Today, I read an article from The Atlantic that speculates about the proliferation of reading goals, and questions the impacts they have on motivation to read. The article cites some interesting stats on completion of reading challenges, particularly in reading communities like Goodreads, which only had 21% completion in 2018. This made me pause to reflect on my own reading — the amount I read, my purpose for reading, and how setting an annual reading goal via a challenge impacts both. I didn’t set annual reading goals until 2013, when I joined Goodreads.com. It was late in the year, so I set a modest goal for the remaining 3 months. I exceeded it, so I jumped on board for 2014. My goal was to read a book a week; again, I exceeded it. I enjoyed seeing a tangible record of what I’d read, and I felt accomplished. My time was being put to use in a way that I valued, and I had a place to show the books I’d filled my year with. I’ve found that setting reading goals keeps reading at the forefront of my mind, and sets it as a priority in my life. Do I read…

No review, this time, sorry. Instead, I’m shining the spotlight on a book I am highly anticipating — The Pretty One: On Life, Pop Culture, Disability, and Other Reasons to Fall in Love with Me by Keah Brown. It’s set for a late summer release, and I can’t wait to get my hands on it. In full transparency, I didn’t know who Keah Brown was before 3 days ago, when I saw it featured in a catalog of upcoming releases. But I stopped at this cover. Why? Because it’s rare that I see a book representing Black women’s joy. There she is on the cover of her book exuding what looks like carefree bliss. Then, when I read the subtitle and saw it focused on a Black woman with a disability? I knew there would be no question that I’d be reading her book. Why? I am a Black woman with a disease that severely limits my mobility. It is apparent as soon as I walk into a room, so I move through the world as a Black, disabled woman. This perspective is rarely represented in media, and it is becoming a more salient aspect of my own identity as…

In my 9-5 life, I partake in a LOT of icebreakers & teambuilders. One quick and easy icebreaker is “Would You Rather?” which goes over amazingly every time.  I found this “Would You Rather?” for readers over at Rachel Poli’s site, and thought it’d be fun to share my thoughts. Check it out! Would you rather only read trilogies or only read standalones? This depends on whether I have all of the set at my disposal or not. If I do, then I’d like to start from book 1 and go through the whole set.  However, if I don’t, then I’d rather just read the standalone and be done.  I do, however, absolutely live for standalones that exist in a literary universe.  Two of my favorite authors right now are Christina C. Jones and Alexandra Warren. They both manage to create fantastic standalone novels that exist within interwoven communities. Would you rather only read male or female authors? I suppose women authors because that’s who I tend to read now. I read a lot of romance, and have only come across one male author so far (Sloane Howell, author of Bossed.) Would you rather shop at Barnes and Noble or Amazon? I prefer Amazon…

Hey there readers! You may notice that Words on Words is lacking a little something … reviews!  I had a snafu with hosting, so I lost everything! All of my reviews for the past FOUR years … gone overnight. I went through all of the feelings when I realized the posts were gone, never to return: I’m talking Five Stages of Grief, y’all. Finally, acceptance hit. I would have to start afresh. But it’s cool. I’ll accept this as a new opportunity for greatness.  The good thing is that between NetGalley, GoodReads, and Amazon, I’ll be able to recover a good chunk of my reviews.  The bad is that I have to manually add them. So come back frequently as I build back my reviews. Maybe you’ll even see something you missed before! I hope to have everything back up by the end of April.  In the meantime, add your book suggestions in the comments below. Thanks for coming on this journey with me!

It’s hard to believe a new year is upon us! Nearly everywhere I turn, I’m seeing people talk about their resolutions this year. Well, I’m going to keep mine short and sweet where Words on Words is concerned: Read 60 books this year. I’ll be tracking my progress with a Goodreads Reading Challenge, and will share my reviews as well. Keep up with me by checking out the widget below! Continue to be a platform for new and indie authors. There are so many great authors doing amazing work. I can’t wait to present new reviews here! Indulge my bookish interests without guilt! Whether by picking up that cool bookmark or sporting that awesome t-shirt, I’m going to let my book-lover flag fly this year. Check my adventures out on Instagram! What are your bookish goals this year?