Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish. This feature was created to share lists with other bookish folks! For this week’s Top Ten Tuesday list, we were asked to list our top ten bookish goals for 2013! It’s always good to set goals for yourself, and as I tend not to make New Year’s resolutions, this is a particularly nice opportunity!
1. Purchase fewer books…
I’ve gotten better at this, with three library cards and an e-reader, but I still buy wayyyy too many books. My bookshelf is not only double-shelved, but has books shoved into every available space. And I just got another bookshelf for Christmas, so this will be a real test of will.
2. …And purchase them from used bookstores!
I love used bookstores! The thrill of the hunt and the feeling of saving money combine and make this one of my favorite activities. Besides, with the Strand nearby and an account on Better World Books, I’m already well-positioned to avoid chain bookstores all year-round.
3. Write more reviews
I only just got into the book blogging game again last year, so I wasn’t as good as I should have been about reviewing everything I read. I also read more books than I ever have this year (69!). But enough excuses! In 2013, I’d like to try to review most of the books that I read (if not all).
4. Read more classic sci-fi and fantasy
I feel like I’ve missed out on a lot of the classics of these genres, and would like to spend more time in 2013 rectifying that. In 2012, I tackled old sci-fi stand-outs like Dune and Hyperion, but tended to read more contemporary fantasy. Let’s see if I can change that this year!
5. Avoid feeling overwhelmed by ARCs
Ironically (because I have two ARC reviews to write at this very moment), I want to ensure that I don’t sacrifice reading and reviewing books that have been on my TBR list for ages for flashy new ARCs. It’s a balancing act, and one that I think I can improve on.
6. Make my book club dreams a reality
I’ve been kicking around the idea of a book club for years, but I always find reasons to drop it. This year, though, friend C mentioned that she would like to set up Skype dates with myself, friend J, and friend R, and I figure that I could hijack these a bit into an unofficial book club.
7. Whittle down my TBR list
This one is probably nearly impossible, but it’s worth a shot. My TBR list on Goodreads is currently 325, so if I could get it down to 300 I would be happy. Really, I just want to read some of the books I’ve had waiting in the wings for more than a year, and focusing on my TBR list is one way to do that.
8. Read at least 60 books this year
I usually hover around 40-50 books read a year. 2012 was an exceptional year for me, and I want to keep the momentum going, so I am setting my reading goal at 60 books this year. (That said, I am in awe of the readers who manage to finish 100 or more books a year. How do you do it?!)
9. Read more books by people of color
I think it’s important not only to diversify the genre of books I read, but the nationalities and ethnicities of the authors as well. I’ve read hardly any books by African authors, for example; I’ve only done a bit better with books by Latin American authors. I want my reading experience to be as culturally-rich as possible!
10. Attend BEA 2013
This is sort of an easy one, because I already know I’m going to BEA! (My first one, yay!) I live in New York and can afford it, so why not take the chance?
What are YOUR bookish goals for this year?
bookwanderer 
1, 3, 5, and 7 I completely agree with!
Great list!
Thanks for stopping by!
This sounds like a great year of reading. Do you know Me, You and Books? Marilyn reviews quite a few books by women of color so you might want to have a look: http://mdbrady.wordpress.com/about/
I definitely recommend starting a book club. We have lots of fun and it forces me to read books I might not otherwise choose, which I often turn out to like.
Here’s my list: http://annabelsmith.tumblr.com/post/39982227770/top-10-tuesday-bookish-goals-for-2013
That is a hardcore list! #4 is a great one – I finally read “Ender’s Game” last year, but I’m way behind on my Asimov, Phillip K Dick, etc.
Also, three library cards?!
You say purchase fewer books, I say purchase more books. Lol :)) My shelf has really few books. I want to own at least a hundred. Anyway, good luck on allthese!
My Goals for 2013
Waiting on Wednesday
I love used bookstores. I frequently stalk the ones in my area. I love your other goals too. I need to work down my TBR pile, but then I keep adding to it 😉
Sounds like good goals! Jealous you live in NYC; I don’t want to go to BEA but I’d love to meet all the bloggers who go. 🙂
Thanks, Eva! I’m excited about attending BEA, but nervous as well, for the very reason you mentioned–I’m sure I’ll run into the book bloggers I’ve been reading and admiring for years, and I’ll probably be a bit starstruck!