Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted byย That Artsy Reader Girl. Each week is a new bookish category in which we get to brag about our favorite books that fit with the weekโs category. You can pick your top 5, 10, 15โฆor so on. I tend to keep my list to ten!
Todayโs category: Reading Goals I Still Want to Accomplish Before the End of the Year (Weโve just begun the last quarter of the year! What bookish goals would you still like to accomplish? If you participated in TTTโs Bookish Goals for 2023 topic this past January, update us on which goals youโve achieved, which youโve given up on, and which ones youโre still working on!)
At the beginning of 2023 I set five challenges for myself and four Goals. It has been a few months since I last looked at these goals and challenges so let’s review what I’ve accomplished…so far.. in 2023
Reading Challenges
New-To-Me Author Challenge
I want to read 20 new to me authors by the end of 2023. I have a list of a few authors Iโve been a wanting to read. But Iโm always looking to grow that list. I’ve added eleven new authors to my read list this year! I have faith I can get to 20 before 2023 is over.
January: Rebel Wild, Sara Fawkes
February: –
March: –
April: Susan Renee
May: Abby Brooks
June: S.C. Adams, Sofia T. Summers
July: Stephanie Brother
August: June Gray, Tania Joyce, Marie James
September: Lesley Jones
October:ย
Goodreads Reading Challenge
This will be my ninth year of participating in the Goodreads Reading Challenge! in 2022 I set my goal at 100 books due to house hunting, moving, and all the big changes that were coming into my life. I passed that goal by 11 books! This year I think Iโm going to set my goal at 100 again. Mr. Man and I plan to spend the summer soaking up memories and continuing the renovations on our house. Setting my goal at 100 books is the safest bet to accomplishing it. Follow me onย Goodreads!
Update:ย 75/100 Books Read.
Not bad for October 2023! There is no question, this challenge will be accomplished by the end of 2023.
Clearing The Shelves โ Author Edition Reading Challenge
This year, I decided to challenge myself by randomly selecting 3 or more books (depending on my arc tbr) to read from my paperback shelf. Iโm choosing the alphabet method. In a mug, I have 26 slips of paper lettering A โ Z, Iโll choose a letter and that letter will determine which author Iโll be reading from my shelf that month. If I have 3 or more unread books by that author on my shelf, itโll be that single author. But if I only have one book unread by an author, Iโll choose one more letter and one more author for the monthโฆ.. It makes sense in my head, weโll see how much sense it makes as the year progresses! Hopefully I can eliminate half of my shelf by the end of 2023!
Update: I absolutely bit the dust with this challenge. I was hoping to read at least half of my unread paperbacks by the end of the year… so far I only read 13 paperbacks on my unread shelf… It’s not much, but it’s something.
Author Binge Challenge 2023
This year I plan to complete 3 authors backlists! It seems like a ton of books. Obviously Iโll be carrying on with the author I started in 2022, Rina Kent. Iโm halfway through her recommended reading order, and I plan to finish by mid-February. I also plan to binge Adriana Locke and Lorelei Jamesโ published work! I canโt wait to binge these three authors this year!
Update: Sadly, I haven’t accomplished this challenge. And at this moment, I don’t see myself accomplishing this challenge. I did however make waves with Rina Kent’s reading order… Maybe next year I’ll finally finish her reading order.
Romanceopoly 2023
I was looking through different reading challenges, and I stumbled upon Romanceopoly! My favorite board game has always and will always be monopoly, so you can imagine my excitement when I saw a few book bloggers/reviewers turned the game I love so very much into a reading Challenge! Yes, Please! Sign me up immediately! I just printed the board and the cards! I canโt wait to start this challenge. you can learn more about Romanceopoly atย https://romanceopoly.com/
Update: I gave up on this challenge two months into 2023. I didn’t realize how time consuming this one could be. Maybe next year I’ll be more invested in this one…. I love Monopoly, but I love my free read time more.
Reading & Blogging Goals
Post more frequently on my blog pages
(facebookย andย bookstagram)
I feel like Iโve been neglecting my social pages. They were kind of placed on the back burner in 2022 and forgotten about until just recently. In 2023 my goal is to be more forthcoming on socials. I plan to share daily updates on what Iโm reading, post mini reviews, and give you all more of me. Itโs time to officially let the anxiety and panic go. 2023 is going to be all about discovering who I am as a reader, blogger, and person! Self-Discovery, here I come!!
Update: And yet another year has come to an end with me neglecting my bookstagram… I’m going to step it up in the next coming months and hopefully merge into 2024 stronger than ever!
DNF books Iโm not enjoying!
I suffer from a serious case of readerโs fomo (fear of missing out). But Iโm here to tell myself, and to tell you all, itโs okay if you donโt like the novel that everyone is raving about. Itโs also okay to DNF books you arenโt feeling. I found myself reading way to many books I just wasnโt feeling in 2022 and in 2023 Iโm saying goodbye to those books that donโt pique my interest by the 50% mark.
Update: This year I DNF’d 5 books! I wasn’t feeling them, so I moved on from them. I’m so proud of myself for accomplishing this goal.ย
Follow through on my reading lists.
At the beginning of 2022 I was doing so good with following my reading lists. Somewhere along the way, I fell into a reading funk and the list thing went out the window. In 2023, I plan to make a few reading lists and leave some room for mood reading. This way I can read what I want to read, and also read what I feel I need to read. Win/Win scenario, right? Hereโs to hoping I can stick to my reading lists easier this way.
Update: I’ve been doing better when it comes to my monthly and seasonal reading lists. But with all the new releases coming each month, it’s hard to be 100% dedicated to my lists.
More interaction and more conversations with fellow readers and bloggers.
I find myself letting my social anxiety win and avoiding conversations at all costs. In 2022, I made it my mission to interact more with bloggers and readers. And in 2023 I plan to interact even more! I created this book blog to talk with other romance readers about wonderful books, and thatโs what I plan to do.
Update: I feel like I’ve stepped out of my zone and have been doing better at commenting and replying to comments. It’s a baby step process, but I’m feeling better and more invested in this portion of my blog this year.
Well, I feel so good about myself and this years goals and challenges!
Now the question of the day is, How are you doing with your goals and challenges?
Peace Love and Happy Reading,
It sounds like it’s been a bit of hits and misses on goals, but you should be very proud of all you have accomplished. 11 new authors is fantastic! I know you will get to 20.
I had a feeling I was taking on too much with goals and challenges this year. I’m an optimist though (Haha).
You’re doing great on your goals! Nice job. I love the idea of your Clearing the Shelves RC. That sounds like a fun way to reduce your physical TBR pile.
Happy TTT!
Susan
http://www.blogginboutbooks.com
It’s a challenge I try to complete each year. I haven’t even made it close to completing, but it’s fun to think that I possibly could one day (Haha)
I’m so bad at Instagram! Except for Pinterest, I’ve pretty much given up on social media this year. It takes too much energy.
I feel the same way! It takes so much energy to keep up with social media. Energy that I currently do not have (LOL)