Cover to cover: #ReadingGoals

January is the month of resolutions, but by now the gym memberships have probably started gathering dust. So if you are feeling too lazy to go to the gym why not exercise your mind with some reading resolutions.

Cover to cover: #ReadingGoals

Goals are a huge thing at the moment, and what better way to achieve your resolutions than setting some #ReadingGoals? Whether you only read a book a year or you are a certified bookworm there are plenty of ways you can aim to read more and better in 2016.

via GIPHY

Most people's goal is simply to read more. Maybe it is because you think you don't have time, but there are really easy ways to fit a bit of reading into your day:

Read short stories

Great literature comes in all shapes and sizes. There are hundreds of short books that you can read while you are on the bus or on your lunch break.

Read instead of watching TV

I'm not saying you should ditch your favourite series at all! But do you really need to watch that repeat of a show that came out three years ago again? Turn off the guilty pleasure TV and pick up a book, they are even better.

Dedicate time

Have a spare half hour in the evening, or free time during breakfast in the morning to read. Even if it is a little at a time this will help!

Set a daily goal

A page a day. Ten pages a day. A chapter. Whatever the amount, set it and stick to it. It'll become part of your routine and you will be reading more in no time!

Track your progress

Keep count of your achievements. Goodreads is a great way to set a goal and log your reading and it even comes up with recommendations to help you find more!


Reading more is great, it lets you see the world from different points of view, enter new worlds and it is fantastic for improving your vocabulary and even communication skills. But for some of us the goal may not be to read more, but to read better. This could mean breaking out of your comfort zone, reading a bigger range or trying something new.

Reading Challenges have become popular, with people writing a list of all of the different types of book they want to read - for example if you always read crime fiction maybe you want to try some sci-fi? Or maybe the goal is to delve into some classics? If you are open to a challenge and really want to try something Popsugar and Bookriot's challenges are popular, but search online and there are loads to choose from, just pick one to suit you.

I decided to make my own challenge based on my personal aims, which you can always to tailor to yourself.

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Another challenge you can try is Around the World in Books, where the aim is to read books from a more diverse range of locations, for example one from each continent or region of the world.

Whatever kind of reader you are, setting some goals is a great way to help you achieve what you want out of reading. The best part is that you can set your goal to suit you, so whether it's 5 or 50 books it doesn't matter! You will feel great when you see what you can achieve and you will discover a whole new world of books out there.

Here are the top five books that I plan to tackle this year:

Far from the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy

The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins

A Game of Thrones by George RR Martin

A Room of One's Own by Virginia Woolf

Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe


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Author

Ellen Orange

Ellen Orange Contributor

I am a 24 year old Marketing Officer from the North East with a passion for arts and writing. I did a BA in English Literature and an MA in Twentieth and Twenty First Century Literature at Durham University, because I love books and reading! I have experience in writing for a variety of student publications, as well as having contributed to Living North, a regional magazine and Culture magazine, a supplement to regional newspaper, The Journal. I have been part of a Young Journalists scheme writing for NewcastleGateshead's Juice Festival, a young people's arts and culture festival, and have since become a Team Juice member. As well as reading and writing, I love theatre, photography and crafts.

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3 Comments

  • Bhavesh Jadva

    On 31 January 2016, 13:41 Bhavesh Jadva Voice Team commented:

    I'm definitely jumping on this! I've got almost two hours a day of commuting this month so I've stocked up nicely. I need to finish off The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce and when that's finished, I've lined up The Humans by Matt Haig, The Buddha of Suburbia by Hanif Kureishi and an abridged version of I Am Malala. I hope to get through them by the end of February but that might be a bit hopeful haha.

  • Elspeth Barron

    On 2 February 2016, 16:23 Elspeth Barron commented:

    It must be the year of reading. Me & some of the girls from work have challenged each other to another reading challenge which sees you complete 12 book challenges in 12 months. I have already completed my first two, owned but never read - I read Jane Lynch's memoir, Happy Accidents & previously abandoned where I read Eva Ibbotson's A Company of Swans. Now moving on to my third book and I am loving it. I used to be a big reader when I was little but then just never found the time or couldn't motivate myself. Doing this challenge I have switched my daily commute from catching up on tv shows I don't really watch to two hours of reading books. I recommend challenging yourself to read more to everyone. I have fallen back in love with reading and bought myself numerous books which I always wanted to read but never found time to read. Definitely going to have read a lot by the end of this year!

  • Bhavesh Jadva

    On 2 February 2016, 21:33 Bhavesh Jadva Voice Team commented:

    Oh I'm definitely the same, Elspeth. I just could not bring myself to pick up a book for the sake of it in the last ten years or so! Hoping to fix that now haha.

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