Geek Girl Goals: or 6 ways to grow as a reader in 2019

I’m just going to be completely honest with you. Ready? Inch a little closer, let me whisper in your ear.

I’m not good at New Year’s Resolutions.

I mean, I’m absolutely wretched at them. I break them mere hours after the ball drops in Times Square.

You want to know what my resolution was last year? To wish all my Facebook friends a happy birthday on their actual birthday. I lasted 6 days.

See? Wretched.

BUT when I determine to achieve some geek girl goal (ie. write a novel, read every Steinbeck novel in 6 months, memorize Kate’s monologue from Taming of the Shrew) I’m SO ON THAT!

So, I decided that for 2019 I would resolve to grow as a reader.

Living a literary life take building some brainiac muscles, but I think I’m up for that challenge.

Want to join me?

Fantastic. Here are some habits we can practice in order to grow as readers in the New Year.

1. Less screen time, more page time: Blerg! Don’t you hate it when you realize that you have spent an hour toggling between Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter just to have seen the same old things over and over? How about the amount of time it took to binge watch this or that show? I don’t know about you, but I, for one, am going to spend less time with my eyes on a screen and more time with my nose in a book. It’s okay to log off, close the lap top, put the phone across the room. I like to use an app blocking program like 1Focus to keep me honest.
2. Read books about — well — reading: 2018 brought us a few books about refining our reading lives. How wonderful! Karen Swallow Prior’s On Reading Well is a literary tour with many recommendations. I’d Rather Be Reading by Anne Bogel (of Modern Mrs. Darcy) reminds us of what made us fall in love with reading in the first place. Check out these books and be inspired in your reading!
3. Challenge yourself: Do you struggle to find new-to-you books to read? Do you find that you easily get stuck in a rut? Why not try a reading challenge? Anne Bogel recently announced her 2019 challenge complete with free printables. You can also check your local library or indie book store.
4. Consider adding a few classics to your list: The literary world has a rich history that is full of beautiful writing. John Steinbeck, Alexandre Dumas, Jane Austen, Edith Wharton, Kurt Vonnegut, Frederick Douglass, Flannery O’Connor, Zora Neale Hurston, Richard Wright, Harper Lee, Shusaku Endo…I could go on all day. There is a classic for every taste. Not sure which would be best for you? Leave a comment below to let me know a book you LOVE and I’ll try to hook you up with an excellent classical match.
5. Track your reading: Looking back at all you’ve read is quite satisfying. I love remembering all the wonderful books I’ve enjoyed (and some I didn’t like all that much) at the end of each year. Lately, I’ve come to love tracking my reading on GoodReads and BookBub. A bonus is having the opportunity to connect with other readers and get recommendations. Let’s connect on those sites!
6. Join a book club: Book clubs are great for breaking out a reading rut, getting new perspectives on literature, and providing deadlines for when a book needs to be finished. Plus there’s usually snacks involved. What’s not to love?

I can’t wait to hear how your reading lives are going in 2019. If you’d like to keep up with what I’m reading, you can follow me on BookBub, GoodReads, and Instagram. It would be fun to follow each other in our literary endeavors!

Happy Reading!