I’m linking up with Top Ten Tuesday. Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish and is now hosted by Jana at That Artsy Reader Girl. Check out upcoming Top Ten themes on Jana’s blog!
When I started writing this post, I realized that I had not done a “resolutions” post since 2018! I guess I gave up when I failed miserably with my goals that year. But I feel like 2021 is a good year to bring back some type of formal goals in my reading and blogging, so here we are. I’m keeping things fairly simple this year. I’m not joining any reading challenges, because I simply forget about them a few months into the year and then feel really bad about it.
This year I want to focus on keeping up with my review pile as much as possible, but I’m also determined to read some backlist books and catch up with some 2020 titles that I missed.
Reading goals:
1. Goodreads:
Last year I set my goal at 85 books and ended up reading 93, so this year I’m pushing myself a little and setting my goal at 95 books. I think that’s completely doable for me, and I may even try to stretch to 100 books. I know this is a pretty low goal compared to some bloggers, but I’m just not that fast of a reader!
2. Read at least 10 “new to me” authors:
I always end up reading quite a few new to me authors anyway, but this year I have some specific goals in mind. Here are two women authors that I definitely want to cross off the list, and in fact I’ve chosen specific books of theirs that I want to read:
FONDA LEE: Yes, I SWEAR I will read Jade City and Jade War before the September release of the final book, Jade Legacy. I have nine months to fit these two books in, and I would be a sad blogger indeed if I couldn’t manage that goal.
MARY ROBINETTE KOWAL: Kowal has two series I’m dying to get to, and both the Lady Astronaut and Glamourist Histories series have been highly recommended to me by several bloggers I follow (you know who you are!). I’m planning on buying Shades of Milk and Honey with some Christmas money, and if I love it, I’ll buy the rest of the series too. I already own The Calculating Stars and The Fated Sky, so really there’s no excuse not to read them.
3. Catch up on 2020 ARCs:
OK, so I have way more than four ARCs to catch up with, but these four are the ones I really want to try to read this year. Lobizona has a sequel coming out this year, I’ve heard so many good things about These Violent Delights, I just want to experience it for myself; same with Unconquerable Sun, plus Kate Elliott would also qualify as a “new to me” author; and I’m sick that I never got to The Doors of Eden, so I’m going to try very hard to read it!
Blogging goals:
Day to day blogging schedule: I already have a good blogging schedule set, and I don’t intend to change it this year. I work best when I can schedule posts ahead of time, so I try to write up posts and reviews the week before I post them. My current schedule is:
Mondays and Thursdays: Reviews
Tuesdays: Top Ten Tuesday when I like the theme, or leave open for author interviews/events, or simply skip this day.
Wednesdays: Future Fiction
Fridays: The Friday Face-Off
Saturdays: the occasional review and book haul posts (usually only once or twice a month), otherwise I skip Saturday posting.
Sundays: Buffy’s Corner/Weekly wrap up
Blog design revamp: I had actually intended to redo the blog design in time for the new year, but it just didn’t happen. I get tired of my blog design every few years and it doesn’t hurt to do a refresh now and then. So, sometime in 2021 I expect I will make time for this!
And that’s it. My blogging theme for 2021 is “Steady as she goes.” I just want to keep on going, continue to find and read amazing SFF books, keep up my blog hopping and discover new blogs. No drastic changes or goals this year, which means that overall I’m very happy with my blogging and reading. Which is a good thing!
Since I’m still stuck at the first book in the Jade trilogy, I need to try and avoid the distractions that so far kept me away from continuing, because this is a very promising series. And I can heartily recommend Kowal’s Glamourists series: it’s the kind of… soothing read we all need right now… 🙂
Maddalena@spaceandsorcery recently posted…STAR TREK: AVAILABLE LIGHT, by Dayton Ward
I think starting the Glamourist series will be good for my well being, for sure:-)
95 books is still a lot of books! 😀
I really want to read Jade City as well, I don’t think I will be able to read the entire trilogy but I want to at least start the series! I also want to read The Calculating Stars but I’m nto sure I’ll get to it this year!
Unconquerable Sun was very good and I’m lloking forward to the sequel, hopefully it will come out in 2021 when the first book is still fresh in my mind. 🙂
Maryam recently posted…24 Books I Want to Read in 2021
At least we know all those books will still be there when we’re ready to read them:-)
Best of luck with your goals, Tammy! I need to read Jade City this year, too–I’ve heard nothing but good things about it so it’s about time I crossed it off my TBR.
Jess @ Jessticulates recently posted…Top Ten Tuesday | My 2021 goals
I hope we both get to read it:-)
Kowal’s Glamourist series is on my list to read this year, too:)). I think leaving everything nice and relaxed this year is a sensible strategy – right now this year is just as bad, if not worse, than 2020 so far… No point in putting any pressure on yourself! I am always a bit awed at folks who regularly change up their blog furniture and I look forward to your blog makeover, Tammy. Mine is exactly the same as the day I posted my first article waaay back in 2009:)). Except for the steady growth of my own book titles down the right-hand column of course!
I hope we both love the Glamourist series:-)
Good luck! I hope you love Fonda Lee’s style as much as me.
Ooh me too!
Keeping it simple, I like it. I haven’t thought through many goals this year, other than slightly upping the number of books I’m trying to read. I think you’ll enjoy Kowal. I read Shades of Milk and Honey, and though I wasn’t all that into the regency romance aspect I did really enjoy the writing. I’ve heard one of the latter books is more a heist novel so I may try that eventually. I haven’t started the Lady Astronaut stories though I did thoroughly enjoy a short story in that series. I’ve also been thinking about a website/blog design change for a while now, just haven’t taken the time to explore it yet. I’m onboard with this year’s these: Steady as she goes! 🙂
It just doesn’t feel like the right year to make big changes, you know? I just want to get my vaccine and eventually move on with life:-)
Good luck, Tammy! I’m sure you can do all of these with ease. 😀
Stephanie @ Bookfever recently posted…My Favorite Podcasts: Part IV
Thanks Stephanie!
Good luck. Just take it one book at a time.
Yes, good advice:-)
I’m trying to keep it simple this year. While I still have a few 2020 releases to read, I pretty much wiped the slate clean at the end of the year – I don’t need that pressure going into the new year. This year I want to be more selective with my ARC requests so I can read more from my shelves.
Hey, I like that “wipe the slate clean” idea. I may adopt it myself:-)
Great goals and I can’t wait to see the revamp. Hoping I can get a post up later today because… well, life 🙂
Ha ha I know, life is just always in the way, right?
Wow, you write a lot of blog posts each week! Good for you. 🙂
My post.
Only because I plan ahead, ha ha.
LOVE the these – Steady as she goes! Good luck with all your goals 🙂
Thanks Jules!
You’ve got a LOT of content planned! Good luck! 😀
Thanks Stephen!
Looks like we’re sharing a few similar goals here, and no, still haven’t finished JADE CITY, maybe one day.
Alex recently posted…Top Ten Tuesday: Bookish Resolutions
Maybe even this year??
Great goals!
I love Jade City. I hope you enjoy it.
I have a feeling I will too:-)
I think those are terrific plans for the year, Tammy. I am holding steady, too. I hope you find many new SFF books to love in 2021!
Thanks Jenni! I hope we have a fabulous year:-)
Yay for Mary Robinette Kowal! Good luck with all your goals. Hope you enjoy your 2021 reading!
Thanks Lisa, you too:-)
Excellent challenges to set yourself for 2021! I hope you have fun with The Doors of Eden! I know I and many others did! 😀
Thanks Lashaan, I have heard many good things about Doors of Eden:-)
I want to read more new to me authors this year as well!
Jo recently posted…Top Ten Tuesday #298
I hope we both do well with that goal:-)
I have the same problem with reading challenges. I join them with the best of intentions, but they inevitably end up falling to the wayside and then I feel bad about it. xD Catching up on ARCs is something I need to do myself, especially since there are so many ones I was looking forward to at the end of 2020 that life just swatted to the side.
Oooh, a blog design revamp is always exciting! Looking forward to seeing what you come up with. 🙂 Here’s to hoping 2021 is everything 2020 wasn’t.
Sammie @ The Bookwyrm’s Den recently posted…2021 Bookish Resolutions (Ft. Me Being Wildly Optimistic)
Yes, I want to have high hopes for 2021 but I’m going to be a little conservative, just in case things don’t go well.. Well that was depressing, sorry!
These are great goals! I love that you have a weekly blog plan. I’m still working on mine.
It definitely helps me know what I want to post each week:-)
I enjoyed Shades of Milk and Honey and hope you will too. I haven’t read any farther in the series yet. I like to change up my blog look every now and then too. I think the one I have now is the longest I’ve gone without changes . I think it may be time. I wish you luck with your goals! Simple is good.
Yes, I think simplicity is the way to go this year, especially since so many other things in life are up in the air.
Good luck with your goals Tammy!
Thanks Heather!
I love organization and planning so I really enjoy this post. I also believe it is helpful to you to think about what you want in advance because then you have a better chance of doing it. Good Luck!
Anne – Books of My Heart recently posted…Blood Heir by Ilona Andrews
I agree! Planning definitely works for lots of people. I get more done when I plan ahead:-)
Great goals! I’m going to be pretty laid back this year, but I usually end up reading plenty of new authors and hitting my goodreads challenge. What I really need to work on is catching up with 2020 ARCs before they fall by the wayside!
It’s so hard to go back to them, right? But I’m going to try as well.
I think these are fantastic goals, Tammy! I hope you get to check out Kowal’s work–I really enjoy it. I wasn’t a huge fan of the first Glamourist History book but the rest of the series is great! I HIGHLY recommend The Calculating Stars. Good luck with your goals!
Ooh can’t wait to dive into The Calculating Stars!
Holding steady is what I’m going for, too, although I would be better off if I were more organized with blogging than I am. I used to make resolutions and sign up for challenges, but it got depressing to fail at them so badly! Looks like you’re off to a good start for 2021!
Exactly how I feel, it’s depressing when you realize you sort of forgot about those challenges, lol.
Great goals!! Can’t wait to see what you come up with for a new blog design!! You know I have gotten tired of mine from time to time…lol.
I really need to get started! I feel so lazy these days…
Yes! Read Jade City and Jade War! I can’t wait to hear what you will think of it.
And I’m curious to see what you would do with a new blog design. I get tired of mine too but I am too scared of how much I have to change in graphics and all so I just will keep it for a little longer, lol
Annemieke recently posted…Authors I Read Multiple Times During 2020 | #TopTenTuesday 272
I’m definitely going to try to fit in Jade City next month:-)
Good luck with your goals. The Glamourist Histories! Really hope you enjoy those. I’ve only read the first one but it’s a series I definitely want to carry on with.
Pages and Tea recently posted…Book Review: Midwinter Murder: Fireside Mysteries from the Queen of Crime by Agatha Christie
I’m glad you enjoyed the first book, I can’t wait:-)
It’s very important that you are happy with your blogging and reading and at your own pace, and I’m totally rooting for you, Tammy! 😀
Thanks Silvia!
Good luck with your goals!! I have Kowal on my TBR too, and I really hope to read those books! To be honest, I am not so sure about the Lady Astronaut series, but I am so so curious about Glamourist Histories! Let’s hope we would love them!!!
I hope we both love them too:-)
That’s a whole lot you read last year!
Keeping the goals simple is the best way. Good luck on your blogging and reading this year!
Thanks Zezee:-)
I love your goal of reading 10 new-to-you authors. It’s always so much fun to try new authors. I found so many new favorites last year and hope to find even more in 2021.
I have so many big authors that I really should have read by now, it’s sort of embarrassing!
You absolutely smashed your reading last year. I wound up being short and only read 98 (boo) my final two books that I was hoping to complete fell by the wayside due to too many other things going on.
I hope to do better this year but also I’m going to try and be chilled out about it.
I think you will make the 100 😀
I must pay more attention to some of the arcs I didn’t manage to get to due to covid brain.
Lynn 😀
Honestly I admire your blogging schedule! I can’t post as often as you do.
Sounds like a solid plan – I’m always impressed by your consistency, so best wishes for 2021 (and I look forward to the redesign – I’ve been wondering about one myself, although I might limit it to fresh fonts and getting my head around the new WP editor 😉
I didn’t set a lot of specific blogging goals this year, other than my usual Goodreads goal and then I’m doing a challenge to try to get books read from my piles of TBR books that I got as ARCs in years past or bought. I need to set some more specific ones like you have. Good luck to you as well!
Lisa Mandina (Lisa Loves Literature) recently posted…Book Blitz Review with Giveaway: Fetching by Kylie Gilmore
More backlist books is my goal for this year! There are seriously so many amazing books out there I haven’t read (and keep saying I will…) I really want to make an effort!
Caitlin G. recently posted…Weekly Reading Check-In: 01/13/21