Happy Friday, Readers! And happy new year! Do you have any reading goals for the year? Besides just a number, are there authors or genres or subjects you’re hoping to read more of? I’d love to hear. My ‘22 plan was to read more women, in general, and I’m happy to say that my reading was about 60% women/non-binary, which is
I made a list of monthly reading categories. For example, January is books off the best of 2022 lists. Other categories will be authors I should have read by now, authors I’ve loved in the past, books I’ve had on my shelf for over 10 years, etc.
I'm wanting to read more authors I've heard great things about, but just haven't read yet- like Brandon Taylor, Jennifer Egan, and Lily King. More Lauren Groff and Emily St. John Mandel. Also not feeling compelled to read the brand new books immediately.
Thank you for all you do in expanding the love of literature. As a High School English teacher, it always saddens me to see the passion for good books fade with each generation. If I can ask on a side note, why are you specifically committing to books by particular authors or cultural groups for this year? I don’t mean this as a challenge to your desire to expand the breadth and depth of your reading. I just think the book matters more than the author, in the same way a character on the screen or stage should not be conflicted with the actor or actress. Selecting authors before the literature is a bit like putting the cart in front of the course. My criterion tends to be literary excellence, which is objective of my personal biases or feelings. Just wanted to respectfully ask. Maybe I’m just old fashioned :) Thank you!
For a memoir that's also got an interesting plot, I'd recommend Rough Magic. It's about a teenager who enters the Mongolian Derby and ends up being the youngest to run it. It's fascinating!
I’m organizing my main thread of reading around the sea, kind of exploring it thematically and symbolically. I go back and forth about how organized to be. I feel aimless without some kind of direction, but I get bored too if everything I’m reading is too narrow.
To that end, I appreciate that both of these books are “sea-oriented.” How Far the Light Reaches sounds like it has a fascinating structure.
Jan 6, 2023·edited Jan 6, 2023Liked by Jeremy Anderberg
2023 Goal: Read (not audio) 55 pages a day which adds up to 20k in a year. I started the year with the goal to not have time based reading goals but alas, here we are. I think a page count vs a book count will work better for me to make sure I get my reading done every day.
My only real goal is to not get in a reading rut this year and maintain as much momentum as possible throughout the year. I inevitably get bogged down in a book that I don't love and start to avoid it for awhile when I should have either A. Had another book to turn to or B. Called it quits and move on. Thanks for your article on how to read more- those points really helped encourage me.
What to Read Next (No. 259): Under the Sea
I made a list of monthly reading categories. For example, January is books off the best of 2022 lists. Other categories will be authors I should have read by now, authors I’ve loved in the past, books I’ve had on my shelf for over 10 years, etc.
I'm wanting to read more authors I've heard great things about, but just haven't read yet- like Brandon Taylor, Jennifer Egan, and Lily King. More Lauren Groff and Emily St. John Mandel. Also not feeling compelled to read the brand new books immediately.
Hi Jeremy,
Thank you for all you do in expanding the love of literature. As a High School English teacher, it always saddens me to see the passion for good books fade with each generation. If I can ask on a side note, why are you specifically committing to books by particular authors or cultural groups for this year? I don’t mean this as a challenge to your desire to expand the breadth and depth of your reading. I just think the book matters more than the author, in the same way a character on the screen or stage should not be conflicted with the actor or actress. Selecting authors before the literature is a bit like putting the cart in front of the course. My criterion tends to be literary excellence, which is objective of my personal biases or feelings. Just wanted to respectfully ask. Maybe I’m just old fashioned :) Thank you!
For a memoir that's also got an interesting plot, I'd recommend Rough Magic. It's about a teenager who enters the Mongolian Derby and ends up being the youngest to run it. It's fascinating!
I’m organizing my main thread of reading around the sea, kind of exploring it thematically and symbolically. I go back and forth about how organized to be. I feel aimless without some kind of direction, but I get bored too if everything I’m reading is too narrow.
To that end, I appreciate that both of these books are “sea-oriented.” How Far the Light Reaches sounds like it has a fascinating structure.
"Not much depth"
"Shallow"
"Unremarkable"
I see you, Jeremy Anderberg. Or should I say, SEA you.
2023 Goal: Read (not audio) 55 pages a day which adds up to 20k in a year. I started the year with the goal to not have time based reading goals but alas, here we are. I think a page count vs a book count will work better for me to make sure I get my reading done every day.
My only real goal is to not get in a reading rut this year and maintain as much momentum as possible throughout the year. I inevitably get bogged down in a book that I don't love and start to avoid it for awhile when I should have either A. Had another book to turn to or B. Called it quits and move on. Thanks for your article on how to read more- those points really helped encourage me.