Happy New Year, lovely readers! It is the time of year for setting all of our reading goals for 2019. In addition to setting a Goodreads challenge, I've set myself some specific goals to widen the range and diversity of what I'm reading this year. If you guys have any suggestions for books that I should read to help me meet these goals, I'd love to hear them!
Read 50 books
50 books is my usual goal and I generally hit it about perfectly. For 2018, I had reading goal set for 40 books because I thought I'd have less time, but I ended up hitting 70! I think I'll be able to pass 50 with flying colors this year, but I prefer leaving my goal on the lower end anyway.
50 books is my usual goal and I generally hit it about perfectly. For 2018, I had reading goal set for 40 books because I thought I'd have less time, but I ended up hitting 70! I think I'll be able to pass 50 with flying colors this year, but I prefer leaving my goal on the lower end anyway.
Read more Black authors
In 2018 I only read 3 books by Black authors and only 4 books about Black main characters. Of those books, only 2 were Black authors writing about Black characters. This year I'm going to be intentionally looking for more OwnVoices Black characters to read about.
Some books on my TBR that I'm considering reading for this goal are...
Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi
Song of Blood & Stone by L. Penelope,
An Unkindness of Ghosts by Rivers Solomon
Akata Witch by Nnedi Okorafor
A Blade So Black by L.L. McKinney
Binti by Nnedi Okorafor
A Place for Wolves by Kosoko Jackson
If It Makes You Happy by Claire Kann
The Weight of the Stars by K. Ancrum
Full Disclosure by Camryn Garrett
In 2018 I only read 3 books by Black authors and only 4 books about Black main characters. Of those books, only 2 were Black authors writing about Black characters. This year I'm going to be intentionally looking for more OwnVoices Black characters to read about.
Some books on my TBR that I'm considering reading for this goal are...
Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi
Song of Blood & Stone by L. Penelope,
An Unkindness of Ghosts by Rivers Solomon
Akata Witch by Nnedi Okorafor
A Blade So Black by L.L. McKinney
Binti by Nnedi Okorafor
A Place for Wolves by Kosoko Jackson
If It Makes You Happy by Claire Kann
The Weight of the Stars by K. Ancrum
Full Disclosure by Camryn Garrett
Read more Native American authors
As much as I hate to admit this, I cannot think of a single Native American author that I have read. In fact, I don't even think I've read any books with Native American primary characters. As someone born and raised in America who prioritizes diverse reading, I really need to change that.
Some books on my TBR that I'm considering reading for this goal are...
The Clockwork Dynasty by Daniel H. Wilson
Mapping the Interior by Stephen Graham Jones
Love Beyond Body, Space, and Time edited by Hope Nicholson
There There by Tommy Orange
Trail of Lightning by Rebecca Roanhorse
Deer Woman: An Anthology edited by Elizabeth LaPensée and Weshoyot Alvitre
Walking the Clouds: An Anthology of Indigenous Science Fiction edited by Grace L. Dillon
As much as I hate to admit this, I cannot think of a single Native American author that I have read. In fact, I don't even think I've read any books with Native American primary characters. As someone born and raised in America who prioritizes diverse reading, I really need to change that.
Some books on my TBR that I'm considering reading for this goal are...
The Clockwork Dynasty by Daniel H. Wilson
Mapping the Interior by Stephen Graham Jones
Love Beyond Body, Space, and Time edited by Hope Nicholson
There There by Tommy Orange
Trail of Lightning by Rebecca Roanhorse
Deer Woman: An Anthology edited by Elizabeth LaPensée and Weshoyot Alvitre
Walking the Clouds: An Anthology of Indigenous Science Fiction edited by Grace L. Dillon
Read more Muslim authors
Muslim authors is another area where I feel like my diverse reading is lacking. I really want to pick up more books by Muslim authors this year and, luckily, there are some amazing books being published this year that fit the bill.
Some books on my TBR that I'm considering reading for this goal are...
A Very Large Expanse of Sea by Tahereh Mafi
The City of Brass by S.A. Chakraborty
Mirage by Somaiya Daud
An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir
Love From A to Z by S.K. Ali
We Hunt the Flame by Hafsah Faizel
Tell Me How You Really Feel by Aminah Mae Safi
The Love and Lies of Rukhsana Ali bySabina Khan
The Weight of Our Sky by Hanna Alkaf
The Candle and the Flame by Nafiza Azad
Muslim authors is another area where I feel like my diverse reading is lacking. I really want to pick up more books by Muslim authors this year and, luckily, there are some amazing books being published this year that fit the bill.
Some books on my TBR that I'm considering reading for this goal are...
A Very Large Expanse of Sea by Tahereh Mafi
The City of Brass by S.A. Chakraborty
Mirage by Somaiya Daud
An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir
Love From A to Z by S.K. Ali
We Hunt the Flame by Hafsah Faizel
Tell Me How You Really Feel by Aminah Mae Safi
The Love and Lies of Rukhsana Ali bySabina Khan
The Weight of Our Sky by Hanna Alkaf
The Candle and the Flame by Nafiza Azad
Read more books with disabled characters
Being disabled myself, disabled main characters are really important to me. I've read quite a few books with mentally ill characters but far fewer with physically disabled and chronically ill characters. I'm hoping to read more of those this year.
Some books on my TBR that I'm considering reading for this goal are...
When My Heart Joins the Thousand by A.J. Steiger
So Lucky by Nicola Griffith
Ascension by Jacqueline Koyanagi
Brave Enough by Kati Gardner
Handbook for Dragon Slayers by Merrie Haskell
Love From A to Z by S.K. Ali
The Arrival of Someday by Jen Malone
Our Year of Maybe by Rachel Lynn Solomon
This Is Not a Love Scene by S.C. Megale
Full Disclosure by Camryn Garrett
Being disabled myself, disabled main characters are really important to me. I've read quite a few books with mentally ill characters but far fewer with physically disabled and chronically ill characters. I'm hoping to read more of those this year.
Some books on my TBR that I'm considering reading for this goal are...
When My Heart Joins the Thousand by A.J. Steiger
So Lucky by Nicola Griffith
Ascension by Jacqueline Koyanagi
Brave Enough by Kati Gardner
Handbook for Dragon Slayers by Merrie Haskell
Love From A to Z by S.K. Ali
The Arrival of Someday by Jen Malone
Our Year of Maybe by Rachel Lynn Solomon
This Is Not a Love Scene by S.C. Megale
Full Disclosure by Camryn Garrett
Read more audiobooks
In 2018, I read 9 books as audiobooks. I love audiobooks because they let me read while multitasking and I tend to read way more books in a month when I am working through one. So my goal is to read at least 15 audiobooks in 2019. My actual selection will probably be based on what I want to read at the time and what my library has purchased, but I'd love to hear about some of your favorite audiobooks for inspiration!
In 2018, I read 9 books as audiobooks. I love audiobooks because they let me read while multitasking and I tend to read way more books in a month when I am working through one. So my goal is to read at least 15 audiobooks in 2019. My actual selection will probably be based on what I want to read at the time and what my library has purchased, but I'd love to hear about some of your favorite audiobooks for inspiration!
Read more nonfiction
I'm a huge nonfiction fan but, because I am always so caught up in the new fiction releases, I really haven't been reading much of it lately. In 2019 I want to read more memoirs and self-improvement books as well as more historical and biographical books. I've gotten some suggestions on twitter for some awesome nonfiction, but I'm still on the lookout for more (of any topic) if you guys have any favorites! I especially want to find some books about queer and disabled people from history.
I'm a huge nonfiction fan but, because I am always so caught up in the new fiction releases, I really haven't been reading much of it lately. In 2019 I want to read more memoirs and self-improvement books as well as more historical and biographical books. I've gotten some suggestions on twitter for some awesome nonfiction, but I'm still on the lookout for more (of any topic) if you guys have any favorites! I especially want to find some books about queer and disabled people from history.
Read more adult
I've had some adult books sitting on my TBR for ages that I haven't made time for because I'm always so caught up in YA. I want to get to some of the literary fiction that's on my shelf as well as find some awesome, diverse SFF books to read.
I've had some adult books sitting on my TBR for ages that I haven't made time for because I'm always so caught up in YA. I want to get to some of the literary fiction that's on my shelf as well as find some awesome, diverse SFF books to read.
If anyone has any suggestions for me as to which books I should read to help me fulfill my goals, please let me know! If I mentioned a book that you think I should get to immediately (or that wasn't your favorite) I'd love to know that too. I'm trying to read less contemporary books this year because I'm a much bigger speculative fiction fan, so sometimes I have to dive a bit deeper to find diverse reads that I will enjoy.
Happy New Year everyone and may your reading year be 5-stars!
Happy New Year everyone and may your reading year be 5-stars!