It’s that time of year again: Time to survey the new year ahead of us and dream about all of the wonderful books we’ll read and the places we’ll go. I’m already planning four international and three domestic trips this year, which I’ll be writing about here. And how better to keep entertained on those long flights than with books?

Goodreads Reading Goal: 50 Books

This year, I’m setting a more reasonable goal for the 2013 Goodreads Reading Challenge: 50 books. After only completing 33 of 100 planned books last year, I’ve decided to set my sights on about one book a week–very doable. Hopefully I surpass this goal! Follow my progress here.

Bookshelf ROWDOWN

The rules of this year’s Bookshelf ROWDOWN challenge are simple: read physical copies of books that you own. (I don’t count ARCs and review copies.)

After you’re done reading, you may decide to keep the books or pass them on to someone else to read. The point of this challenge is to read the books you’ve bought but keep forgetting to read, and possibly to trim your shelves a little bit; I, for one, am always running out of room on my bookshelves, and this challenge helps me winnow out books that I don’t need to keep.

Previously, I limited this challenge to books I already owned at the beginning of the year. Since I loosened up the rules to include any books that I own–even those I buy over the course of the year–I’m keeping my goal of 25 books in 2013.

Update:
1. Up For Renewal by Cathy Alter
2. State of Wonder by Ann Patchett
3. This Boy’s Life by Tobias Wolff
4. The Color of Water by James McBride
5. I  Was Told There’d be Cake by Sloane Crosley
6. If You Knew Suzy by Katherine Rosman
7. The Pharmacist’s Mate by Amy Fusselman
8. Angelhead by Greg Bottoms
9. An Exclusive Love by Johanna Adorján
10. Wild by Cheryl Strayed
11. Nickel and Dimed by Barbara Ehrenreich
12. Quiet by Susan Cain
13. Skipjack by Christopher White
14. Blood, Bones, and Butter by Gabrielle Hamilton
15. The Violinist’s Thumb by Sam Kean
16. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
17. Packing for Mars by Mary Roach
18. Don’t Let’s Go to the Dogs Tonight by Alexandra Fuller
19. Being Dead by Jim Crace
20. Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott
21. Boy Meets Boy by David Levitathan
22. The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood

Audio Book Challenge

Last year, I failed rather miserably at this challenge, only reading one of six planned audiobooks. This year, I’m already thinking about what I’ll listen to on those long plane rides. For the 2013 Audio Book Challenge (hosted by Teresa’s Reading Corner), I’m again planning to read 6 audiobooks.

Update:
1. I Am America (And So Can You!) by Stephen Colbert
2. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee (partial)
3. The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman (partial)

South Asian Challenge

Swapna Krishna will hopefully be hosting her South Asian Challenge again in 2013, and I’m really looking forward to participating. Last year, I did abysmally on this challenge, reading only Butterfly’s Child by Angela Davis-Gardner (set in Japan) and War by Sebastian Junger (set in Afghanistan). (And do they really count?)

This year, I’m hoping to read at least five books set in South Asia or by South Asian or Asian-American authors. I’m visiting India in February, so I’m reasonably confident that I’ll make progress with this challenge.

Update:
1. Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? by Mindy Kaling
2. The Moslems Are Coming by Azad Essa

As I read throughout the year, I’ll come back to this post and update it on my progress. Here’s to another great year in reading!

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