Ahh, take a deep breath, 2019 is here! The start of a new year is a great chance to reset, reflect, and set new goals. Making resolutions is something I try to do in every area of my life and my reading life is no exception. My goal for 2018 was to write a small review for every chapter book I read and to keep better track of the diversity of books I read. I used a copy of the ultimate reading spreadsheet from Book Riot to track the number of books written by female authors, authors of color, books featuring characters of color and/or lgbtqia characters, the age range – middle grade vs young adult vs adult – genre, and a few other items. I’m happy to report that this was a reading resolution I was able to keep up with and now I have data to analyze and help inform my 2019 reading resolutions! It was enlightening to see in stark numbers how everything shook out. For instance, I thought I had done a good job of reading more books with main characters of color and written by authors of color but when you see the breakdowns it’s clear I have some improving to do. Overall, I’m immensely glad I kept such close track this year and I’m ready to increase my reading in some of these areas in 2019. Do you have any reading resolutions? Need help setting some? Need help finding books to satisfy your resolutions? Stop in at any Heights Libraries location and we’ll get you started!
Okay, are you ready for my 2018 data? Don’t worry, I’m not posting everything, and there are charts!
Charts!
| Author Gender | Percentage |
| F | 84% |
| M | 16% |
| Author of Color | Percentage |
| Yes | 32% |
| No | 68% |
| Fiction or Nonfic | Percentage |
| FIC | 78% |
| NFIC | 22% |
| LGBTQIA Characters | Percentage |
| No | 90% |
| Yes | 10% |
| Characters of color | Percentage |
| No | 60% |
| Yes | 40% |
| Genre | Percentage |
| Realistic | 38.75% |
| Fantasy | 16.25% |
| Nonfiction | 8.75% |
| Science Fiction | 8.75% |
| Memoir/Biography | 7.50% |
| Mystery | 6.25% |
| Romance | 6.25% |
| Historical Fiction | 5.00% |
| Magical Realism | 2.50% |
Without further ado, my 2019 Reading Resolutions:
- Seek out books featuring LGBTQIA characters
- Read books with main characters of color
- Focus on “own voices” – books written about diverse characters by authors from that same diverse group – this can be a little tricky depending on what the author shares but it’s a good thing to keep in mind.
- Be aware of debut novels, first time authors
- Continue to track and review
Book Riot has shared an updated reading log template, the bigger badder book tracking spreadsheet, with built in category options, drop downs, and it will tabulate the data for you! I’m also excited to try the two extra reading challenges: their annual read harder challenge and the read women challenge. Both challenges are included in the spreadsheet. Stay tuned for some of my favorite reads and updates on how my resolutions are going throughout 2019!
Currently reading:
