I own stacks of books that I haven’t yet read, and I constantly add more to my must-read list. But without a plan, I end up reading somewhat at random. There are books I’ve been meaning to read for years and never opened. So for the past few years, in December, I’ve started choosing with intention books that I want to read in the new year…12 books/12 months.
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HOW I CHOOSE MY 12 BOOKS
First, I look at books I already own that have been collecting dust on a shelf. Then, I check my wish lists on Amazon and on Thriftbooks.com (one of my favorite sites for used books). I also keep a running list of book recommendations in a Note on my phone. Any time I listen to a podcast, when someone mentions a book that catches my interest, I add it to my list. I often discover new books through author mentions in a book I am currently reading. If there is a topic I am particularly focused on, I search for recommendations and bestsellers on that topic.
WHICH BOOKS I CHOOSE
The 12 books I choose are almost entirely non-fiction. Usually, there is a topic that I’m most engaged in at the moment, but I try to mix it up at least a bit. I include something parenting-related, a biography or two, and once in a while, I’ll pick a classic work of literature that I haven’t read. Choosing non-fiction is a personal preference. I’ve gone through phases where I read more fiction than I do right now, but my 12 books for the year are intended to expand my thinking and teach me something. If you are a fiction lover, choose fiction; your goal is to choose 12 works of fiction that you might not read without setting a purposeful intent to do so.
WHY I CHOOSE 12 BOOKS IN ADVANCE
This is a goal-setting exercise for me. The books I choose are inspirational, informative, or important. I want to read them, but without some type of discipline or incentive, they may be overlooked for another year. I keep these 12 books on a specific shelf, all together, in a place where I see them regularly (for me this is in my bedroom), and each month I choose one to read. If you like the visual sense of accomplishment of watching your book pile diminish, you could stack them on a side table and re-shelve each one after you finish reading it.
MONTHLY FOCUS
At the beginning of the month, I pick one of these books and put other books aside until that one is finished. After I finish reading my chosen book for the month, I allow myself to read anything else I want. Once I get started on my 12 books, though, I don’t always wait till the beginning of a new month to start another from my stack. I usually finish reading my 12 books well before the end of the year!
Being intentional in choosing the books has enabled me to think through what I want to prioritize in the following year. Those 12 books on my shelf are a list in 3-D!
2019 LIST: 12 BOOKS/12 MONTHS
- Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand
- My Morning Routine by Benjamin Spall
- When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanathi
- Light Up Your Child’s Mind by Joseph Renzulli
- Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? by Mindy Kaling
- One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp
- Blink by Malcolm Gladwell
- Make Your Brain Work by Amy Brann
- The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg
- Mrs. Dunwoody’s Excellent Instructions for Homekeeping by Miriam Lukken
- The Care & Feeding of Ideas by James L. Adams
- The Well-Trained Mind by Susan Wise Bauer
I’m always interested in recommendations. If you have some favorite nonfiction related to organization, productivity, psychology, childhood education, or just the most fantastic memoir you’ve ever read, please leave me a comment below and let me know what you love to read!
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