Another year has gone by, and there is no better time than now to take some solid resolutions, is there? No, we are not talking about the “no more donuts”, “I’ll do 10,000 steps a day”, “I’ll do yoga every day” kind of resolutions. We are recommending some fun and interesting resolutions that you would love to take and stick to.

If you are a book lover, you will definitely know the euphoric feeling of being in a bookstore, of smelling the pages, of reading all night, and of course, the clincher being winning an argument with movie buffs about whether the book or the movie version was better (Of course, the book always is!). That being said, it is all the more ecstatic to set some solid book-related goals and adhere to it.

We have curated a list of 10 resolutions that every book lover should attempt to follow this year. These resolutions are not only good for you, but also to the authors, the literary world, and in general for building an educated and culturally aware community!

1. Sign up for a book club (or maybe a few)

If you are not a member of a  book club yet, now definitely is the time to join! Book clubs are useful not only to chat or discuss about books but also to make new friends and discover new books. If you cannot find a book club near you, try joining online book clubs. Alternatively, you can also start your own too.

We have compiled city-wise lists of good book clubs (both online and offline) that you can join.

• Mumbai Book Clubs
• Chennai Book Clubs
• Delhi Book Clubs
• Bangalore Book Clubs
• Kolkata Book Clubs
• Pune Book Clubs
• Hyderabad Book Clubs

We will be continuing this series for other cities as well. Name your city in the comments section  below and we will curate alist of best book clubs in your locality.

2. Review the books you have read

Reviews are so helpful for authors. A good review will not only help someone pick up that particular book because of your personal suggestion, it also helps an author you just enjoyed get more readers and his/her work get noticed more.

It is not enough if you just review the book on Facebook or Twitter; review it on Amazon and GoodReads too. While social media reviews are bound to reach masses as well as the author, many hardcore book lovers pick books based on GoodReads or Amazon reviews.

You don’t have to be a book blogger or a book critic to review the books. Just a simple two sentences remark about how much you liked the book and if you would recommend it or not will make a huge difference.

3. Do a reading challenge (or maybe two)

Reading challenges are fun. They make you read more, expand your reading knowledge, push your limits, and explore the literary world. 50 books a year? A book in every genre you have ever come across? Well, there are a lot of reading challenges out there on the Internet. From simple ones like “a book a week” to elaborate ones with plenty of sub-clauses, reading challenges are diverse and can be customised.

Are you not satisfied with the reading challenges available? Create your own. It is quite simple. Decide the number of books you want to finish in a year. Write down the new genres/authors/themes that you want to experiment this year. Form a challenge like below with as many sub-clauses as you want.

Here’s a sample reading challenge for you.

• Read a classic.
• Read a book by the author with initials same as yours.
• Read a non-fiction.
• Read a book by a debut author.
• Read a comic.
• Read a genre that you have never tried before.

You can also check our entire collection of recommended books to read.

4. Start reading a new genre

Now, this can be a tough resolution for many. After all, resolutions are not expected to be that easy, right? Are you one of those people who are keen on exploring a new genre but end up closing the book after a few pages? Are you someone who keeps buying books in just one or two genres? Well, in that case, you must definitely take this resolution to expand your reading horizon and to increase your to-be-read list.

It is advisable to start with the famous books in each genre. If it’s a well-recommended book, there are high chances that you will love the book irrespective of whether you have read the genre before or not. Be it Young Adult or Fantasy, shed your inhibitions and start reading something new and different now.

5. Read at least five classic literature

You are not a true literary fan if you haven’t read and enjoyed classics. If you have developed your reading habit in your teens, there are high chances that you started with popular books, like Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, or with works of popular authors like Dan Brown, Stephen King, etc. Without a doubt, these books are indeed the best ones to start your reading journey. However, to expand your reading knowledge, you must toss a classic or two into your list of to-be-read new releases.

We recommend you to start with Austen or Dickens. The writing style and niche of these two writers are quite different from each other. However, both of them are the best in their genre. We recommend these classics:

• Pride and Prejudice – Jane Austen
• Wuthering Heights – Emily Bronte
• Great Expectations – Charles Dickens
• Tess of d’Urbervilles – Thomas Hardy
• Jane Eyre – Charlotte Bronte

All these books are from the 19^th century and will definitely take you into a completely new and different fictional world.

Read our blog on “Confessions of a Book Lover.”

6. Don’t watch the film without reading the book

From the Tom Hanks and Emma Watson-starrer The Circle to the sci-fi western movie The Dark Tower, there are a lot of book-to-movie adaptations that are going to be released this year. Even if you are a movie lover, be loyal to your bibliophile self and read the book before watching the movie.

While we all would have definitely read famous books like Inferno, The Hobbit, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, The Hunger Games, etc., most of us might not have read lesser-known books. This New Year, make it a point to read the book before watching its onscreen adaptation. You might ask, “What’s the benefit?” Isn’t it obvious? One, you’ll always find more in the book than you will in the movie. Two, it’s always fun to see which works better, your imagination or the movie adaptation..

7. Read Booker Prize-Winning Novels (at least a few)

What do The God of Small Things, Midnight’s Children, and Life of Pi have in common? Yes, all three stories are based in India. But, they are all Booker Prize winners too! Previously known as the Booker-McConnell Prize, the Booker Prize is an annual prize given in the field of literature for the best original novel written in the English language.

Many authors look up to Booker Prize winning novels, for these books are the epitome of how a book should be. Once you start reading these books, you will notice a significant difference in the writing style, narration, and story flow. None of these books were written with a sole aim to win a Booker or any award for that matter, but all theseaforementioned works are so well researched and written that they came to deserve the prize on their own talent and merit of work.

Are you confused about which book to start with? Read our blog on 9 Booker Prize Winning Novels That You Must Read.

8. Get a library membership

Kindles may come, tablets may go, but a hardcover book will go on forever. Yes, even if you are a Kindle or iPad fanboy, who prefers to read digitally, it is an entirely different feeling altogetherto hold a book in your hand and read it. While digital readers are comfortable when it comes to travel, nothing beats the feeling of reading a first edition book.

So, we suggest you take a library membership this year. Trust us; you will be spellbound when you enter alibrary that has thousands and thousands of books. Also, libraries are a cost-effective option. Any good library will have classics, new releases, and everything in between. Therefore, when in doubt about what to read, always go to the library.

9. Attend book launches

Be it a debut launch or of a popular author promoting their latest offering, launches are something that’s specialfor every author. Book launches, reading sessions, and signings are the literary equivalent of going to your favourite band’s show. Just that it’s less tiring, and there’s no standing around for hours. What’s more, most book launches are free, and more often than not you’ll end up going home with a brand new and maybe signed copy of the book!!

If you are still not convinced about why regularly attending book launches should be on your list of resolutions, here are a few more reasons as towhy book launches are advantageous:

• You get to meet the author – You read and liked the author’s previous works, or you heard a lot about this author. When you attend their book’s launch, you get to meet them personally.
• You can meet your social media or GoodReads friends: If you are a part of book clubs or a GoodReads community, there are high chances that you would have befriended many fellow members but would have hardly met them. Book launches are an amazing way to have that long-pending meet-up.
• You get to meet a wide range of creative people – from journalists to bloggers, aspiring authors to photographers – there will be a lot of people, and thus, the networking vibe is quite high.
• New book to read – Yes, isn’t this one reason convincing enough?

Furthermore, many book launches happen in independent or retail bookstores – Weren’t you waiting for a reason to hit the bookstore?

10. Book donation

Last but not the least – this New Year, you can take a resolution to give your old books to people who need it. This can be your maid’s children, a library that accepts used books, or a friend who loves to read but cannot afford to buy books. We know that books are something dear to every bibliophile, and it can be disheartening to give them away, but if it is going to be for the greater good, why say no?

Alternatively, you can also indulge in book exchange activities, where you exchange a book you finished for a book thatyour friend or acquaintance has, which you have been wanting to read for a long time.

We hope you found this list of resolutions useful. So, which of these resolutions are you considering for this year? What are the other resolutions that you took this year? Let us know in the comments below.