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For comparison’s sake, here were my Bookish goals for 2024. I achieved most of them as least partially.

This year I would like to:

1. Write more film reviews for Long and Short Reviews. I find it easier to read for 15 to 30 minutes here and there as I work on book reviews for them than I do to set aside 2 or 3 consecutive hours to watch a movie. Let’s see if I can change that this year.

2. Read more from the solarpunk genre. Like cozy mysteries, these are such soothing stories because I know everything will turn out okay in the end. Generally, they’re even pretty comforting in the middle of everything.

3. Whittle down my TBR list. This is a never-ending goal for me!

4. Use humor more often in my reviews. One of the things I think some of the other LASR reviewers – and even a lot of TTT reviewers whose blogs I have visited over the years – do really well is find playful ways to word things. My reviews are generally more serious in nature, but I’m wondering I can switch things up a little in certain cases.

5. Review more of the books I read, especially for indie authors. I know how important reviews are to them, but it can be hard to find the time to review everything or even to know what to say for certain books.

6. Avoid spilling tea again on my phone while reading an ebook. (Luckily, the tea had cooled down and it was only a few drops of it!)

7. Avoid spilling anymore crumbs on my phone while reading, too. Can you sense a theme developing in my life? 😉

8. Listen to audiobooks regularly. They are such a handy way to squeeze in more reading time.

9. Read more nonfiction. If you’ve read any great books in this genre, I’d sure like to hear about them.

10. Read more poetry.

Hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl

I’m going to be repeating a few of my goals from last year and then adding in some new ones.

1. Whittle down my TBR list. Sometimes I swear they grow by themselves overnight!

2. Visit nearby physical branches of my local library more often. I’ve read that being a librarian can be a stressful job at times, so I’d like to give them some friendly in-person experiences if I can. Also, not every book is available in digital form, so borrowing some of those paper books would help with my TBR list for sure.

3. Play more literary or bookish games on my phone.

4. Read short stories regularly. I need a break from the long (but good) novels I read last autumn and at the beginning of this winter.

5. Read more cozy mysteries. I tend go in spurts with this genre, and it’s been a while since I last visited it.

6. Take reading breaks. I am not always good at this, but it’s refreshing to step away for a little while and do something else. Maybe the spring will be a good time to do it if there aren’t too many forest fires and the weather is decent then?

7. Take a break from the fantasy genre. I’m a longtime fan of it, but I think I need to read other genres for a while. I’m finding it too repetitive, but I think it’s because I’m so well-versed in what typically happens in this genre.

8. Visit indie bookstores. I miss them so much.

9. Find cool people on Bookstagram who talk about science fiction, ghost stories, psychological horror, or other similar things.

10. Run away and go live in the woods. Or at least that’s what I’ve been threatening to do in order to have more quiet reading time. 😀 Fellow introverts, how do you carve out time to read?

Suggestions for how to accomplish any or all of these goals are quite welcomed!

Hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl

1. Encourage more people to sign up to become reviewers for Long and Short Reviews. I’ve convinced a few friends join, and they’ve all had a wonderful time discovering new authors and sharpening their writing skills. If you’d like to help me reach this goal, all of the details on how to join can be found on the Become a Reviewer page. Tell them that Astilbe sent you.

2. Whittle down my TBR list. As a lot of you, I’d guess, I have so many books on there that I’ve been meaning to read but haven’t quite gotten around to picking up yet.

3. Reread old favorites this winter. There’s something comforting about knowing exactly what will happen next and spending time with beloved characters.

4. Discover some great new anthologies, especially if they’re in the mystery or speculative fiction genres.

5. Listen to more audiobooks. They’re especially helpful when you’re doing mundane, repetitive tasks like shoveling snow or doing household chores that require the use of your body but not necessarily your mind.

6. Play fewer games on my cellphone. There’s nothing wrong with gaming, of course, but I find it’s cutting into my reading time and would like to readjust my priorities.

7. Alternatively, maybe I could find some literary or bookish games to play on my phone?

8. Read a romance novel. I rarely venture into that genre, but I have found a few titles in it that I truly enjoyed.

9. Try some non-gory horror again. This pandemic has squelched most of my interest in the genre, but maybe now I’ll be ready to give it a shot as long as it isn’t related to disease in any way.

10. Visit the physical branch of my local library again. I miss making friendly small talk with the nice librarians there.

If you have any book or game suggestions for me based on these goals, I’d sure like to hear them.