2023 Reading Goal Check-In (I’ve Got 99 Problems and Books Are 108 of Them)

It is now . . . *checks notes* October. I’m pretty sure 2023 has been a fever dream that we will eventually wake up from. But until then . . . BOOKS! Specifically, bookish goals, now that the end-of-year deadline is apparently lurking just around the corner.

So, at the beginning of 2023, I did this thing that bloggers are wont to do at the beginning of each year: I made a list of resolutions and goals in my 2023 Bookish Resolutions post. Why? Because present Sammie enjoys sipping coffee and laughing at Past Sammie’s optimism. It’s sort of a hobby of mine, and I’ll have you know, I’m very good at it.

Today’s Top Ten Tuesday is about reading goals I still want to accomplish by the end of the year. Spoiler alert: It’s all of them. I have completed no goals. Well, except the one where I make a list of goals, so . . . I guess well done on my part? Goal accomplished! *throws confetti*

To be fair, there are still three whole months left in the year, which is a solid 25% of time. I’m fairly optimistic that I can work with that. I mean, I didn’t in the other 75% of the year, but . . . that’s Past Sammie’s problem. We’ve already established that Past Sammie is a silly bean. Present Sammie is much older, wiser, and ready to crush those goals under her heel. Mostly so they don’t crush her first.

So let’s see how things are going, shall we?

PREVIOUS GOALS

Read at least 150 books ❌

Even though Goodreads says I’m technically two books behind schedule (and honestly, what does Goodreads know?!), my reading is going quite well. I was actually about 12 – 15 books behind at one point, because I hit a streak of just not wanting to read for a month or two. I made up for it recently by devouring every book I can get my hands on, so there’s that.

150 books read this year was my low goal, and my stretch goal was 200. I don’t think I’ll make the 200, but considering the year I had? I’ll be thrilled with reaching my goal of 150, which I think is definitely doable!

Read more graphic novels and manga ✔️

According to my Goodreads record (which is spotty, at best, because I’m a lazy note-keeper), I’ve read 31 manga volumes and 26 graphic novels so far in 2023. My stretch goal was actually 40, which means GOAL ACCOMPLISHED. I’ve actually absolutely loved finding new manga and graphic novels, and best of all, I’ve been able to build out my library’s graphic novel collection, which has historically been overlooked. So this has been a really rewarding goal, and I plan on continuing to make it a priority to read both! Hubby has taken this goal of mine to heart and has recommended, like, six more manhwa series that I have no idea where I’ll find the time to get to, but rest assured, he will not give me a moment’s peace until I do!

Increase NetGalley activity and review requested books ❌

Ummmm. Yeah, so, about that . . . okay, look, good intentions were had here. Unfortunately, it looks like I’m sitting right at 12 NetGalley books. My lowest goal was 20, so . . . there’s still time? Actually, I do think I’ve read about 15, since I believe there were a few books I didn’t tag, but I’ve forgotten now. So yes, okay, I need to make this a focus of the next few months! But hey, at least this post has reminded me that this is a thing I need to work on!

Read more backlist books ❌

I’m going to be honest . . . I didn’t track this. Not very well anyway, and I’m far too lazy to go back and actually recount how many books I’ve read were backlist or not. Rest assured, books were read. Some were books that I’d been meaning to read for years. I’m going to call that a win, regardless of the numbers, because that’s just how I roll.

Utilize the library more ✔️

I took this goal to heart and I used not one but four libraries to accomplish this. Obviously, I check out a ton of books from the library I work at. However, I’ve also gotten cards from two neighboring libraries this year, one of which I visit at least once a month for books we don’t have at my library. Then there’s Libby, of course, for everything else. I’ve already accomplished this goal with a whopping 69 books read from the library so far. My stretch goal was 80, so I haven’t quite reached that yet, but I’m confident I’ll reach that by the end of the year. Mostly because I currently have, like, 10 books checked out from libraries right now and will be getting more in a couple of weeks. So yeah, we’re good on this one! Libraries, FTW!

Continue blogging in 2023 ❌

As of this post, I’ve made approximately 25 posts this year. My goal was 50, so I’m halfway there! Can I make another 50 posts in the next three months? Who knows?! Maybe we should place bets on Future Sammie’s follow-through. I’ve got a lot of irons in the fire right now, so it feels a bit like I’m always behind and I won’t make any promises in terms of regularity of posts, but . . . hey, a bookwyrm can always try, right?

NEW GOALS

I’ve already well established how silly Past Sammie was, so Present Sammie is here to fix all her mistakes! Namely, I’ve taken the liberty of adding a few goals that should have been on the original list but weren’t, for various reasons. Go easy on Past Sammie. She knew not what she did.

Read more romantasy

I’m just a teensy bit ashamed that it’s taken me this long to realize just how much I love romantasy? Regular romance tends to bore me (though, I’ve read a few good ones lately). As an ace, I’ve always struggled with reading any sort of romance, and it took me way too long to realize why. As Hannah Gadsby so eloquently put it: “I don’t like the way the kissing sounds.” Except in book form, of course. Since sex scenes make me uncomfortable (and, quite frankly, bore me to tears) and sex scenes are so entrenched in most romances, I wrote them off forever ago. But you know what you can do with sex scenes in a book? SKIP! I’m not sure why it took me so long to realize that as long as I just skip sex scenes, I thoroughly enjoy the romantic part of romantasies. I definitely want to read more of these before the year is over!

Start reading One Piece

I’m trying to keep this goal realistic here. I’ve watched the live action of One Piece twice already, and I’m in love with it. The anime was always one of my favorites, and I was impressed (for a change) on how the live action was handled. However, I’ve never read the manga. Why? Because it’s, like, 103,832 chapters long and will probably take me three years. Still, that’s not really a good excuse, is it? So I’m hoping to at least start plugging away at it. I’m already still working on one super long manga (Case Closed), but why not add one more to that list?

How are you doing with your 2023 Bookish Goals? Still surviving? Or have you succumbed and turned into a zombie/poltergeist/evil mad scientist and do we need to address this plot twist?

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