Romance and Pop Culture Resolutions for 2020

Ah, yes! It’s New Year’s Resolution Time! While I’m not the biggest follower of resolutions like getting in shape or starting new hobbies, I do think this is a great time to set intentions for the way I take in popular culture and romance in the year 2020.

Are you also looking to use the new year to structure your future reading and pop culture goals? Feel free to use mine as an inspiration!

1. Diversify My Reading!

I read a LOT of romance, which means I’m already doing great when it comes to reading works by and about women. However, my reading has become a little bit homogenous over the last couple years with the same slate of authors, historical time periods and tropes.

Not to knock my usual standards (I love them for all kinds of reasons), but I want to make it a goal to diversify my romance reading. I hope to be more intentional about mixing things up with more:

*Racially diverse authors and subjects

*Trans and nonbinary representation 

*Historical books that aren’t set in Regency/Victorian England

*Regency/Victorian books that stay away from ballrooms and courtship!

*Subgenres That I haven’t tried as much before, including: alien romance, paranormal/shifter books, and sports romance!

*Books by and about LGBTQ love

*Unique nonfiction reads in between my latest romance favorites

2. Get Comfortable Quitting In 2020

Whether we’re talking about workout regimens, meditation practices or creative habits, most New Year’s resolutions are about starting something. But I’m subverting the trend and vowing to get comfortable quitting things in 2020. 

Specifically, I’m aiming to drop my personal stigma toward quitting a books, tv series and other kinds of pop culture that I’m not enjoying in 2020. 

I know there are a bunch of you out there who are media/book completists—I respect you, though I do not always understand you. Fair warning: this resolution of mine may not be for you!

We live in a time of SO MUCH CONTENT—there are zillions of new tv shows out there and even more books to be read in this world. As a pop culture lover, I often feel a personal obligation to check everything out, see it through, read the most popular books, and digest all this content no matter what. 

Though I still want to give plenty of books and tv shows a fighting chance, I’ve also realized life is too short to give hours to things I’m not enjoying. Think of it as doing the KonMari system but for my pop culture intake—does a piece of media, a book, or even a social media account bring me joy? Or enrichment? Or fulfillment? If not, I’m going to get comfortable with leaving it behind in 2020. 

3. Grow My Role As A Culture Concierge For Friends and Family

I’m pretty good at shouting from the rooftops about my favorite things. For example, all of my closest friends have heard numerous times about my deep love for Paddington 2 and Magic Mike XXL as pop culture sequels that surpass the originals. And my husband has listened to numerous discussions about why I am now all in on Tiffany Resiz’s Original Sinners series even though it is decidedly not something he would choose to read for himself. 

But I want to use my love for romance and pop culture to help broaden horizons for my friends and family. This going to involve thoughtfulness, nuance, and more tailored recommendations. 

This is going to mean I do a lot more listening, reflecting on what makes pop culture and reading fun for each person, and hopefully creating new bonds with shared media that will speak to us. I need to be more thoughtful about recommending things not based on my personal romance catnip or favorite binge-worthy show. It’s all about the recomendee!

Plus, if I do well with my FIRST 2020 goal, I’ll hopefully have more diverse offerings to bring to my friends and family when we get to talking about culture. 

Do you have any pop culture or reading goals for the new year? Maybe you’re doing a reading challenge or trying to expand your horizons? Let us know in the comments below or by tweeting @onfrolic! And enjoy your start to the ‘20s!