I don’t set reading goals. I see many readers want to top the number of books they read the previous year, but imo, that takes all the fun out of reading. I read because I love to. 2020 and 2021 I read nonstop. I don’t know how many books I read, but I always had a book open in my spare time.

2022 was totally different. I was given short notice that my rental agreement would not be renewed. I ended up buying a house (I’m so over shitty landlords), I packed up to move, then unpacked, and came out of a short-lived retirement and went back to work.

I’m still not totally unpacked, so I feel guilty if I sit down to read for even 30 minutes because there’s so much yet to do.

The other issue is, you have it in the back of your mind that it’s all about numbers. You may find yourself rushing through a book without really absorbing what you’re reading. You read just to finish the book and move on to the next one, scratching another line on the tree adding to the number of books you’ve already read.

This all defeats the purpose of reading. Read because you love to, not because you want to top yourself.