Normally, I hop onto Goodreads and record the number of books I hope to read that year. That's the extent of my goal-setting. In 2019, I planned to read 45 books. Instead, I managed to read 69! What the heck?
(My disclaimer: when I say "read" I am also including listening to audiobooks. It counts. This book nerd will always prefer to hold a book in her hands, but I also don't like wasting a 45+ minute commute...that's a lot of listening time. I also always have an e-book ready on my phone for those times when I have a quiet lunch by myself or am waiting for someone/something. It's not uncommon for me to have three books going at once.)
While considering my 2020 reading goals, I felt a need to dive into content more this year. I admit to reading a lot of junk that doesn't take much thought. This is not a dig on fluff books; they serve a purpose. One purpose is to help me decompress without having to always be in "heavy thinking" mode. These books will not be removed from my reading this year, but they will not be as plentiful.
Instead of raising the number of books I plan to read this year, I made a very deliberate list based on the idea of an A-to-Z Reading Challenge. For those paying attention, that means I made a list of 26 books to read in 2020.
Huh? Not enough.
Probably not, but this is not an exhaustive list of what I will read either. It is, however, my priority list. Anything else is just a bonus!
Mark Twain said (maybe), "If it's your job to eat a frog, it's best to do it first thing in the morning. And if it's your job to eat two frogs, it's best to eat the biggest one first."
I try to follow this idea when tackling my to-do list at home or at work: get the hardest or more intimidating thing done first; then you can go through the rest of the day knowing the worst is behind you.
Although I'm not considering reading a task that I dread, some of the books on my to-read list have been there for a long time...like for a decade. That's how Mere Christianity became the first book I wrote down in my list. It's not because I don't want to read the book. However, I know it's not fluff, and it will require some actual thinking on my part...so I keep putting it off.
Several years back, my hubby bought a hardback copy for me...and I still put it on the shelf. And waited. And waited. Today, I read the first chapter. It's my frog on my reading list.
Others on my list could also be considered my frogs, but I'm excited about this year's goal. I may not read a book a week, but I'm ready to tackle my list. And, yes, I'm going to share it with you, too, but you have to promise not to judge all of my choices.
Happy Reading to You! And consider making 2020 a year that you challenge yourself by reading something you may not normally read. I have several of those on my list as well.
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My comments in () refer to a genre or attribute of a book that I used to help round out my reading list so I wouldn't get stuck on the same types of books.
What I Plan to Read in 2020:
A Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery (restarting the series)
B Becoming by Michelle Obama (Autobiography)
C Conversation Peace by Mary Kassian (Spiritual Growth/on my bookshelf)
D Don’t Go by Lisa Scottoline (Fiction/on my bookshelf)
E Echoes of Exodus: Tracing Themes of Redemption Through Scripture (Theology)
F Five Feet Apart by Rachael Lippincott (Goodreads 2019 Choice Awards - Young Adult)
G A Gate at the Stairs by Lorrie Moore (from the NY Times 100 Most Notable Books 2009)
H How We Love by Milan & Kay Yerkovich (on Marriage)
I In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex by Nathaniel Philbrick (History)
J Jackpot by Nic Stone (Young Adult)
K The Key on the Quilt by Stephanie Grace Whitson (First in a series)
L Larkspur Cove (#20 on my “to-read” list)
M Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis (Book on my “to-read” list the longest)
N New Morning Mercies by Paul David Tripp (Devotional)
O One Blood: A Parting Word to the Church on Race by John Perkins (Church/Race)
P Piecing Me Together by Renee Watson (Truman Readers Award finalist)
Q Quitter by Jon Acuff (on Career)
R Rethinking Sexuality by Juli Slattery (Spiritual Growth and Ministry)
S Saint Anything by Sarah Dessen (Fiction)
T Two Kisses for Maddy: A Memoir of Love and Loss by Matthew Logelin (Book to Movie in 2020)
U The Ungrateful Refugee by Dina Nayeri (Non-Fiction/on my bookshelf)
V The Vengeance of Mothers by Jim Fergus (Sequel - Fiction)
W Laura Ingalls Wilder: A Writer’s Life by Pamela Smith Hill (Biography)
X Exalting Jesus in James by David Platt (Bible Study)
Y You Will Know Me by Megan Abbott (Fiction - First I’ve read by this author)
Z The Librarian of Auschwitz by Antonio Iturbe (Because there’s a Z in the title/Translation)
