Some readers designate a reading or book project for the year. I’m reflecting on past and current projects and brainstorming my next book project!
Book Projects and Reading Goals
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I’m linking up today with the 2024 Book Blog Discussion Challenge hosted by Nicole @ Feed Your Fiction Addiction and Shannon @ It Starts at Midnight.
What is a reading project?
Do you have a reading project?
Have you ever considered a reading project?
Ongoing Book Project
A book project I started a few years ago is reading Newbery Award winners (see my progress here). I intend to keep it as a long-range goal because I enjoy reading Middle Grade. However, I got stalled when I picked up two Newbery books and they were both DNFs. That discouraged me, and at this point I wonder if I should continue the project.
2023 Book Project: Lesley Eames
One book project I enjoy is reading an author’s backlist. Becoming a Lesley Eames completist was my focus for my 2023 reading project. I’m also a Fredrik Backman, Louise Penny, and Sara Ackerman completist. These author projects have been more successful reading projects than my Newbery aspirations.
I first discovered Lesley Eames when I preordered Christmas at The Wartime Bookshop based on a review I read (I wish now that I’d noted the reviewer). Since it was #3 in a series and I had to wait several months for the Kindle version to be available on Amazon, I decided to read #1 (The Wartime Bookshop) and #2 (Landgirls at the Wartime Bookshop) while I waited. I fell in love with these three characters and the quaint English village. I also appreciate the “women on the homefront during WWII” micro-genre. There are two more in the series planned! Each one can be enjoyed as a stand-alone, but because it follows three main characters, reading in order provides the most satisfactory reading experience. If you’re looking for an uplit, lovely histfic/women’s fiction series, I can highly recommend this one.
The Wartime Bookshop series was the catalyst of my most recent book project…..becoming a Lesley Eames completist. Altogether, I read SEVEN of her books in 2023! Here’s a list of her published (and soon-to-be-published) work:
- The Wartime Bookshop (#1)
- Landgirls at the Wartime Bookshop (#2)
- Christmas at the Wartime Bookshop (#3)
- The Orphan Twins
- The Brighton Guest House Girls
- The Silver Ladies of London (also called The Runaway Women in London)
- The Wartime Singers
- Evacuees at the Wartime Bookshop (#4) Pub Date: 6/20/2024
- A Foundling at the Wartime Bookshop (#5) Pub Date: 9/26/2024
Future Book Project
Now that I’m an Eames completist, I need another reading project. What types of reading projects have you completed? I’ve heard about some ambitious projects. For instance, some readers have projects to read a book from every state in the United States, or a book from every country in Africa, or the completion of an A-Z title list, or to read classics, to read poetry, to read short stories, etc. The possibilities are endless! I’ve already determined that I want to reread Pride and Prejudice this year. Perhaps I should devote this year to rereading more of Jane Austen? Reading Agatha Christie also sounds like a fun project!
Do I Need to Have a Book Project?
Absolutely not! For some who are more spontaneous, mood readers, this will sound like a dreadful idea! Others might enjoy setting a personal challenge. However you structure or don’t structure your reading life is the right choice for you! One year you might feel like a structured challenge and the next year you don’t. That’s fine as well.
Structuring and Planning a Reading Project
Honestly, I usually “fall into” a reading project! “Oh, I’ve read four Lesley Eames books? If I read three more, I’d be a completist.” Suddenly, I have a doable reading project! “I’m going to read one Jane Austen this year….maybe I could read one more?” You are in charge of your reading project and can quit it or modify it at any time. Be certain that it’s a project that is doable and enjoyable and matches your reading tastes.
Let’s Discuss:
Do you have a reading project?
Would you like to have a reading project?
Happy Reading Book Buddies!
“Ah, how good it is to be among people who are reading.”
~Rainer Maria Rilke
“I love the world of words, where life and literature connect.”
~Denise J Hughes
“Reading good books ruins you for enjoying bad ones.”
~Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
“I read because books are a form of transportation, of teaching, and of connection! Books take us to places we’ve never been, they teach us about our world, and they help us to understand human experience.”
~Madeleine Riley, Top Shelf Text
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Nice 🌹
Recently I’ve been trying to read more books by authors south of the equator.
Wonderful project! Happy reading!
I don’t think I would’ve framed this as a “project” until seeing your post (goals, rather, is the term I use!), but two of mine are to read from my TBR backlist and to read more from my own shelves. 🙂
Yes, these are fabulous projects! Happy 2024 reading Celeste!
Last year, since I live in Maine, I made a goal of reading books set in Maine, or by Maine authors (which is often both) and I read 11! I really enjoyed that. And just generally, every year, I have a goal to read more of the books on my shelf (twice I set aside a month to read ONLY books I already owned, making a stack and working my way thru them), plus I like to include a classic or two (and if I already own it, even better). Last year I made the goal to become Ann Patchett and Elizabeth Strout completists and I accomplished that! I should pick another one or two. Perhaps Barbara Kingsolver. Other than that I hope to get some ideas for this year from your site and other’s comments!
These are all wonderful projects! I love your Maine project! So fun to read books set in a familiar location. Sounds like you are curating a fabulous and meaningful reading life! Happy 2024 reading Susy!
Lesley Eames books sound good. I’ve been reading Nevil Shute’s backlist (not sure it’s a “backlist” if they are dead but you know what I mean). I did the 50 states and I’m gradually working on a book written by someone from the country or set in the country for a Reading the World project. It’s fun. Its all just mood reading–no schedule.
Congrats on completing the 50 states! The Read the World project sounds ambitious and fun! I like that you’re keeping it relaxed and pressure free! Happy 2024 reading!
I just grab a book from somewhere when I feel like it. I have a notebook I track them in. The states got down to North Dakota and Rhode Island–I made it after researching books.
🙌
Hi, Carol – With the exception of the Bronte sisters and Jane Austen, I have never (yet) read all of the books available by a single author – no matter how much I enjoyed an author’s previous work. You have inspired me to consider this further!
Sometimes the newer work is better than the older work so it doesn’t always work out, but it’s fun when it does!
As you know I do like a project (a much better word than challenge I think) and because it’s one I create, I can set my own parameters and go at my own pace.
Should you do one and if so which? Honestly only you can answer that one. My general guidance would be to do one if it makes you happy. As for which one – you could stick with your current idea of being an author completist or you could branch out and pick a country/ region or period of time. It doesn’t have to be that big either. Maybe reading all the USA would be too much to handle but you could just pick one of the time zones or the founding states. There is so much scope to create a project YOU want to do
Thanks for your encouragement and wise words! So many possibilities!
I’ve found that having a reading project can be motivational, but I like your advice for a “laid back” approach. If life gets complicated (as it tends to do), placing too much emphasis on completing a project can become just another source of stress and anxiety.
We definitely want to keep our reading projects stress free! Thanks for commenting!
I’ve been trying to read the books that are nominated for Illinois’ Rebecca Caudill Award (basically the state award), but it’s mostly because I’d like to be able to recommend them to people who come into the bookstore, and I haven’t been super serious about making sure I read every single one.
But now you’ve also made me kind of want to read all the books that have gotten the Newbery – or maybe just those that have gotten it in the last 20 years or so? Hmmmm….
It’s fun to have a book project! I love MG and there are many that haven’t received the Newbery that are my favs, but it’s fun to read the award winners nevertheless. Thanks for commenting and happy reading!