It’s a brand-new year and guess who’s feeling happy about it and refreshed and not slumpy at all (although, let me stop mentioning slumpiness so I don’t jinx myself).
Well, in addition to making “best of” lists and such, I enjoy making reading plans for the year, which is what this post is about. From my 2022 reading wrap up, I learned that making my reading goals manageable and not too ambitious is best. So I intend to repeat the goals I had last year, with a few tweaks thrown in.
Overall Reading Goals
Spend less.
Read more of my own books.
My plan is to read at least 10 of my own books before purchasing a new one (exceptions for series I’m reading and buddy-reads).
Goodreads Challenge
50 books
This is a manageable goal for me when I’m not having a weird year. (Of course, my secret goal is always to hit 100.)
Books I Must Read
4 books
I’m bringing this back — selecting a few books from my physical TBR that I MUST read in a year. In the past, I would list 8 books that I’d never read, lol. I’ve minimized it to 4 in hopes that will be easy for me to achieve. Plus, I’ve already started on one of the books — The Golden Compass.
The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman
Under the Pendulum Sun by Jeannette Ng
Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI by David Grann
Hammer Head: The Making of a Carpenter by Nina MacLaughlin
Read Comics/Mangas
5 comics
The plan, of course, is to read more than what’s listed here — extra points if I actually read what’s listed here.
Witch Hat Atelier by Kamome Shirahama (illus.), transl. by Stephen Kohler
Spy x Family, Vol. 1 by Tatsuya Endo (illus.), transl. by Casey Loe
The Ogre Gods, Vol. 1: Petit by Hubert Boulard, illus. by Bertrand Gatignol, transl. by Jeremy Melloul
Xerxes: The Fall of the House of Darius and the Rise of Alexander by Frank Miller (illus.)
Toe Tags by George A. Romero, illus. by Tommy Castillo
Read Picture Books
5 books
I’m listing the same books I had on my TBR last year (since I only managed to read one from that list), plus 2 extra. Of course, I hope to read more than this number.
The Secret Lives of Dragons by Zoya Agnis (Sangma Francis), illus. by Alexander Utkin
Baby Goes to Market by Atinuke, illus. by Angela Brooksbank
Stephen Biesty’s Cross-Sections Castle by Richard Platt, illus. by Stephen Biesty
Hair Love by Matthew A. Cherry, illus. by Vashti Harrison
At the Same Moment, Around the World by Clotilde Perrin (illus.)
Pick Up a Classic
2 books
Two classics a year seems more my speed. Also, I’m going to start including more modern classics as well for this because obviously I have no motivation to try the old, stuffy ones.
The Magician’s Nephew by C.S. Lewis, illus. by Pauline Baynes
The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan
Three Terrifying Reads
3 books
Bonus points for actually reading these, or at least Isle of Blood.
The Isle of Blood by Rick Yancey
The Houseguest by Amparo Dávila, transl. by Audrey Harris
Doctor Sleep by Stephen King
Where Are the Middle Grade Ones?
4 books
Two of these are rereads, but it’s been a while since I’ve read them.
A Pinch of Magic by Michelle Harrison
The Lives of Christopher Chant by Diana Wynne Jones
Jinx by Sage Blackwood
The Son of Neptune by Rick Riordan
Travel Through the Discworld
3 books
I hope to actually hit this goal this year.
Carpe Jugulum by Terry Pratchett
The Light Fantastic by Terry Pratchett
Mort by Terry Pratchett
Read My Own Stuff
30 books
I’m not on a book-buying ban really, but the intention this year is to read more of my own stuff — and to get rid of ones I don’t like and don’t want to keep. I intend to do my plan where I’m allowed to buy a new book for every 10 books I read to minimize the amount I buy and increase the amount of my own stuff I read.
Bookforager’s Picture Prompt Book Bingo
Hit a bingo!
I did this last year and enjoyed it, so I’ve decided to participate in BookForager’s Book Bingo again. There are 16 boxes, but I set my goal at 4 since that’s what it takes to hit a bingo.
A Quick Roundup of My 2023 Reading Plans
Goodreads Challenge = 50 books
Books I Must Read = 4 books
Read Comics/Mangas = 5 comics
Read Picture Books = 5 books
Pick Up a Classic = 2 books
Three Terrifying Reads = 3 books
Where Are the Middle Grade Ones? = 4 books
Travel Through the Discworld = 3 books
Read My Own Stuff = 30 books
Bookforager’s Picture Prompt Book Bingo = 4 books
Zezee with Books 
I love The Golden Compass! I think you’ll enjoy it!
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You’re right! I recently completed it and really enjoyed reading it.
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Yay! So glad you’re playing picture prompt again this year! 🥳
Good luck with all your reading goals Zezee! ❤
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Thanks! 🙂
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I wish the best of luck with all your goals! I think that the “reading your own books” is the hardest! I call it “read more physical books” but the concept is pretty similar (at least in my mind and related to my case) but it’s the one I struggle the more with!
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I agree it’s the hardest. Well, I find it hard to read the selection of books I chose. I guess I’m just a rebel who doesn’t like doing what she’s told, even when it’s me telling myself to do something, lol.
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I’m trying to spend less this year, as well, though I’ve not done a good job of making any kind of quantifiable goals yet, so I might not be quite as effective at it. 🙂 I’ve heard good things about Spy x Family and I’d be curious to try the manga and the anime. I hope you enjoy The Joy Luck Club. I’ve really enjoyed everything I’ve read by Amy Tan, which isn’t nearly enough, and also enjoyed the movie version of The Joy Luck Club.
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I think I’ll get on well with Joy Luck Club too. Have you seen here documentary on Netflix? It’s about her life. Amy Tan: Unintended Memoir
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I’ve not seen the documentary, but over the last couple years I did pick up two non-fiction books by her, though I’ve yet to read them. The Opposite of Fate: A Book of Musings, and Where the Past Begins: A Writer’s Memoir.
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I have a feeling I’ll end up liking her work (really liked the documentary). If so, then I’ll have to check Writer’s Memoir too. I like the title.
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Four books you must read sounds totally manageable. Good luck reading your own books!
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Thanks 🙂
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I hope you love Golden Compass,that’s a favorite. Good luck on all your goals!
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Thanks! Have you seen the TV? It’s what made me pick up the book.
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Philip Pullman’s series is one of my favorites. Good luck, you have a lot of fun goals!
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Thanks!
Have you seen the TV show? That’s what got me interested in the book now
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Joy Luck Club was a really fast read for me. I thought it was quick but insightful.
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It sounds good. I decided to add it to my list after watching a documentary about Amy Tan on Netflix.
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Oh wow, I need to watch this documentary. I’ve read a bunch of her fiction and her nonfiction plus I am taking her Master Class.
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Oh you would appreciate it even more than I did then. It was so interesting, and I didn’t know she had such a tough relationship with her mom. The documentary is “Amy Tan: Unintended Memoir”
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I love the idea of picking 4 books that you MUST read! Good luck on your 2023 goals 🙂
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Thanks! 🙂
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Good Luck with all of these especially reading more of your own books. It might be hard to stick to reading 10 before you buy a new one though 😀
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Oh I know it’ll be hard. For 2022, I had to read just 5 before buying a new book, but that didn’t work at all.
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Pretty much the same for me when it comes the goodreads challenge, there’s always a very optimistic secret goal 😀
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Lol! Yup! 😀
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