As we are all (hopefully) spending more time at home and looking to add to our tbr piles while stuck inside, I wanted to share one of my reading goals for the year.

One of the goals that I set for myself for 2020 is to read at least one bestseller a month. I look through the different New York Times bestseller lists — Hardcover Fiction, Hardcover Nonfiction, Children's Middle Grade Hardcover, and Young Adult Hardcover — and choose a list randomly. Whichever list I decide on, I then choose the #1 book on the list at that time. If I have already read the book in that spot, I move down the list until I find a book I have not yet read. 

I wanted to do this challenge for a few reasons. Firstly, I think it is good to be aware of what books are popular at the moment and bestseller lists, while not perfect representations of this, are one of the ways to see what books people are buying and talking about at the moment. Secondly, I wanted to see how much the books on the bestseller lists change from month to month throughout the year or if by the end I would have to skip over a bunch of books before finding a new one for me. Finally, I want to see how much my reading lists are already influenced by the New York Times bestsellers lists: how many am I reading already without thinking about the fact that they're bestsellers, how many are already on my tbr, and how many are books I wouldn't have otherwise picked up. 

So, during 2020, I'll read and review at least 12 different bestselling books from the various lists, while also keeping in mind how many current bestsellers make their way into my reading piles without my conscious knowledge. I want to see if there are any similarities between the books I pick up during this challenge or if the books are diverse in some way. Bestselling lists don't show if people are actually enjoying the book, so I also want to see how well my tastes align with the books a lot of people are buying. 


What kind of reading lists is everyone making while staying at home? Any genres you're gravitating towards or steering away from?

Let me know in the comments below!

-Laura