Reading Challenges Update

I love reading challenges and I always sign up for a bunch at the begining of the year with every intention of completely them. For the last two years, I’ve done rather well and have completed at least 90-95% of them. This year, however, I know that’s not going to happen. Of the eight I signed up for this year, I know I’m not going to get to two of them and I don’t want to pretend I will. So I’m calling quits on these challenges right now:

  1. 2nds Challenge – hosted by Royal Reviews (Jan 1st – Dec 31st).  I did manage to read two novels – Demon Inside by Stacia Kane and No Prince Charming by Shiloh Walker.
  2. The Anita Blake Challenge – hosted by Book Chick City (Jan 1st – Dec 31st).  Sadly, all I’ve read is Flirt and that’s it.

The last few months have shown me that I’m not going to be reading anywhere near the number of books I did last year, so I need to keep my goals realistic.  With that said, here are the challenges that I am still going to attempt (with an update):

  1. New Authors – hosted by Literary Escapism (Jan 1st – Dec 31st).  It’s my own challenge and I’m not doing well at all.  So far this year, I’ve read 17 new authors and 7 of them were from the same anthology.
  2. Year of the Historical – hosted by Lurv a la Mode (Jan 1st – Dec 31st).  Sadly, I haven’t managed to read one historical yet this year. I have a couple sitting on my desk – An Echo in the Bone by Diana Gabaldon, A Knight’s Persuasion by Catherine Kean and Boleyn: Tudor Vampire by Cinsearae S – so I’ll get to a few, but I doubt I’ll make my 12.  We’ll see though.
  3. R.eaders I.mbibing P.eril V Challenge – hosted by Stainless Steel Droppings – (Sept 1st – Oct 31st).  RIP5 hasn’t started yet and I’m fairly certain I can get through (up to) 4 books during the two month time period.  Ian will be back in school, so I should have some time to read, even with Simon in the house at this point.
  4. 1st in a Series – hosted by Royal Reviews (Jan 1st – Dec 31st).  I’m actually doing better with this one than I initially thought.  The goal is to read 12 novels that begin a series and I’m halfway there.  I only have 5 more to go.
  5. Debut Urban Fantasy Challenge – hosted by Dark Faerie Tales (Jan 1st – Dec 31st).  Normally, I wouldn’t doubt that I could read 15 new UF authors. However, at the moment, I’m not so sure.  So far, my list is telling me I’ve read two – Spider’s Bite by Jennifer Estep and Hunted By The Others by Jess Haines – but I’m thinking I’ll be able to get close to 15.  I have Red Hot Fury by Kasey MacKenzie, Mind Games by Carolyn Crane and Afterlife by Merrie Destefano sitting on my desk, so there’s another 5 that won’t take much.  Just time.  So we’ll see how I’ll do.
  6. Debut Paranormal Romance Challenge – hosted by Dark Faerie Tales (Jan 1st – Dec 31st).  Normally, I wouldn’t doubt that I could read 15 new PNR authors. However, at the moment, I’m not so sure.  So far, my list is telling me I’ve read two – The Wish List by Gabi Stevens and Beyond the Night by Joss Ware – but finding more may be a bit hard.  Especially if they have to be newly published this year.

Six challenges may still seem like a lot, but if you look closely, none of them say I can’t use a novel in multiple challenges and all of them work brilliantly with my new authors challenge.  So I’m not too worried about it.  I do try not to list the same novels in all the challenges, but we’ll see what happens.

Oh and just to give you an idea of how badly I haven’t been reading.  I’ve only read 33 books as of today.  Last year, by June, I had read twice that number at 62.  Man, seeing it like that, I really haven’t been reading that much this year.  *frowns*

About Jackie 3282 Articles
I am a 30-something SAHM with two adorable boys and a supportive husband who is very tolerant of my reading addiction. I love to read and easily go through about a dozen books a month – well I did before I had kids. Now, not so much. After my first son was born, I began to take my hobby of reviewing a little more serious and started Literary Escapism to help with my sanity. I love to discuss the fabulous novels I’ve read and meeting all the wonderful people in the book blogging community has been amazing.

4 Comments

  1. Jackie, don’t be so hard on yourself, you kinda have a lot on your plate this year. Besides 33 is more than 3 a month. That is a lot more than the average person.

  2. Seconded! For me, reading is about fun– don’t make it into work, darlin.

    Speaking of work, you’ve done SO MUCH with LE this year. Don’t forget that. And you know, growing another person is also work.

    Love ya.

  3. I’m not trying to be hard on myself, but when I look at the stats, it just seems like I’ve been slacking majorly with the site. Yeah I have done a lot, but that has meant that my reviews were pushed asie and that’s why I started LE in the first place. To talk about the books I read and I haven’t really felt like doing that. It’s kind of sad. Which is why I’m adding reviewers to the site. I want more reviews up than anything, so I’m happy they are being posted more than 3 times a month.

    I think it’s the sheer number of books that’s getting to me. Up until I started LE, I never had stacks upon stacks of books sitting around. Moving from apartment to apartment only meant moving a couple of boxes of books. Now that ain’t the case and a lot of them are part of the TBR stack. Plus, I don’t get the joy of discovery new books in the store anymore since I have so many at home to read. I know, I’m a bad bookworm, but I miss the hunt sometimes.

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