As mentioned in an earlier post, it's time to set new goals for the year. I took some time considering what I want to accomplish and how my goals last year worked out for me. Honestly, my biggest take away was that having a page count goal was exhausting and stressful, I felt rushed through books. And while my goals for what kinds of books to read pushed me to try some titles I wouldn't have considered otherwise, my goal to read more indies led to hours of stress to pick books I ended up not finishing. So this year's goals are a lot gentler than last year's. 

Reading Goals

1) Read my physical TBR
I have a stockpile of gifts from Christmas and other events to get through. If I have a physical book, I need to read it. 

2) Read what my friends are gushing about
It was so fun to read Fourth Wing and Iron Flame at the same time as a group of friends from work. I loved discussing theories and the buzzy energy as we all raced to finished Iron Flame so we could chat without anyone being spoiled. I want more of that!

3) Find comps for my next book
I think it's important to read anything I use as a comp, so I want to find and read them for the novel I'll be querying.

4) Keep track of reading stats, but don't sweat
I love knowing what books I read, and sharing them. I like trying to err on the side of diverse reading. However, I don't want to chain myself to anything. What will be will be, including my final page count. 

Writing Goals

1) See what working with a professional editor is like
I've never hired an editor for previous manuscripts, so this year I'm testing it out. I'm sure to get good feedback and learn things.

2) Polish my manuscript and send my first query for my next book
This might take all year, who knows, but I want to push for it as early as I can. Time to head back to the query trenches. Fourth time's the charm?

3) Keep up with my writing groups
One of the few goals I'm renewing is to keep up with my critique groups. I joined a new one this year too, so it's a lot of reading. However, I'm happy to do it! Editing others helps hone the editorial eye for your own work too!



That's it! A short but sweet list of specific but gentle goals for 2024. What do you hope to accomplish this year? Let's discuss in the comments. 

2023 was a big year in reading for me, and while there are plenty of blog posts reviewing most of my reads, I thought I should highlight my favorites. Since my reviews include recommendations for who would enjoy or not enjoy any book, I think books I loved aren't always obvious. Without further ado, here are my top reads of 2023:

My Favorite Debut
Chain-Gang All-Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah

My Favorite Award Winner
Babel by R. F. Kuang

My Favorite Writing Craft Book
Story Genius by Lisa Cron

My Favorite Indie
Anastasia by Sophie Lark

If you want to know about  other great books I read, check out my 2023 goals update post, which has links to all my reviews for the year. 
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What were your favorite reads in 2023? Have you read any of my picks? Let's discuss in the comments!