We love setting reading goals. It feels so aspirational, and we kick off with a TBR list longer than our New Year’s resolutions. Then somehow life gets in the way, and we find ourselves looking at our goals, feeling behind, and disappointed with ourselves. This is a cycle so many of us face, and perhaps it’s time to realize we have been approaching this all wrong.

So relax, stop the self-judgement and unrealistic reading goals, and let’s create reading goals that incorporate consistency and are achievable. That is far more valuable than feeling guilty every time you look at that organized stack of books you’re supposed to be reading. We want reading to be fun and not feel like another one of those “I have to” tasks on your list!

Why Summer Reading Goals Fail: The Honest Version 

It’s time to get real and ask ourselves what we really want to achieve, and it basically boils down to wanting to read more. It’s not about getting through a stack of books or reading the entire Bridgerton collection in a month; it’s about putting away those digital distractions, taking time out, and getting back in touch with our inner bookworm!

Most summer reading goals fail because, honestly, they’re unachievable, unless of course you plan to do nothing else but read 24/7 and carry on into fall. You need to be realistic. Summer vacations are packed with family plans, social commitments, and disrupted routines, along with your normal everyday responsibilities.

Set a Number You Can Hit on a Bad Week, Not a Great One 

Most of us plan our reading goals based on the most perfect week possible. You know the one where you get up at 5 am, chores are finished by 8 am, breakfast by 9 am, and you sit back and relax with a book all day (obviously, nothing will distract you at all), but life doesn’t work that way. Plan a reading goal that feels possible during a busy or chaotic week.

Perhaps it’s time to think of it differently. Just 10 minutes of reading a day over summer adds up to 920 minutes, or more than 15 hours of reading time. That’s a lot of chapters for something that feels completely manageable! And if the average person reads around 200 words per minute, that equates to around 184,000 words, which could add up to two full-length novels!

Match the Book to the Moment, Not the Goal 

Another aspect to consider is choosing the right book for your mood. If your goal is to read more and get back into a reading routine, you may want to try something more lighthearted, like a romance, thriller, or novella. 

We have some great book-only options and full book boxes, like our Big Apple Adventures Young Adult Book Box, featuring The Getaway List by Emma Lord, as well as our world-famous, beautifully wrapped surprise gifts. Yes, it may be a YA book, but did you know that many of our YA subscribers are actually adults? We love reading YA fiction; they’re easy reads and pure escapism.

Audiobooks are another great way to keep your reading goals on track, especially when life becomes hectic, and you just can’t find a gap to sit down with your latest read. We love how you can still “read” while commuting, grabbing a cup of coffee, or even cooking—and yes, they absolutely count as reading!

Ways to Track Your Reading and Which Fits You

Just like with any goal, tracking your progress can make all the difference. Seeing our progress motivates us to continue and gives us a sense of accomplishment. Tracking reading progress is not just about ticking off the number of pages, chapters, or books we have read; there is so much more to it. 

Here are a few of our favorite tracking tools:

Reading Log Bookmark Set: This is perfect for those of you who want to track what you’ve read by capturing the basics. Each bookmark features slots for up to 27 book reviews, including the date read, book title, and your star rating!  

OUABC Reading Journal: Our beautiful, classic reading journals come in Periwinkle Prose, Classic Coral, and Seafoam Stories. Each journal features 75 unique book review pages, index pages to list which books you've reviewed, fun prompts to help you craft your review (including major characters, favorite quotes, a spice rating, etc), and space to be creative with drawings, stickers, or even display your OUABC Collectible stickers!

StoryGraph: Tracking your progress on StoryGraph is perfect for those of you who prefer to go digital. All you need to do is mark a book as Currently Reading and update your progress. You can log your current chapter, enter the exact time you spent reading—which is great for audiobooks—and even add notes. We also love their reading challenges, and that you can set yearly goals.

Notebooks: We have to admit that we love notebooks. Have you ever noticed that most bookworms also love stationery? A beautifully bound blank notebook gives you the freedom to jot down whatever you want. Whether you want to journal about how the book made you feel, your thoughts on the main character, or the ending, a blank notebook is packed with pages just waiting for your thoughts.

Summer Reading Goals Bonus Tips

We often hear people say they feel guilty when they give up on a book. But there should be absolutely no shame in not finishing a book. Remember, when you carry on reading something you aren’t enjoying, you’re taking time away from reading another book that may bring you joy, laughter, or make you see life in a different way! 

And then there’s that dreaded feeling when you know you’re falling behind. Relax, take a breath, and remember that reading is about enjoyment. Don’t be hard on yourself, we promise there are no Reading Goal Police out there, and you can simply start from scratch, adjust the number, choose a book that truly excites you, or, what works for me, is choosing a shorter read.

Monthly Book Subscriptions are a wonderful way to keep on track, especially when they are packed with surprises that make you want to turn the pages! There are so many fabulous book boxes to choose from that you are spoiled for choice. 

Obviously, we think our book boxes are amazing, and to be honest, they are! Why not try one of our No-Commitment Monthly Boxes? These boxes require no subscription commitment and allow you to pick and choose which months you want to receive a box! Each box includes a fiction novel + 3-5 wrapped gifts to open when you reach the corresponding page. Experience a new way to read! 

We would love to hear how your summer reading goals are progressing and what’s on your TBR list! Happy reading from all of us at Once Upon a Book Club!