2017 Reading Challenge Update from @AuthorKristina Knight

I was going to check in quarterly with this whole reading challenge, and I just realized we're almost halfway through the 4th quarter without an update, and I'm also pretty sure I skipped right over the 3rd quarter update, too. Whoopsie!

I am reading, though, that's the big thing, right?

Okay, to recap, Liz announced she was doing a 50-books-in-2017 challenge. I thought, hey, I can read 50 books this year...so I glommed on. And Roni Loren is doing a monthly themed, read/watch challenge and that sounded fun so...glommed on.

So, where am I in this whole reading 50+ books, some themed and some not, challenge? Hint: I'm only still actively participating in one...and I'm nowhere near the 50 books needed to actually make it to the end.

Yeah, I dropped out of the read/watch challenge in April. It wasn't a completely conscious decision - I was behind on a deadline, the book I'd chosen for that month's theme (and the TV show, too) weren't engaging me...so I didn't finish that month (I did meet my deadline, yay!). And although I've looked at my themes listing, I haven't started it back up. And as we now have about 2 months left in the year, I think it's safe to say I won't finish the read/watch challenge. Although, the months that I did do it, I really enjoyed it. Maybe I'll attempt it next year.

The 50 book challenge? I'm at about 30 books (once I finish the book I picked up at the library yesterday). Can I read 20 books between now and December 31? Yeah. Will I? Probably not, because I have deadlines and a family and there are only 24 hours in a day and I like to sleep at least 8 of them away. I've read romances and thrillers, true crime and cozies, several middle grade (with bebe), and memoirs. Lots of memoirs.

I've recovered my love of the memoir! I finished Shonda Rhimes' 'Year of Yes' a couple of weeks ago,
I'm reading Dani Shapiro's 'Still Writing' now, and there have been a few more in the mix. Although I love autobiographies and biographies, I've been skipping over memoirs for the last few years. Before this year, in fact, I think the last one I picked up was 'Eat Pray Love', and it was a DNF for me. Maybe that's why? In any case, I've really enjoyed by Shonda and Dani's books, and I have several more on my list that I can't wait to dive into.

A few other titles I want to pass along (fiction, no particular order, but they all had me flipping pages as quickly as I could): Jules Bennett's 'Montgomery' series, Susan Wiggs' Family Tree, La Nora's Come Sundown, Shannon Stacey's Kowalski series (I'm on book 5 and I can NOT get enough), John Grisham's Rooster Bar, Hidden Figures (I also watched the movie - both are amazeballs), Black Dahlia/Red Rose...and my favorite, If You Only Knew by Kristan Higgins (quickly followed by On Second Thought).

What have you been reading lately? I've got 20 books to go, having a few more on my list is never a bad thing!                                                               ~Kristina

Comments

  1. I'm there in the 30s with you. I've actually read more than that, but have not recorded them nor taken the time to go through the Kindle an decipher what is what. I am intentionally reading this year, though, so it's still an improvement. Thanks for the update!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes - 'intentionally reading'! I like that term because, for a lot of years, I haven't been intentional about what I read or about reading in general. The themed challenge made me think outside my reading-preference box, and for that, I'm really glad.

      Delete
  2. Interesting about the memoirs, Kristina. I've never been big into them, but your post may change my perspective on that. Unfortunately, I'm only in the 20s in my books read, but I've really enjoyed keeping track in the lovely journal I got for Christmas last year.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I find the ones that aren't preachy are the best, Jana. And I love the reader journal i got last year for Christmas! I've got enough space left for next year, which makes it even better.

      Delete
  3. I’ve actually been doing some reading recently... got a Kindle Fire so I can read at night while on a car trip, and have been making my way through my stash of writer peeps. Just finished the heart-pounding “Order of Fear” by Lisa Caviness and am on to Jillian Jacobs’s “Air’s Vision.”

    ReplyDelete
  4. I've been reading, but haven't been recording what I've been reading, even though I have a lovely little flowered notebook to do that in. Ah well...good intentions, eh? I really want to read Shonda's book and if you're into podcasts, Kristi, I recommend Lani Diane Rich's Chipperish podcast, Big Strong Yes over at Chipperish.com. They're all archived so you can start at the beginning. It's super!

    ReplyDelete
  5. I *just* started listening to podcasts...so I'll add hers right now! Thanks for the tip, Nan!

    ReplyDelete
  6. I love the Kolwaskis!! I'm currently reading her newest novella, Hold Her Again.

    ReplyDelete
  7. I recently completed the first two books in Susan Mallery's Happily Inc series. Loved them! My goal was 25 books in 2017 but I'm only on 17...oh well. At least I AM reading!

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment