Setting Reading Goals for 2022
If you like books, chances are you have accumulated a number of books that you want to read but haven’t started yet. Let’s work together this year to start on those books! And even if you don’t have any unread books lying around, you can still use this method to plan ahead a year of reading!
Last year I set up a reading goal plan for myself to see how it would go. And while I didn’t follow it exactly, it motivated me to read widely and to finish more books. So hopefully I can do the same for you today. (As well as make another plan for myself).
Step One: Plan to Read Widely
It can be tempting to only read your favourite type of book. (Whether that is religious books, young adult fiction, or parenting philosophy). Although it is good to read what you enjoy, sometimes stepping outside your comfort zone and picking a book in another area will surprise you. At the very least, you might learn something new that you wouldn’t have otherwise. So start off your book plan by selecting some categories of books to read.
Last year my categories were Faith, Parenting, History, and Mathematics.
This year I want to do Faith , Philosophy, History, Biography, and Poetry (and Other).
Step Two: Discovering Books
The next step involves digging up some good book recommendations, and looking around your house for unread books. I try to keep my unread books in two piles, one near my bed, and another near the other books but separate so I know I need to get into them.
Marie Kondo says that if you have unread books you should donate them, because the best time to read a book is when you first get it. And if you didn’t read it then, the time for that book has passed and you should let it go. (And if you are really meant to read the book it will come back to you.
I am sorry, but I totally disagree.
Having unread books around (though perhaps not an extraordinary amount like hundreds) fuels the continuation of reading. If I only had books I already read around, I might only reread books. Because I do love rereading books. We need to have unread books around to spark interest in trying something new. And sometimes, taking a moment to look at the first few pages of an unread book sparks a flame that has me adding that book to the top of my read now list. Although, there are times when I look at the first few pages and realize that I do not enjoy this writing style or I am passed the stage where this book would be helpful for me. In that case, I do recommend donating the book.
Step Three: Assigning Books to Categories
Now that we have spent some time looking at book recommendations and the unread books in our house, it is time to assign books to our reading categories. Now, I know we just spent time looking for unread books. But it is important to note that we may also want to add a book to reread to our reading plan. Rereading books still counts. We just don’t want all books this year to be rereads, just as we want to step outside our comfort zone when picking at least one reading category. Try to find 3-5 reading options for each category.
So let’s see what I can find for my categories.
Faith
- The Sanctifier by Archbishop Luis M. Martinez*
- Dark Night of the Soul by St. John of the Cross
- Laying the Foundation by Father Jospeh Clifford Fenton
- The Admirable Heart of Mary (reread)*
- The Eucharist by Lawrence Feingold (university course level)*
- Uniformity with God’s Will by St. Aphonus
- Fathers of the Church by Benedict XVI
* denotes recommendations by Byzantine Hieromonk/Priest
Philosophy
- The Philosophy of Tolkien: the Worldview Behind LoTR by Peter Kreeft
- The Hobbit Party: The Vision of Freedom that Tolkien Got, and the West Forgot by Jay Richards and Jonnathan Witt
- After the Natural Law by John Lawrence Hill (restart – made 1/3 through before)
- Aristotle for Everybody: Difficult Thought Made Easy by Mortimer J. Adler
History
- The Story of Civilization Volume 3
- Christ the King, Lord of History
- A Medieval Home Companion: Housekeeping in the 14th Century (translated by Tania Bayard)
Biography
- With God and Russia by Walter Ciszek
- Diary of St. Faustyna
Poetry
- The Ballad of the White Horse, by G.K. Chesterton (reread)
- Poems in Lord of the Rings (I skipped these when reading the series)
- Poems by Joyce Kilmer
Other
- Discovery of the Child by Maria Montessori
- A Little Princess by F.H.B. (reread)
- The Five Love Languages for Children (reread)
Step Four: Start Reading
Once your reading list is complete, start reading! Don’t feel confined to this list, but check back at least once a month to see how you are progressing with your reading goals for the year.
If you make a good effort on a book and still aren’t interested, put it aside and try a different one. Make substitutions, or read something that doesn’t fit in any of your categories. This isn’t school, this is your life! We want to keep reading. And we want to build a love of words and learning that continues throughout our days.
I enjoyed having a book list to motivate me to read in a wider variety of categories than I normally would have. I still read lots of my favourite type of books. But because of making this list I discovered some gems I’d probably have never read otherwise. Plus, when I forgot about my book list for a few weeks, checking back in and noticing “hey, I haven’t read anything from this category yet” motivated me to get started. So I hope making a reading list for 2022 can motivate you too!
The Byzantine Life
Do you have any book recommendations for me? Let me know in the comments!
If you enjoyed this week’s article, you might also be interested in reading our Home Organization Crash Course, or 3 Books that Will Change the Way You Parent.
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