Team Bookends’ New Year’s Resolutions

After Christmas is over our attention inevitably shifts to improving our health, well-being and happiness. At Team Bookends, we like to do things slightly differently, so here are our obligatory New Year’s resolutions, alongside some bookish alternatives!

New Year’s Resolutions

Along with every other person in January I’ve actually joined a gym. This year I will look after myself, drink more water and learn calligraphy. By December I should be strong, glowing and holding a book full of beautifully written notes . . .  watch this space. Helena

My non-reading resolution is, wait for it, to not make a resolution. I’m sure lots of people find the New Year a helpful moment to take a breath and reassess, but, for me, I worry about setting unrealistic goals in the heat of the moment. Again, this might just be me, but this only leads to failure by 31st January and a feeling that the year is already off to a bad start. I prefer making incremental micro-changes throughout the year, so that in twelve months’ time I’m doing something completely differently almost accidentally. But maybe that still counts as a resolution? Dammit! Alice

This year I’m planning to get back to the gym. I stopped going last May due to an ankle injury, and have been having physiotherapy on my gammy limbs ever since. The aim is to get back running on the treadmill very soon. Aimee

My non-bookish resolution is to carve out more time to spend with friends. There’s no greater feel-good moment than laughing until your body aches. Vicky

Bookish New Year’s Resolutions

Weirdly my New Years resolution is to read more. Unfortunately I seem to spend more of my time on the tube staring sleepily into space than with my head in a book. I’m aiming for a book a week . . . wish me luck! Helena

My reading New Year’s resolution is to take more risks and read more books outside of my safe, regular choices. I’m sure there are hundreds of wonderful authors to discover! Alice

Last year I set myself a target of 50 books to read over the course of the year. Tracking my progress with Goodreads I actually managed over 80! But this year, I’m going for the big 100. 100 books in 1 year. I’m nothing if not adventurous. Wish me luck! Aimee

My 2017 bookish resolution is to read more, having lost my reading mojo slightly towards the end of a busy year, and to read more books which I am not working on. First up is Eleanor Olipant Is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman, a new book I’ve heard lots about in advance of publication and I can’t wait to read. Vicky