Just So Stories

This might amuse you all: New Year, new you, new books too! We can all pretend that we will go to the gym more, do our laundry before the basket is overflowing, learn French, find a job that involves napping, or pilot a helicopter. But at some point, reality will set in and those resolutions may prove to be more than you bargained for. Let us help you set yourself up for success. (Is “book-cess” a word? It should be.) Read on for the new year’s resolutions that the book lover in all of us can’t wait to get started on! Bookcess!

Your pledge:

I, the unforgettable, irreplaceable, mesmerizing (your name here) solemnly swear to achieve at least one of the following new year’s resolutions in this great year of 2017. It will be a year of things that are better than the things from 2016. If I do not complete my resolution, I will submit myself to nothing because reading is supposed to be fun and I’m going to go ahead and #livemybestlife.

Xoxo,

A Book Lover

Bookish NY Resolutions from Penguin Teen

or these from Better Reading

Make more time for reading.

Easier said than done, but this really is a worthwhile use of your time. Reading is good for you? It’s good for the soul, your health, your brain, develops empathy, and makes you a nicer person. According to one study, reading even helps you live longer!

Start a book club.

Well, not only is reading good for you but apparently starting a book club is too. Of course, it makes perfect sense – something to do with the community, or maybe it’s the wine, who can say for sure, but if you’re not already in a book club why not give it a try? There are plenty of online options out there, so put finding your perfect book club on your to-do list this year.

Give yourself goals around reading.

One a week, one a month, 100 a year. It really doesn’t matter, but if your aim is to read more, making some goals will help to keep you on track.

Make lists or keep a book diary.

Ever go into a bookshop or library and forget what you wanted to read? Making a list will help with that. You can also make lists, either in a notebook or on a site like Goodreads.

Spend less time on the screen to make more time for books.

Okay, every screen except the one you read your book on if you’re an e-reader. Think about how much time you spend on social media, scrolling mindlessly. Less of that, more reading in 2022!

Keep your books tidy and well-presented.

Without going all Marie Kondo, organise your books this year. Get rid of the ones you really won’t ever read or won’t read again (give them to friends, donate them or put them in a street library), and make room for new ones.

Embrace those classics!

Read the books you’ve always wanted to. It might be the complete works of an author like Jane Austen or Charles Dickens, or it might be a really long book – say, Tolstoy’s War and Peace, or a book that you feel daunted by, such as James Joyce’s Ulysses. What’s holding you back? Get started today.

Share with friends.

You don’t have to start a book club to share your books with friends. Pass on the books you love, talk about books, get recommendations from friends. Or start a community library, where everyone in your neighbourhood can swap books.

and I love these (ok, so most of them I do already!)

Never leave home without a book.

A few minutes of downtime happens so frequently, and usually, we just pass the time scrolling social media on our phones. But if you always have a book on hand, you can get a few minutes of reading in instead! This one is easier than ever in the age of e-readers. Kindles are more compact and therefore easier to carry around. There’s also the Kindle, Apple Books, or Kobo app that you can install on your phone for even easier access (this also would be an easier way to ease out of the habit of scrolling social media when you’re bored).

Set a reading goal, but make it realistic.

Reading goals are fun, but not if they cause you stress. Take a look at the total number of books you read last year and base this year’s number on that. You also can set a page count goal instead. I usually set both because it helps make sure that I’m reading some lengthier books off from my TBR.

Use the library

Instead of buying every book new, borrow it from the library. If you really enjoyed it, you can always purchase a copy for your shelf later. This way, you’re saving money and supporting your local library, which is important because libraries are amazing, and the more we support them, the better they’ll be able to support us in turn.

Buy books with purpose

I originally had this as “go on a book buying ban,” but I think having that as a year-long goal is a little unrealistic. For many readers, the act of buying books is as much a hobby as reading the books themselves. So be more purposeful with your purchasing. Tell yourself that you’re only going to buy a new book for every # that you read and already own, or commit to not buying books unless they’re sequels to books you already own. By decreasing the number of books you buy, you’ll not only save money but you’ll be forced to make a dent in your existing to be read pile.

And on a related note:

Shop local

Yes, Amazon is convenient and cheap, but it’s a multi-billion dollar company; it doesn’t need your help, but local bookstores do. It may take longer for a book to come in, but you can build a relationship with the booksellers and get personalized recommendations when you frequent the same store. So overall, it’s a better shopping experience.

Finish books with purpose

This is not me saying that you have to finish every book you start because if you read my article on DNFing books, you’d know that I’m an avid advocate of intentionally setting aside books. However, there is a keyword in that phrase: intentional. Don’t leave books unfinished for months on end simply because you set it down and forgot about it. Either commit to finishing the book or choose to not finish it, but make it your goal to stop leaving books in book-limbo.

Join a book club

Or start one.

Or do a buddy read.

Basically, make a point to read a book with other people and discuss it. You’ll make new friends, and you might gain a new appreciation for the book by hearing someone else’s thoughts on it.

Vary your genres

Okay, this is one of my bookish goals, and I’m going to have a problem with it because I love romance so much. However, reading from different genres is an excellent way to expand your horizons and learn new things, and that’s one of the joys of reading.

Log your reading

Whether you use Goodreads or Storygraph, buy a book journal or make your own, or start a blog where you write reviews (like this one!), keep track of the books you read throughout the year and your thoughts on them were. It will help you avoid re-reading books, identify what you like so you can read more of that type of book, identify what you don’t like so you can avoid it, or find gaps in your reading habits.

Clean our your shelves

I’m not saying that you have to KonMari your shelves, because frankly if books bring you joy, then you should definitely keep more than 20. However, keeping books that you no longer have a use for or didn’t like is just taking up space that you could fill with books you do like. Also, that book might be someone else’s next favorite read, so you should pass it along. Donate it to a thrift store, used book store, or library if they take donations. Find a Little Free Library near you. Or simply gift it to a friend or coworker.

From Book Riot you might like to check out their new 2025 Reading Log! I disliked Good Reads a lot when I used it for a while years ago, then I went to Story Graph and wasn’t very consistent with that. This year, I’ve been more determined to keep track and I like the graphics it can create.

For my own bookish intentions:

📖 Be even more selective with what I review

📖Read more of my own choices [and not just review books]

📖Take time to re-visit old favourites

📖 Read books I’ve had on a mental TBR list for a long time

📖 Continue to enjoy the richness my involvement, and friendships in the Oz Kids Lit community bring to me

📖Ignore those who attempt to niggle with their negative vibes

📖Continue to especially support emerging, local and First Nations creators

📖 Write more

Happy first day of 2025! May we all prosper and be happy, despite the parlous times in which we find ourselves.

Reviews will re-commence the last week in January – already many written and scheduled. It’s going to be another cracker year in kids lit!