Saturday, January 4, 2014

Reading Reflections & Resolutions

It's a new year a time for reflections on the past year and resolutions for the new year.  For us at BWOBNY our resolutions are reading goal based.  I polled everyone to see if they met last year's goal, what their goal's were for 2014, and their favorite book of 2013.

Rebecca T: "My goal for 2013 was 175 books and I just hit 187...I read a lot of graphic novels and manga this year, which helped, but I had a really wide variety of genres. Favorite book of the year is SO HARD, but I think I'm going to have to go with Marissa Meyer's Cinder. It was all around wonderful. It had a little bit of everything that I love in a book.  And I think my goal for 2014 is going to be 200. I'm hoping I'll have a little more free reading time what with finishing school. And I'm still gobbling up graphic novels and want to go exploring further into the manga world."

Once again, Naomi blew everyone's reading goals our of the water as she says, 
"I reached my goal numerous times. I had a ridiculously extraordinary year of reading books. I blame it on manga and graphic novels, but I read 284 books. It is almost impossible to pick a favorite because I read so many kinds, so I will cheat and say my favorite was the last one I read, because I just finished it and it is still bubbling all over me and it makes me happy. It is The Anthologist by Nicholson Baker and it is about poetry and language and love and I felt like I explored a bit of life I had forgotten and overlooked. And I have to say I almost picked the Amelia books by Jimmy Gownley because they made me cry and laugh and I almost never actually cry when reading books but they were so emotionally real and powerful and punched down deep in the gut. Next year I'm hoping to read 250 books, although I doubt I can reach such a number two years in a row. I'd be happy with 198 books. But I also want to try reading more articles, so I might just read closer to a hundred. We shall see. But I'm excited. I'm learning to explore more genres and age groups and types of books and it's very exciting, this opening up."

Rachel "I definitely did not reach my goal, but I'm glad I at least got to start my harry potter re-read and polish off all the Kate DiCamillo's. I'm currently reading Doctor Sleep by Stephen King and it is outstanding. This has been a pretty sad reading year for me, but I'm definitely going to pick up the pace for 2014. I can't let Russ [boyfriend] beat me again- he does almost a book a week!"


Stacey:  "I wanted to have 52 new reads in for the year. I'm currently at 47 new reads, with sixteen rereads. Including the Hunger Games, and Harry Potter series. Next year I'll aim for something more doable."

As for me, I aimed to read 100 books but fell short with just 59 books read in 2013.  My favorite book that I read in 2013 would have to be "The Mistresses," by Tiffany Reisz, it was simply incredible.   This year, I'm going to try reaching a more manageable goal of 78 books.  




What are or were your reading goals?  What was your favorite book that you read in the previous year?  Please share with us! 

2 comments:

Jenn said...

Last year I had a goal of 30 books and got through 20 books. I love to read but I spent much of my time reading textbooks (which I actually include in my number of books read since many of them I wind up reading cover-to-cover over the course of an 8-week class).

I've made a goal of 20 books this year, but am hoping to break the goal as I'll be done with classes in the summer.

My favorite book that I read in 2013 was "Area 51 - An Uncensored History of America's Top Secret Military Base." I found it very interesting to read about some of the experimental stuff that went on there - none of it alien related! A close second was "Steve and Me" by Terri Irwin. I've had this book for awhile and finally took the time to read it. I really enjoyed her point of view on how she met Steve, her work at the Australia Zoo, and the start of their family.

Jenn N. said...

Thanks for the feedback Jenn H! Good luck with the rest of your studies and your leisure reading :)