Today I’m joining in on a Top Ten Tuesdays post, hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl (which is where TTT moved as of TODAY, having formerly been hosted by the Broke and the Bookish).
Here are some of my bookish resolutions/goals for 2018!
1. Stay on top of reading ARCs and review books
I haven’t decided if this means more or less books for review (since I love them but they are also time-consuming… but I love them…). Regardless, I’d like to stay on track for the ones I have and any future ones I might get.
2. Stay on top of reviews
Related to the above point, I’d like to get the necessary reviews written within a decent amount of time. NaNo and Christmas season wreaked havoc on my reviewing schedule, and I just haven’t gotten around to some of them that I should have. So those are next!
3. Read the books I’ve won
I seem to have accumulated several books which authors were kind enough to give away and which I won… And then said books sit on my dresser or Kindle app waiting for me to read them, while I get distracted with review books and things. So I’d like to read and (hopefully) review the books I’ve won.
4. Read one book at a time (within reason)
I often end up reading a lot of books at the same time, which means I get stuck in several… which ends badly. I’d like to focus on one book at a time. I do say within reason, so I may read more than one at a time under certain circumstances — for instance: an e-book and a physical book, a re-read and a new read, a read-along and a read-aloud, a novel and some short stories and a nonfiction… things like that, where I distinguish between what SORT of book it is, I might allow myself to simultaneously read more than one book. But in general, just. one.
5. Finish beta-reading and take a break
I have a couple of beta-reads to finish, which I’m excited for, but after that I’m taking a break, at least this year. Beta-reading just takes so long, and I don’t know what to say, so I accidentally procrastinate over it for a century, and then feel absolutely terrible. I’m just… really bad at being a beta-reader. XD
6. Do more editing
That may sound like it contradicts the point above, but it doesn’t! Beta-reading is usually a general-feedback kind of deal, which I’m not the best at. What I am better at is proofreading/copyediting, which I LOVE. I’m passionate about fixing typos and punctuation, and generally polishing books to a fine sheen. Someday I will catch ALL the typos in the world! (Okay, not really; but I can dream. ;)) This point is involved with kicking off my new freelance editing service, which you can check out HERE; prices are negotiable, and I don’t bite! 😉
7. Read for fun more often
I know it sounds silly, but any time a book comes “with strings attached,” it becomes something to mark off my to-do list. I do LOVE review books, read-alongs, library books, books I’ve won, books to edit, books by friends, and so on, but anything with an “I should read this” or “I should review this” or a deadline attached to it in my subconscious isn’t just for PURE pleasure… (Please tell me I’m not the only one?) So despite loving those, I would like to kick back and read JUST for fun sometimes, and not worry about having opinions and stuff.
8. Read more Diana Wynne Jones
This is kind of self-explanatory… I’m hoping March Magics and a trip to the library will help with this one. 😉
9. Read more Tolkien
Also self-explanatory. Re-reads. Books by Tolkien I haven’t read. Books by others about him and his writings. The works.
10. Have fun and don’t obsess
This one is hard, and one of the reasons why I often ALMOST don’t start a Goodreads reading goal… (But I usually break down anyway because it’s nice having them all listed.) I don’t like obsessing about how many books I read, because that makes it more like work, but I can hopefully keep track without getting too into it. XD I really need to remind myself that I still read for fun. And if it’s not fun, I shouldn’t be doing it. And if I’m MAKING it not fun, I need to stop! Breathe. Read. Dream of ink and pages and bookshelves. Be a contented bookdragon.
The Page Dreamer (Deborah O'Carroll) 
Yes, yes, and yes! When you primarily read for fun, and sit there reading, grinding your teeth and feeling like screaming into the void, then something is wrong and you need to fix it. Last year, for me, it was pushing myself too hard on hitting the high numbers for the GR challenge. The algorithm congratulates you whether you set your goal for 50 or for 10, so, pick what works best for you, and go, happily!
One of my major goals for this year is also to concentrate on finishing books we already own — this Christmas I made sure to order several of the-last-book-in-that-series-White-Fang-started-when-he-was-12, so that I especially have no excuse (since we buddy read a lot). The library will be mostly for DVDs this winter (hey, that works, too, as it saves money, and those are easier to carry!).
You did a great job beta-reading for me; but I also totally get that it is time consuming, and it does have a sense of pressure to it. I do hope your freelance proofing takes off! I fully intend to get back to you about trying to work out something for final edits on Volume 3 (since Muffin is apparently bringing home all the germs his first year at school, I don’t want to be attempting to do it all on my own while combating the flu or something, arrgghh).
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Yep, I feel the same way! I need to relax. XD I did set a GR challenge but I’m pretty sure I can hit 50, especially since I’m including short stories this year, so I’m not stressed over it. It’s best to do what works, and fix it if it’s stressful. 😛
Sounds like a good goal! I have so many books I own and haven’t read (cheap library sales do that to me… *cough*) that I should have made that one of my goals, but I figured these were enough for now. 😉 Good luck on that!
Oh, good, I’m so glad to hear it! I do put a ton of effort into beta-reading, I just never know if it helps or not. XD Thank you! I hope so too! And absolutely, just let me know! I’d LOVE to be a part of that! 🙂 You shouldn’t have to do it all on your own. ^_^ And aww, I’m sorry! I hope y’all will get healthy and stay that way! ❤
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Good goals to have! Keep at it!
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Thanks, Sarah!
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I’m the WORST at staying up on reviews. Gah! I feel like I have to review everything I read, so I’m always bogged down with a bunch of reviews that need writing. Right now I’m reviewing books I read back in July. Yikes! I definitely need to work on TIMELY review writing. Wish me luck 🙂
Happy TTT!
Susan
http://www.blogginboutbooks.com
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I feel you! I only MAKE myself review ones I got for review or won, but I do often try to review others, which, yes, makes me fall behind. XD You can do it! Thanks for dropping in! 🙂
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*claps* You can do it!!
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Thank you!!
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You are not alone with #7. I’m the same way. The second I “have” to read something, it becomes a chore. Also, I’m always a little leery about “what if I hate it”? and then I’m obligated to give some sort of feedback… and I don’t want to be dishonest, but I also don’t want to crush anyone’s hopes and dreams… thus, I don’t do much beta-reading or ARC reading unless I am ABSOLUTELY SURE I will enjoy said story… which means… um… that I don’t do it… usually at all.
Your bookish goals all sound fabulous. Can’t wait to see what you read this year!
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Oh, whew. *wipes forehead* So glad I’m not the only one! And yeah, I’m often nervous about that too, so I try to only take on things I’m pretty sure I’ll like as well. 🙂
Thanks so much! Happy reading to you as well!
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I do the same thing with not reading for ‘fun’. After I read a book, I ALWAYS feel obligated to review it. And while I do love doing it, it’s just another thing to check off my list. 😛
These all sound like wonderful goals! Good luck with them! 😀
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Gaah, yes! I have gotten a little better, where if I don’t have to for some reason (like it’s a review book or a giveaway book or something) I won’t TOTALLY stress myself out over it if I don’t review it… but yeah. No matter how much we love things, more things on our to-do lists are still that! 😉
Thank you so much!
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These are very similar to my book goals this year.
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Hurray! *highfive* Good luck on your goals! 🙂
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These are wonderful bookish goals! And some of them are soooo relatable!
I, too, have books I’ve won that have just…sat there. AND IT IS SHAMEFUL. Lots of them are books I very, very much wanted, and STILL haven’t read. I don’t know what’s wrong with me. *shakes head*
I’m definitely a read one book at a time gal. I’ve always admired you amazing reading ninjas who can juggle multiple books. I just can’t. It hurts my poor brain. xD But I DO like your plan of having like one ebook and one physical books, or one new read and one reread and so on. That’s a very good idea!
I feel you on beta-reading! That’s why I mostly stopped a couple of years ago. It just got to be too much. It was fun, but it was also overwhelming and took time away from working on my OWN stories. So yeah… I miss it, but I just don’t have time! *sniffs*
You are the best typo catcher! I love your mission to rid the world of typos. (Not that I help… #TypoQueen) I’m so excited about your editing business!
YESSSSSSS to #7!!! That is SO me. That’s why I basically NEVERRRR do book reviews. Really the ONLY time I do them is when someone asks me if I’ll review their book. Otherwise I…just don’t wanna. I don’t want “strings attached” like you said. I just want to READ, no obligations required. Maybe that’s bad. I love helping authors out and I know reviews are the best things we can do for them but…I just like to read for fun. Heh. So no, YOU ARE NOT ALONE. I’m completely this way.
More Tolkien and more DWJ! That should be my goal as well!
And another big ol’ YES to #10. You may have noticed I’ve never joined in on the GoodReads yearly challenge… I love GoodReads with all my heart, but it puts…I don’t know, PRESSURE on reading. Reading is for ME. I don’t want it to be another thing I check off a list of my to-dos. It’s for FUN. Yes, I do want to read more this year, but I’m not setting a number goal. I just want to read when I read, not do it for the sake of adding to a number, ya know? One of these days I’ll probably cave and do the GoodReads challenge. xD But for now, I just want to read on my own time and not make it some sort of challenge or goal or anything. And wow, that was a rant. But I just SO relate to what you’re saying. We’re such twins!
Anyways, if you can’t tell from my monstrous comment, I LOVED THIS POST! I hope all the bookish goals go well this year! ❤
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Thanks!
Yesss, we should totally catch up on books we’ve won! It’s just… a thing. XD
I think it’s awesome you read one at a time! I can never decide which is better for me, but I THINK one a time will help… We’ll see. 😛
Yepper, it’s just sadly very time-consuming, but there you go…
Aww, thank you! (And you’re NOT the typo queen, darling! You’re fine! ;))
Haha, even though there are strings attached, I just can’t seem to stop being a reviewer. XD But I admire you for staying strong when you know you just want to read for fun! Go for it!
Aaaalways more Tolkien and DWJ!
The GR challenge isn’t for everyone, but I’ve completed five years of them, so I’m not stopping now. XD But yes, as long as you know it wouldn’t work for you, that’s perfectly okay! Enjoy your reading! ^_^
I LOVE your monstrous comment! Hurray for twinsies! Thank you so much, and I hope you have a wonderful reading year yourself! ❤
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These are so so on point. I do get down on myself when I get behind on some review books so staying on top is a top priority! Good luck with all of your goals!
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Thank you! And yes, falling behind is rough… so yay for reviewing goals! Thanks very much, and the same to you! 🙂
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