How to win at books? The Reading Goals of a Booktube Newbie 📚😎
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 14 ก.ค. 2024
- I'm setting my reading goals for the year! Or for the foreseeable future. Or a while. My goals are changing as I go along, but this will serve as a record of what intentions I have with my reading right now, and I think the four main goals will still be the same, even if the specifics of them might shift slightly.
I'm just a regular reader and the main point for me is just to have a good time with my reading, but that can mean different things to different people and I know myself well enough to know that I need some substance...
Do you set goals with your reading? If so, what are they? If not, why not?
Do you set goals for the number of books you want to read? What are your thoughts on that? Or on reading goals in general.
I’ve never had reading goals before, but as a part of reaching one of my set goals: Let’s try something new!
I hope you're having a fantastic day, and if not that it gets better. I'm very happy to have you here.
💜
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📚 Books mentioned:
Sociopath by Patric Gagne
Between the Assassinations by Aravind Adiga
Girl Woman Other by Bernadine Evaristo
The Grandmothers by Doris Lessing
White Cat, Black Dog by Kelly Link
Stolen by Ann-Helén Laestadius
Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer
A Mind Spread Out on the Ground by Alicia Elliott
Making Love to the Land by Joshua Whitehead
An Indian Among los Indígenas by Ursula Pike
My Place by Sally Morgan
📚 In this video:
00:00 Intro
00:28 What even are goals?
01:03 Four Main Goals
01:24 Numbers
03:00 Soft Goals
03:19 Try new things
06:48 Challenge myself + Grow as a person
09:40 Have fun!
13:23 What are your goals?
#booktube #readinggoals #books #booklover #bookworm #reading #booktubenewbie #bookclub #goals #goalsvideo
Great video! I'm also more of a "soft goal" person - I'm with you, in that sometimes fun for me is pure entertainment/escapism, but I also find learning, expanding my horizons and challenging myself to be fun! So for me, when I set goals they're usually more about deliberately exploring new things, diversifying my reading, etc. And I don't hold myself to them in really strict ways - as time goes on, if that goal I set for myself in January stops being interesting to me, I don't worry about it. The point, always, is to enjoy yourself!
Thank you so much! 😊 Yes! It varies of course, and sometimes the little grays are too tired of learning and evolving! But too much of the fluff and they want something a bit more substantial. And that's when I can't shut up for hours afterward, until my partner feels like he read the book as well 😅
I love "deliberately exploring", that's such a freeing way to put it. No pressure, we're just looking at new things here. And yes to not worrying about goals that no longer serve you. I think that's part of the purpose of documenting goals as well, like even if I dont meet my goals (I don't know how to even measure if I did or not! 😅) I would still have a reference point for myself, to see if I and/or my goals or interests have changed. That's enjoyable too!
Thanks for being here and for sharing!
"Have fun" is the best goal to have.
I agree! 😊
This was such a refreshing video. I've watched it twice. 😁
Haha thank you so much! I’m glad you enjoyed it! 😊
Excellent video and discussion on your goals. I'm a very goal oriented person, so setting soft goals is often a challenge but I think it's much more sustainable. I agree with what you said about prices. I used to be very intimidated by people who read price winning authors. I still am intimidated by it, literary fiction still scares me, but I'm slowly dipping my toes 😊 Having fun is my primary goal with reading, finding joy and peace. I do set goals, but they are mostly soft. More in line with discovering new authors and genres that will bring me joy, fun and piece.
Thank you so much! 😊
I can never figure out if I'm goal oriented or not, but I think so... I like a plan, to know where we're going and how to get there. So maybe I am :)
But probably not so much results. I prefer goals that I can control, so the things I can do, rather than achieve. I would probably do well with more specific goals for my reading as well, like a list of books to read to accomplish said goals, but they would still be based on the softer ones and for right now I think I prefer some room to play as well :)
I know, prizes are suddenly very common place, but I guess that's a good thing! And there seem to be a lot of prizes, and they can't all be snobbish or only for highly intelligent people 😅
I think those are great goals to have, focusing on the joy & peace. And trying new things as they come along. Do you have any authors that you have discovered recently as new favorites?
@ellenmadebookclub I discovered Madeline Miller in January, The song of Achilles won the Women's price in 2012. I've also read Galetea and loved it, and I'm planning to read Circe in May. I really enjoy her writing style. I'm not very knowledgeable about prices yet, I'm still learning. My project of reading Halldor Laxness this year has made me really fall in love with his writing, which has always seemed to literary to me. So I'm looking forward to reading more Nobel price winners, hopefully there will be new favourites there.
@@Bryndisdaugtherofgunnar Me too, loved Circe and I listened to Galatea yesterday. So good! I have Song of Achilles left to read, can’t wait.
Yes I would like to try some Nobel winners as well, I just don’t know where to start. Will have to do some research on that!
I love all of these goals. I do have a numbers goal for the year, although I might end up changing it for this year. For a while I was a lot more intentional in the types of books I read and deliberately trying to diversify my reading. Last year I kind of started reading whatever and, while there was some diversity, it was not as intentional and planned. I should probably sit down and create more concrete goals for this year, as I really want to get back to being more intentional about what I read. I want to make sure that I am not reading in a bubble. I want to read from authors who have different points of view or experiences than me, in both fiction and nonfiction. And I also want to challenge myself to read outside of my normal genres.
Thank you :)
I think it's completely fine that it comes and goes. Sometimes we want to give ourselves a little more direction and sometimes we just want a break to play around and do whatever. And both can be equally good and necessary at different times. Whatever makes us happy in the moment is what we should do, I think.
I agree with you on the bubble. It's so easy to stay in the comfort zone, and sometimes that's just what we need, but I also want to see different perspectives. If only to check my ignorance on any given topic! 😅 It's not like I don't know anything at all, but sometimes the self-doubt creeps in or I just want to make sure that I'm not... settling for the little, or maybe outdated or biased knowledge I have on a given topic. But then again, no one knows everything, so keeping an open mind is probably more important than reading all the books in the world 😊
Thank you for being here and sharing you goals!
@@ellenmadebookclub I think that's a good point and good to be ok with our reading tastes coming and going.
Agreed with you on checking my own ignorance! There's always benefit in hearing from other people's perspectives.
@@BonnieNicoleWrites Absolutely!
I couldn't agree more. If we can't have fun, what's the point? I have a numbers goal, but I purposely keep it at a reasonable level. And if I don't meet it, I don't really care....I'll just change the number to match what I actually read....LOL! No kidding, I would do that! Because really, it's just a guide.....
Hahaha I love that! That's great! 😅 I can just imagine you on New Years Eve, adjusting the number ever so slightly and going WELL will you look at that?! I reached my reading goal! 🥂
@ellenmadebookclub Actually I would go one lower and say I exceeded expectations.
@@BeyondBooks-wt5il Hahaha of course you would! 😂😂😂
Lovely video. Very sensible goals. Have fun! Yes! While I am kind of a goal-oriented person in many aspects of my life, I actually don't consciously sit down and make goals. I probably should! I do not have a numbers goal with regard to how many books I will read. I have a general idea of how many books I usually do read in a year, but it's not really a goal. I do have a goal in my mind to expand the genres that I read, which is why I have recently started reading science fiction, a genre I have almost completely neglected. I like your goals about having fun and trying new things. I hope you are having a lovely weekend.
Thank you so much Pat!
I don’t like the word “should”! 😊 If you want to make goals, of course go ahead! But if it’s working for you as is, that’s great too. And you’re setting goals every month as far as I can tell!
I think it’s so great that you’re trying new genres, and that you’ve found this whole new world of books to explore and enjoy in sci-fi! I hope for the same with biographies and short stories 😊 And I think the beauty of short stories is that they are like sample size, so it’s less of a commitment and still a taste of a few different ones! 😄
I’m having a great weekend, I hope you are too!
@@ellenmadebookclub Yes, I definitely make a plan for each month since starting this channel, and I have in my head that I am interested in reading science fiction--and that is a whole new world for me. Plus, I have events that are ongoing (like the banned books challenge), so I guess that's a kind of goal too. I guess I just don't think of these exactly as goals. I have also decided that reading short stories might be the way in to this horror event for me. I have been a very goal-oriented person, in some ways, in my professional life. But I have never sat down and made actual goals in other areas. I said "I probably should" because it dawned on me that there probably are a lot of areas where having some concrete goals might have been helpful in life. Anyway, I'm just thinking out loud here. Don't worry about my "shoulds."
@@BookChatWithPat8668 I’m sure you can take care of yourself 😊 I’m just projecting my own cautiousness about goals and “shoulds” and I don’t want to put pressure on anyone who might be sensitive to that too. But I know that you’re having fun with it all and I’m not worried 😊
I think goals are great as a way to be more intentional, so if you’re thinking about setting goals I would love to hear more about them, either here or if you would want to do a video on that as well! It’s always interesting and inspiring to heat what people are aiming for and fun to cheer them on!
Best wishes with what you choose to read. I'm currently reading the Count of Monte Cristo. It is very good but I might be some time.
Thank you! I've heard lots of good things! I saw the mini series with Gérard Depardieu when I was younger, but I might have been too young, I was probably about 10 or so! But yes, I imagine it will take you a while to get through! 😊 Enjoy!
I love hearing about goals and this was a great one. I think you’d really like Braiding Sweetgrass. I’m happy to recommend Pulitzer Prizes if you’re interested. 😃💛
Thank you! Yes please that would be great, I have no idea where to start! 😊
This is so great and refreshing! I tend to think in terms of numbers and can get pretty rigid with that, so making soft goals is a good idea and I like setting your numbers goal lower than what it’s likely to be. I honestly don’t really have lots of reading goals but this gives me something to think about haha, so thanks for sharing your thoughts 😊❤️
We all work differently so if numbers work for you that’s great! I just think it’s a good idea to know why the numbers matter. And sometimes it might just be fun to read a lot and get to blame it on a goal, in case anyone has any questions 😅 If you say it’s for a challenge, people tend to let you do whatever!
But yes. I think the goal should feel achievable, maybe pushing the limit a little but in an encouraging way.
I’ve never set goals for my reading before so well see how these go but it was interesting to ponder ^^
Thank you for being here! 😊💜
@@ellenmadebookclub all good points!! I just can get a little rigid at times and then that takes the fun out of it and makes it feel like another task to get done. So it’s all about the balance of sticking with your goals because you want to, but also not forgetting why you love reading in the first place and having fun with it! Hopefully you figure out what works for you 😊 And you’re very welcome!!
@@LibrariesandLattes Yeah I see what you mean. As soon as it starts feeling less fun, there needs to be a little check in 😊 I’m not so strict with any of this, I hope to keep it that way!
So interesting to hear about your goals (and you're right, all times are good times to set goals, not just January!) I totally relate to that urge to always be productive (which seems to be the millennial burnout mindset so beware ^^'), and I'm trying to unlearn that. Spoiler: it's not easy! I think one of my goals would be to become better at speaking about the books I read. I feel so inarticulate at the moment -- having a booktube channel will (hopefully) force me to improve. Also I'm curious: why do you have the English copy of Stolen/Stöld rather than the Swedish one? (Just discovered that it's been made into a film on Netflix! I might try to push it up my pile to read so I can watch the film next)
Thank you!
Yes, it's horrible! I'm trying hard to unlearn it as well, if I don't I'm headed straight for a wall, and I would like to avoid that if possible. I find that having a booktube channel helps me to focus on other things than the ones I feel I "should" be doing, but I need to be careful so that it doesn't just become another addition to the never-ending lists, both the reading part and the video making part. So far it's fun though :)
I'm also hoping to improve on talking about the books I read, that's a great goal! Do you have a strategy or just learning by doing and adjusting as you go? Well, that would be a strategy I suppose! :D
I got the English version for a few different reasons! Mostly I wanted to read the same as my "international audience"! 😅 I want it to be good and if it is I want to be able to recommend it and know what the translation is like. Ideally I would read it in Swedish as well, but since I started the channel it felt more relevant to read it in English :)
I will probably read it in May!
Yes, there is a Netflix movie and the second book is out in Swedish as well, there will be three parts I think.
@@ellenmadebookclub Same about Booktube ^^
I didn't have a strategy until now, cause I haven't really set bookish goals, your video just got me thinking XD But I might have a bit more of a think and set some too. For improving on how to talk about books, I would approach it from 3 different angles: 1) spending more time thinking about the books I read, what did I like, didn't like, etc. 2) I find Regan from PeruseProject to be incredibly articulate, so I could look back at some of her videos that I liked with a more analytical eye (what is it that I like about her style, how she does it, what can I take from it to incorporate in my own style), 3) practice, practice, practice! ^^
No way I'll get to Stöld in May on my end, i already have a way too ambitious TBR for the Asian Readathon XD Also feels more like a wintery read to me. But curious to hear what you think about it.
@@Curious-Cat That’s great! Set some goals if it sparks joy for you 😊 I’m sure you can take care of yourself, just a reminder to be kind to yourself. Happy goals only 😄
Sounds like a great plan for improving booktalk! I have a running note on my phone with a simple template where I write likes and dislikes that come up during reading, so when I finish a book it’s all there and I just have to add final thoughts, very handy! Nothing advanced and I’m not sure it makes me more articulate haha but it helps! :)
I still haven’t planned my May tbr, I would like to include some events like the Asian readathon as well, so it might be a mix. Yes Stöld is probably winter vibes but I can’t wait until then ^^
@@ellenmadebookclub Thanks :) "Only happy goals" is a lovely goal in itself ^^