Monday, January 11, 2021

Top Ten Tuesday | 2021 Bookish Goals



So I kind of already did this post on January 1st but I am re-sharing it for this week's Top Ten Tuesday because I don't do resolutions of any kind except this. And these aren't resolutions, they're more like goals and I am suuuuuuper competitive - especially with myself - so there's that.

Over the last two years I have really relaxed and given myself a lot more grace when it comes to whether or not I am successful with each of my goals. Blogging is fun and I want it to stay fun, not feel like a job. So, if I reach all my goals, awesome. If not, oh well. Still, having at least a target to aim for is always helpful, so here they are.

1. Read 275 books - This is definitely doable and a total I have made before. I think 300 might be out of reach, even for me. In 2020 I read a total of 480 books. 199 of those were chapter books with Eleanor and 281 were books I read for myself.

2. Reduce my TBR to less than 2,500 books - Tackling the TBR has definitely helped this cause. Heading into year three of this long-term challenge, I foresee even more progress than ever before.

3. Reduce my Upcoming Review list to less than 150 - Who knows if this is even doable. I spent pretty much the last week of 2020 doing reviews because I met my reading goal, but I don't know if I will ever get my Upcoming Reviews under control. I ended 2020 with roughly 230 books waiting to be reviewed. Yikes!

Have you made any goals for 2021? If so, let me know in the comments or leave a link to your post.

Happy New Year and Happy Reading!
Sarah

72 comments:

  1. You have 2500 books on your TBR. Egads. That is a lot of books. https://headfullofbooks.blogspot.com/2021/01/ttt-2021-reading-goals.html

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. My TBR total right now is 2,986 so I hope to get it below 2,500 this year.

      Delete
  2. 275- I wish I could even come close to that. I don't do resolutions much either. We'll call them guidelines lol.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WJVBvvS57j0

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You just have to stop cleaning, stop socializing, and only hang out with your children. Easy! lol

      Delete
  3. Wow, you're a reading machine! Awesome stats. Tackling The TBR looks like a lot of fun to keep tabs on.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you! Tackling the TBR has helped me so much. Feel free to join in if you want!

      Delete
  4. That's. Amazing. I couldn't imagine reading that many in a year! Good luck.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you! I think 275 is about my limit, I have tried more and failed.

      Delete
  5. That's a lot of books! And 230 books to review! But who can refuse a good review book! Here is my post: https://moretoodiscover.blogspot.com/2021/01/top-ten-tuesday-resolutions-for-2021.html

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Right?!?! I have really culled the list and managed to decrease that number, but it is still around 200.

      Delete
  6. I'm planning [lol] a 2021 Read Planning post for a week on Saturday. I think it might be quite a long one..... [muses] Should definitely hit 100 this year.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Oh wow. I never reach much more than a hundred. But I love looooong books.

    Otherwise, my goal is similar to yours, to Read more Books from my TBR pile and therefore I participate in several challenges.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I read mainly non-fiction, so my books get rather long as well. I like longer reads too.

      Delete
    2. Totally agree. They are always great. I just thought because you mentioned chapter and children books (which I hardly ever read nowadays since my kids are out of the house, LOL), you might prefer shorter books altogether.

      I have just checked your lists and they are totally interesting. Following you now!!!

      Delete
    3. Ah, gotcha. I don't count the chapter books I read with my daughter in my actual year-end total, though of course Goodreads does. That's how I got the 480 books read for 2021, but for MY book total I read 281.

      Thanks for the follow! Happy Reading in 2021!

      Delete
    4. I was just surprised about the 480. But 281 is still remarkable, even if not all of them are huge books. Well done.

      Delete
    5. Ah yes, the 480 was massive due to COVID shutting down schools and completely wrecking our typical summers that involve lots of visits to our favorite museums and libraries.

      I'm a teacher so I was working from home, but it wasn't daily classes of course, seeing as how not every student had tech access. So I taught my daughter and homeschooling was amazing, I wish I could do that for her always. Then we just read and read and read.

      I never count picture books in the total I read to her, so that 199 is solely chapter books. The 281 for me alone is about what I usually get to, though I read more YA this year than in the past. Still, most of my reads are always a few hundred pages at least. President Obama's memoir was my longest, nearly 800 pages I think. But I can listen to him forever, so it didn't feel like a long book at all.

      Delete
    6. 280 is a great number. I am usually happy when I reach 100. I don't work but I suffer a lot from migraines, so that's probably the main reason why I would NEVER reach your toll.

      I am still waiting for the "A Promised Land". Where I lived in the Netherlands, I used to have a library where I could borrow English books but due to my husband's retirement, we moved back to Germany and here I can only get books in German. And I don't care much for translations. Anyway, I try not to buy too many hardbacks, they are too heavy, too big for my shelves and too expensive but I might have to do it hear.

      In the meantime, I read Kamala Harris' "The Truth we hold", a present from my son for Christmas, also fantastic.

      Delete
    7. Migraines are the worst! Mine are being pretty well-controlled now by meds but it took a bit to find the right combination. I have two daily meds and an emergency one, and on the day I happen to forget to carry the emergency med, that is usually when I get one!

      A Promised Land was so good. I could not put it down. Partly because I enjoy Barack Obama's writing style, but also because it was nice to 'hear from' a president again. I am going to be checking out Harris' book soon. I love her so much and I cried on Wednesday when she was sworn in. Actually, I cried a lot that day, for so many reasons.

      Delete
    8. I'm glad your migraines got better. I had always hope they would improve over time like they did with my mother. But, not so much luck. I've seen every specialist that works with migraines. Nothing helped.

      I also enjoy the Obamas. I didn't know Kamala Harris before she was nominated for VP but she is fantastic. Glad you have such a great team now. Because, in the end, it affects us all.

      Delete
    9. I'm so sorry to hear that. I would be in big trouble without my daily meds and my emergency ones. We at least figured out they were stress-induced, so that helped. I take an additional med that helps with keeping my stress/anxiety levels closer to normal (my job was super stressful when they started, and my doc and I agreed that it was not wise to stop taking it during a global pandemic, lol). It took a while to find the right dose though, and that was really hard. Hopefully you will find something that works.

      I knew of Kamala Harris before she joined the presidential race but during her campaign is when I really got to know her and her stance on issues near and dear to me. I was disappointed in Biden being the nominee because I really adore Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren. Still, I was pleased to see Harris as the VP pick. Usually VP is largely undefined and has no real role or specific responsibilities outside of being the president of Congress but I feel like she will be more involved in getting things done than any VP before. I am excited to see what she does.

      Delete
    10. My migraines are mainly genetic, I inherited them from my mother and she inherited them from her mother. All my cousins suffer from it. I don't have a sister or a daughter, they would most probably have had it, as well. Even some of my brothers daughters have it. So, I doubt, I'll ever find a solution, I've been looking for so long.

      We are quite interested in your politics in Europe (too interested for some but, after all, the American president has also a huge influence on our countries) and I followed the nominations and all but there is always something you don't catch. But as soon as I knew of her, I read about her and was quite happy with her nomination. I'm sure she won't be a VP anyone will forget.

      Delete
    11. That's really curious how it is passed on to females only! Ours are genetic as well, as my mom and grandma have them. I really hope my daughter escapes this curse!

      I feel like I would be very frustrated by the US much of the time, if I lived in Europe. The theatrics and chaos of the last four years aside, I think it would be frustrating because, as you said, our president and his or her policies do impact many other nations.

      I am glad that Harris' nomination brought you joy - I know she will do great things. Hopefully that translates to great things for the rest of the world too.

      Delete
    12. As much as I would have loved to have a daughter (probably even more since I don't have a sister), I am glad I have two boys. Both they and my three brothers escaped that curse. Yes, it's typical, we femals have a lot to endure.

      I'm glad you see it that way that US policits has an impact on the rest of the world and that we have a right to be interested. I always say, he calls himself the "leader of the free world" but if he is leading us and we are free, shouldn't we be able to vote for him? LOL. Joke aside, I believe we should at least be able to say what we think.

      And yes, I believe a lot of what goes on in the US translates into the rest of the world, so I am hopeful (and grateful) for Kamala Harris.

      So lovely that we found each other, I'm sure we'll still have a lot to discuss.

      Delete
    13. A lot to endure, indeed. I would not wish my migraines on anyone!

      I think people who are so focused on just their own country and refuse to see how we are all connected are always setting themselves up to be mad about some policy or decision. I know that I have a lot of rights and privileges here that many in other countries don't. So, when others voice opinions about the US and those policies/decisions that in turn impact them in their own countries, I think that's acceptable.

      I am also so glad we found one another, I am enjoying our conversation! And I think we both know thre is so much more to come, especially in the next few months.

      Delete
    14. There are people who only care about themselves and don't see that it is in their best interest to have a wider view. Unfortunately, those people exist everywhere and if we don't say anything, their numbers will grow ...

      And I'm sure there will be a lot more to come in the next months and years. Looking forward to it.

      Delete
    15. That is exactly my line of thinking also. Letting people sit in their wrong thoughts is not okay. For example, I get so mad when people say they don't bother talking to trump supporters because you can't change their minds. They've been left for 4+ years to wallow and stew in their wrongmindedness, especially the racist and many-phobic beliefs some hold. I confront that shit head-on and I won't stop doing so. It needs to be called out until they either figure out that those beliefs are wrong and change, or they crawl back into the gutters they came out of.

      Delete
    16. That is great. We need people like you. Do you know the quote from Martin Niemöller, "First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out ..." Just like that.

      Delete
    17. YES! And, thank you <3

      That has been one of my favorite quotes for a long time and never was it more true in the last couple years. We can't be silent, or let it go and think everything will be okay. We need to confront this head-on and make it uncomfortable for people to be racist. trump made them all way too comfortable and it has to end.

      Delete
    18. Why am I not surprised. I first thought to include the whole quote because not many foreigners know it but then I thought, if you don't know it, you're smart enough to google it.

      I meant to write a post about this for ages, maybe I'll get to it now. And yes, we are all happy that he is gone.

      Delete
    19. It's powerful and I have shared it often on my Facebook page. Similarly, I love a meme that was created from the original in 2017 as trump attempted to dismantle and destroy our country from within that says:

      "First they came for the scientists, and the National Park Service said, 'LOL, no'. And went rogue. And we were all like, 'I was not expecting the Park Rangers to lead the Resistance. None of the dystopian novels I read prepared me for this. But, cool.'"

      And while I realize it comes across as glib at first read, it does really show the power of the original quote in that resistance was immediate and powerful and loud. Even as those in the National Park Services were threatened with being fired, they operated alternate accounts and saved as much information as possible that was being purposely purged from government websites.

      Delete
    20. That guy is responsible for so much. I can't believe how people still think he is a hero.

      Delete
    21. It's sick, just like his crazy base of followers. They are killing the old way of the GOP, this is who they are now - a bunch of giant whiny self-entitled man-babies and whatever the female version of man-baby is. Woman-baby just doesn't sound quick right, but that's what they are, the lot of them, and I am sick of it all!

      Delete
    22. I heard from one of my Republican friends the other day that the democrats are so far away from what your forefathers envisaged. I doubt that. I think they would turn in their graves if they knew what that guy was up to. And I don't understand any woman, person of colour, unemployed man, person who has lost money because they were sick etc. etc. who voted for him. The only people who benefitted from him were the super rich guys.

      Delete
    23. Agreed! The GOP is also quite a ways off from what the Founding Fathers intended, so your friend probably should not be casting stones! Our government was designed by men who honored their oaths and trusted others to do the same - but also recognized that there would come a time when men and women did not do so. That's exactly what the Electoral College was implemented for - to stop someone liek trump from taking office. It failed and now I think there is no going back.

      Delete
    24. Yeah, you need a big rearranging of your politics. But I don't see that happening any time soon. I doubt your founding fathers would be happy today, we have to move on and it looks like with your current system, that's not going to happen. Things change. I read somewhere that if you went back to allow only the weapons that were available when the second amendment was written, you wouldn't have the problems today. I'm sure that's completely true.

      Delete
    25. Oh, it's 100% true! The founders definitely did NOT have automatic and semi-automatic weapons in mind when they penned the second amendment. How could they, when they were shooting muskets that only worked most of the time?? The whole issue of guns is so insane. No one wants to take away all the guns. We want gun reform to put safeguards in place that would prevent people from getting guns if they are a danger to themselves or others. No responsible gun owner should be against that, because responsible gun owners are the ones who look just as bad when the crazies come out. It's all so insane.

      People are too afraid of change. I was a Bernie supporter all the way and still am. Biden will move us away from trump but he has too problems: one, he can't move radically away from the GOP and swing super far left because then those Republicans who were never-trump, or saw the error of their ways after these last four years, would abandon him. But he also will never be far enough left or remotely progressive enough for people like me/my generation, and the generations after us who want broad sweeping and drastic changes.

      Delete
    26. You are correct there. I think many people, like us, were only for Biden because they were against Trump. Who knows, Kamala Harris might bring more reform in the long run. Because you definitely need reforms.

      Delete
    27. That's exactly what it was - and I get that Biden has evolved on a lot of his positions over his years in Congress, but he is still part of the status quo. I so badly want Kamala to be different, should she run in 2024 (which I think obviously she will). Her involvement in this administration will be powerful if she does it right, and if she and Joe follow up on their word from the campaign trail, we will be better off. I just hope Joe can go enough left to keep progressives on his side.

      Delete
    28. Good luck. I have read books by both of them and I am hopeful.

      Delete
    29. I am going to be getting her book at some point soon I hope - the wait list is long. I am waiting a bit longer on anything about Biden; I still think Bernie was the better choice. But I am glad that Bernie ran again in 2020, because he can continue to push the platform more progressive and where we need it to be.

      Delete
    30. I can imagine. I received it as a Christmas present from my son. Maybe he wants to borrow it later. LOL

      I read Biden's own book Promis Me, Dad. I didn't know him much before other than as Barack Obama's vice president. But it is a lovely account of this life.

      Delete
    31. I didn't know much of him either until he was Obama's VP. I absolutely loved their bromance and those were some of my fave memes ever. I'm still a little salty about him getting the nomination but we are already way ahead compared to where we used to be just two months ago.

      Delete
    32. I guess, whatever he does, it will be a lot better for us all than what his predecessor "accomplished".

      Delete
  8. That's a large TBR pile but on the other hand think of all the wonderful books it contains just waiting for you to pick them up.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Wow, 275 books is a big goal! Good for you. I'm rooting for you.

    My post.

    ReplyDelete
  10. 275 books! Wow, that is an impressive goal, good luck with it!
    My TTT: https://jjbookblog.wordpress.com/2021/01/12/top-ten-tuesday-298/

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you! I find if I go much higher, I don't have a chance of being successful.

      Delete
  11. I honestly don't know how you read so many books with a job in education and a child. I can't manage that many and I'm a chronic bachelor. XD (But then, I do have a nasty addiction to RDR2...)

    My goals are mostly about types of content and not the numbers -- more classics, more finished TBRs, and more southern lit.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I really do the bulk of my reading and reviewing when Eleanor is at her dad's house for the weekend. I read after she goes to sleep and get as much planning for school and such done during plan time and lunches!

      Content goals are excellent. Maybe one day I will accomplish that goal of reading about the presidents...some far off day...lol

      Delete
  12. Wow! 275 books! That's way more that what I could read! I'm hoping to read 100 books this year! Good luck on your goals!

    Here’s my TTT!

    Ronyell @ Rabbit Ears Book Blog

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Good luck to you as well! 275 is about the ceiling for me, when I have tried more I have not been successful.

      Delete
  13. My main goal for 2021 is to read more nonfiction. I only read three nonfiction books last year. While I definitely prefer fiction, I don't want to cut myself off from the nonfiction world.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. A most excellent goal, you know I love non-fiction! I will always have a rec or 20 for you if you want!

      Delete
  14. 275 books! Wow! That's a lot! And 2500 books on your TBR, I'll break out in a nervous sweat! I try to not have more than 500 books.

    Good luck with your goals!

    Elza Reads and TTT presents ABBA 2021

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. My TBR total right now is actually 2,986 so I hope to get it below 2,500 this year. 275 is usually doable for me, any more than that and I am not successful. Good luck to you as well!

      Delete
  15. Reducing my TBR really helped me out. Hopefully it does you too.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. My TBR used to be well over 5,000 books so this goal has helped SO MUCH.

      Delete
  16. 2500 tbr? wow, good luck with that challenge! Good luck!! https://readwithstefani.com/2021-bookish-and-reading-resolutions/

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Stefani! The TBR total right now is 2,986 so I hope to get it below 2,500 this year. Good luck to you as well!

      Delete
  17. I need to clean up my tbr as well. Good luck.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Feel free to join me with Tackling the TBR! If there are enough people interested I can do a linky for it.

      Delete
  18. Good plans. I reduced my upcoming review list at the end of the year too but it has already grown. The math is to review as many books as I read. The trouble is I like reading more than reviewing! Good luck.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I am in the same boat! Reading is way more fun, and I had to take a good look at the books I really cared enough about to review. That helped me reduce the pile by quite a bit already. Good luck to you as well!

      Delete
  19. Reducing my TBR pile is a big one for me, too, though you definitely have me beat with the number of books on yours!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. My TBR total right now is 2,986 - and that's down from over 5,000 when I first started this! If you are interested, I can do a linky for it and people can join as they want.

      Delete
  20. My Goodreads TBR is pretty uncontrollable (somewhere around the 1k+ mark) and it's already grown *a lot* since 2021 started and we're still in the first month 😂 I don't own all those books though but I definitely want to cull the list a lot! Good luck with writing all those reviews, too!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You should definitely join me for the Tackling the TBR then! I post weekly, but everyone is welcome to post whenever they want, weekly, monthly, whatever. If enough people seem interested I could do a linky and we could all blog hop and encourage each other because it is HARD!!!

      Delete

Thanks for visiting my little book nook. I love talking books so leave a comment and let's chat!