My 2024 Reading Challenge

So each year I set myself a book challenge. Usually it’s to read 60 books per year, which I track on Goodreads. Usually I hit the target, with a few books either side of 60. Sometimes I throw in an additional challenge, like in 2022 when I banned myself from buying books (which led to more borrows from the library, but did put a small dent in my TBR {to be read} pile). But it’s become evident to me that my TBR pile (which, honestly, is numerous shelves, definitely bigger than a pile) has got a little out of hand…

…As became evident when I decided to count all my books. It turns out that out of the (gulp) 337 book I own, I’ve not read (bigger gulp) 182 of them. Now, I feel I need to explain my excessive book hoarding a little. Firstly, there’s one bookcase that’s a big set of classic hardback books that I bought for a tenner on eBay back in 2010ish (and then phoned my mum to get her to collect in the boot of her car because the seller lived the next town along from her). And the excessive number is also partly due to a local charity shop that for a while was selling five books for £1… I couldn’t resist. But, in all honesty, it’s gluttony. I don’t need that many books. I can’t possibly read that many books… Or can I? 

The trouble I have is that when I see a book I see all its potential. What hours of pleasure might lie between those pages? What gem of a phrase might lurk there? What ‘ah, I thought I was the only one!’ moment might I miss if I don’t pick up that book? So it’s part gluttony and part FOMO. And the FOMO is getting me now right in my own home – I know lots of the books I own will be brilliant, but I don’t always pick them up. I mean, who really is ever in the mood to read Moby Dick? And some books I know I’m going to love, but I feel like I need to save them for when I really need an excellent read. 

So, my plan for 2024 is this: not only am I going to not buy any books, but I’m also going to start working through every book I own in alphabetical order. No impulse-reserving at the library, just focusing on powering through my list. I’ve made a spreadsheet, I’ve alphabetised it, and I mean business. Starting with Nick Hornby’s About a Boy, and finishing with Robert Lacey and Danny Danziger’s Year 1000, The – I’m going to simply read through the list, whether I feel like reading the next book or not. I’ve alphabetised by title rather than author so I don’t get stuck in an authorial rut. 

However, to help me best stick to this challenge, I’ve allowed myself the following exceptions: Where a book is part of a series, but a later book in the series is alphabetically before an earlier (unread) book in the series, I’ll read the earlier book first. Also, where a book has been picked for my book club, I’ll allow myself to get it from the library or (gasp, again!) buy a copy and break my trajectory for the sake of book club. (Will somebody PLEASE think of the BOOK CLUB?!) And my third exception is that I will allow myself an out-of-order bedtime comfort read. Likely Little House on the Prairie or something by L. M. Montgomery. If I happen to be on a Stephen King novel, I don’t want to be reading that right before bed, thank you very much. 

Actually, there’s a fourth exception too… Christian books. I read a lot of these, and always have them on the go alongside whatever novel/history/short stories I’m currently reading, and I’ll carry on with those in the same vein because (get this)… I haven’t included Christian nonfiction in my list of 337 books. I know. I’ve got a problem. This is my attempt at tackling it. 

Here are some thoughts as I embark on this challenge:

1. I’m excited to read some books I just haven’t got to, despite owning them for years.
2. I think the juxtaposition of what I happen to read because of the alphabet is going to be really interesting.
3. I’m really glad Ulysses is quite far down the alphabet and that won’t be 2024’s problem. 

Will I allow myself to DNF (did not finish)? Yes – I think I will. Though I rarely do this, anyway. Any DNFs I’ll rehome and they won’t be part of my TBR any more. Sorted. 

Anybody else up for this challenge with me? Let me know if you are! I’d love to compare notes along the way!