The arrival of 2024 brings us all a fresh start, and with it, the opportunity for new reading adventures. At The Willoughby Book Club, we're kicking off the year by embracing reading resolutions, our personal commitments to explore new genres, revisit literary classics, and to throw ourselves in to a brand new year of reading.
Maybe you've thought about creating your own reading resolution for 2024? Be it conquering that towering to-be-read pile, delving into diverse voices, or simply dedicating more time to the simple joy of reading, let's embark on a year of literary discovery together. Stay tuned for inspiration, recommendations, and a celebration of the written word in our upcoming blog posts. Here's to a year filled with the magic of books and the endless possibilities they bring!
2024! How are we already here? It feels like making my resolutions for 2023 was only yesterday! Last year, I wanted to try a new genre to help myself out of a reading slump (which didn’t go so well) but I’m officially out of the reading slump, so something clearly changed along the way!
This year, as I’m back to reading quite regularly, I want to challenge myself to reading a book a week and to eventually read 52 books in total. This is something I’ve tried to do many times and I have just missed out on it over the years. Obviously, life gets in the way and some books are just denser than others, but I have a good feeling about the challenge this year!
For the coming year, I have a new resolution. I am terrible for not reading for long extended periods of time, but then binge-reading a couple of books over a weekend. While this can be great fun (especially with series) I find that the books I pace myself with and spend time on tend to stick with me better in the long term. I remember a lot more of the book and why I enjoyed it in the first place, long after I put it down. They also tend to be the books I like going back and re-reading, to see if I find something new in them. So, this year I want to spend more time digesting my books and really letting them play over in my mind, to think more critically about them. This then leads into the second part of my resolution, which is to make reading more of a regular daily habit, even if it is just a chapter. This might help take away some of the pressure and intimidation I experience when finishing a book sometimes.
I am always the first to say that reading goes in phases, and comes and goes like the tides. Sometimes you want to devour books, and sometimes reading just doesn't come as easily. And that's okay. I started 2023 in the worst of reading slumps, but managed to come back to reading at the year's mid point.
In 2024 I'll be prioritising the daily habit of reading, and will try and fit a few more non-fiction titles in as well. I'll be aiming to read more broadly, and maybe read more new releases after a year of backlisted titles in 2023. Like Alisha, I'm going to aim for a book a week for 2024, life permitting. I think I should give myself a resolution of not buying any new books until I've read all the ones that are waiting to be read, but there's really no point in setting a resolution you've no hope of sticking to, is there?
2024 will hopefully be the year of more consistent reading for me! 2023 started well but my reading slowed down somewhat towards the end of the year! I want to start off strong, reading by whim and going down bookish rabbit holes when the feeling takes me.
As always, I would like to read literature in translation, as well as English language books from all over the world. I’m particularly interested in reading more South American and Middle Eastern novels, so I’m on the look out for new suggestions!
Lastly, I would really like to read more narrative non-fiction, as the books I’ve read in 2023 have been super interesting and illuminating. I can't wait to scour my bookshelves!
I’ve never really set reading resolutions, or New Year Resolutions of any type, actually. But a few years ago I did challenge myself to alternate each book I read in my usual genre, with something completely different. It worked, as I found that I was always reading the same types of book, which was getting a bit tedious and predictable. However, now I’ll read pretty much anything! I have read some really good books that I wouldn’t have previously thought to pick up and will continue with this method going forwards, picking up a book I think sounds or looks like my kind of thing.
Secondly, I have had Phillip Pullman's Dark Materials on my shelf for four years now and each year I say to myself: "This is the year I will read them'", yet they’re still there, unread! I read the first one and tried a few times to start the second, but I tend to struggle with the fantasy genre. I know for a fact that I will enjoy them if I make a good start and get into the story properly.
So, this is the Phillip Pullman year. I will re-read the first one and then make a real effort to finish them all!
I wasn't much of a reader prior to starting work at The Willoughby Book Club, but being surrounded by books and people chatting about what they are reading has gradually got me back into the habit of reading again.
I was introduced to Benjamin Myers in 2023, and absolutely loved The Offing. I'm looking forward to seeing the film/TV adaptation when it comes out. I'm currently reading The Perfect Golden Circle which has been passed round the office- so far so good!
In 2024 I am aiming to continue with the habit of reading, and challenge myself to read some authors I have not tried before. The book I am most looking forward to in 2024 is Rare Singles, the new Benjamin Myers book that is being described as a 'love letter to Northern Soul'. I can't wait!
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