7 Bookish New Year's Resolutions for 2020
What are you doing New Year's Eve? (here's one of my favorite jazzy renditions of that song)
I'm most likely staying in, watching Netflix with my husband, and popping champagne when 2020 hits. Surprise, surprise.
As 2019 comes to an end I started thinking about how many books I read this year, how Instagram pushed me out of my reading comfort zone, and how much I want to read in the New Year. Even though I love being a part of the #bookstagram community, I learned a lot over the months about my reading habits--good AND bad. And so, here are my bookish resolutions for 2020.
(Also, enjoy one of my favorite photos of Kaylee along with one of my favorite reads this year.)
Take my time and savor each book.
I naturally read pretty fast. Before Instagram, I'd fly through a book and if I loved it, I'd keep it around to reread it. Multiple times. Now, I've gotten into the habit of reading something quickly but not really letting myself savor the story. I want to sloooowww it down and appreciate each book in case I don't want to reread it afterward.
Reread some 2019 favorites.
Since I've stopped rereading books so often, I want to go back and read some of the books I really loved in 2019.
Join a book club IRL.
This year, I want to stop using my introvert nature as an excuse to not do things. I love the monthly buddy read I helped start a few months ago because it's so flexible and people can participate no matter where they are. But I'm itching to discuss books with actual live people face-to-face, and I need to finally get out there and do it.
Post less on Instagram.
When I joined the bookstagram community and started seeing my engagement and follower count grow, it was exciting! It made me want to post every day and be on my account 24/7. And that's not healthy. I finally forced myself to ease up and just take a break. Follower count and engagement is always gonna fluctuate (thanks, algorithm) and really, no one is going to notice if I disappear from Instagram for a few days.
Follow bookstagrammers I click with.
I love to discover new bookstagrammers and get to know them. I love finding bookstagrammers who are also obsessed with cats, love Harry Potter, live in Colorado, or have similar tastes in books. Bookstagram is a community, after all, and you're meant to find "your people" within it. This is probably an unpopular opinion, but I don't like to follow everyone who follows me, and I don't plan to. I also want to stop following bookish accounts that give me FOMO or make me feel bad about my own posts. What's the point? Those are guaranteed ways to stress myself out.
Borrow books and buy used.
I already do this since my library is just 5 minutes away, and I try my hardest to buy secondhand books rather than brand new. On the few occasions I can't wait for used copies though, I'm guilty of buying from Amazon or Barnes & Noble. I want to try and buy more from my local bookstores as much as I can.
Set a reading goal...and forget it.
My 2019 reading goal was 55 books. I read 99. How much did it bother me that I didn't reach a nice even 100? TOO MUCH. In 2020, I want to set a goal for 100, but I also want to forget about the number and again, just enjoy each book for what it is. A story, rather than a number on a list.
Do we share any of the same bookish New Year's Resolutions?