Read More in 2024
With a new year just around the corner, this time of year goes hand in hand with (perhaps the clichéd notion of) New Years’ resolutions. It is a time to reflect and consider any goals or changes we’d like to make with the intention of improving our lives and wellbeing. Around this time last year, a friend had recommended to me the app Goodreads. The app has many features, however I was most interested in how you can set a reading challenge goal, track the books you read in the year (even giving them ratings) and keep a record of the books you are interested in reading. It prompted me to consider…
As a child, I always had a book in hand. I loved reading but somewhere along the way we grow up. Through the process, our lives (or mine at least) seemed to morph as we become adults and responsibilities take place of the things we do ‘just for fun’. On average, it would take me around a month or even two(!) to finish a book. So, I decided I would install the Goodreads app and challenge myself by setting a goal of 25 books for the year (around 2 a month or 1 each fortnight). That seemed like a realistic challenge.
However, I have enjoyed using the app so much that I’ve actually read 35 books this year. By seeing my reading habits improve, my children have also downloaded the app and are tracking their progress (monkey see, monkey do!)
I will definitely be using the Goodreads app to track progress next year and initially I will set the goal of 24 (to coincide with the year being 2024).
Tips and tricks to help reach your goal:
- Reading the genres you enjoy (I enjoy a variety of genres so have found it best to mix up the style to keeping reading fresh and interesting)
- Set aside sometime each day to read (I enjoy reading before bed. I also like carving out an hour or so on a weekend morning while the house is still quiet)
- Packing your book in your bag when you go out – use the time you may spend waiting (even scrolling) in places; doctor waiting rooms, picking up the kids from sports/dance/band
- Use the upcoming summer holidays your advantage… just picture a glorious summer day at the beach, pool or down by the creek and a good book (sounds like bliss)
- Finally, use our libraries – it’s free to borrow books! The staff can help you to find reading material you’re interested in, and it’s a much more sustainable way to enjoy a variety of books/literary material.
My highlight reads of the 2023…
“A Breath of Snow and Ashes” and “An Echo in the Bone” by Diana Gabaldon (books from the Outlander series). These books are quite long books but they storytelling is amazing and definitely worth the time reading.
“At the Foot of the Cherry Tree” by Ali Parker. This is a novelisation of the author’s family story around the time of World War II.
“Devotion” by Hannah Kent. I find books with historical undertones interesting. This novel is refers to the settlement of a German colony in South Australia in the early to mid 1800s.
“The Life Swap” by Barbara Hannay. This was one the library’s recent hot speed reads. A lovely, light and fun read. I’m going to be on the look out for more of this author’s books in the new year!