to read. Sometimes when I'm just laying around watching TV I stop because I realize this is time I could be reading but I'm not hard on myself about it.

I want to read some books on writing screenplays, some major science fiction novels, and my books on deep learning.

Its easy to game too. Like, I can read 50 books in a year if they are all 200-300 pages.

But then Im missing out on longer content.

In my reading app (The Storygraph), you can track pages read, not just books read, so you aren't incentivized to choose just shorter books. I also am trying to read more nonfiction. I already read a lot of fiction, so I have set aside time 4 days a week to read something non fiction. For me, that's an hour on Sunday and thirty minutes on two weeknights. I always read a fiction book while I am reading a non-fiction book. I will finish several fiction books before I finish one non-fiction. My distribution is about 90% fiction, 10% non-fiction, but that works for me.

I don't set goals to read number of books. what I do is try to read a variety of genres. There is so much to read and so little time

While I totally get your point, I have have to disagree... at least a little.

My new years resolution was to read 52 books in 52 weeks. It was the first ever reading goal I set and I've already accomplished it.

The reason why I set this goal in the first place was for health reasons. I got a pretty bad concussion a few years ago and my intelligence suffered drastically. In the beginning, I was unable to think of words, leaving a lot of sentences unfinished. My ability to do math was worse than 4th grade level.

It's improved over the years but I still struggle daily with setbacks. My thought was that reading a ton of books would help with my brain and also take up time that I would otherwise spend doing things that were less productive. I also read before bed which helps me fall asleep faster than if I was on my phone.

There were times that it did feel like a chore but that depended on the book. I thought that Anna Karenina and the Invisible Man would ruin me, but I endured and am grateful that I never have to read them again. A majority of the other 50 books were a joy to read and I found myself wanting to stop watching TV to read them.

I accomplished my goal a while ago but I'm now reading as if I haven't and I'm enjoying every minute of it.

My plan, for multiple years, has been to finish the books I own, instead of buying new ones. It is working, to some degree: I've been reading books standing in my shelf for 10 years.

Numberwise I've no reading goal, due to no longer being a student; I no longer have the time to do 300 books a year.

Topic-wise I try to read more books in the sciences. Just finished a couple of books on astronomy and am reading another on the Norwegian oceans.

My goal is to focus more on reading books written in our country. I noticed that I focused to much on western/international literary works rather than those in my own. I'd like to appreciate what we have and kind of get the feel of our overall niche.

Yeah but reading is different from watching TV shows IMO, that’s probably how other people perceive it as well. Watching TV for me is a lot more passive, with a book I’m more engaged, it calms me down more and I feel I’ve learned something after almost every book, even in fiction. TV for me is pure entertainment.

I have a reading goal, because for the past several years I've done reading challenges where there are 52 prompts. But it's not what I use to motivate myself to read - it's not a "stretch" goal, it's under the number of books I read in a typical year.

I find that it's more useful for me to change my reading habits if I want to read more, rather than setting goals. For example, reading at certain parts of the day (before bed, while eating breakfast, etc.), putting the Kindle app on my phone so I can read a few pages while waiting for a meeting to start rather than scrolling through social media, always having a plan for what I'm excited to read next after I finish the book I'm currently reading, allowing myself to put aside books that I'm not enjoying, reading two different books at once so I always have something I'm in the mood for (I do this especially for nonfiction and short story collections - they take longer for me to read, so I like to have a faster paced thing to read at the same time). One big thing I've noticed is that for me, the length of a book is not what slows me down, it's more about the pacing and my interest. I can fly through a 600 page book if I love it and a 300 page book can take me weeks if I don't like it much.

I used to have goals for certain types of books, like "I want to read 10 nonfiction books this year" or "I want to read 5 books in translation this year" but I've kind of stopped doing that. I do keep track of those numbers, but again, I've found that it works better to change my habits: instead of making goals, I follow people who recommend the kind of books I'd like to read more, so I get excited about them and add them to my TBR. Then I read more of that kind of book naturally.

I used to set goals then I realized that it actually stresses me. Now I have been to the gym for 5 months now and I see reading as brain exercise and tend it like that, 30 minutes to 2 hours per day is an ideal goal for me.

I prefer to focus on qualitative goals, choosing different categories like one year I focused on reading more books by women, one year on books in translation, etc. I find it more motivating just having a framework to use to narrow down what books I’d be interested in, without sticking to it exclusively or getting worried about falling behind.

If quantitative goals are what work for you, maybe set a goal slightly below what you normally read, so you still have a number to work towards, but with less pressure? Tracking by page number also makes sense—I think Goodreads can do that.

My reading goal is to find the next book I enjoy so much, that I can't help myself but read it.

Hey there - I agree with you. I think the distinction is many view reading as a more academic pursuit than TV or video games or whatever else. Many people correlate reading directly to self-improvement in a way that they DO NOT assign to other forms of entertainment.

I think the logic behind this is tenuous - really depends what you are reading. I read a lot of just “entertainment” books - genre fiction like horror or sci fi or fantasy etc. I would compare reading those kind of books directly with watching TV or a movie. But if you are reading textbooks (as an extreme example) or even more dense and thoughtful fiction - you can get in a situation where you read those books and say “I’m better for it”. So then, you might set a goal because you’re doing, by your own estimation, so much more than just consuming entertainment

I wanted to read more than Bill Gates. Somewhere I had read that he reads a book every week, so my goal for this year was to finish reading 52 books. By the end of June, I was well on my way to achieve this goal, but then in July everything spiraled out of control and I have ended up reading only 44 books so far, and I doubt I will be able to reach my goal. Well, there's always next year for a serial procrastinator like me.

I did the alphabet “challenge.” Started late last year. I wasn’t shooting for a time frame. I read other books too like the first law trilogy.

If you do the alphabet challenge and you’re looking for an X book, Xingu by Edith Wharton.

Generally I try to aim for a book a month that way I know I am reading but also being aware that sometimes life work comes up and keeps me from reading. As for the content, my eldest sibling has been pushing "must read" books that are generally banned books but I have also been doing some pleasure reads to counter act how grim alot of the reads have been. Just to name some, 1984, handmaid's tale, Parable of the Sower. So yeah, one a month atleast.

I have zero goals for reading. I read for pleasure and goals take that away for me. I read what piques my interest at the time.

This is one of my favorite topics. I love to set reading goals, and I usually set a few each year. It has taken me a while to get comfortable about sometimes not meeting a goal and not adjusting my goal if I exceed it. I make more progress when I have goals and I celebrate all progress, not just the finish line. When I don't meet my goal I take some time to think about what obstacles got in my way and adjust for next year, either adjusting my goal or making a plan to remove obstacles.

I'm recently retired and I have a lot more time to read these days. Just to keep things in perspective, my # of books per year goals were not met in either 2019 (24) or 2020 (12) for 2 very different reasons, even though I thought I set very easy goals.

This year I set a big # of books to read, I wasn't sure if I'd get there, and I was ok with not reaching it but I did, I read my 100th book in August. I didn't adjust my goal, I just kept logging books. I set another goal to help me read other genres that I don't usually put on my reading list. I selected 6 fiction and 6 nonfiction genres with the goal to read 2 books from each genre. I'll start my final book to complete this goal next week. In the spirit of exploring other genres, I also joined a book club on GoodReads that has a Genre of the Month Challenge, each month we get a new genre and 4 challenges to find books that will complete them. They need to be read in that month to count, and I've completed all 4 challenges this whole year.

I'm starting a new long-term reading goal. I want to explore authors from around the world, so my goal is to read books by authors from 195 countries. I plan to read nonfiction and fiction from each country, so 390 books will take me a few years.

Also for next year, I'm setting a goal to read or purge the last 20+ books I brought with me when we moved 3 years ago and to finish 3 series that I've been working my way through. I will likely keep my 100 books for the year goal and just hope I exceed it again.

There are lots of goals you can choose that aren't just how many books you can get through each year. I don't ever want to feel like I'm rushing through books or selecting books based on how quickly I can read them. Think about what you really want out of reading books and set your goals to reflect that.

I have done a mix of types of goals the last couple years, and I’ve really been enjoying it. Doing a certain number is not a meaningful goal for me, but there are always genres or formats I want to read more of and books I want to read but somehow don’t get to if they aren’t a specified goal. In 2022 for example, I set a goal to read a book of modern poetry and Swann’s Way. I will also mix in things like ‘give a book I didn’t like a second chance’. There is zero pressure to finish the list, but it can be helpful to make sure I’m choosing books thoughtfully. I still read lots of junk, and that’s fine too. The umbrella goal I had for this year was “Be focused and engaged” because I didn’t want to fall into the trap of checking books off the list without them being a meaningful experience. It’s easy for me to fall into but totally defeats the purpose.

For straight numbers, I do a 365 book challenge, since a-book-a-day is a nice round number. I also do a lot of themed mini challenges through a Goodreads challenge group - like genre challenges, location challenges, that sort of thing.

I try to finish one book each month. I mainly have this goal so that I remember to actually sit down and read. It's so easy for me to get stuck scrolling on my phone.

For next year I was thinking of trying to read authors from different countries. I realised I never read a book from an author from South America so I really want to change that.

My plan was simply to read more and leave my literary comfort zone. In 2021 I read 16 books, so I thought I'd read around 20 books in 2022. To my surprise it only took me four months to reach the goal. Then I learned about the 52 books challenge and thought maybe I could do it. And I did. For 2023 the goal is to keep avoiding my comfort zone, read more authors from my country and from as many different countries as I can.

I try to not ruin fun with goals but I thin for a busy college student who has to read a lot anyways, getting through at least 20 books for fun a year is decent. I try not to get below that. I think I‘m at book 18 right now.

I set page goals instead of book goals. 50 pages a day is a good day for fiction and 25 for nonfiction(I read mostly very dense ww2 history. There is a huge difference in reading speed for me). But I don't sweat falling behind or taking a break. When I get back to it I just try to get in my 50 and not worry about the missed days.

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My goal is to enjoy what I am reading. I don't really care about hitting a certain book/page count.

I spend most of my work day coding and reading scientific publications, so if I don't feel like reading when I get home, the last thing that I want to think about is having a reading goal to hit.

EDIT: however, I DO have a single goal. I want to read every book from Stephen King. I would say that right now I have read about half of them.

Yes of course, but it’s still not the same for me. Idk watching TV just doesn’t require effort for me, educational or not (unless I really really want it to), whereas reading inherently feels like doing something worthwhile/productive. And it takes me more effort to sit down and read rather than watch Netflix or go on social media. I think that’s quite a common sentiment.

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I like the senses theme. If you do this I absolutely must recommend Perfume by Patrick Suskind. It was one of my favorites this year

You probably would enjoy Goodreads. Like you I don't set goals, but I do really enjoy keeping track of things.

Agree to disagree :)

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I find that setting a goal is one of the things that encourages me to read at all, so I've been trying to read a book every two weeks and I've kept to that pretty well this year. Even in my best reading years I've never actually reached a 30 book total (25 can be a stretch too, and I'm at 21 right now), so maybe I'll try to go for that.

I also have quite a few books on my shelf that I've never read, but most of them still seem interesting to me. My plan is to try and finish them all and then donate all the ones I never intend to reread. (10 of the ones I read this year were ones I already own, so I'm doing alright at this) There are some that I've been collecting since I was 16-17 and first got seriously into reading, but I'm just not as keen about owning a ton of physical objects anymore.

I also want to read more in my second language now that my skills have increased enough to do so. So I might try to alternate one English book with one foreign language book for the whole year.

I backed off a bit on reading goals because it was making me frustrated. Took a while to admit to myself that I can set all the goals I want but that won't stop me from being in the mood to reread something silly, or being sad and wanting one of my wallowing books

I do set reading goals tied to release dates - I'm rereading Jules Verne before the next season of Around the World in 80 Days comes out

I am also trying to prioritize Canadian authors

My goal is 52 books a year which is what I usually read anyway but it feels good to have a goal.

My plan though is to read more books I like or I find intriguing. Most of the hyped books that I've read this year have been disappointing, I'm looking at you Babel.

I keep track of books I've finished reading, but I don't set goals in advance. I do go by page count, since I read both long books and short books. At different times I will read for education, for entertainment, or for comfort. I can't predict how much of each I'll need/want at the beginning of the year.

My current reading goal is to read at least one page everyday and if I’m reading something I really enjoy, I’ll typically read more.

I'm no where near my goal, which is 50 a year. But I'm still over the average that US citizens read in a year (12), so I'll take it 😆

About every three years, I go on a book diet - I'm not allowed to buy any books for an entire year. There are a couple of waivers: books as presents for others, books needed for my professional career, and books for my very infrequent book group.

It's been quite cathartic, though I freely admit frustrating too. I definitely found myself getting through my existing pile. And I used the local library a lot more too.

I've done it three times so far. I'm thinking I might do it again next year...

The goal I stick to is 1 non-fiction for every 2 fiction books.

Just started reading again late last year. Set a goal this year for 24 books. 1 every two weeks, same as you. Am on track to do so, which is exciting. Have had to sqeeze some short reads in to pad my stats after little lapses, but have read some bigger ones as well (Monte Cristo, Brothers Karamazov, I'm 2/3 of the way through East of Eden). Average page count probably 300 for the year.

Don’t stop reading for a long period of time and have fun while doing so

I’m going to try to attempt the 52 book challenge next year.

Every year I’ve either surpass my goal of 20 or barely make it. This year I’m pretty close to making it to 25 for the first time since I’ve raised my goal to 25 so I’m going to attempt to read to 52

I also plan on focusing more on series books this year then one off books.

It’s been 52 books a year for a couple of years now. For 2022 I’m on track for the first time since January 1st haha. Years ago I had a year where I read 128 books and kept setting my reading goal higher every time I reached it. I stopped doing that. Next year it will be set at 26. I want to focus on the bigger books on my tbr so my second goal is for every two books I read one has to be more than 500+ pages.

I try to read a certain amount of time per day. If you read r/suggestmeabook for a while you get insight into a lot of different goals that people have for reading. Some of them are inspiring.

My goal is to read as many of the books as I can from my shelves and my Kindle that are unread (which is a lot). This year I have done this with varying degrees of success, but I have read some great books while doing it (which is the whole point).

This year was 520 books from around the world.

My health failed halfway through the year combined with getting very tired of the type of books I picked. I completed over half the challenge. In total, including non-challenge ones, I've read 453 books.

cheating is only cheating yourself. there is no incentive to game it.

painting and drawing challenges are quite normal, even for nonprofessionals.

Pop sugar used to do challenges where they'd be like "read a book written by someone who was born in Guam", "read a book with a cat on the cover," "read a book by a politician," you get the idea. That was cool because it diversified my reading in an interesting way. Maybe try one of those lists.

I'm like you, I set a goal to keep myself accountable. This year, it was 36 and I made it. But I'm enjoying this thread, because it gives me some ideas for next year.

I think next year I'll do a fiction to non-fiction goal. I think of my 36, only 5-7 have been non-fiction.

For many years it has been one book per year. For many of you that sounds pathetic, and it probably is. Here's the thing, I don't like to read, but I completely understand how much it benefits your brain and your cognitive abilities.

Also, I get physically uncomfortable every time I try to read. Maybe I haven't found the perfect reading chair.

Regardless, I have been for the most part keeping my goal for the last 8 years or so. Plus, some years I read 2 or 3. This year, as a matter of fact, I'm currently on my fourth one. So it's not always just one.

I want to write something one day

I’m keeping with my goal last year; One Classic per Month (on average)… at least as best I can.

Made 10/12 last year and was super proud of myself as a couple were pretty big and dense but, more than that, I was astounded by how many amazing Classics there are that I’ve never touched but absolutely loved!

Successes for last year: ‘The Count of Monte Cristo’ ‘Don Quixote’ ‘Great Expectations’ ‘Phantom of the Opera’ ‘A Christmas Carol and Other Christmas Writings’ ‘Wuthering Heights’ ‘Frankenstein’ ‘The Iliad’ ‘Pride and Prejudice’ ‘The Fellowship of the Ring’

Finishing ‘Peter and Wendy’ very soon (easy short read) then jumping back to Tolkien for ‘The Two Towers’. Definitely going to jump back to Homer for ‘The Odyssey’ sooner than later. I was a huge fan of ‘The Iliad’ so I’m stoked to keep going.

Don’t sleep on the Classics, you guys. I can’t believe how many amazing stories there are out there :)

One book is infinitely better than 0 books.

And you’re on number 4? Sounds like it’s working for you. In fact, it sounds like my rule back when I worked out: I would show up and do the warm up. It’s five minutes of walking, for most fit people it sounds pathetic, but often I would go another 40 minutes, since I was already there and started. The goal was just that: 3 times a week, I did a warm up. Everything else was bonus.

Of the four books, which one was/is best?

That is…a lot of books. Still over a book a day. Very impressive.

Do you read really fast, do short books, or have a lot of time for it?

This year I've been reading the Dune books by Frank Herbert. So far, Dune (the first book) seems to be the best, but I'm really enjoying God Emperor of Dune which is the one I'm currently reading. Like really really enjoying it.

Oh, nice! Dune is one of my favorite scifi epics. I found the sequels a grab bag, though.

One of the reasons is to help you get back to reading. I used to read much more few years ago but then due to many different reasons I've lost the habit of picking up a book. Even though I still really enjoyed reading. Setting a goal to read a certain number of books helped me to pick up books more often than I otherwise would. In the end, I don't care that much if I reach the number (I set it bit too high in purpose anyway) because I know that I've read more and and I've made reading habit again.

Learn how

I've run into the same issue where a "number of books" goal can prevent you from reading longer or more complex things, thereby getting in our own way with an artificial target. Page count is better, but still, it's not like 1 page of Joyce or Proust is equal to one page of J.K. Rowling.

My workaround that has solved this for me is to set a general goal, perhaps thematic (mine this year, kept deliberately loose and general, was "read more books by authors who aren't straight, white men." Not that there's anything wrong w straight, white dudes, it's just that I am one and it's also the bulk of the material out there. I was interested in hearing other voices, perspectives, cultures, etc).

With that general goal for types of material to seek out, the accountability part is just time spent reading. I try to read for at least 5 hours a week, which works for me with work and kids and life. Going for time spent reading is the only way I've found to balance this out without getting in my own way. With this system you know you can pick up any target book (could be classics, or Victorian literature, or really whatever you like) without worrying if the book is going to fuck up your numbers.

Hope that helps!

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I don't set any goals, because that would make my hobby feel like work.

Learn to

Storygraph is great. I also try to pay attention to the genres I'm reading and the app makes it so easy with all the stats.

My goal is simply to read. Always have a book on hand, or take a week break if nothing’s sticking. I’ve probably read like 30-40 books this year. Don’t know, I don’t track it.

I want to read more books and/or pages than last year! I teach HS English, so I want my kids to see me reading! I also put the books I’ve read and loved on my board trays as standouts from my library, so I can more easily recommend them to my kiddos.

Try not to let length deter you from reading certain books! You can balance the long ones out with graphic novels, novellas, poem narratives, and YA books that are easier to fly through in a day or two :)

There have been endless scientific studies that reading improves brain health and functions such as memorization and vocabulary.

It's not an opinion that reading is more productive than tv, it's a fact.

I find that such goals just create a burden and rob me of some of my enjoyment of reading. I simply read some every day as I have the time. Be it a half hour before bed or an entire afternoon. 🤷🏻‍♀️

Currently to read my backlog. Then I have the wheel of time, then move to Redwall. And also The Stephen King Dark Tower books (including all books related to it) i have no timeline to finish these, but while I’m going through all of these I’m building a TBR list that I can then move to and hopefully get from the library.

Setting a numeral goal on goodreads gamifies the experience of reading for me a bit and it has gotten me to read waaay more than I did before. My goal is 24 (2 per month). I surpassed this number awhile ago mostly thanks to audiobooks. But I find it a motivating number without being unmanageable. It just reminds me to think about reading instead of scrolling.

Yes, for me setting a reading goal has also really helped me get back into reading, after a long break thanks to professional life and stress etc. For me it's the opposite though -- I set my goal low on purpose (I hit it in September this year). That takes the pressure off and makes it so I'm not stressed about meeting the goal, have the flexibility to read longer books and so on, but I find just having the goal and keeping track of what I've read is fun and helps motivate me. I also really enjoy going through my list of what I've read at the end of the year!

I think the point is whatever works for someone -- there's no "right" answer!

That’s awesome man! You can do it, I just started reading books recently and I finished my first book the other day and I felt so proud of myself

My goal is to finish the foundation series, and I'm 3/4 through. So I'm killing it! 😎

God Emperor is, after the 1st book, also my favourite in the series!

I dont really do goals anymore tbh, instead I go by theme every month.

Last month was: horror stories and books taking place in October.

This month is Noirvember, only reading noir mysteries and series.

Next month is going to be Feel Bad Reads, the polar opposite of the Feel Good stories. And a heavy dose of non fiction.

Classics, non fiction, and books I own. I keep track of them and if I feel I didn't do particularly well in a category I will try to make it a focus the next year.

My 2022 goals were to get back into some "joy of reading" type things that goodreads kind of killed for me. One goal was to reread a favorite book. I used to reread a lot more before I joined GoodReads and now the TBR is basically infinite and I never reread. My other goal was to go to the store or library and browse for a book and read it without looking it up online. I basically research everything on GoodReads and order it at the library so I wanted to go back in time to when I would browse and discover books at the bookstore. I ended up with a mediocre read LOL

If you have a page goal rather than a book goal this will make the length of book irrelevant. StoryGraph offers this variable as an option for yearly goal setting.

I love setting yearly reading goals! Some of my past goals have been reading books I own or books written by authors from the country they wrote about. I’ve also used Book Riot’s Read Harder list, though I’ve never completed one. This year I’m in grad school so I’m just trying to read something everyday, even if it’s not much.

According to Goodreads 44 out of 52 as of today is "You're on track!" (I am in the exact same spot) You can do it!!

I read fast and spend a lot of time reading. Book length is all over the place because I read a big mix of stuff.

One book every two weeks ??? WHATTT. You are literally goals. I feel I don’t read as much as I always pick up the wrong book

I always set myself a goal of at least one book per month for my annual Goodreads challenge because I read for pleasure and I don’t see the point of adding stress to something I enjoy. In practice, I read for about half an hour before work every weekday and so far this year I’m on my 30th book.

My goal is to read 20 pages every day. As it turns out, that is too much for every day, but it does push me to make time for reading. And I do need to push myself, because there are a lot of (digital) distractions. If f I make it so far as to pick up a book, I often read more than those 20 pages. On average, I am on 35 pages per day this year, including the days I didn't read at all, so I'm more than happy with my goals.

Personally, I use the app Read More. Keeps track if what you've read, you can make a tbr list, you can set a goal, and it logs what you read per day/week/month. There is also a paid version, but it's not necessary, per se.

My goal is to read or listen to every chance I get. This year that will come to about 425 books finished.

Came here to say this, also Blindness by Saramago

I made a very similar goal for myself this year. My goal has been to read 20 books and I am making similar choices in my books to make sure I get to my goal. I have also decided to use page number next year rather than book count. It looks like I am going to end up right around 10,000 page so I think I am going to shoot for about 12,000 next year.

I've set myself the same goal as you for this year (after only reading 4 books in total last year), but one alternative I've been looking at is "Time spent reading". For example 3x 1h per week, or whatever works for you.

That way it doesn't matter if you read something more dense that might require slower reading for comprehension. It doesn't matter if it takes you 3 months to finish a book, or if you take pauses to look into something lighter.

I think it might give you a lot of freedom while still making sure the habit stays alive!

My reading goal was every other book I read this year will be something I wouldn't normally read. So far it's paid off, I've discovered so many awesome books I would've never read!

My goal this year was to read Moby Dick, and as of last week, I did it!

My new goal is to reread the second trilogy by Robin Hobbs, Fitz and the Fool.

I want to read all 10 of Malazan Book of the Fallen, plus the other collections.

I've had Gardens of the Moon since I was 16 and tried reading it three times before giving up. I let my brain age a bit and tried again at 22 - still no. Then, in June of this year at 31, I tried again and I ripped through the book in 4 days. Then, I spent 3 weeks looking for the next books before admitting I wasn't going to find hard copies of them.

So, I bought a kindle and Deadhouse Gates. Now, it's been three weeks and I'm almost done Deadhouse Gates and I'm heading for Memories of Ice.

It's the best reading experience I think I've ever had. I used to read at least one book per month but stopped due to work and other hobbies - this is the first time I've gone back to reading like this in a decade and it's a sublime high. I'm cognizant of the fact that this book series has become one of my favourite book series ever and I'll only ever get to read it for the first time once, so I'm really savouring it.

Erickson is a challenging author who doesn't hold your hand and throws you into the middle of a schism that spans thousands of years. I've grown bored of authors who don't challenge me and I needed Malazan to come along and rub my nose in the brutality of the human experience, just so I can remember how amazing it is to be broken down and hurt so completely, over and over again.

10/10, would recommend.

Got it. I read slow (eye issues and I read aloud in my head) and only have a little time on it after work. My numbers are low, but slow and steady beats nothing some days.

I love this idea!

I keep wanting to read House Of Leaves, but a few people I know keep telling me the point is to own it but never read it...

Oh, you're in for a treat! So many of my favorite books are from authors from South American countries. Do you already have ideas which book you want to pick?

My goals for the past three years or so has been, since my focus is bad to begin with:

- 12 books per year (Average 1/month)

- Try for at least one book by Stephen King

- Try for at least one graphic novel

- And, if I can, average it over multiple years so I hit that average. It's been fun to do it that way, and I get a steady enough pace for my needs. Not too much, not too little.

As motivating goals can be, remember why you read. Because you love and enjoy it, right? Also remember that sometimes numbers are not important. I know the feeling of wanting to read so much and not having enough time or reading too slow, but really, just keep with your flow. If you focus more on the number, you’ll end up not accumulating any information and read fast-forward basically. Another proof that unrealistic reading goals are toxic is that you’re avoiding potential amazing literary pieces just because they’re too long… I don’t mean to say “don’t set goals”, but rather be smart about them and don’t let them ruin your pleasure for reading. As an example, every year I set the goal of 25 books, based on my reading habits. Very simple and flexible. Now I usually tend to read around 30 something, but I still set the same amount because it’s reasonable and I know I’ll achieve it. I hope this helps you a little, best wishes ✨

I use the Goodreads yearly challenge to track my books each year. In the past 5 years I have averaged 60 books a year.

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To read the books on my shelves.

None. I left all that aside, now I read for fun and it works just fine.

My goal is to read 50 books each year - about a book a week. I’m not too serious about it if I can’t make it happen, but it’s good motivation for me.

I just settle for 30 mins a day. I read in a language that is not my birth language to try to improve my language skills, so some books are easier to read than others.

I had the same issue last year when I set a book goal. It’s been better this year when I set a daily reading goal for time/ pages.

I just honestly try to keep up with my reading list, which just usually grows itself. I know I don't get through books at the speed I would like, especially during periods when life gets particularly busy. Not including the numerous papers I had to read for my grad school thesis and including audiobooks, I have read like 16 books this year (not all super long books, 5 of those are the Hitchhikers Guide books), which isn't a ton but for my usual standards that's amazing for what my usual is. I'm proud of my own progress and just want to continue making progress.

I'm trying to read the same amount of books that I will buy in a year ( I have a problem with buying books so I have limit, 4 books per month, 48 a year). But I'm not very good at keeping with it. I've already bought 58 books (maybe 2/3 more in December) and read only 50. So technically I'm falling behind. But I don't care about it.

I am in a toxic part of book community where you should read like 10/15 books per month and you cannot listen to audiobooks cause " It doesn't count as reading ". So I'm just giving up on goal next year and I will try to read and enjoy it even more

I don’t have a reading goal. I usually have 2 books going at the same time. It depends on my mood which book I want to pick up. I read at least 2 hours a day during the week and many more on the weekend. I know it sounds like I have no life, but I love reading and make time for it.

I don’t generally set goals related to reading, because it’s something I do for relaxation and I know that once I turn it into something goal-driven, it will just stress me out. (I do have a “goal” for the Goodreads challenge, but I usually read way more than whatever random number I chose anyway, so I don’t get all aggravated over it.)

My only new goal that has been so great is just to spend 15 min in bed reading each night. It has cut down my insomnia so much because I’m not sitting in bed thinking about my job, I’m sitting in bed enjoying a different story/world.

storygraph >>> goodreads

1 book per year is not pathetic at all! There's been years I've read 50 books and years I've barely read half. It's a good goal to have and it clearly works for you to the point that you often exceed it.

Also, I am uncomfortable reading in chairs too, so I read either lying in my bed or while pacing around in my room (and if no one's around I combine this with reading aloud because it makes the whole experience more dramatic or immersive for me, feels like I'm a professor telling a story). But to be fair most people find this method of mine insane so I totally get it if it's not for you.

it’s pretty simple really my main goal is to just finish the book, nothing to hard

My reading goal was to read 25 books this year not counting rereads cause I reread a lot of short books I have on apple book but I want to read more series going into next year

I read books with no goals, I always do whatever I want, but I write about my reading experience and excerpts after reading each book.

To be honest, the busy work reduces my reading time. If I made reading a goal, I might be as anxious about the goal as I was at work, not really enjoying the joy of books.

I hope reading is fun and stimulates my thinking. Because books are always there, happiness isn't. I always take time to read, the charm of books is always like this, reading can make me feel different emotions and escape from the real world.

Read my way up through all the books people have talked about aka the “classics.”

I failed this year's goal so miserably that I deleted it. Next year I'm going to set a page goal. Somewhere in the 25-50 pages a day range.

I also have a separate goal that I won't be tracking through Storygraph, to read one chapter of a writing craft book a day. I'm currently failing that one, as well...

For my books, not library books, I started the Great Re-Read last year. I intend to read them all and decide whether to keep or donate them. It will take years, since I only read them when I'm done with my library books. But by the time I'm ready to retire I'll know how many to pack and move.

I really don't have that many, about 75-80 total. On one hand, packing books is hard because those boxes get heavy so quickly. But on the other hand, when I get to the point it's hard to get out and about, I'll at least have plenty of books to keep me occupied.

To read at all. I’m just trying to get like 20 minutes a day so I don’t fall out of it.

My main goal is to read 5 pages a day. Putting the bar so low has really helped me make reading a habit and get over the barrier of just opening a book. I also have an annual goal on Goodreads to keep me going!

I always set the bar too high. I always say ima read one a week but realistically I only find like 10-20 good books a year

I tend to do some sort of reading challenge every other year, usually something social with at least my mom and sister. I did popsugar's reading challenge and similar things, or joined an online book club for a year.

I do set a goal every year for number of books read, but I'm pretty quick to adjust it down. Definitely agree that it's easier to read longer or slower books after I hit that goal, though.

Hi, while it is nice to have Goals, when it comes to reading, for me anyway, this doesn't apply, as, reading to me is more free flowing, thus, not a race! Not that you're approach is just this, but, for me, thus approach wouldn't work, as books to me aren't , also, viewed as "work", or a "job", as this/these approach(es,) would be purpose defeating! Read with the flow! Thanks

My "official" goal is 100 books for the year. It has happened once. I usually land somewhere in the 70s, which is fine! I don't really do it to be competitive or anything. Its more a mental thing to keep me reading. (I used to have a similar thing where I said I'd watch 50 movies a year. Without that mental goal, I think I've watched maybe 5 this year? It sounds silly, but even when its all in my head, its enough to motivate me!)

Sometimes, I'll give myself mini-challenges. A few years ago, I read the alphabet (books beginning A-Z). Once, I took a look at my massive TBR and decided I'd take a month and read books with Girl in the title. Things like that. I have thought about reading around the world or around the country, but not sure. I've also thought about wokring my way through winning titles of different literature prizes...

I have tried to say I won't read anything new or won't add to my TBR until I get things under control. But its never getting under control, lol. So now I have smaller, more realistic goals, like I will only pack books I own when I go on vacation or I will pick one book off my TBR per month. Things like that. Otherwise I'd never make any headway...

I do themes and have an overall book count range. If I make it hard and fast rules I have the same problem as you. My local library also has reading challenges so I do those because I want to support them

A page count would take the fun out of reading imho. I just use goodreads and set a goal for the year. My goal this year was to find novels I actually like, and to search for living fiction authors that I like, since I had a "fiction dry spell" of some years, when I lost all intrest in fiction. I'm happy to say that I did find some authors I like and got back to reading novels.

I've been in the same boat as you - set myself an amount of books to read that year, but then find myself searching for short books and avoiding long ones.

I've also tried planning out the books I want to read over a set amount of time, which works better in a way because then I can choose long and short books and adjust the time limit. The bad thing about that system is that often il see a new book that I either have to read for a course, or desperately want to read, and then the system goes out the window because it isn't in the plan.

It would be possible to do a number of pages in a set time goal, but I've never tried that

Just read. I've been having reading difficulties in general. Either I'm short on time to actually enjoy the read, or get tired after a few pages and want to do something else. I'm in stall with three different books atm.

As an English student I’m ashamed that my goal is to read for 25 minted per day. The reason is because I’m struggling tremendously to read a book written in English. But after I saw your goals here I’m frustrated. Wow Guys you can read a whole book in 2 weeks!

I read this this year too and was also one of my favourites!

I’ve been reading all the Pulitzer Prize winning novels, although I don’t have any set timeframe. I’ve found if I do any time-based goal it takes away almost all the joy of reading. My (very non-strenuous) goal is to read at least one page a day (I always read more than that but that at least gets me to pick up my book every day)

My aim this year was to read 30 books but I’m already on my 51st book so far…I only read 23 books last year so I thought it was a reasonable target.

I picked a book a month goal, because it was achievable. I’m ahead, and still trying to complete at least 2 more books by the year end.

Maybe just adjust your goal - set a page goal per week for next year?

You could make qualitative instead of quantitative goals, or focus on page count instead of book count. I've been using Goodreads for the past decade and I love it for keeping track of everything book-related. You can set/change your goals to whatever you want whenever you want so if I'm not enjoying my challenge for whatever reason I just change it.

I have a long term goal of reading through several lists of books:

• Time Magazine’s Top 100 English language Novels 1923 - 2005 (78/100 read)
• Modern Library’s Top 100 novels (43/100 read)
• All Pulitzer Prize Winners in fiction (17 read so far)
• All Booker Prize winners (5 read)
• BBC’s 100 Most Inspiring Novels (23/100 read)
• 2022 Big Jubilee Read (8/70 completed)

But, I mix that with short term goals:

• Read 24 books a year
• Read for an hour a day, 6 days per week.

I'd say most books I read aren't on any of my bucket reading lists, and I tend to mix long books with shorter ones to reach annual goals.

I guess I had a vague goal to read some classic novels. I also decided to read some scary things for october.

My goal this year was to try and finish 50 books over the course of the year. While I've read one or two bigger books, most of my reading time has been devoted to books between 100-300 pages of middling quality just to meet my quota. I don't regret doing this but there's been plenty of books I wanted to read that I put to the sideline just to keep up with this goal.

Next year I plan to flip this and focus instead on quality instead of quantity. I've got 6 or so bigger books that I've been putting off, and as long as I finish those, I've met my goal, and as a bonus, I'll dig deeper into a few authors I've read this year that I want to focus more on.

A friend suggested The Book Girl's Club at the beginning of the year. I jumped in and chose the Decades Challenge (they have several themes to choose from). I have consistently read all year long. I had begun an "all audiobook" life and this got me back into "books in my hand." I check them out from the library and online library. It introduced me to "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" and helped me better place historical events. I've really learned so much this year and have read books I never would have chosen otherwise.

Have you read "Lexzons in Chemistry?" By Bonnie Garmus? So good!

Lessons... should have looked before clicking.

No, sadly not yet. I mostly read my own language (Norwegian). I don't know why, but there has been a wave of quite good popular science books in Norwegian the last couple of years, some good enough to have been translated into English (e.g. The Elements We Live by (Anja Røyne) and Your Superstar Brain (Kaja Nordengen)).

I do thank for the recommendation. I've added it to my too-read-pile.

Maybe a goal like 2 books in odd months and 1 book that would take more time in even months.

Not yet! So I would love to hear any recommendations you have

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