At a little over halfway through the year, I’m 15 books behind schedule for my Goodreads Reading Challenge goal. Yikes! Even at my usual pace, it will be hard to make up the gap.
I attribute the lag mainly to the pandemic: since it took off and we began sheltering in place, I have struggled on and off with anxiety, and possibly depression as well. Although reading is usually an escape for me, during this pandemic it has sometimes been harder for me to concentrate on reading, and I have found myself losing interest in a book more often than I used to. I have also been spending a lot more time on social media and news sites, particularly in my efforts to follow the Black Lives Matter movement online (and to aid it, including publicly supporting Black authors and Black businesses.)
While I’m not happy about being behind on my Goodreads goal, I refuse to feel guilty about it either. After all, I had no way of knowing what 2020 would throw at us when I set that goal! If I haven’t narrowed the gap by the beginning of September, I will revise my goal downward, in recognition that this has not been an ordinary year. Like the rest of you, I’m still adjusting to the “new normal.”
I’m also behind on my Backlist Reader, Mount TBR, Audiobook, and Library Love challenges. I won’t be revising those goals, but I won’t beat myself up if I don’t complete them, either.
Despite being behind on my other challenges, in July I joined the 2020 Diversity Reading Challenge, because it aligns with my efforts to read more Black authors and other authors of color, as well as generally trying to read more diversely. Obviously, anything I read for this challenge counts toward my Goodreads Reading Challenge, and may also count toward one of the other challenges as well.
You can see all my challenges and goals, and the books I have read so far, on the 2020 Reading Challenges page.
Angela
I totally agree, none of us had any idea of what this year would bring when we set our goals!
Anne - Books of My Heart
We are all just doing what we can. Some days or weeks go better than others. It’s ok to update your plan as things change.
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Lark
I didn’t sign up for any reading challenges this year, so I’m doing great! ;D
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