2017 Reading Challenges

Earl Grey Editing, 2017 Reading Challenges

If you’ve been following me for even a short time, you probably know I’m a sucker for a reading challenge. Many of the ones in which I participate are seasonal or only run for a short time. However, I usually sign up for a couple of year-long challenges, just to keep things interesting.

2016 Challenge Wrap-ups

Regardless of any other challenges I sign up for, I always have a personal reading goal. Last year, it was 100 books. As I mentioned in my wrap-up for 2016, my previous personal best was 103 books in 2009. This year I set a new personal best: 117 books.

goodreads-2016For the annual Goodreads challenge, I committed to 90 books and logged 122. Since this doesn’t match up with my own records, I can only assume this includes a few DNFs.

Then there was the 2016 Australian Women Writers reading challenge. My aim was to see whether my stats from 2015 were repeatable, so I committed to reading 25 books and reviewing 15. I read 55 books and reviewed 21.

Lastly, I signed up for #ReadMyOwnDamnBooks, hosted by Andi at Estella’s Revenge. My goal for the challenge was to make sure 60% of the books I read this year come from Mt TBR. This was the least successful of my challenges. I knew it was going to be from the moment I was accepted as an Aurealis judge. I finished the year on 40%. I’m okay with that. After all, plans change throughout the year and I’m very glad to have had the chance to be a judge. And that’s still 47 books off Mt TBR!

2017 Challenges

As you may have gathered, judging the Aurealis Awards is its own kind of challenge. Judging duties will wrap up in February but I know I’m going to need a bit of time to recover. So, I have decided to take a slightly different approach to goals this year. I’ll still stick to the usual goals, but will be looking to try a few new things in addition.

aww2017-badgeFirst up, my personal goal for this year is to read 100 books. I’d like to see if I can manage this without the motivation of Aurealis reading.

For the annual Goodreads challenge, I’ll be aiming for the same.

I’ll be signing up for the Australian Women Writers reading challenge again. In fact, I’ll be running their romance round-ups, which I’m very much looking forward to. For the challenge, I’ll once again be aiming to read 25 books by Australian women writers and to review 15.

Now, for something different. I’ve decided that this year I’m going to worry less about Mt TBR (not that it was keeping me awake at night or anything). I’d like to feel more free to read whatever I want. So, every month I’ll be aiming to make one trip to the library. I’ll also be aiming to read at least one piece of fanfiction per month. I’ll be interested to see what impact these measures have on my reading life.

What about you? What reading goals and challenges are you participating in this year?

 

6 thoughts on “2017 Reading Challenges”

  1. I am all about my TBR this year. We will see that actually happens. lol Good luck with your plans! I really should read more fan fiction. I probably would like it, but there is just so much to read and so little time. lol

    1. I hear you on that! I’ll be interested to see if reading more fan fiction has any impact on my official reading stats. Maybe I’ll find a way to incorporate the two.

      Good luck with the TBR this year! I really should make more of an effort to shrink mine. I figure it will still be waiting next year.

  2. I hear that library goal! I get to the library almost weekly with my kids (sometimes more, so I guess it evens out to at least weekly). But even when I bring myself home books, it takes me months to get to them…

    I actually reduced my reading goals this year, but I’ve promised myself to DNF books I’m not enjoying because there’s just not enough time in my life for that. I’m finally okay with admitting a book was written for someone else and finding something more to my taste. I’m also hoping to host at least two read alongs this year of diverse books. And I’m going to aim for half (or more) of my reads to be written by authors from diverse backgrounds. I’m hoping that will remain both manageable and fun.

    I guess the main thing is to get some reading in daily, something I’ve let slip as I’ve focused on my writing. But I need those creative breaks and nourishment. So who knows, I may throw all my goals to the wind and just read whatever works at some point, because it works. Ha!

    p.s. Have you read W.R. Gingell? She’s from Tasmania, so I think she may qualify as an Aussie woman writer. If you haven’t, I definitely recommend checking out Masque! It’s a Regency-style Beauty and the Beast … with murder.

    1. Oh, wow, that sounds amazing! I’m definitely adding the book to my wish list. Perhaps I can also persuade my library to get it in. Thank you for the recommendation!

      Learning to DNF books took me ages. I still probably don’t do it as often as I should. But it’s definitely vital when you’re trying to balance reading and writing.

      Good luck with the read-alongs! I saw your post for Defying Doomsday. Have you already announced the second title?

  3. Thanks for joining the AWW challenge team this year, Elizabeth. I’m going to make library reading a priority, too, and have lots of books by Australian women on hold from last year’s “best of” lists. I just hope they don’t all arrive together!

    1. Thank you for inviting me to join! I’m really looking forward to checking out the state of Australian romance.

      Managing my library holds is still a skill I’m developing. Sometimes it does feel like Murphy’s Law of Libraries, with everything arriving at once! Still, it’s always nice to have plenty of reading options.

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