I Read 50 Books in 2021. Here’s Why I’m Not Doing That Again
And what resolutions you should try instead
On a December afternoon when the credits and outro music of my audiobook began to play, I gleefully moved Four Seasons in Rome from “Currently Reading” to “Read” on my Goodreads app. I didn’t think it was possible to be excited by a number other than a cholesterol count or an SAT score. However, I was proven wrong when the icon displaying my books read for the year refreshed from “49” to a blurry “50” displayed in sans serif grey font. It felt like a weight was lifted off of my chest.
Despite my extra free time in 2020, my reading schedule had still been erratic at the time. I read a total of ten books, which isn’t an awful number until I look back and realize that almost all of those books were read in a single month. I missed my middle-school self who was somehow able to read five books a week by toting them in the car, peeping them open between classes, or getting lost in them before bed. My 2021 resolution to read 50 books was supposed to awaken that inner reader again. Now that I had done so, was I essentially “cured”?
I no longer think it makes sense to approach reading as a nineteen-year-old in the same way I approached reading as a middle-schooler. My taste in books is different now. My routine as an urban college student looks very different than that of a suburban preteen. And of course, I now have a phone which loves to beep and honk and remind me of all my obligations right when I’m about to cozy up with a novel. Aiming to read 50 books again might be a fun flex, but it won’t support me as a reader.
If you just so happen to read 50 books in 2022, good for you. However, if you have an astronomical goal for reading more in 2022, here are some reasons why I think you should ease up a bit.
Books are not the only form of media out there
Please don’t come at me with your pitchforks! I think it’s safe to say that there are plenty of things you can read that don’t count as a book on Goodreads. In my effort to reach my resolution, I feel that I missed out on consuming some of the media I used to enjoy. I missed buying magazines and getting 30-minute tastes of different topics instead of committing to several hours with a single plot. Although my Podcast app sat neglected in favor of Audible, I missed the routine of getting caught up on news with The Daily or learning about some niche topic for an hour.
This also might be controversial, but I think there’s value to mindfully watching TV or movies to the extent that you actively enjoy it. Watching itself can be a social activity with housemates, and being up to date on the latest release can be a good conversation starter with friends. I also feel like a little bit of FOMO plays into this: do you really want to look back twenty years from now and realize you never saw whatever blockbuster historians say defines our generation?
Quality > Quantity
Another thing a high book goal encourages you to do is read a lot of smaller books instead of dedicating a longer amount of time to something you enjoy. Last summer, I got a copy of The Goldfinch, a 771-page novel that spans several decades. I was drawn in from the first chapter, but I then shelved it for several months until I was “more sure” that I was going to make my reading goal. Quite frankly, when you prioritize the number of books you are reading, the main benefit goes to whatever store you are buying books from.
On the topic of bookstores, it’s also important to note that if you are trying to read a lot of books, you might prioritize the cheapest books you can find, which are likely from Amazon or a big box store. Using that money to support a local, independent bookstore instead keeps that money in your community. In addition, keeping local stores open makes sure that we bookworms have staff who can offer us great recommendations, engaging promotional events to attend, and a platform for smaller writers to promote themselves. While you might be able to buy more on Amazon (and I do acknowledge that for some people money is tight), it might be important to ask yourself if those are books you actually enjoy.
My goal still didn’t encourage me to read “regularly”
In 2021, I engaged in a lot of binge-reading. After not touching a book for months, I would suddenly read five in one week. At the beginning of the year, I figured that this was a problem to solve. However, I don’t think this is as much of a problem anymore. Sometimes my schedule is busy, but that doesn’t mean I’m not a reader. My books will still be there when I’m ready for them!
After finishing my 50th book on December 3rd, I sadly didn’t touch a book for the rest of the year because I felt so burnt out. So much for starting a routine! For a busy person, I think a better resolution would involve carving out special times instead of regular times to enjoy reading.
Reading is supposed to be fun!
If a book isn’t vibing with you or is making you uncomfortable, you should be able to put it down. Last year, I stuck with too many strange books I knew I wasn’t enjoying just so I could say I finished something. Even if you haven’t finished a book in a while, I don’t think that makes you any less of a reader. In the case of some nonfiction books or anthologies, you might even get the gist of the story you are looking for without reading a volume cover to cover.
When we take a productivity mindset to what most people consider a hobby, reading can become focused on how many hours, pages, or volumes we finish. However, reading is simply that. Whether you read a page three times or all you’ve read today is a cereal box, you’re still a reader!
Better New Year’s Resolutions for the Bookworm
- Take your books on dates once a month: to a local coffee shop, to the park, to your couch with a cup of tea. Clear your schedule for a few hours to let yourself soak in whatever you have picked.
- Choose a local bookstore to support other than Amazon. IndieBound is a great place to find some — you can even order books online from them and have the proceeds given to a shop of your choice. My favorite indie bookstores are Bookpeople in Austin and Bird in Hand (The Ivy Bookshop) in Baltimore. Of course, I have not been to every bookstore in the world, so feel free to rally for your own local haunt in the comments.
- Try to read a behemoth book or series — think The Goldfinch, War and Peace, The Lord of the Rings, or even A Court of Thorns and Roses
- Participate in a Book Exchange. Whether you want to join the pyramid scheme you see on Instagram or organize a small one amongst friends, the premise is simple. You give someone a book you’ve read that you think they will like, and they do the same for you. It’s always fun to get and give good recommendations!
- Give old books away to charity. It can be a drag, but try to go through some old books you know you’ll never open again and give them to someone who will enjoy them! You can drop them off at a little free library, school, or community organization near you!
