Happy New Year! I can’t believe it’s 2019 – that means in October my blog will be ten years old! I’m sure I’ll be reflecting on that later in the year and finding some way to mark the occasion. For now though, like many other book bloggers, I wanted to use my first post of the year to look at my reading and blogging plans for the next twelve months.
Challenges and events
I prefer to have as much freedom in my reading choices as possible, so I’m not signing up for any year-long reading challenges this year, with the exception of the Historical Fiction Challenge hosted at Passages to the Past. I read a lot of historical fiction anyway so that one is not really a challenge for me, but I still like to take part as it helps me to connect with other like-minded readers and to keep a list of my historical fiction reads in one place.
I do enjoy participating in shorter events hosted by other bloggers such as 20 Books of Summer, the R.I.P. event and Nonfiction November so I will join in with some of those in 2019. I’ll also keep working through my Classics Club list and participating in any associated Classics Club events.
Blogging plans
The same as last year, really. I will continue with my Commonplace Book posts at the end of every month and my Historical Musings posts in the middle of the month, as well as participating in Six Degrees of Separation and Top Ten Tuesday now and then.
Personal projects
My Walter Scott Prize Project has been neglected recently, so I would like to make some progress on that in 2019. I also want to devote more time to re-reading old favourites – I say that at the beginning of every year and never manage to do it. Sadly, I only re-read one book in 2018, but I’m determined to improve on that number in 2019 so have started off my year’s reading with a re-read of Cashelmara by Susan Howatch. I also want to make progress with some of the series I’m in the middle of reading and find time for some of those long-anticipated books I’ve been putting off reading for years because I wanted to have ‘something to look forward to’.
Most of all, I just want to enjoy the books I read in 2019.
What plans do you have for the year ahead?
She Reads Novels 
With you on the re-reading – I wish I could make more time! 😀
I used to re-read my favourite books over and over again, but that changed when I started blogging. I’m determined to do more re-reading this year!
For many years, I participated in the Historical Fiction Challenge, but have stopped over the last couple of years in an effort to read more poetry and non fiction. Not that that has won me any prizes so far! LOL! But I really like the idea of re-reading some of books that are lovely and have been left unread for last few years! I think I will piggy back on your idea and try and do atleast 1 re-read every month! Happy Reading Helen!
Happy reading in 2019 to you too. 🙂 I’m not sure if I will manage to re-read one book every month, but I definitely want to do more re-reading than I did in 2018!
Ironically, I know that I need to do less re-reading. I spend far too much reading time indulging in old favourites when I ought really to be discovering new ones. Happy New Year, Helen.
Happy New Year to you too. It can be difficult to find the right balance between re-reads and new reads.
I’m trying to get 1000 reviews in blog at 870 something now so possible if u blog a bit more next year
Good luck with that. 1000 reviews would be a great achievement.
I’ve been trying to make a point of reading all the shortlisted books (and longlisted books, if I can manage it) for The Walter Scott Prize for the past couple of years. I think I just have Manhattan Beach left from last year’s. I’m looking forward to the announcement of this year’s long list in a few months time and I’d love to join in if you plan to try to read either the long list or shortlist.
I only started following the Walter Scott Prize a couple of years ago, but I’ve been trying to read all of the previous shortlists as well, going back to when the prize started in 2010. I think I’ve read about half of the books so far, so still have a long way to go! I will be looking out for this year’s long list and short list announcements and will try to read as many as possible. If you’re planning to do the same it will be interesting to be able to compare opinions! 🙂
I’m planning to post some ideas about books I read last year, have in my TBR pile or heard buzz about online that I think might be contenders to appear in the longlist.
I like your thinking. I’m not making any grand plans this year, just trying to focus on the books I most want to read.
I think just focusing on the books we really want to read is the best plan of all. I hope you enjoy your reading in 2019. 🙂
Like you, I want to keep my reading plans for 2019 as open as possible. Though I do plan on signing up for two reading challenges this year…but most of the books I want to read for them are on my TBR pile already, which makes it doubly nice. And I never seem to make time for re-reads either. Sigh. There’s always so many new books that seem to take precedence. Good luck with your reading goals in 2019. And Happy New Year! 🙂
I love re-reading but always feel guilty thinking about all the new books I still haven’t read. I’m determined to do more re-reading this year. Good luck with your goals too – taking part in challenges that include books from your TBR sounds like a good idea!
I may finish the rest of the Dickens books never read before, but have to intersperse with others so might not get through. About 4 or 5 to go, I think. Otherwise some research material and anything that takes my fancy.
I am slowly working my way through Dickens and have just started Dombey and Son. I hope you enjoy your reading this year, Elizabeth.
I like your idea of reading the books on the Walter Scott shortlist. I will use your idea to read books on some of the Australian book awards.
I think reading through shortlists for book awards can be a good way to discover some great new books and authors. 🙂
I am so in agreement with you on just enjoying the books you read! That is my goal for 2019. I spent too much time last year feeling guilty over my reading choices and I want to completely abolish that this year. Happy Reading in 2019!
Happy reading to you too! I hope you discover lots of great books in 2019 and don’t have to feel guilty about your reading choices this year.
Yep, enjoyment is the key! Hope 2019 is a great reading year for you and I’m hugely impressed that you’re in your tenth year of blogging!
I can’t believe it’s been almost ten years! I can hardly remember what life used to be like with no blog. 🙂 I hope you have a great 2019 too!
good luck to you with your goals in this new year! They don’t seem that far from the path you traditionally follow in your blog, so they are definitely doable. As for me, I don’t anticipate participating in any challenge, unless I get a last minute impulse and join one the R.I.P., like I did last Fall. I charted my reading list for the year. I would like to read maybe four or five books more than I did in 2018 (fingers crossed!) so my list thus far contains about 16-17 titles, four of them classics, 7 or 8 or them backlist ARCs from Netgalley because I want to increase my review percentage. Hopefully by 2020 I will be in better shape to request new titles without feeling guilty for not reviewing some of them. 😮
Thank you. No, I’m not planning to do anything very different with my reading this year – I just want to enjoy the books I read. Good luck with your reading list for the year. I often feel guilty about unread or unreviewed Netgalley books too, but it’s difficult to resist the temptation to request more!