Goodreads Reading Challenge
I smashed my Goodreads Reading Challenge goal, reaching 180 books a whole three-and-a-half months early and finishing with a total of 235 books. Granted, I did it by doing a lot of re-reading this year. 115 books (49%) were books I had read before, which means they went faster. (I tend to re-read more when I’m under stress or feeling sad or anxious. It was a rough year, especially in the first 3 or 4 months.) Of the new books I read, two were coloring books I reviewed, and a few were novellas or long short stories. But I really didn’t expect to surpass my goal so dramatically. I guess I’d better set the bar a little higher next year!
Goodreads does a nice “My Year in Books” that shows the covers and some interesting stats, if you’re interested.
The Backlist Reader (TBR) Challenge 2016
Host: The Bookwyrm's Hoard
Progress: 2/25 (8%)
1 January, 2016 — 31 December, 2016
Failed
Depending on how you measure it, I did very well or really badly on this challenge. In terms of backlist books actually read, I finished 30 books, including 2 short stories and a novella. (One of the books I counted was a book I’d read decades ago, but not in 15 or 20 years.) However, I only managed to write reviews of 9 of them (see above.) Below are the titles I didn’t review. I hope to get around to reviewing at least a few of them in the next month or two, but don’t hold your breath.
- The Son of Sobek (Rick Riordan; short story)
- The Crown of Ptolemy (Rick Riordan; short story)
- The Silenced (Heather Graham)
- Morrigan’s Cross (Nora Roberts)
- Dance of the Gods (Nora Roberts)
- Valley of Silence (Nora Roberts)
- Heart Search (Robin D. Owens)
- Heart Fate (Robin D. Owens)
- Bridal Jitters (Jayne Castle; novella)
- Hidden Talents (Jayne Ann Krentz)
- Dead Heading (Catherine Aird)
- Hidden Star (Nora Roberts)
- Captive Star (Nora Roberts)
- Secret Star (Nora Roberts)
- Captivated & Entranced (Nora Roberts — 2 books in one volume)
- Charmed & Enchanted (Nora Roberts — 2 books in one volume)
- Key of Light (Nora Roberts)
- Key of Knowledge (Nora Roberts)
- Key of Valor (Nora Roberts)
- Sacred Evil (Heather Graham)
- Shades of Milk and Honey (Mary Robinette Kowal) – review coming in January
Invalid challenge name.
Can we just forget I ever signed up for this one? Pleeease? My performance was way beyond pitiful. I didn’t I read and reviewed a single “older” ARC. I still think it’s a great idea for a challenge, but it just didn’t work for me this year.
Cruisin' Thru the Cozies 2016
Host: Socrates\' Book Reviews
Progress: 3/13 (23%)
1 January, 2016 — 31 December, 2016
Failed
- Switcheroo by Aaron Elkins
- The Case of the Missing Morris Dancer by Cathy Ace
- A Clue in the Stew by Connie Archer
I blew this one away! My goal was 13 books; I read and reviewed 21. I’ve been participating in this challenge for at least 4 years now, and it’s always fun. However, Yvonne has changed up the format for next year in a way that doesn’t work as well for me. Since I’m cutting back on challenges anyway (see below), I’ll take a break from this one in 2017.
2017 CHALLENGES
This year, I’m opening The Backlist Reader Challenge 2017 to anyone who wants to sign up and participate. (Last year it was a personal challenge.) I’m sticking with my goal of 20 for now, but hoping to beat this year’s total — and be a lot better about posting reviews.
I plan to cut back on challenges this year, in part to focus on The Backlist Reader Challenge, and in part to streamline and simplify my reading and blogging life. I will be doing COYER Blackout this winter, but it ends in early March. After that, we’ll see. There are so many fun and interesting challenges, but trying to keep up with them all seems to take a lot of my time and energy that I’d rather save for reading and reviewing!
Angela
I’m like you, I don’t plan on participating in too many challenges this year – it becomes so hard to keep track of them! But I plan on joining your Backlist Reader Challenge! I’ll have my sign-up post coming up in a couple days!
Angela recently posted…2016 End of Year Book Survey
Lark_Bookwyrm
Great! I’m so glad you’re going to participate, and I look forward to seeing what read this year!
Lark
Even if you weren’t perfect on all your reading challenges, it sounds like you ended up reading a lot of good books in 2016. Good for you! I hope 2017 brings even more good things. (And I’ll officially be signing up for your Backlist Reader Challenge tomorrow.) 🙂 Happy 2017!
Lark recently posted…A few bookish stats…
Lark_Bookwyrm
I did indeed, both new books and re-reads. And I’m glad you’re joining The Backlist Reader Challenge! Have a wonderful New Year!
Rita @ View From My Books
You gave your challenges the “ol’ college try” so you should be happy about that. It’s the quality not the quantity, anyway 🙂 I’m happy to do two year-long challenges in 2017, one from you and one from Kathryn @ Book Date. Both sound achievable and fun. I wish I reread; it would help me in times when my mind was distracted or depressed. Maybe I will “next year”.
Rita @ View From My Books recently posted…December 2016 in Review
Lark_Bookwyrm
Re-reading is a habit I picked up as a child, when I couldn’t get to the library often enough to feed my addiction (and being a small library, it didn’t have enough of the kind of books I loved to keep me going, anyway.) Now I find it comforting, but I know many people are driven up the wall by the idea of reading something more than once.
Good luck with your challenges! I’ll have to check out the one at Book Date.
Bea @Bea's Book Nook
I did well with some challenges, including the Goodreads one, but mostly I sucked big time. You had a mixed bag but did well overall. Good luck this year!
Bea @Bea’s Book Nook recently posted…Happy New Year!!!!!
Charlie
I failed at every challenge except Goodreads, which I barely eeked out. I am trimming my challenges for 2017. Good luck!
Lark_Bookwyrm
Good luck to you, too! As I recall, you had a pretty busy year with a lot going on, so don’t feel badly. Sometimes the challenges we take on in December or January don’t fit with where the year takes us…