Sunday, December 28, 2014

Introspective Thoughts - Post Number One


As I look through my A Novel Challenge folder in my email inbox (yes, I have a special folder for those emails from their blog), I find myself contemplating what my reading plans are going to be like in the new year. I have found myself becoming more and more overwhelmed with the number of review books I have on my plate. And while I love reading challenges, I find myself signing up for them year after year and then not keeping track of my progress during the year. What to do, what to do? I know I'm just going to chalk my 2014 reading challenges up as incomplete and prepare myself for the new year. I honestly don't have time to go through and document what I read for which challenge. I'll just hope to do a better job of keeping track in 2015, if I do sign up for anything.

I did not manage to read the 75 books I had challenged myself to this year. I will end up at 56 by year's end on Wednesday. Not a shabby total. That's more than one book read per week, but I do feel like I could read more. I do an awful lot of time wasting...online and watching TV. Something has got to give.

I do seem to do better with long term challenges. I have made pretty good progress on The Classics Club and the Fill in the Gaps 100 challenge. However, I've neglected my Non-Fiction Adventure and my Fantasy Project challenges. I'm hoping to remedy that neglect by adding books from those lists to my TBR Jar Project (as seen on other blogs...I heard about it from The Book Vixen so that's who I'll link back to), as well as 100 books from my book catalog which means all books will come from my own shelves. I'm working on making my lists out now. Planning to have all the little scraps of paper in my jar by January 1st so I can pick my first book of the year!

So, what has my introspection revealed? Well, I plan on cutting back on review books/book tours (hopefully), to sign up for only a few reading challenges (I can handle a few, I think) and read more, much more, from my own shelves which, for me, is the ultimate goal.

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14 comments:

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  1. I hope this will give you more time to really enjoy the books on Venice. I just finished The Venetian Mask and it was wonderful: beautifully written, well-paced, and full of details about Venetian customs in late 18th to early 19th centuries.

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  2. I feel your pain... I decided to go old-school and just have a basic blog with the 3 Rs: reading, reviewing, rating! I am giving up ARCs, requests, unsolicited books, hops, tours, weekly memes etc etc. to concentrate on my true love of reading what I want to read. I love your TBR Jar project but since I just made my own personal challenge I will not do it this year. I look forward to stopping by occasionally and checking out your progress :) Good luck in the new year!

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  3. I've done less and less book tours on my blog and decided to discontinue my involvement with a weekly prompt! It's hard to say no and not take on more and more but once you do you feel SO much better!

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  4. I used to love challenges but then I had a kid and any free time I had vanished. I still might give the Classics Club a try this year since it's ongoing. Happy reading!!

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  5. Yes, it will! Those books are also on my Travel the World in Books list. I really plan on reading all three books this time for the retreat. Since I nominated the theme and it won, I also feel like I should really focus on the books this time. :) Thanks for the words about Venetian Mask. I may just start with that one!

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  6. Yeah, Stacy, I totally understand. I'm really preferring the long term challenges at this point. :)

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  7. That's great! What exactly is the weekly prompt you're talking about? I'm intrigued. Maybe it would work for me. :)

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  8. That's great to hear, R. I'm glad that you have found what works for you. I feel that I will as well...eventually. Thanks so much! I look forward to you stopping by again. :)

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  9. I should've explained: This is Rita, recently of My Home of Books. I've reinvented myself with a new blog because I sometimes speak of things not book-related and I simplified my online presence :) I have followed you for a few years and enjoy reading your posts but a lot of the time I lurk because we don't have the same exact tastes in reading, but that's what makes the world go 'round :)

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  10. Oh! Thanks for explaining, Rita. Can you give me your new blog url so I can follow? I was following My Home of Books, but am so behind on my blog reading, if you made an announcement, I missed it! Looking forward to your new direction. :)

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  11. http://viewfrommyhome.blogspot.com

    Thanks!

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  12. Thank you! Followed via GFC, Bloglovin' and email. :)

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  13. I also have a hard time with challenges. I just have to go it on my own. Love your introspective reading post! Good luck this year!

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  14. I have got to stop doing so many blog tours and accepting review books, too. I'm always afraid I'm going to miss something great, though!

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