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?

Review- Holes (Louis Sachar)

Synopsis

Stanley Yelnats' family has a history of bad luck, so he isn't too surprised when a miscarriage of justice sends him to a boys' juvenile detention centre. At Camp Green Lake the boys must dig a hole a day, five feet deep, five feet across, in the dried up lake bed. The Warden claims the labour is character building, but it is a lie. Stanley must dig up the truth.

                     - Goodreads.com

Review

I must admit this isn’t my first time re-reading Holes, in fact it’s not even my 2^nd time. I’ve probably read this book a good half a dozen times at the least, and it never gets old. I first read this book when I was in middle school (I even stole unknowingly the copy from my school library), and ever since then I feel like I give it a reread every couple of years. There are very few books that I can do that with, besides maybe Harry Potter. 

The story starts with Stanley being sent to Camp Green Lake as the more favourable option rather than going to jail for a crime that he was wrongly accused of. But Camp Green Lake is anything but green; A barren wasteland where every boy is made to dig a hole a day to help ‘build character’. But what are they really digging for? And why is the warden so interested if they find anything of value?

Stanley is a great protagonist, he’s easily likable from the start and you want to empathise with him. There is an array of wacky and odd side characters who all play their roles perfectly.

There’s not much I can say about this book except that I adore it. It’s a quick read with adventure, suspense, and a great woven tale between the past and the present. I highly recommend for all age groups, you'll wizz through it in the blink of an eye and wonder why you didn't read it sooner. 

My Rating 5/5

February/March Wrap-Up

Personal Updates 

February and March were not great reading months for me, but I have a feeling April will be different. I put it down to watching way more TV in the last couple months. I've suddenly become addicted to Grey's Anatomy again after not watching for ages (I stopped watching after the season 6 finale- so it's been like 8 years!) 

I've also been watching the Simpsons here and there, while simultaneously being addicted to The Simpsons Tapped Out. Seriously this is probably the longest standing phone game that I've played. I remember 4 years ago being in University classes and playing. 

Easter weekend was amazing. Me and the fiance went to Tauranga for the long weekend to visit our close friends who we haven't seen since New Years. So I got some reading done on the road trip. I also got to soak up some sun on the beach and got introduced to the show Naked Attraction which is brilliant. (I highly recommend if you want something trashy and your Ok with some full frontal nudity.) Also did a little adventuring while we were down there and did a small hike to the gorgeous waterfall featured above.

Finished 

 

As I mentioned before February and March were not kind to me. Never Never was a great short little 3 part read. It had suspense and mystery that kept me turning the pages trying to figure out what the hell was going on. The Bone Witch was a little on the slow side. It was overly word heavy at times and seemed to draw the story out too much. Overall it was Ok, not sure if I want to pick up the next book but the cover is gorgeous. I remember reading The Wind Singer as a kid and absolutely loving it, and not much has changed. While it is a little on the juvenile side now, it still has the whimsical feeling it once had and the sense of childhood adventure. 

Up Next In April

   

 

        

Did you have a nice Easter? Tell me what you got up to in the comments below

January Wrap-Up

Personal Updates 

I feel like January brought adventuring which was great- even if there have been 2 heatwaves this summer already!

Me and my partner went camping for New Years with some friends which was great. I'd never been before so it was definitely a new experience with the limited facilities and long drops.

I sang Karaoke for the first time which was thrilling. I was almost soiling my pants before I went up, but then I was on stage singing and it was exhilarating. For those of you who care, I sang "There are worse things I could do" from Grease (I'm big into musicals haha). 

There was a hens party and a wedding for an old friend. We went hiking in the Coromandel and got to visit the beautiful Cathedral Cove (featured), which was so gorgeous. 

A few other notable mentions include a drag show and a male strip show haha. Reading wise, January was a good month for me. I had a bit of time off here and there so I was able to get some reading done. I'm not as hopeful for February though.

Finished 

   

 

   

They Both Die at the End was my favorite of the month, just WOW! My review will be up soon, but  this book was so thought provoking and so well written.  Saga Volume 8 was of course just as good as its predecessors, there's not much I can say that I haven't already said before this series is so good. 

Alex + Ada was a nice surprise, but almost too short. I wanted more of it and I wish the story could have been extended out. At the same time the ending was fitting and wrapped up nicely. I was glad to be able to finish a series this month when I completed the final installment in the To All the Boys I've Loved Before Series, Always and Forever Lara Jean. While the book probably wasn't necessary, it was a nice 'ending' as Lara Jean goes off to college. 

Up Next In February

Going with the flow in January actually worked really well for me. I picked up books as I felt in the mood for them and I also DNF'd or put on hold books which I wasn't feeling (Which is one of my goals for this year). I'm going to go with the same concept in February and only have a few books that I really want to read and the rest is up to my mood. 

        

  

Did you go on any adventures over the New Year period? What was your favorite memory of January?