It’s that time of year again (or, more accurately, slightly after that time of year, as is my brand)–the time to set yearly reading goals. I don’t know that I tend to stick very well to reading goals when I set them, but I do think that it’s a nice way to kick off the year and set intentions for my reading. I would like to do a better job of checking in with these goals this time around, after a mediocre performance in 2019, especially since this time I’m going to try to set fewer goals and focus them more accurately on the books I want to be prioritizing.

Goals:

Read this stack of my top 10 books to read in 2020: a goal I always set, and traditionally do really poorly at. This time around, all 10 of these books are 5-star predictions, and I really want to read all 10 of them and see how accurate my choices are for my ratings. I tried to put together a good mix of favorite authors and new-to-me authors, as well as a variety of genres, and I think I’m going to try to pick up at least one of these per month until I’ve read them all.

The Seas by Samantha Hunt – author of Mr. Splitfoot, which I loved

Kindred by Octavia Butler – one of my all-time favorite authors, this is perhaps her best-known book, and although I’ve read 5 or 6 books from her in the past, I have yet to read this one

Radiance by Catherynne M. Valente – another favorite author; I’ve previously loved The Refrigerator Monologues, Space Opera, and Deathless

A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki – new-to-me author, literary fiction from dual perspectives

Middlegame by Seanan McGuire – I’ve read McGuire’s October Daye, Indexing, and Wayward Children series in the past; this one is a standalone fantasy that’s getting amazing reviews

Melmoth by Sarah Perry – new-to-me author, historical fiction with mythology (I think?)

In the Dream House by Carmen Maria Machado – memoir from the author of one of my favorite short story collections

Bunny by Mona Awad – new-to-me author, fabulist/horror

Girls Burn Brighter by Shobha Rao – new-to-me author, literary fiction about friendship and tragedy

Normal People by Sally Rooney – new-to-me author, literary fiction about first love

Read more than 9 five-star reads – I have this strange trend where I tend to only read 8 or 9 five-star reads over the course of a year. I don’t know why it happens, and that doesn’t discount all of the amazing 4, 4.25, and 4.5 star reads I generally find, but in 2020, I’d like to somehow read 10 full five-star reads. I don’t know how to make this happen, since luck will have more to do with it than anything else, but I’m going to give it a shot.

Focus on backlist books: last year, in 2019, I made new releases my focus, since there were SO MANY new releases I was interested in; in 2020, I still want to read new releases that I’m excited about, but I also want to make backlist titles my primary focus.

Read some books on writing: I have several writing projects in the works, but I haven’t been as focused on them lately as I’d like to be. In 2020, I’d like to pick up some books on writing, and also try to go on a writing retreat.

Re-reads: There are four specific books I want to re-read in 2020, as all of them have sequels either out now or upcoming that I want to pick up, and I loved the originals enough that I want to experience those again first. I really got back into re-reading books during the latter half of 2019, and found the experience to be a really positive one, so I’d like to keep the re-reading momentum going in 2020. Here are the originals and sequels I’m eyeing:

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What are your reading goals for 2020?