Thoughts on Goal-Setting

I set myself the goal on Goodreads of reading 50 books this calendar year.  I probably won't complete it.  The problem is that, although a number of books I read take me 3-4 days, I am reading more and more books that are quite long.  The trend among at least the kinds of books I am attracted to is to be pretty long.  For example:  The Game of Thrones series, Stephen Donaldson's Thomas Covenant and also The Gap series, books by the Gears, books by Ken Follett, and Jean Auel's Cave Bear series (Earth's Children) which I am returning to now.  These books take me 2+ weeks to complete.  I think trying to read a certain goal number of books in a given space of time tends to limit the kinds and depth of the books you read--kind of at cross purposes with what I call "a reader."  So, although I did set a goal of 50 books, I am most okay with not achieving it.  I really like the longer books for depth of character, inventiveness and description of environment, and strength of plots and subplots.  So, take that Goodreads!



I have just begun The Land of Painted Caves by Jean Auel.  It is supposed to be the last book in the Earth's Children series (that started with The Clan of the Cave Bear.)  My friend, Judith, gave me the first three books in a boxed set probably more than 20 years ago, and I kept them in my "to read" pile until I retired, when I started tackling that pile.  I'm now reading the sixth book in the series and am hoping that the author will return to this world for other books in the future (I hope that same for J. K. Rowling--Harry Potter) as well.

This book is a welcome relief from Slammerkin.  I can now relax and trust that my favorite characters are good people and will find ways of solving their problems that will enhance the world, not detract from it.  Hurrah!