I love this so much. I don't set reading goals (Now I feel like I should, haha), but in terms of my writing goal, I found the same in November... as soon as I reached my (modified) NaNo goal, I slowed down to a pace that felt more healthy and sustainable. I think there's something to be said for taking our time with things that matter in a world that wants us to GO GO GO and do MORE all the time. Lots of food for thought here! xo
Exactly! When we take our time, we can indulge and luxuriate; we can linger on the page just because we want to. I felt the same with with NaNo when I did it. And then after a treacherous month, I literally never returned to the novel. This was like 12 years ago.
I love this! I am re-reading Middlemarch right now for the first time in about a decade, and it's been such a joy to really take my time, even reading parts aloud to myself (and the dogs) when I want to luxuriate in the language and humor. I don't really have a pattern to my reading either (other than trying to stay on top of comps for querying), but this year I set a very low and achievable goal and it felt good to surpass that and keep going.
YES TO THIS. I find myself trying to set goals and create habits out of things that are meant to make my life more enjoyable (like reading), and it turns things that I love into a chore! Which is silly silly silly lol.
I love the idea of lowering (or nixing) the reading goal :) I think I set one this year, but am a few books short -- gonna go ahead and take this as my sign to just "fail" at it in the name of actually ENJOYING what I'm reading!!
Hello from Italy 😊 I used to set reading goals on Goodreads but this year I am more focused on reading classics and enjoy them, so I have not set any reading goal for 2024.
Often reading goals, tbr piles makes me anxious and don't allow me to enjoy my readings as I should!
I also decided to read what I already have on my shelves and not buy new books 📚
I read both in Italian and English. I usually read in English when I want to experience the book in the language it has been written and I read in Italian the other books (from Italian authors or the translated ones).
I would like to hear which Italian books you might want to read this year!
Ciao, Lara! I love that you haven't set a Goodreads goal this year so you can just enjoy what you are reading. It's amazing how much power those goals have!
I feel the same way about TBRs. I'm more of a mood reader so I'll just read whichever book on my shelf that's speaking to me when it's time for a new book! This year I plan to do more rereading, too.
As for books I want to read in Italian: I'd like Dove mi trovo by Jhumpa Lahiri. I read it in English (Whereabouts) but want to try the Italian text. A friend also recommended I check out Alba Donati's La libreria sulla collina. I have some Italian books from when I was in grad school, but I think they're too advanced for me at this time, 14 years removed from studying!
Who are some of your favorite Italian authors? Do you have any recommendations??
Ciao Kolina! I haven't read Alba Donati's book but I saw it in a bookshop and it seemed to me a lovely book to read and I guess I will read it soon!
I recommend Paolo Cognetti's Le otto montagne (i have to say I like all his books that talk about the mountains) .
Ilaria Tuti's series of the detective Teresa Battaglia but also her other 2books Fiore di roccia and Il vento cucito alla terra (both set during war times but very different topic). I love them all!
If something else comes to mind I will tell you 😊😊 happy readings!!
I wanted to recommend you also Alba De Cespedes' Quaderno proibito, I discover her recently. I never heard about her before. She had Cuban father and Italian mother, but she wrote mostly in Italian!
Kolina, I am SO thrilled to have seen your Substack post on LinkedIn... I was the Italian program as an undergrad when you were there for grad (and then went back and did my master's there too). I love your writing and devour your reflections as a fellow reader and Italian language lover!
I'm so fascinated by Jhumpa Lahiri's connection to and exploration of the language (definitely check out Whereabouts and/or Dove mi trovo. I loved reading the book in both languages. Also just read Translating Myself and Others by her, which though at times deeply technical, was a wonderful little collection of her musings on moving between languages/cultures and the art of translation). Finally (for now!) if you haven't yet read it, try Alba Donati's La libreria sulla collina. I read it in Italian slowly, looking up more words than I could believe before getting more deeply into it. As a fellow reader and writer and book lover, you may find it as charming as I did (not to mention full of mentions of beautiful books) <3
REBECCA! It is so nice to hear from you -- of course I remember you!
Your message is the exact reason I launched this Substack: to connect with fellow book lovers over great literature! Our connection over the Italian language is an incredible bonus though :)
Jhumpa Lahiri can do no wrong in my eyes. I adored Whereabouts, but I read it in English. I will have to get it in Italian! In Altre Parole is nice because it's a parallel text with the Italian on one page and English on the other. It makes looking up words so much easier. But those books are hard to find.
Thank you so much for all of these recommendations. I just purchased Translating Myself and Others! I'm going to Italy in April and plan to leave space in my luggage to bring home some books. I just looked for La Libreria Sulla Collina and could only find a copy that ships from Italy, so I'll just grab it while I'm there! Along with Dove Mi Trovo. I am truly so grateful for these reccs!
Appreciating this timely and thoughtful challenge to put more mindfulness into our reading life and let go of the pesky pressure one can feel in the bookish corners of the internet to "keep up" with All. The. Books. (which, spoiler alert, is impossible anyway, so we might as well fail happily!). Thank you for this. 🙏
I am so glad this spoke to you! That pesky pressure often times is unwarranted, too, and I find it mainly just comes from myself. But why? When I love meandering, luscious books, why give myself a goal so high that I grab for the 300-pager rather than the tome?
I think upping your number next year is a good idea. You are also very good at quitting books (I'm not -- I give books way too much of my time before I decide to quit them. Maybe that should be a part of my goals for next year, too: quitting the minute the thought pops up in my head).
Reading is definitely not a race. You killed it this year!
I love that you lowered your challenge from 35 to 25. I feel like I don't see that often. I think the tendency is to keep upping your goal, so I applaud you for doing that.
Did you read any fiction in 2023 that you loved? I am into the idea of all fiction for 2024! Do give yourself grace though if a nonfiction book comes to your attention and you just HAVE to read it.
I'd say if 25 worked well for you this year, keep it at 25 next year!
Wow wow wow, Still Life sounds incredible (I just looked it up). Florence is the love of my life. My husband and I are taking our two kids there in April! I am going to read this in 2024, thank you!
And yes, stick with 25! Seems perfect! I look forward to connecting in the new year.
I love this so much. I don't set reading goals (Now I feel like I should, haha), but in terms of my writing goal, I found the same in November... as soon as I reached my (modified) NaNo goal, I slowed down to a pace that felt more healthy and sustainable. I think there's something to be said for taking our time with things that matter in a world that wants us to GO GO GO and do MORE all the time. Lots of food for thought here! xo
Exactly! When we take our time, we can indulge and luxuriate; we can linger on the page just because we want to. I felt the same with with NaNo when I did it. And then after a treacherous month, I literally never returned to the novel. This was like 12 years ago.
We can be "slowing down accountability partners."
I love this! I am re-reading Middlemarch right now for the first time in about a decade, and it's been such a joy to really take my time, even reading parts aloud to myself (and the dogs) when I want to luxuriate in the language and humor. I don't really have a pattern to my reading either (other than trying to stay on top of comps for querying), but this year I set a very low and achievable goal and it felt good to surpass that and keep going.
YES Kat! That is exactly what I’m talking about. Luxuriating in the beautiful writing. Taking your time. Reading to your pets! (Die for that.)
I love how the achievable goal freed you up for enjoyment. That’s what I want more of in 2024!
YES TO THIS. I find myself trying to set goals and create habits out of things that are meant to make my life more enjoyable (like reading), and it turns things that I love into a chore! Which is silly silly silly lol.
I love the idea of lowering (or nixing) the reading goal :) I think I set one this year, but am a few books short -- gonna go ahead and take this as my sign to just "fail" at it in the name of actually ENJOYING what I'm reading!!
It is so true though! It’s insane what a goal will do to your mind. It totally does turn a joy into work.
I am SO glad you’re taking this as a sign. I love this. Enjoy it! And lmk what you read!
Hello from Italy 😊 I used to set reading goals on Goodreads but this year I am more focused on reading classics and enjoy them, so I have not set any reading goal for 2024.
Often reading goals, tbr piles makes me anxious and don't allow me to enjoy my readings as I should!
I also decided to read what I already have on my shelves and not buy new books 📚
I read both in Italian and English. I usually read in English when I want to experience the book in the language it has been written and I read in Italian the other books (from Italian authors or the translated ones).
I would like to hear which Italian books you might want to read this year!
Ciao, Lara! I love that you haven't set a Goodreads goal this year so you can just enjoy what you are reading. It's amazing how much power those goals have!
I feel the same way about TBRs. I'm more of a mood reader so I'll just read whichever book on my shelf that's speaking to me when it's time for a new book! This year I plan to do more rereading, too.
As for books I want to read in Italian: I'd like Dove mi trovo by Jhumpa Lahiri. I read it in English (Whereabouts) but want to try the Italian text. A friend also recommended I check out Alba Donati's La libreria sulla collina. I have some Italian books from when I was in grad school, but I think they're too advanced for me at this time, 14 years removed from studying!
Who are some of your favorite Italian authors? Do you have any recommendations??
A presto! <3
Ciao Kolina! I haven't read Alba Donati's book but I saw it in a bookshop and it seemed to me a lovely book to read and I guess I will read it soon!
I recommend Paolo Cognetti's Le otto montagne (i have to say I like all his books that talk about the mountains) .
Ilaria Tuti's series of the detective Teresa Battaglia but also her other 2books Fiore di roccia and Il vento cucito alla terra (both set during war times but very different topic). I love them all!
If something else comes to mind I will tell you 😊😊 happy readings!!
Grazie mille!!! I am so grateful! Going to look into all of these asap.
Happy reading to you too! 💜
I wanted to recommend you also Alba De Cespedes' Quaderno proibito, I discover her recently. I never heard about her before. She had Cuban father and Italian mother, but she wrote mostly in Italian!
I just looked that up. It sounds fantastic! Thank you so much for all of these recommendations! I am so grateful.
Kolina, I am SO thrilled to have seen your Substack post on LinkedIn... I was the Italian program as an undergrad when you were there for grad (and then went back and did my master's there too). I love your writing and devour your reflections as a fellow reader and Italian language lover!
I'm so fascinated by Jhumpa Lahiri's connection to and exploration of the language (definitely check out Whereabouts and/or Dove mi trovo. I loved reading the book in both languages. Also just read Translating Myself and Others by her, which though at times deeply technical, was a wonderful little collection of her musings on moving between languages/cultures and the art of translation). Finally (for now!) if you haven't yet read it, try Alba Donati's La libreria sulla collina. I read it in Italian slowly, looking up more words than I could believe before getting more deeply into it. As a fellow reader and writer and book lover, you may find it as charming as I did (not to mention full of mentions of beautiful books) <3
REBECCA! It is so nice to hear from you -- of course I remember you!
Your message is the exact reason I launched this Substack: to connect with fellow book lovers over great literature! Our connection over the Italian language is an incredible bonus though :)
Jhumpa Lahiri can do no wrong in my eyes. I adored Whereabouts, but I read it in English. I will have to get it in Italian! In Altre Parole is nice because it's a parallel text with the Italian on one page and English on the other. It makes looking up words so much easier. But those books are hard to find.
Thank you so much for all of these recommendations. I just purchased Translating Myself and Others! I'm going to Italy in April and plan to leave space in my luggage to bring home some books. I just looked for La Libreria Sulla Collina and could only find a copy that ships from Italy, so I'll just grab it while I'm there! Along with Dove Mi Trovo. I am truly so grateful for these reccs!
Tante buone cose! <3
Appreciating this timely and thoughtful challenge to put more mindfulness into our reading life and let go of the pesky pressure one can feel in the bookish corners of the internet to "keep up" with All. The. Books. (which, spoiler alert, is impossible anyway, so we might as well fail happily!). Thank you for this. 🙏
I am so glad this spoke to you! That pesky pressure often times is unwarranted, too, and I find it mainly just comes from myself. But why? When I love meandering, luscious books, why give myself a goal so high that I grab for the 300-pager rather than the tome?
Happy reading in the new year!
I think I may up my number this year, easily, but I do love this methodology of slowing down. It’s not a race!
I think upping your number next year is a good idea. You are also very good at quitting books (I'm not -- I give books way too much of my time before I decide to quit them. Maybe that should be a part of my goals for next year, too: quitting the minute the thought pops up in my head).
Reading is definitely not a race. You killed it this year!
Hi Luisa! Wonderful to see you over here :)
I love that you lowered your challenge from 35 to 25. I feel like I don't see that often. I think the tendency is to keep upping your goal, so I applaud you for doing that.
Did you read any fiction in 2023 that you loved? I am into the idea of all fiction for 2024! Do give yourself grace though if a nonfiction book comes to your attention and you just HAVE to read it.
I'd say if 25 worked well for you this year, keep it at 25 next year!
Wow wow wow, Still Life sounds incredible (I just looked it up). Florence is the love of my life. My husband and I are taking our two kids there in April! I am going to read this in 2024, thank you!
And yes, stick with 25! Seems perfect! I look forward to connecting in the new year.