The most exciting part of the new year for me is getting to set my new book pledge, even if I didn’t reach my previous goal.
I fell short in 2019, only reading 12 out of the 30 I was hoping to. But, it doesn’t really bother me if I don’t get there. While it’s a number I strive for each year, it doesn’t define my success.
I’m not one to set New Year’s resolutions, mostly because I don’t care. The only personal target that I have each year is to read more, and I strived for that even when I was reading over 30 books in the past.
Before the clock strikes midnight on Dec. 31, I sit down and look back on the books I read over the previous year. I remember the ones I really liked, which surprised me, those I wasn’t a fan of, and the series I come back to again and again.
Even though I read less than I once did, it doesn’t diminish my love for curling up with a new story or one I know like the back of my hand. I still enjoy talking to friends about whatever they’ve got on the go, or what my new favourite book is at the moment.
Social media has made it a lot easier to see what other people are reading, and I always find myself cheering my friends on from the sidelines as they reach, and sometimes surpass, their own book pledges. I usually look through their lists when I’m considering a new book to add to my own to see which ones we both enjoyed.
Since I started reading the Harry Potter series on my own all those years ago, I’ve never gone more than a couple of days without reading one, or multiple, books. It’s my escape, and it always will be. I’ve considered myself a bookworm since then, and likely always will.
I don’t think there are any negatives when it comes to being a reader, and I’d be surprised if someone could point one out to me. No matter what you like, you’ll learn something that you can take with you and hold onto through a world the author introduced you to.
While I’m hoping to read 30 books in 2020, all I really want to do is get lost in a story and the development of the characters. I want to join them on that journey, even if I just finish one book all year.
