So to kick off the new year, I wanted to set some goals. I’m not really into resolutions because I don’t think they work. However; I need to be accountable next year, especially since it’s going to be a very busy year.
2020 Book Ban… kinda.
Okay, ban is excessive. But I am going to try beating the backlist in my own way. I have scheduled out my owned TBR to 5 books per month, which should get me through the majority of my owned TBR by 2021. In addition, I have limited my new purchases to the following upcoming releases that I just can’t live without.
House of Earth & Blood (Crescent City #1) – Mar 3
Chain of Gold (The Last Hours #1) – Mar 3
Wild at Heart (Simple Wild #2) – Mar 3
Seven Endless Forests – Mar 31
Empire of Gold (Daevabad #3) – June 30
The Faithless Hawk (Merciful Crow #2) – July 28
As the Shadow Rises (The Age of Darkness #2) – Katy Rose Pool – Sept 1
Lightbringer (Furyborn #3) – Fall 2020
Empire of the Vampire – Sept
Ember 4 – TBD
Once I am through my 5 books for the month, I can read what I like or buy a new release. But not until I have finished my owned TBR for that month and the months previous. The library is free game as are books that are gifted to me, so I just can’t buy a new book until I am caught up. Hopefully, this will help with reducing my owned TBR and keeping me financially responsible when it comes to books!
How does this affect ARCs?
I have included my upcoming ARCs in my owned TBR count. I have committed to these reviews so they will take priority over new purchases. I’m also going to be a little less aggressive in my ARC requests so that I don’t overload myself. This last year they kind of started flooding in and overwhelmed me, which means I got behind. I hate getting behind on ARCs because I made the commitment to give them a chance when I requested them.
What are your goals for this week? Let me know in the comments!

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These are good goals! I think my reading will go down even more than it did last year (which was a lot) because I want to read more with my kids. If they don’t come out of their childhood with a passion for books then I have failed parenting.
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Hey that is an awesome reason to decrease your own reading!
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I desperately need to get through my backlist too!! Especially the ARC/Netgalley one. I’m hoping to spend less time binge watching TV shows and use that time to fit in more reading in 2020.
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Good luck! I am also trying to use tv as a reward for finishing reading. Which usually helps my reading and makes me not want the tv anymore because I’m caught up!
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That’s a really good idea for a way to get through all of our TBR! I’m trying to get through all of mine in 2020 as well… we’ll see how far I get!
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It’s like I’m getting a prize for making it lol.
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I definitely want to limit requesting arcs from netgalley as I’m behind on those plus all my owned, unread books on my shelf. I plan on focusing on reading my backlist in 2020 too. happy new year!
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Good luck on your goals! I think those are perfect.
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I need to put myself on some kind of buying ban. I have at least 35 unread books on my TBR.
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I find that full bans don’t work for me. So now they are like a reward for finishing what I have!
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I might have to try that!
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I like this idea, but I’m a big mood reader so it would probably be difficult for me to have a set five each month. I do want to read more of my owned books this year, especially the ones that I’ve been super excited for but haven’t had the time to read yet
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I like to mood read as well. I have scheduled a ton of books, but I have so many owned books, that I think I can mood read those and it won’t be too constricting until the last part of this year.
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Good luck 🙂 I’m excited to see what you’ll be getting through this year
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Thanks!! I’m really excited for my upcoming reads.
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[…] also featured my 2020 Bookish Resolutions and did the End of the Year Book […]
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Good luck with your goals! I’m also super excited for Crescent city, and Empire of the Vampire!
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YESSS MORE VAMPIRES!!!
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[…] of my new Bookish Resolutions, this will probably be the only big haul for the year. Technically, these were Christmas presents […]
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Oh, good on you! I’m so opportunistic with my book buying, I would find that SUPER hard to stick to 😅 So hats off to you, doll! My only “goal” for this year is to have FUN with my reading. I’ve slogged through a lot of modernist books and classics the past couple years, and that’s been wonderful, but with everything going on in life/the world right now, I want to let reading be something I do for the pleasure of it. Not every book has to feel like work! 😉 And if I accumulate a few stacks along the way… so be it. I’ll get more shelves. Ha!
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That sounds amazing!! Yes, we sometimes forget that reading is supposed to be fun and not a chore! There is too much crazy in the world to stop enjoying the things we love. I hope you have tons of fun reading this year!
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