Most of the time, I do one post wrapping up the last year's reading challenges and such, and another declaring my intentions for the new year. However, a lot of my new challenges are just carrying on from last year, so I'm doing them all in one post this year.
A Literary Christmas (hosted by In The Bookshelf)
I said I wanted to read and review three Christmas books for this event, and I actually read six and reviewed five! You can read them all here. I'm sure I will participate in this event again next December, as it's always such fun to read and share Christmas books.
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| (All pictures are mine from my Bookstagram account.) |
My Year with C. S. Lewis
I challenged myself to read at least five books by or about C. S. Lewis in 2020. I read seven, though two of those were Narnia books, so they weren't new to me and I didn't review them on my blog. You can read my five reviews here.
#TheUnreadShelfChallenge2020
I started the year with 537 unread books. I read more than 50 of them, and yet, I ended the year with 527 books on my unread shelves. Um, yeah.
The lockdowns did help in that I didn't go to bookstores or thrift stores or library book sales nearly so often, but I bought quite a few books online, and some of those were the fault of lockdowns because I was comfort-buying. I did finally start to get a handle on how to resist buying so many books, at least -- I am committed now to not buying books that just "look good," but rather to buying ones I already know I want to read.
My original goal was to read 24 of my unread books and clear off a whole shelf in my bedroom. Well, I read more than double that many, but I didn't clear off a shelf, so this was a half-success, half-failure. You can read all my book reviews for this challenge here. (I did read several that I never reviewed...)
#TheUnreadShelfChallenge2021
I'm doing this challenge again this year! You can learn more about it here at The Unread Shelf blog. My goal this year is to read 36 books off my unread shelves AND truly clear off a whole shelf. I have plans to move some books from my library up to my bedroom to ease my crowding problem down there, and I think that will help keep me motivated to NOT buy more books all the time.
Heidi's Lord of the Rings read-along
We are just about finished reading The Fellowship of the Ring together at Literary Adventures Along the Brandywine. Obviously, we will be continuing this for the next few months, as we read The Two Towers and Return of the King and discuss it together there.
My Year with Harry Potter
I want to reread all 7 Harry Potter books by J. K. Rowling in 2021. I have not read any of them since the last book came out in 2007! It's high time I revisited that magical world.
Sense and Sensibility read-along???
I am contemplating hosting a read-along of Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen here this spring or summer! It's been a couple years since a led a read-along, and I'd like to get back to it. I'd be doing it chapter-by-chapter like before. If that interests you, stay tuned!
Did you have any goals for last year? Did you meet any of them? Do you have goals for this year? Do tell!
I LOVE SENSE AND SENSIBILITY. I would be so up for a read-along. :D
ReplyDeleteKendra, yay! I am really thinking I could make this happen :-)
DeleteI might have to join in on Sense and Sensibility, I've feel like I've lost discipline in reading classics.
ReplyDeleteMy reading goals were a major disaster, the lowest amount I've read in almost a decade. But I've worked more than I ever had and some of my previous jobs I could read at work. Still. I had plenty of time to waste on the Internet.
I also realize, I've just got to let go of rigid reading rules. I hate rules and never follow my own, I'm just going to try to gently nudge myself with baby steps out of my comfort zone.
Livia, well, I'm seeing a lot of interest in a Sense and Sensibility readalong, so I'm thinking maybe after Easter.
DeleteI figure reading goals are better than rules because I get very antagonistic toward rules sometimes.
Yeah, that comfort buying is tough, esp. on lockdown. I did add to my unread shelf, too, but only bc my sister gave me a $50 gift card to B&N, and I HAD to use it! Good luck this year!
ReplyDeleteRuth, I at least didn't do a lot of impulse comfort buying -- I bought things I'd been wanting for a long time, from authors I know I love like L. M. Montgomery. I comfort myself with knowing I bought books I'm sure I will like.
DeleteMy only reading goal this year was to read 1 non-fiction per month. I only ended up reading 7, but I'm ok with that. I'm going to try to do better this year, but I've made a more reasonable goal of 10 for the year.
ReplyDeleteBecky
Becky, that's a good goal! I like that.
DeleteI've been wanting to read Sense & Sensibility again too. Of course I'll probably also read Persuasion and Pride & Prejudice sometime this year.
ReplyDeleteGeorge, those are all good plans!
DeleteSometimes comfort buying can be impulsive, but sometimes it's exactly what you need. That's how I finally got a copy of Dancing and Doughnuts!
ReplyDeleteI really would love to read Sense and Sensibility again, so I would try to join you if that happened!
Have fun with your year with Harry Potter! I finally finished all of the books in 2018, but I want to read then all again, too. Have you read any of the extra books like Tales of Beedle the Bard or Harry Potter and the Cursed Child?
MC, yeah, I did very little impulse comfort buying, in that I didn't impulsively buy books I knew nothing of. I bought mostly books by authors I already like, such as L. M. Montgomery and Jan Burke.
DeleteI've read Tales of Beedle the Bard and Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find them and Quidditch Through the Ages, but not Cursed Child because people who know me well say I would not be pleased by it.
Love that you surpassed a lot of your goals.
ReplyDeleteCan't wait for the read a long.
Skye, thanks! I was pleased, for sure.
DeleteI'm thinking about dates for the read-along. Springtime, is all I've settled on. I mean, it starts on February 1, so that would make sense, but I don't think I can gear up for it that fast ;-) But I think I will see if we can read it in 3 months, starting at the beginning of March and ending at the end of May. Still have to actually haul out a copy and see how the chapters go.