This is the first time I can think of in all the time I have been Blogging I have done a post about the year ahead and thought that far ahead in Blogging terms. But I feel like I have been reading Water for many years, happy with the figures I get, and just doing the same year in year out about 120 posts about 90-100 reviews in a year. Well, I think next year I need to shake things up and raise the bar. I will again pass 100,000 words for the year this year. The fact is, I could easily carry on and do the same next year, but I feel the need to plan the year a little more and have firmly in my mind what I am doing throughout the year.
I have been buying lots of Japanese books for January in Japan. That is always a fun meme to join and always a good start to the year. Then I am planning to read 28 translations in February; I tried something similar last year, spurred on by Simon in Suck in the Books, that have done a few years with Novellas, where he reads one a day for a month. I loved trying to do it last year it meant I got to raid the Library for choices to read. Then we head into Booker International season. I will be reading the Longlist as I have for the last 12 years before it was the Booker International and was the old IFFP. I will then be looking at reading a few long books, getting ready for summer, and bringing back Spanish lit month in its original form, just Spanish Language literature. I’ve several books from Charco Press and other presses I want to read this month. I miss Richard, who started this with me many years ago. But I will do it Binnually with Czech lit month returning in 2025. Then I will be doing Simon and Karen years in April. They take us back to 1937 , and what I love about this is the deep dive into the year. The books came out, finding those lost gems for every year they chose. Then we have German lit month which I didnt’ plan for this year and intend to have plans in place for next year. The hope is to increase the number of reviews to be similar to what I actually read in a year with 120 books. I said I have hit 100,0oo words in the last few years, so I aim to write 125,000 words. I will try to engage a little more on social media like I did when I first started this blog. I need to chat more; I miss the chat out there. I miss that. Well, there has been a whole lot of I, but it is me behind the blog, and it is time to step up and stop being so comfortable with the blog as we need to move on to winstonsdad the middle-age years. What are your plans for next year with your blog or just with your reading?
Good luck with coming year, which sounds very, very interesting! This is a good reminder that I need to be looking ahead myself . . .
I plan to have a book published sometime in April through my publisher. I also plan to actively go out and speak to people who might benefit from what my book covers. It is a poetry book, but it is all about surviving living with two alcoholic parents who are very abusive. Sounds like you say very busy to me, but you’re right we all have to think ahead and try to be Innovative because everything is always moving forward.
It sounds like a powerful book hope it gets to the people that will benefit from it
Thank you I am excited it is looking very positive already. ❤️
Loook forward to seeing what you decide to do next year
Thank you so much. ❤️
Oh Stu, I do so admire your looking ahead and planning it out. I reached about 185 books one year and quit that – I was reading so many books I couldn’t remember what I’d read. That wasn’t much fun.
So the last few years I’ve been more focused on the quality and reading books a second time. I’ve been reading too many trashy crime novels (I don’t mean the good ones and I don’t mean the True Crime books. I mean books like those of CJ Box but it’s not likely I’ll give up his series. (lol!)
And on the other side I should read more literary fiction – I slid these last couple years and I always want to get back. Thanks for the nudge.
Hi Becky I always say read what makes you happy as a reader 186 is a lot I happy with 120 a year it’s a couple books a week .I do watch a lot of true crime documentaries don’t read many thou .look forward to seeing what you do next year
Well. this all looks very impressive!
I think what you are currently doing is terrific, and just right for me (that is, I would struggle to keep up with more) but I’m glad you’re keeping on with Spanish Lit Month because I always enjoy that and the IFFP.
An interesting thing happened to me a week ago. I had a Tweet from the people at the BBC asking me to contribute a question for Antonio Muñoz Moline, because they were doing In the Night of Time (2009) on the show. They wanted me to record this question — probably because they’re trying to be international and they thought they’d get an Aussie accent, but I don’t have one, ha ha. Anyway, I didn’t record it because I don’t know how to (and couldn’t be bothered to learn) and I haven’t listened to the program (I forgot) so I don’t know whether they included the question or not.
But what I should have done when I had the chance was to tell them that really, they should be contacting you, not me, because you know more about Spanish Lit than I ever will!
A really impressive set of plans! I’ll be joining in with Simon & Karen’s Club year too. The other plan I’m considering for 2024 is reading Anthony Powell’s A Dance to the Music of Time sequence which would be one book a month for the year. But I’ve not decided yet – I’d better hurry up!
Great plans Stu! Look forward to reading your posts.
Good plans, Stu, and practial – it’s easy to overload yourself with plans. I will happily join in with Spain and also Japan if I can. Glad you’re joining with the Club too!!
Ambitious plans Stu, I’ll probably just be mood reading around the world, including translations and as many countries as I can find on my shelves, and Irish lit in March. If I can do one blog post a week I’m happy with that, and definitely enjoy the engagement with everyone.
I actually found your blog while planning ahead. LOL I’m trying to find all the monthly reading events, such as Japanese Lit in January, Irish Lit in March, etc.
I appreciate you having books listed by countries in your side bar!!!
I added your blog to my Feedly.
I just started my blog this year so I plan to continue using it. Hopefully more! In terms of reading I’m fighting myself, I love challenges but my life doesn’t allow that much reading time that I can participate that much.
A nice set of plans! I am hatching an idea to really get my TBR shelf down this year. I know I did well with my go at that a few years ago, laying it all out on the floor and showing it every quarter. I think if I start with what I have at the beginning of 2024 I can get the front layer of the double-stacked shelf on the floor to show what there is and work at it from there. Have fun!
Stu, I credit you most of all for instilling a passion with translated literature into my heart. I remember joining you for the IFFP, now Booker International Prize; I remember joining you for Spanish literature month. I am interested in the Czech literature you mentioned for 2025, and of course, all the other things you listed. Thank you for being an important part of my reading world.