CanadianContent discussion

Last year we had a discussion about our reading goals for the upcoming year and I thought it would be fun to do it again.

My goals for 2017 were:
✓ 1. Read 100 books in total *Read 122 books
✓ 2. Complete Bookworm Bitches 2017 Bookworm Catch Up Challenge
✓ 3. Complete 2017 Bingo Challenge and restrict to Canadian titles
✓ 4. Read 30 Canadian books, 5 classics, and 5 non fiction *Read 36 Canadian, 10 classics, and 8 non fiction
X 5. Read 25% non-white authors *Read only 9% non-white authors

My goals for 2018 are:

1. Read 100 books in total
2. Complete Cross Canada Challenge
3. Complete 2018 Bingo Challenge and restrict to Canadian titles
4. Complete Book Riot's Read Harder Challenge
5. Read one classic and one non fiction book each month (12 classics, 12 non fiction)
6. Read 30% Canadian books
7. Read 20% person of colour authors

I'm editing my post:

In 2017 my reading goals were:

1. Read 104 books. I read 115
2. Read one short story per day. I REALLY enjoyed doing this and want to continue doing so.
3. Read more in French. I read 3 books in French (about to start my 4th), compared to 2 last year. Not much of an improvement, lol.

My reading goals for 2018 are:

1. Read 104 books (2 per week)
2. Read one short story per day
3. Read all 7 volumes of Proust
4. Read 12 translated works (NYRB Classics)

I already read a lot of Can Lit, Indigenous Lit, African Lit, and Caribbean Lit, so I don't have to make those my goals; they are my regular reading pattern. But what I would like to add are more classics, and in my short stories I want to diversify more into World Lit. In classics, Ulysses and Middlemarch are among those that I really need to read one day soon. Maybe after Proust....

My Goals for 2018 are:

1. Read 92 books (mindful that I only hit 50 this past year)
2. Be more mindful about prioritizing reading to maximize the time I do have.
3. Read three Charles Dickensnovels (ones I've never read, as well as one I've shamefully never finished, Oliver Twist.
4. Complete the 2018 Bingo Challenge with 100% Canadian authors.
5. Read three books from the True Stories that Make you Proud to be Canadian List.
6. Read a minimum of five books from the 100 Books that Make you Proud to Be Canadian list.
7. Diversify some of my reading to authors from other countries and continents.
8. Read three books by Richard Wagamese.

Great thread @Allison Hikes the Bookwoods, I hope you are ok with it, I changed the title to Reading Resolutions so it matches last year's thread if anyone wants to go back and find their 2017 goals.

for me, my 2017 goals were:

x
Read 125 books - i will not quite meet this goal but hoping to get to 110 this week

√ I will continue to read as much Canadian as I can - I will report back on this at the end of the week but am well over 50%

√ get back into reading some of the leadership books (I have a pile of signed ones from the Art of Leadership Conference with topics of coaching, goal setting, teamwork) and add to my leadership library that I share at the office - I did read a few but plan on trying to get through a few more in 2018.

√ As for author events, I am hopeful that Richard Wagamese will come to Ontario at some point as I would love to hear him speak and meet him in person. He offers writing workshops and if these ever come close, I will definitely be signing up!! - Sadly this goal will never come to fruition with his untimely death in March 2017. I did enjoy meeting 35 authors in 2017

√ to increase my audio content, making use of my commuting time and of course, read every chance that I get! - I met my goal of listening to 24 audio books. I had hoped to get a couple more in but can only seem to listen to them in the car while commuting.

Complete bingo with all Canadian - finishing up The Manticore and will be done at the last minute.

For 2018:

1. Read 125 books.
2. Complete BINGO 2018 with all Canadian books
3. Read 5 more from the CBC 100 Books to make you proud
4. Read at least 1 Margaret Laurence, more Margaret Atwood
5. Attend Canada Reads again - so excited!!!

❀ Susan wrote: "Great thread @Allison Hikes the Bookwoods, I hope you are ok with it, I changed the title to Reading Resolutions so it matches last year's thread if anyone wants to go back and find their 2017 goal..."

So can you tell me

1. How to order tickets for Canada Reads
2. When is it?

@Rainey - last year it was in the end of March and tickets were FREE and promoted by the CBC.

We need to put a group together for Canada Reads. I really want to make a trip to Toronto to meet some of you guys.

I will add a thread for this!!

I met all of my goals for 2017!

√ Complete bingo
√ Read a complete series or set of linked books - Scott Pilgrim series by Bryan Lee O'Malley (6 volumes)
√ Read 20% nonfiction - I'm currently around 25%
√ Read a chunky classic on Serial Reader - The Tenant Of Wildfell Hall

My goals for 2018 are:
Complete bingo
Read a complete series or set of linked books
Read 25% nonfiction
Read 5 books in translation
Read 3 classic books published before 1900
Read 50% or less U.S. authors

My GR goal was 90 books and I'm going to finish #100 this week, possibly 101. I will keep 90 as my go-to goal, it seems pretty reasonable even if I generally reach 100 or very close to it.

Finished Bingo 2017
Finished Cross Canada Read
Read a few classics, both Canadian and other.
Read more Canadian than last year - Reached it, 58% vs 40% in 2016.
Also completed a challenge via blog on Wordpress, #20booksOf Summer between June and August. Read 20+

For 2018:
90 Books
Bingo 2018
Cross Canada Challenge 2018
Read all of Jane Austen (have two under my belt already)
Read at least 50% Canadian authors
Read a few classics, including at least 1 Canadian (Canadian classics don't necessarily need to be written before the 20th century because there aren't that many, mainly first half 20th c. but can creep into the later half. It's very subjective.)

Diane wrote: "My GR goal was 90 books and I'm going to finish #100 this week, possibly 101. I will keep 90 as my go-to goal, it seems pretty reasonable even if I generally reach 100 or very close to it.

Finish..."


Nice Diane! What classics did you have in mind?

Oops -- I just put all my 2017 Goals and Successes/Fails into the 2017 Stats thread. Hadn't read this one yet. Oh well. I'll just leave it there.

For 2018, I really don't know how many books to expect to read, as my work situation is changing vastly in January! In 2017, I hit 57. I think I'll aim for 50, which is "about" a book a week.

Other goals, which are actually more important to me than numbers, and are similar to last year's goals:

1) Complete 2018 BINGO with mostly Canadian authors.

2) Read all of the Canada Reads shortlist books before the debates.

3) Do an author run of 3-4 books by one author in a row. (I think this year it's going to be Atwood).

4) Participate in 2-3 monthly group book reads with this group.

5) Participate in 2-3 monthly book challenges with this group.

6) Read 15-20% authors from outside North America.

After posting my response to Bill on another thread where I say the bulk of my reading is NON American, I had to go double check my stats to make sure I wasn't spewing falsehoods. In 2017 I read 114 books. 39 of those were American, so that's 34%. Still too high IMO. So I'm adding another resolution for 2018 to keep American books under 25% of my reading.

Maybe something like this:

35% Canadian (15% Indigenous)
25% American
15% African
25% rest of the world

and in all that 5% in French

Hi all,

I don't post often and have been pretty inactive in 2017. I didn't even hit my modest 2017 goal of 25 books. I only read 5! Actually it will be 6 because I will be done The Secret Life and Adventures of Santa Clause shortly. I was in year 2 of starting my own business and all my reading was restricted to journals, business periodicals and food safety related material.

For 2018 I intend to get back to my love of reading, but still want to keep the goals realistic:

1) Complete the 2018 BINGO challenge
2) By default - Read 24 books! (Lol is that cheating?)

Looking forward to being an active participant in 2018!

Welcome back Jamie! Not cheating at all and that will give you a lot of CanLit!!!

@Natasha, in addition to Jane Austen for potential classics that I want to read, I've been wanting to read Don Quixote for a few years. I might try to get to that in 2018.

Diane wrote: "@Natasha, in addition to Jane Austen for potential classics that I want to read, I've been wanting to read Don Quixote for a few years. I might try to get to that in 2018."

Have you read Northanger Abbey yet?

@Natasha, that's my next one!

1. Complete 2018 Bingo Challenge with mostly Canadian Authors (didn't finish 2017)

2. Read 90 books

3. Read the Canada Reads Shortlisted books before the debates (which I want to attend in Person)

4. Complete the 2018 Bookriot.com Read Harder Challenge (didn't finish 2017)

5. New one. Try to limit my book purchases to those for book clubs, and read what I already own. I try this one every year and fail miserably at it. I am a book addict and I admit it.

Diane wrote: "@Natasha, that's my next one!"

Want to do a mini Buddy Read? I haven't read it yet either, and I have been wanting to get to it for quite a while.

Rainey wrote: "1. Complete 2018 Bingo Challenge with mostly Canadian Authors (didn't finish 2017)

2. Read 90 books

3. Read the Canada Reads Shortlisted books before the debates (which I want to attend in Person..."

What's the Read Harder Challenge, Rainey?

Natasha wrote: "Rainey wrote: "Whats The Read Harder Challenge.."

Bookriot.com is here on GoodReads and the have a challenge every year. Its 24 books in the year with different topics. It will definately take you out of your comfort zone. Link below. At the top of the article is the link to their Goodreads account.

https://bookriot.com/2017/12/15/book-...

 

@Natasha Sure, a minibuddy read of Northanger Abbey will be just the thing!

I don't remember having set any goals as such for 2017, but for 2018, I'll try a few:

1. Complete the bingo card. I'm trying for all-Canadian entries for my squares.

2. Read more of the books lying in stacks around the house!

3. Read more classics, including at least Bleak House (much begun but never finished, though I've enjoyed other Dickens novels), Middlemarch, and Frankenstein.

4. Read one book in French and try one in German. Verrrry rusty...

I like #2 @Emmkay! I’m making an effort not to buy anymore books for a while. Let’s see how long I last....

I feel like every year I resolve to read the books I own rather than buy more or go to the library. I’ve mostly been reading from my own stash recently and it’s been great! I know it won’t last and soon I’ll be haunting the library for the newest, shiniest books, but I was really proud that I didn’t buy anything from Book Outlet for their Boxing Week sale. THAT took maximum willpower.

I am retiring at the end of January, so will have a bit more time on my hands, so I want to finally organize all my books and take an inventory.

Two Books which I vow to read in 2018 are Jane Eyre and The Grapes of Wrath ( I feel like I am the only person on the planet who has not read these!)

I also want to finish my 2018 Bingo,.

Yay these are fun to read!!

1. Bingo 2018
2. More indigenous books
3. More uplifting books
4. I have a 365 meditations for yoga book. I want to do my best to read that every day.
5. Don't buy any books except for gifts.

Heather you're not alone. I haven't read "The Grapes of Wrath" either. I'm remiss in a lot of the books I either feel I should read or classics I want to read. I always move them down on the TBR pile because I know they'll always be there.

Classics are tough. There are so many I've been meaning to read since forever and like you Natasha, they keep on getting bumped down the pile. But I MUST read these before I die:

Ulysses
Middlemarch
The Catcher in the Rye
Slaughterhouse-Five
Catch-22

Then I've got a shitload of French authors I need to read, just to name a few:

Émile Zola
Honoré de Balzac
Stendhal
Guy Maupassant

I'm never going to live long enough.....

2018 is dedicated to Marcel Proust and his À la recherche du temps perdu. Then maybe 2019 will be Ulysses, and 2020 the French greats. HAHAHA, who the hell plans their reading 2 years into the future.

Louise, Ulysses is great but needs to be taken in small doses. It can get to be "too much" at times and small doses are required. At other times, (Circe, for example) it's so crazy and fun that one can read for a long time.
A year is probably a good time frame for Ulysses. Feel free to send me messages of frustration, question or remark at any time.

Middlemarch is possibly the best novel ever. Slaughterhouse-Five is another remarkable work.

You're not making this any easier Petra! LOL. I want to read them all now but I have so many other books to read for book clubs, etc.

My plan is to read 8 pages of Proust per day, taking the full year to read it. I want to read Ulysses too but since I also want to read one short story per day, I best leave Ulysses until I'm done with Proust. I should try to get some of those other classics in though. I bought Middlemarch from Audible about 5 years ago. It's just sitting in my phone waiting for me to start....

LOL! I wasn't suggesting reading all of these in one year. That's enough to create bedlam in one's mind. Proust & Ulysses in the same year is just crazy talk. LOL!

Middlemarch starts slow but stick with it. Worth it.

No but you just reminded me how much I need to read all of these.

I read Ulysses in my mid-20s. I had no money to take a vacation with my vacation time, so I spent a 1-week summer vacation sitting on my apartment balcony slowly making my way through Ulysses. I had to read a book to explain it to me alongside it, but I was determined to read it. I have no idea what I’d think of it now, but I remember liking parts of it a lot, being utterly confused by other parts, but feeling a sense of accomplishment at the end of the week. Nerdiest vacation possible?

@Susan, sounds like a great vacation to me :-). I got The Great Courses DVD to go along with it when I do read it. It's 24 half-hour lectures, one for each chapter I believe. I was told it's best to read through the whole thing once, then go back and delve deeper into each chapter. Someone once said that you read a book the first time for the story, and the second time for the writing.

Ulysses may be the opposite. It can be confusing but the writing can be amazing. The story becomes clearer on a second reading. LOL!

Susan, you read it in one week?!! That's amazing! I'm impressed.

@Megan — your fifth resolution!!!! 😳😳😳

@ Louise Someone once said that you read a book the first time for the story, and the second time for the writing.

When studying literature for my masters we read books not just twice. Once, in order to get the story as quickly as possible and then a few times for the style and meaning.

I read Ulysses over a summer while I worked full-time. I have since watched a few good film versions of the novel. For various courses I have read many English language classic writings. For a Francais course I read a few standard french classics.

My plan is to read Proust over the next year.

@allison right??!! I got like 10 new books Over Xmas that should tide me over. I only bought a few books this ye. The library card has been getting a work out!

My reading resolutions for 2018:

1. to reach my GR goal of 85 books.
2. to read off my at-home shelves as much as possible. It's getting to be a crazy situation with so many books at home.....piles everywhere and always growing....and I get books from the library to read. This year, less library; more home shelves.

Mary Anne wrote: "My plan is to read Proust over the next year.
."

Great! Maybe we can compare notes.

I'm going to make my plans simple to align with my overall goal for 2018 which is to place less undue pressure on myself.

1) Reach my goal of 75 books read in 2018
2) Continue to focus on Canadian authors
3) Focus on books I have at home versus borrowing/buying

@ Wanda, I love your overall goal.
Your goal number 3 ( which I see some others share) was a flop for me in 2016. I did get down to only 30 books out but back up to the limit of 40 quite soon as special orders for the gillers came in around then. Today I am starting out right by picking a book someone gifted me with ages ago as my first new read this year

What I really want to accomplish soon is to be able to post pictures on GR.

I'm committing to this years cross country challenge and 2018 bingo. If a book appeals I will join a group read.

Happy New Year!

@Magdelanye, a great start to a wonderful year ahead. I think I want to lean more towards what moves me and less on what pulls on me :) Happy New Year!

@Louise -- great idea to compare Proust notes!!

My only resolution is to continue to read for pleasure and curiosity. Not a very hard resolution to keep!

Mary Anne wrote: "@Louise -- great idea to compare Proust notes!!"

Petra just finished it. Perhaps we ought to create a Buddy Reads? Although it's not Can lit.

Louise wrote: "Petra just finished it. Perhaps we ought to create a Buddy Reads? Although it's not Can lit."

We did Buddy Reads for non-Canadian books before. I say go for it. I don't think they need to be limited in that way, unless @Susan disagrees.