2018 Challenges and Goals Update

So reflecting on what I wanted to achieve this year with my reading I think I did OK... not amazing, but it's been a pretty busy year and I'm proud I managed to achieve what I did. So venture forth to see and I'll be posting shortly my goals for 2019.

Goodreads

What I wrote in January: I’m going to push myself a little bit further than last year and try for 58 books in the Goodreads challenge. Last year I managed 45 and just made it, but I felt that I spent a lot of time wasted doing unimportant things like surfing facebook.

What I actually accomplished: So I ended up reducing my goodreads book challenge to just 40 books in December because there was no way I was going to reach 58. Ah how hopeful and naive I was back in January...

A-Z

What I wrote in January: I’m also keen to participate again in an A-Z challenge. This year I’ve chosen to do the challenge hosted by Ginger Mom and The Kindle Quest. Last year I managed 15 out of 26 (not my best haha) hopefully I can get all 26 this year

What I actually accomplished: I ended up doing exactly 15 books in this challenge again this year... at least if i'm not doing better, I'm maintaining my mediocrity haha

TBR Pile

What I wrote in January: I’m keen to tackle some of my ever-growing TBR pile, so I’ve joined the #Beatthebacklist challenge hosted by a Novelknight. My goal is to read 25 books on my TBR pile pre- 2018. 

What I actually accomplished: I really should have thought ahead with this one... the problem was that if I had the first book on my TBR usually the next books in the series weren't (incase I didn't end up pursing the series) so I didn't count any of the subsequent books in this challenge since I technically added them in 2018. So in the end my count was only at 11. 

Finishing Series

What I wrote in January:So one of my main faults as a reader is my complete inability to finish a series. I either take a break half way through and never go back or I get sick of waiting for the next instalment and by the time it’s released I’ve forgotten what had happened previously. So this year I’ve joined the 2018 Finishing the Series Reading Challenege hosted by Celebrity Readers. I’m hoping to finish between 5-8 series this year.

What I actually accomplished: I am super proud of myself with this challenge. I ended up reading/finishing 7 series this year which is huge for me because its one of the things I am absolutely the worst at! This was by far my biggest achievement this year :)

What was your biggest achievement this year?

Top Ten Tuesday (31)

Bookish Resolutions and Goals

DNF Books If I’m Not Feeling Them

I always feel bad when I DNF a book, what if I’m missing out on some great stuff later in the book? what if the story picks up and gets exciting? Unfortunately, this means I almost always suffer through the book even if I’m not enjoying it. This year I resolve to be more ruthless if I’m reading a book that I’m just not feeling into, so I can put my time into books that I really want to read.

Read Quality over Quantity

In previous years I have had the habit of picking up smaller novels to read just to help me reach my Goodreads target or avoiding books longer than 500 pages, as they slow my reading down and when I think about it it’s absolutely ridiculous. Why avoid a good book just because it’s long and read shorter books that may bring me less enjoyment all because I need to reach a target!?

Read More Of My Backlog and Less New Releases

My, oh my. My TBR list is ever-growing and so many of the books have been on there for goodness knows how long. It’s hard when every year more and more beautiful new releases come out, but this year I’m going to try and read 75% backlog books and 25% new releases.

Finish Some Damn Series

As I mentioned in one of my previous posts, I am chronically guilty of not finishing series. I either start a series when it’s first released and then never get to the sequels because I’ve forgotten the detail by the time they’re released or I just ‘take a break’ from a series and then always plan to ‘get back to it’ but alas never do. This year I’ve joined up a challenge, where I hope to complete 5-8 series this year.

 
For Once Complete The Alphabet

Who knew the alphabet could be so damn hard haha. Every year I try and complete the A-Z or Alphabet challenge and not once have I reached it (the highest I've ever gotten is 18/26 and I've been trying since 2013!)... This year it changes!

Blog Consistently

So last year I started off strong but lost my way about April, and then completely dropped off the radar. I remember the days when I had a list of features for everyday of the week that I wanted to do, but in reality it just hasn’t worked for me. This year I have a very basic goal of 2-3 posts a month. A wrap-up, A review and a Top Ten Tuesday. 

Comment More

While I may not have much time to write and publish posts, it only takes a short time out of my day to go through and read others posts and write comments on them. Historically I haven’t been very good at this. Even when  I do often read peoples reviews and posts sometimes I don’t know what to comment about or feel awkward posting (my social anxiety strikes again). But I realized even a simple ‘Awesome review’ can make someones day, so I’m definitely going to work on this. 

Review- Kiss Kill Vanish (Jessica Martinez)

Synopsis

Valentina Cruz no longer exists.

One moment, she was wrapped in Emilio’s arms, melting into his kiss. The next, she was witnessing the unthinkable: a murder in cold blood, ordered by her father and carried out by her boyfriend. When Emilio pulled the trigger, Valentina disappeared. She made a split-second decision to shed her identity and flee her life of privilege, leaving the glittering parties and sultry nightlife of Miami far behind.
She doesn’t know how to explain to herself what she saw. All she knows now is that nothing she believed about her family, her heart, or Emilio’s love, was real.
She can change her name and deny her past, but Valentina can’t run from the truth. The lines between right and wrong, and trust and betrayal, will be blurred beyond recognition as she untangles the deceptions of the two men she once loved and races to find her own truth.

                     - Goodreads.com

Review 

Valentina has run away from home and is holed up in a small decrepit apartment in Montreal after witnessing a horrible murder directed by her father and executed by her boyfriend (and also one of her fathers henchman), Emilio. A few months later, everything is going along smoothly (well as smoothly as one could hope living alone in a new city, on the run from your family and living a sudden life of scarcity after years of luxury, when Emilio pops back into her life after a chance meeting at an art gallery.

Emilio’s explanation of what happened ‘that night’ force Valentina to look at her life differently, but can she really trust him after what she saw him do?

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I’ve noticed the rather mixed reviews regarding this book, some people with either really liked it, and others were left wanting more. I am the former. This book ticked all the boxes for me in regard to thrills, mystery and suspense.

So let’s talk about characters. Valentina is the epitome of a rich girl...

"He can't possibly know that the precious three hundred dollars in my wallet would have been a single shoe in my old life. Lunch on South Beach with my sisters. A trim and blow-dry at Petra's."

- Jessica Martinez (Kiss Kill Vanish)

... and yet she’s left everything behind to try and sort through the events of that night. I wouldn’t say she’s easily likeable but she’s not the worst character that I’ve encountered and there is personal growth and development.

Emilio kept me on my toes. Just like Valentina, I didn’t know what to think of him, was he lying to us? Or was he a poor misunderstood guy who got caught up with the wrong people. Yes, he did kill someone, but when he goes to explain why (basically Valentina’s dad is a big time crook, who will have his family slaughtered if he disobeys) you can’t help but feel that while he made some bad choices, he’s stuck between a rock and a hard place and he wants to get out. Valentina’s back and forth with Emilio while somewhat annoying at times is realistic. She doesn’t know if he’s telling the truth or if he’s lying to cover his own arse, that mixed with teenage love has got her all confused and turned upside down.

Marcel did not appeal to me in the beginning. He starts off as starts off a bit of a conceited jerk, but begins to mellow out after an event in his life forces him to sober up. His friendship with Valentina is vital as it comes at a time when both are at the peak of loneliness. The more time they spent together the more I liked him.

Ok so there’s a bit of a love triangle, but it’s not terrible. On one hand you have Emilio, there’s history there, but also betrayal and deceit. Marcel on the other hand, is a drug induced playboy, with daddy’s money to spend at his leisure, but who’s refreshingly honest and open with Valentina.

Regarding plot I really enjoyed the story. There were some slow bits her and there, but there was always enough mystery and unanswered questions keeping me going. There were some great twists that I did not see coming at all that only added to the suspense, and there were some characters I was never really convinced of their true intentions till the end.

Overall enjoyable and kept me guessing throughout, satisfying ending and a lot of personal growth in the characters. 

My Rating 4/5

2018 Goals and Challenges

I love going through everyone’s pots about resolutions and goals at this time of the year, its neat to see what everyones up to and looking to the year ahead. So I’ve been inspired to make my own goals list.

Goodreads

I’m going to push myself a little bit further than last year and try for 58 books in the Goodreads challenge. Last year I managed 45 and just made it, but I felt that I spent a lot of time wasted doing unimportant things like surfing facebook.

A-Z

I’m also keen to participate again in an A-Z challenge. This year I’ve chosen to do the challenge hosted by Ginger Mom and The Kindle Quest. Last year I managed 15 out of 26 (not my best haha) hopefully I can get all 26 this year

TBR Pile

I’m keen to tackle some of my ever-growing TBR pile, so I’ve joined the #Beatthebacklist challenge hosted by a Novelknight. My goal is to read 25 books on my TBR pile pre- 2018. 

Finishing Series

So one of my main faults as a reader is my complete inability to finish a series. I either take a break half way through and never go back or I get sick of waiting for the next instalment and by the time it’s released I’ve forgotten what had happened previously. So this year I’ve joined the 2018 Finishing the Series Reading Challenege hosted by Celebrity Readers. I’m hoping to finish between 5-8 series this year.

What are your reading goals this year?