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

April/ May Wrap-Up

Personal Updates 

This month I've been trying to get some wedding planning done, and it's exhausting... even the cats are exhausted. Honestly, my partner and I have been engaged since August 2016 and we've been so lazy about the wedding planning. (To be honest I'm the kind of girl who would be happy with a registry office wedding, but my future Mr. wants a proper wedding). We've looked at a few venues but nothing has really taken my fancy...especially for the prices they're asking. But *crosses fingers* we're going to look at another venue outside of our hometown this weekend so I'm hopeful.

Finished 

  

 

As you can see I really only focused on 1 series for the last couple months. The Royals series is quite addictive...trashy and dramatic...but definitely addictive. The first 3 books follow Reed Royal and Ella, the orphan teen whose stripping to make ends meet who happens to be taken in by the Royal family. Obviously, Reed has a vendetta against Ella from the start, but sexual tensions lurk pretty close beneath the surface *wink*. While all the drama was entertaining I needed something a little bit more substantial to fill the gaps and started the Eurona duology by Wendy Higgins, which I hope to finish this month.  

Up Next In June