This week, in my private reader Facebook group, I asked how everyone’s reading challenges for 2020 were going. I asked because I was staring down mine, knowing I was behind. I had set a Goodreads Reading Challenge goal of 70 books and had 56 read so far. Goodreads was happy to tell me I was behind. (In my Read Wide Challenge, a reading challenge I created, I’m faring better, so at least I had that to hold onto when Goodreads got judge-y.)
But my deficit on my reading goal got me thinking. A goal of 70 was reasonable for my normal reading year. Last year I read 75 without a problem. So what’s up? Well, 2020 is up. The term “normal reading year” or “normal year” in general do not apply.
I know I’m not alone. In my reader group, people either had read significantly below their normal amount or significantly above. Some had lost their audiobook time on work commutes or their lunch break reading time. Some had gained reading time because of lockdown or working from home. I know I have lost a lot of alone time, which means I’ve lost reading time. But also, I think of lot of us have struggled with energy during this time, and it takes some amount of energy to pick up a book instead of doomscrolling or watching the news or binge-watching something on Netflix.
So 2020 is to blame for much of the upheaval. But outside of that, it made me think about the evolution of a reader. I think sometimes we expect our reading life to be a static thing. We read this, this, and that genre/subgenre. We read about X number of books a year. We read in X format mostly. We love this, this, and that author.
For many, there’s comfort in that predictable rhythm—and there’s nothing wrong with that. But for others, I think we can get stuck in an older version of our reading life, trying to recreate what we had even though our tastes, habits, or lifestyles have evolved. We take it on as an identity. I’m a mystery reader. I don’t listen to audiobooks. I read three books a week.
This is one reason why I started the Read Wide Challenge, to try new things. Because what if those old labels don’t apply anymore? Or what if we would enjoy things we haven’t in the past? Or if we no longer enjoy the things we used to be obsessed with? Like you keep picking up what you always loved but just aren’t excited about it anymore?
This is why I took a step back when I got frustrated with being behind on my reading goal. It’s not a sign of being a slacker. It’s a sign that my reading life has evolved. Yes, I’ve had less reading time and have had less energy because 2020 is a dumpster fire, but also, what I’ve chosen to read has been different. I’ve tackled a few classics (Rebecca, Anna Karenina). I’ve read some literary fiction. I’ve read more horror (because I find it comforting when the world is scary.) Almost half of my reading has been non-fiction. Those genres take me longer to read than YA or romance, so it makes sense that I would’ve read less quantity this year. And that is OKAY.
Anne Bogel has an essay in her book I’d Rather Be Reading called “The Readers I Have Been” about how we are all the readers we have been throughout our lives. That middle schooler reading R.L. Stine and Babysitter’s Club. That college student reading all those difficult books our professors assigned. The parent reading all those children’s books to our kids. We carry all those versions with us, but we also create new versions, new phases, new seasons in our reading lives.
I’ve mentioned before that I wasn’t a romance reader until my mid to late twenties. Before that, I read mostly horror and suspense—and only a few books a year. I completely burnt out on reading in college and took a while to come back to it. I went through a paranormal YA phase with everyone else post-Twilight. I discovered erotic romance somewhere in my late 20s and started writing it. I’ve always loved self-help books and different flavors of non-fiction. I avoided classics and literary fiction at all costs until the last few years. Things are constantly changing.
In 2012, my reading was 88% romance. This year it’s 24% so far. (Yes, I did the math, lol.) That doesn’t mean I don’t still love romance the most. It just means that my reading life has evolved. (After writing romance and studying it for over a decade, I’ve become super picky about my romance. I want it really, really well-written or I end up putting it down because I can’t turn off my writer brain to enjoy it.)
So what’s my point? Just that evolution isn’t a bad thing. The number on your reading challenge is just a number. Be open to being a different kind of reader this year than you were last year. Maybe you’ve read more this year. Maybe you’ve read less. Maybe you’ve stuck to your comfort genres or maybe you’ve needed a break from what you would’ve normally read. It’s all part of the journey. As much as I love a reading challenge, there’s no wrong way to be a reader. Don’t let that Goodreads number judge you. ;)
Read on, my friend.
If you want to get your 2021 reading year off and running, my next book Yes & I Love You is up for pre-order!