That’s right, folks! 2013 is officially the Year of Reading Whatever the F*ck I Want! No challenges (with just a few small exceptions)! No heartache! No failure! JUST READING…whatever I want…whenever I want.
SJ and I decided a few months ago that we are done with reading challenges, at least for this year. So she came up with this most catchy title for our 2013 endeavor, which boils down to the best acronym ever: YoRWtFIW. I love it. SJ’s lovely friend and co-pilot at Snobbery, Meg, made us the most amazing banner (pictured above) and a button to go with it. She is AWESOME. Thank you, Meg!
Before I get into the details of my reading goals this year, let me clarify something. I liked the reading challenges I participated in last year. They were fun. They’re a great idea for people who are into that kind of thing. They just ended up feeling like more of a chore for me, and I never want reading to feel like a chore. Not ever. In 2012 I learned that I am not the challenge type (as far as short-term challenges go).
Here’s the deal: I’m really just reading whatever the f*ck I want this year. I’m still a member of The Classics Club (because I want to be), and I’m still working on A Non-Fiction Adventure (because I want to). I will also still be accepting review copies of books, but only the ones I know I really want to read. I’m also participating in the Goodreads reading “challenge,” because that’s actually more of a goal. I signed on to read 100 books in 2013, but if I don’t make it, that’s okay, too. I’ll be good with whatever I read this year.
I’m still participating in read-alongs (Project Read All Of Atwood, The EPIC Dark Tower Read-a-Long, etc.), and I’m still participating in my online book clubs (because I want to) AND…
…SJ and I have decided to start reading all of Stephen King’s books (with a few exceptions) in order of publication. Because we want to. She has already read all of his backlist, but I have not. Most of them will be all new for me. I am TOTALLY EXCITED about this project, and TOTALLY TERRIFIED at the same time. I don’t always do horror well, and some of King’s books traumatized me as a kid, so I’m slightly nervous about my already troubling sleep issues. BUT I’M MORE EXCITED THAN ANYTHING. This is going to be some serious fun. And because it’s the Year of Reading Whatever the F*ck [We] Want, we’re just playing it by ear. We’re setting a loose schedule for each book as we get to it, and if we get tired of the project temporarily, we’ll just stop for a bit. No big deal. Holla!
So, yeah. This is going to be a great year. Any of you are welcome to join us for #YoRWtFIW. Grab the button (in my sidebar) or the banner, if you’d like–the only thing I ask is that you thank SJ and Meg by giving them a shout out on your blog (link back to Snobbery, please) or on Twitter (SJ is @popqueenie and Meg is @Megiggleston). Meg put a lot of work into the graphics for us, and SJ deserves all the credit for the awesome title and acronym.
January 1, 2013 at 6:34 pm
I can feel the waves of freedom coming through the ethers! Wooohoooo! Challenges tend to… not happen with me because I get ready to start one and want to simply RWtFIW!!!!
January 1, 2013 at 6:44 pm
YES!
January 1, 2013 at 6:34 pm
I love this post. So much. I’m so happy we’re reading SK together (some of these I haven’t read in over 20 years) and I’m already enjoying reading what I want without feeling pressured to keep track or make sure it counts for something.
Half done with Carrie and already into the HP re-read. Yes, this is going to be a good year (plus, there are other not really book related things that are awesome that I will DM you about).
January 1, 2013 at 6:45 pm
*\o/*
I’m going to start Carrie right now.
January 1, 2013 at 6:46 pm
I have a feeling I’m going to read way more than the 100 this year, cos I always read faster when it’s the things I WANT to read.
January 1, 2013 at 6:36 pm
I am so happy about this I could pee my pants. Squee! Brilliant ladies, brilliant.
January 1, 2013 at 6:45 pm
Just make sure you clean up after yourself before you leave, please. HAHAHA!
January 1, 2013 at 7:41 pm
This is great Heather. Part of me wishes to join you and SJ on this year of freedom, but I fell out of reading challenges years ago and am already buried beneath review copies for this year. My choice, totally, but oooye!… HOWEVER, I used to read SK all the time as a teen and young ladyloo and can’t WAIT to see you girls go after him this year. Will there be a separate thingy on your blogs for him? Like timed posts or whatnot?
January 1, 2013 at 7:44 pm
What do you mean by timed posts? Like, am I going to review them? Yes. Am I going to post our reading schedules for them? I wasn’t planning on it, no. Since we’re just playing it by ear, I’m not sure how I’d post about them. I’ll probably make a widget in my sidebar to show which one I’m reading at the time, though, yes.
January 1, 2013 at 8:06 pm
I am totally anti-posting a schedule, for what it’s worth. I like that we’re just figuring it out as we go. The most I’m willing to commit to right now (with another group read I’ll be doing this spring) is a book a month, and even then it’s something I planned on re-reading anyway.
January 1, 2013 at 8:32 pm
That’s how I feel about it, too. I’ve put a widget in my sidebar just to show which King book I’m currently reading. I’ll just change the widget as needed.
January 1, 2013 at 7:47 pm
I’m still laughing about the post title. I didn’t even have to see who posted it and I just mentally went ‘oh Heather..’
Enjoy it!
January 1, 2013 at 7:48 pm
Hahaha! Thank you, Geoff!
January 1, 2013 at 9:03 pm
I would love to join you, but I’m conflicted because there are some challenges that I really want to sign up for. I usually fit books I own into every challenge I join because really, my entire library is RWtFIW.
Also, I’m still SO snowed under with that pesky backlist of review books. I’ve got to get those read. One thing I am doing though is joining less tours. In fact, I’m only mainly going to do Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours. I’m proud of myself because I turned down to tour offers from her already and am not slated for any until February. And I’m not accepting any more books for review…I have to make that my mantra. 
I’m glad that you’re still doing Classics Club and my Non-Fiction Adventure…and TuesBookTalk, of course! I am planning on really focusing on Non-Fiction Adventure more this year. I’ve been neglectful of that one.
January 1, 2013 at 9:07 pm
All of the books I listed for my challenges last year were already on my shelves, too. My problem was that I didn’t necessarily want to read some of them when I needed to. Haha! I failed the Mount TBR challenge so miserably because I ended up wanting to read books that I bought in 2012. Sigh. I’m just not cut out for the short-term stuff.
And of course I’m still doing TuesBookTalk. I’ll be doing it as long as you do.
January 1, 2013 at 9:04 pm
WHERE did you get that 1001 books widget? I need that! I read ten books off that list this year!
January 1, 2013 at 11:34 pm
Me, too! (I mean, I want the widget but I have no idea how many I read)
January 1, 2013 at 11:40 pm
I can email you the code–I just altered the code for the Goodreads challenge widget. Send a message to hlindskold (at) btweenthecovers (dot) com, and I’ll email the code to you when I send it to Michelle.
January 1, 2013 at 11:45 pm
I will, thank you!
January 1, 2013 at 11:33 pm
Stephen King absolutely terrifies me, so I will live vicariously through your reviews!
January 1, 2013 at 11:35 pm
That sounds good to me. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that I don’t get too freaked out too soon (or that I don’t lose more sleep than normal).
January 2, 2013 at 2:07 am
Really excxited about your Stephen King plans, King is one of my favorite writers!
January 3, 2013 at 12:06 pm
Same here! Says the girl who cannot sit through any horror movies yet simply adores horror novels (no idea how that works out
). I don’t know what it is about Stephen King’s books but I absolutely LOVE them. He is most definitely one of my fave authors.
Have fun with YoRWtFIW!
January 2, 2013 at 7:19 am
I have ALSO dubbed 2013 the year of reading whatever the f*ck I want! Except I called it the year of reading freely for the post I wrote about it for Book Riot because I am wussier than you guys.
(also, I am emailing you about that widget too)
January 2, 2013 at 7:43 am
HA! No matter what you call it, it’s liberating.
January 2, 2013 at 10:54 am
My sentiments exactly, Heather. Just that I felt too much of a coward to voice them out on my blog. The Challenges felt alike achore and for me in Ghana where the poor internet and powercuts are the norm, it becomes rather more problematic for me to meet my deadlines. I believe I will stick to only the The Classics Club challelnge which is long term, and read those I have on my TBR and then whatever my fancy decides to.
Congratulations are on order, I believe.
January 2, 2013 at 12:27 pm
I can only imagine how much harder the challenges were under your circumstances. It does become stressful, and reading should never be stressful.
January 2, 2013 at 12:05 pm
This is a great idea, Heather. Reading challenges are fun but they can put a lot of pressure on you. This year, I’m joining only a handful of challenges and read-alongs. Happy reading and Happy New Year!
January 2, 2013 at 12:28 pm
Thank you, Vasilly!
January 2, 2013 at 5:11 pm
This is such a great idea, even though every year for me is a YoRWtFIW. Every once in a while I feel like I should do a specific reading challenge, but then I remember how much I love just reading whatever I want whenever I want without feeling obligated to anything but my own TBR (which is always evolving and expanding, so that’s hardly a limitation). Good luck and have fun!
January 3, 2013 at 2:40 pm
Haha! That’s every year for me!
January 3, 2013 at 10:46 pm
I am soooo participating in YoRWtFIW!!!!! I am going to do the Classics Challenge and Project Atwood, along with finishing up a couple of challenges from last year, but do you know WHY??? Because I want to f’ing read them!!!!!! I’m going to say yes to author book only if I WANT to f’ing read them otherwise they can find someone else who is not RWtFIW!!!!!
January 3, 2013 at 10:47 pm
You win the prize for Comment of the Week! HAHAHA!
January 6, 2013 at 3:25 pm
Haha! This is great! You still have lots of ideas for what you want to read though which is good. I attempted the smallest and easiest challenge last year and failed – so I’m going to go back to reading whatever the f*ck I want this year too!
January 8, 2013 at 9:50 pm
Absolutely LOVED this post. Good for you Heather! Looking forward to reading about your YoRWtFIW!
January 8, 2013 at 9:51 pm
Thanks, Karen!
January 9, 2013 at 12:23 am
LOL! Now THAT’s a challenge I can definitely complete this year!
January 9, 2013 at 11:08 am
I love this! Both the YoRWtFIW and the reading all of Stephen King. LOVE! And it does feel a bit stifling sometimes, to have everything planned out and to participate in too many challenges … I don’t think I will sign up because I have already committed to reading some books that I’m not quite sure will fall in the WtFIW category
Maybe this year I’ll finish all my have-to reading and then next year will be my YoRWtFIW!!
(Oh, and have you seen this: http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/series/rereading-stephen-king)
January 9, 2013 at 12:58 pm
This is perfect – it was my unannounced (until now) goal for the year – challenges are fun but honestly, with work and family (and I don’t even have kids) and life, finding the time to read what I want is challenging enough! I lowered my goal for 2013 to 28 books for the year, simply to have time to read some very lengthy, 1000ish page books without worrying I wouldn’t reach my unrealistic goal. Hopefully I’ll have more time than I think I will!