How well did I do with my 2015 book- and blog-related resolutions?
- Read more books from my TBR list. I pretty much failed at this one. I did read about 5 books from my Top of the Hoard list, and a few other older books from my TBR list, but not nearly as many as I had hoped. I’ll be revisiting this goal in 2016!
- Request fewer ARCs. This one didn’t work out too well, either. I requested a lot of ARCs, and to my shame, I didn’t read all of them. I’ll be working on this one again in 2016 as well.
- Catch up on some older ARCs. Another fail. I didn’t get to many of my older ARCs. However, I did manage improve my NetGalley review percentage, bringing it up from around 63% at its worst to 74% today. I’ll keep trying to improve it in 2016.
- Write reviews closer to when I finish reading the book. On the whole, I did better with this, at least in terms of writing notes or review drafts after I finished a book. My success was a bit erratic, since I had a hard time finding time even to write notes whenever I had a major indexing project.
- Stay at least 2 to 3 weeks ahead on reviews and other posts. I did well with this for a bit, then lost my cushion and struggled for months to rebuild it. I’m in slightly better shape now, but I’m not 2 to 3 weeks ahead by a long chalk.
- Find a better balance between blogging and the rest of my life. This one is hard to measure, but I think I did better with it.
- Find time and the discipline to write. FAIL. No writing got done at all. I seem to have a lot of blocks keeping me from getting started.
- Work on my blog design. This one went really well! Last spring, I got a new header thanks to artist Christin Jaynes, who drew my little bookwyrm, and designer Michelle at Limabean Designs, who turned it into a header banner. Then I tweaked the rest of the blog’s design to complement it. I added social share buttons to my posts, added some review archive pages, and streamlined my sidebar a bit. I’ve still got some tweaking and cleanup to do, but on the whole I’m pretty happy with how it looks.
- Keep learning HTML and CSS. I have learned some more HTML, but I didn’t get very far with CSS. I tend to learn what I need when I need it, and so far, I haven’t really needed CSS.
- Have more fun (in both blogging and life). I definitely made progress on this front!
Summary and year in review
As far as my resolutions go, 2015 was a mixed bag — partial success in some areas, very little in others. I hope I can accomplish more of my goals in 2016! You can see what they are on Tuesday (1/05/16) — it’s my Top Ten Tuesday post for next week.
In the broader sense, I had a very good year, both personally and in terms of books and the blog. I read 192 books, 12 more than my Goodreads goal, and a lot of them were new titles rather than re-reads, which was also one of my goals. I applied for and was chosen to be an Avon Addict, which has been (and will continue to be) a lot of fun — wonderful boxes of books, and the camaraderie of many fellow romance-lovers, plus the chance to share reviews and giveaways with you all. I updated my blog design (I love my little bookwyrm/dragon!)* and successfully participated in a number of challenges.
In my personal life, Mr. Bookwyrm and I celebrated our 25th anniversary with a wonderful getaway in Sedona, Arizona. We had a lovely family reunion/vacation in Minnesota and along the upper Great Lakes, and I’ve spent several weeks with both sets of my parents. I directed two good concerts and sang in two others. I even gave a voice recital in October — admittedly, to a small audience, but I was pleased with my progress. Robin got her driver’s license and is halfway through her 3rd year of college. And all my loved ones are healthy and happy (on the whole.) I would call that a very satisfying year!
* Many thanks to Ashley from Noze Graze (theme and conversion to WordPress), Christin Jaynes (artwork), and Michelle at Because Reading (who turned Christin’s drawing into a header.)
Adriana @ BooksOnHerMind
I need some cushion too with my blog posts. I would love to be ahead and have posts two weeks ahead. The New Year should help you out. it always gives me a boost to prepare more. In general, you should be proud you worked on some parts of your goals. I could really do with doing some of your goals.
Aw, what a wonderful year you had. Congrats on being married 25 years. What a milestone!
Happy New Year 😀
Adriana @ BooksOnHerMind recently posted…New Year’s Resolutions + December Wrap-Up
Lark_Bookwyrm
Thank you, Adriana! And I wish you a wonderful New Year, a terrific 2016, and best of luck on all your goals!
Quinn @ Quinn's Book Nook
I’m so glad 2015 has been a good year for you. It’s been great for me too. I’m loving being an Avon Addict, too. I have some goals that I didn’t accomplish either, but also some that I kicked butt on. I’m really excited about putting together my goals for 2016 and signing up for some reading challenges.
Quinn @ Quinn’s Book Nook recently posted…2015 End of Year Survey
Lark_Bookwyrm
The beginning of a new year is always filled with so much hope and so many possibilities! 🙂 Be proud of the things you accomplished this year, and I hope you find some fun and helpful challenges and create goals that stretch you in positive ways!
Katherine @ I Wish I Lived in a Library
Sounds like you had a good year! Happy anniversary to you and Mr. Bookwyrm and yay for Robin getting her license! I’m definitely planning on working harder on getting my old ARCs read as well as tackling more books off my TBR for 2016. Hopefully this will be the year we get everything under control! That can happen right?
PS – My chest cold is much better thankfully. I bought a box of Mucinex DM and swore that if it wasn’t better when I finished the box I’d go to the doctor. Thankfully, I’m only abut 2/3 done and it’s much better though not gone 100%. Hopefully, the rest of the box will finish it off. The medicine makes me a little dizzy and drowsy but it does seem to work and I don’t have tons of stuff I have to do right now.
Katherine @ I Wish I Lived in a Library recently posted…Beyond the Books: Best Advice I’ve Been Given
Lark_Bookwyrm
Oh, I’m so glad you’re feeling better! As for getting everything under control — well, I hope so! May we both make progress on that front!
Stephanie@Fairday's Blog
Sounds like you had a very good 2015! I am amazed at how many books you read. I hear you about not getting as many books read from my pile as I wanted to- but I did make some progress. Of course, just as soon as I finish a book I somehow add 5 books and fall behind. 🙂 Good luck with your goals in 2016.
Lark_Bookwyrm
“just as soon as I finish a book I somehow add 5 books and fall behind. ” LOL — this is SO the story of my reading life!
Lola
You did really well on some goals. It’s great you managed to improve your netgalley percentage even though you didn’t read older arc’s. I am having the same problem, although my netgalley percentage is not as high as yours, I am hoping to focus on that next year. I manage to read recent review copies, but don’t get to the older ones. I am glad to hear 2015 was a good year for you, oph 2016 will be a great year as well!
Lola recently posted…Lola’s Ramblings: Best Books I Read in 2015
Lark_Bookwyrm
It’s really hard to find time (and in some cases, the inclination) to read those older ARCs. The shiny new ones always seem to take precedence… Good luck to both of us in the coming year!
Danya @ Fine Print
It sound like you had a really great 2015! I struggle a lot with reading older ARCs too, but I’m hoping to improve that this year. Reading more books from my TBR is another goal that I need to work on more! I’m a big fan of your bookwyrm/dragon, too. 😀
Danya @ Fine Print recently posted…Best of 2015: A Year in Reading and Reviewing
Lark_Bookwyrm
I’m glad you like my bookwyrm! He’s based on a real statue, a shelf-sitter that I keep near my Anne McCaffrey novels (the Pern series, of course!) But Christin did a great job of giving him character and putting him in a reclining, reading pose.
Charlie @ Girl of 1000 Wonders
I need to work on those first three, too. I wish my NetGalley percentage was anywhere close to what yours is. It’s horrifically embarrassing, and I have GOT to work on those older ARCs. I also need to stay a month ahead in my scheduling. I hope we meet our marks in 2016!
Lark_Bookwyrm
Me too! My NG percentage is a lot better than it used to be; it was down around 60% at one point. So there’s hope!
Literary Feline
Working on those ARCs is definitely my top priority this coming year. We can offer each other moral support. 🙂 It sounds like you had a wonderful year both in life and reading. Here’s to another great year in 2016! Happy New Year!
Literary Feline recently posted…Books Read in 2015
Lark_Bookwyrm
Indeed — I’ll take all the moral support I can get! 🙂
SDCB Steph
It really is hard to stay away from those ARC’s, isn’t it? I think that must be the number one thing that us bloggers say to ourselves that we don’t hold to. They are just so new, so full of promise… I have done much better at staying away from too many, but the new year is the toughest for me to get through without going a little overboard.
I would really like to get ahead on scheduled posts. I have been in that place before, and oh it’s good.
Happy 25th! We just celebrated our 29th last month. It’s good to have a partner in life. I am very thankful.
Happy 2016.
SDCB Steph recently posted…Clever Convo: New Years Blogging Resolutions
Lark_Bookwyrm
There are so, so many books I want to read; it’s hard to accept that I don’t have time or energy to read them all. But I’m really going to try to hold back on ARCs this year so I can read more of the books on my TBR list.
Happy 29th, whenever it was! You are absolutely right about having a partner. I, too, am very grateful to have my spouse in my life.
Bea @Bea's Book Nook
You had a good year overall and some excellent goals. I hope 2016 will be as good or better!
Bea @Bea’s Book Nook recently posted…Sunday Book Share #174 Happy New Year!
Lark_Bookwyrm
Thank you, Bea! I wish the same for you!