lirazel | (no subject)

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I hit my GoodReads goal of 75 books the other day. I've done the goal-setting for the last few years, but I've decided I'm not going to do it in 2023.

It actually helped me get back on the reading track--after I graduated from undergrad, I had a few years where I just didn't read much (except fanfic). For a while, I was really scared that I would never get back into reading again. I think keeping track of what I read and setting a goal for myself was part of the process of getting back into reading voraciously again.

But now I have, and I don't need that anymore.

I'm still going to keep track of which books I read, but I am not going to worry about how many. I'm hoping that this will inspire me to read more longer books. There are a bunch of books that are just so long that I've put them off for a long time. But if I only read, like, 30 books this next year because I'm reading longer ones? That's fine.

I don't know that the Year of the Long Books will actually happen. But hopefully I'll at least read one or two of the door-stoppers that I've felt intimidated by before.

Maybe 2023 will be the year I finally read War and Peace? (Speaking of which--which translation is best?)

Feel free to tell me about your reading habits, about how you keep up with which books you've read, about whether you keep count of how many you read in a year, etc. in the comments!

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Oh, that's a great reasoning!

It really spoke to me, because I....am still not reading. Not even fic. Unless I'm betaing. I'm okay with it, I'm not overly worried, it'll come back eventually.

You make such a good point about how sometimes we need a little help and when that help is not necessary anymore to drop habits (or whatever). Thank you for this thought!

(I keep up with what I've read by having tickmarks in calibre. Where I keep all fic (as epubs) and also entries for all my books even when I don't have them as digital copies. I made a tickmark column where I mark it with "Yes" if I've read something.)

I'm okay with it, I'm not overly worried, it'll come back eventually.

I'm really glad you have this attitude! Because I didn't--I was like, "What is wrong with me? Is my life over?" And then fastforward a few years and I was fine.

You make such a good point about how sometimes we need a little help and when that help is not necessary anymore to drop habits (or whatever). Thank you for this thought!

You're welcome! It's a new thing I'm trying to practice--noticing whether things I've always done are actually necessary anymore. I'm not good at noticing yet, but I'm hoping to get better at it.

(I keep up with what I've read by having tickmarks in calibre. Where I keep all fic (as epubs) and also entries for all my books even when I don't have them as digital copies. I made a tickmark column where I mark it with "Yes" if I've read something.)

Oh, that's interesting! That's not one I'd considered!

I'm really glad you have this attitude! Because I didn't--I was like, "What is wrong with me? Is my life over?"

Let's say it wasn't the first time this happened to me, so I just have to be patient. Certainly this is one of the longest periods, but in the end it'll come back. I feel stirrings of it already! But yeah, burnout is real.

It's really good advice, re:notice when things are not necessary anymore. I think it's important to pay attention to these things and I'm also horrible at it, so definitely kudos to you for being conscious of it.

I like databases. ;)

Ah, yeah. If you've lived through it before, it's so much easier to believe it'll pass again.

I like databases. ;)

I like that about you!

❤

It's good to hear that the reading goal method helped you, and also that you are feeling good about saying goodbye to it now it no longer serves you!

If you read War and Peace, perhaps I'll read it alongside you! It's about time I reread.

Thank you! I'm not used to jettisoning things that aren't really necessary anymore, but hopefully I'll get better at it!

That would be great! Turns out I do actually enjoy book club discussions when they're with people whose reading is similar to mine. I had a blast with Dracula Daily and now A Dickens December, even though I've had bad experiences with book clubs in the past (basically, just because I got involved with groups that wanted to read things I had no interest in reading).

I've heard good things about the Pevear-Volokhonsky translation of war and peace (readable and accurate!) and bad things (their narrative voice is the same for everything they translate!). That's the translation I was trying before I gave up on war and peace due to my abiding hatred for Pierre every time the narrative focused on him, lol.

I'm glad that your reading goal has been helpful for the last few years though, and also that it's not something that you feel bound to continue if it's not helping anymore! There are some really worthwhile doorstoppers out there.

Good to keep in mind! Thank you!

Thank you very much!

Also! Bird-watching friend of mine! This made me think of you, as did this lovely volume I was processing today.

ahhhhhh thank you, what delightful birdy things! :)

I would also suggest the Pevear-Volokhonsky. . .when I did my reread, I did it on audio and was stuck with the Garnett (the same one I read 15 years ago) which is fine but a bit stodgy.

So read the more contemporary one for me and talk to me about it!!

I will seek that one out then! Thank you!

Also I recommend the cast album for 'Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812' if you don't want to go in cold (and don't mind spoilers.) Though on rereading, I realized some of the omissions/changes from the book to the musical were inadveryently hilarious.

I have enjoyed some songs from that before, but I will seek out more of them, thank you!

Congratulations on reaching your goal, that's an amazing amount of books!! I did the Goodreads challenge for a few years but the pandemic really threw me off, and I was already starting to feel annoyed because it made me more reluctant or resentful when reading "harder" books that take more time to go through (like books in foreign languages). I think I'd like to try not to quantify my reading next year, I'm a bit tired of tracking too many things in life lately anyway. Good luck with your goal as well, I hope you get through some of these longer ones!! :)

I was already starting to feel annoyed because it made me more reluctant or resentful when reading "harder" books that take more time to go through (like books in foreign languages)

Yes! This is why I'm giving it up next year.

I think I'd like to try not to quantify my reading next year, I'm a bit tired of tracking too many things in life lately anyway.

Gosh, so much of contemporary life really is tracking stuff, isn't it? It's like we think that we can quantify everything.

Thank you! And I hope you can enjoy your reading more this year!

That's awesome that you hit your goal!! I haven't read nearly as many, but I'm also kinda feeling the "I don't want to focus on the number I've read as much as I used to" mood going into the new year. I feel like I consume so much fiction constantly that sometimes it's hard to form a deep connection with something these days -- it's just overwhelming how much there is to read/watch! -- so I'd like to spend more time really taking the time to appreciate stuff that I like, rather than trying to read (and watch!) as much as possible. That is my 2023 goal!

I feel like I consume so much fiction constantly that sometimes it's hard to form a deep connection with something these days -- it's just overwhelming how much there is to read/watch! -- so I'd like to spend more time really taking the time to appreciate stuff that I like, rather than trying to read (and watch!) as much as possible.

I love this goal! Savoring is more important than quantity!!!

Very jealous of your 75 books! That's amazing.

Setting a goodreads goal stresses me out so I've never done it. But I do like adding books on my shelf and seeing the yearly count go up. The first year I did that, 2015, I read around 40 books and every year since has been much less. The 2015 shelf taunts me. These days, 20 books a year is good for me. Last year, I only read 8. Part of not reading is mental health-related, but part of it is also fandom-related. If, like last year, I'm in a new fandom and discovering fanfic there, that's all I read for a while.

I also really enjoy giving star ratings on Goodreads. There's something very satisfying about hitting 1 or 2 stars on a book I really hated.

Thanks!

But I do like adding books on my shelf and seeing the yearly count go up.

Yeah, that part is fun!

Part of not reading is mental health-related, but part of it is also fandom-related. If, like last year, I'm in a new fandom and discovering fanfic there, that's all I read for a while.

Oh, yes, I definitely feel this.

There's something very satisfying about hitting 1 or 2 stars on a book I really hated.

Haha, I know! It's like reading bad movie reviews! I don't do this as often anymore because I mostly just stop reading the book if it's that bad, but there is something so satisfying about it!

Congrats! I don't have a goal on GoodReads (though I certainly track books in it), but my personal goal is 100 after hitting 90 last year. I've been tracking the books I read in Excel since 2017 (and kept hard copy notes in a notebook for several years prior). I track the title, author, date, whether it's audio, and since 2020, the race and (if apparent) sexuality of the author so I can hold myself more accountable for reading queer and non-white authors. I also track movies and TV shows watched in the same Excel workbook.

I've wanted to hit 100 because I think I managed that once in college, but my reading dropped drastically after graduating (I don't have my paper records handy, but in 2017 I only read 50 books) (I also have to acknowledge that the only way I can come close to 100 now is because I listen to audiobooks, which I only started doing a few years ago, so there's still a vast difference in my physical reading compared to my ~youth - which makes sense given all the adult responsibilities I have now!). Like you, I think if I hit my goal this year, I'll be more relaxed about it next year (I appreciate the reminder/thought).

I track the title, author, date, whether it's audio, and since 2020, the race and (if apparent) sexuality of the author so I can hold myself more accountable for reading queer and non-white authors. I also track movies and TV shows watched in the same Excel workbook.

I love this!

(I also have to acknowledge that the only way I can come close to 100 now is because I listen to audiobooks, which I only started doing a few years ago, so there's still a vast difference in my physical reading compared to my ~youth - which makes sense given all the adult responsibilities I have now!).

It does make sense! And audiobooks really do open up so much more potential time that you can't be holding a book or an e-reader.

Like you, I think if I hit my goal this year, I'll be more relaxed about it next year (I appreciate the reminder/thought).

Nice!

Congrats on making your goal! I am going to try to finish this e-book I'm reading as the 20th book this year, which would make my (heavily revised downward) goal. I find it's helpful to keep me reading, but setting really high goals can be counterproductive. I wonder sometimes why the goals are set as the number of books and not the pages, either, since you could obviously read a lot of short books but it deters reading lengthier more in-depth pieces.

Yay!!! Meeting your goal! As long as it's helpful (as it used to be for me!) you should keep doing it! But absolutely yes re: counterproductive goals.

I wonder sometimes why the goals are set as the number of books and not the pages, either, since you could obviously read a lot of short books but it deters reading lengthier more in-depth pieces.

There should definitely be a setting where you can change it to page numbers instead of books.

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