Because I am active on the Goodreads site (where members can post books they've read, want to read, and reviews, as well as find new books that interest them) I have happily accepted their reading challenges for the last three years.
How many books will you read this year? I was asked, each January. For 2011, since I was living in a rainy state which kept me inside for days at a time, I read a LOT. So I decided I could read 111 books.
For 2012 - I similarly read 112 books, and for 2013, I chose 113 books!
Completed, and completed.
But I have to admit, last year I struggled. We had moved to an area with better weather, and I was outside hiking and gardening a lot, not to mention starting a new series of my own writing. So, instead of 113 actual novels, I filled in with lots of picture books from the library. (No this is not cheating, I decided. A book is a book.)
So this year, when Goodreads put the challenge up there for me to again accept, my first reaction was to go for 114 books.
But then, I decided I didn't really want the pressure (even though I was only competing with myself - lol.) I wanted to feel like I could dawdle over a book, cherishing it or reading slowly. Maybe I'd even take an entire month to finish something.
And I'm also busy writing more this year. My story The Winter Kitten is doing well on Amazon, and I am putting the finishing touches on a brand new one in the series, called The Springtime Cat.
So, no reading challenges for me this year. If I read 114 books, then so be it. But I hope to enjoy every single book that I do finish! And garden more. And hike more. And write more!
If you want to see what I'm reading on Goodreads, feel free to friend me there: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3421565.Linda_Benson
And stay tuned for details about my upcoming title: The Springtime Cat.
How Many Books do you usually read in a year?
2 comments:
I love reading so much, too. It's my favorite thing. I think I even like it a tiny bit more than writing! Am I allowed to admit that?! LoL! I don't know how many books I read each year because I'm so inconsistent with Goodreads. I try to keep up with listing the books I'm reading (I read more than one book at a time), but I often forget to update it. Whoops!
Happy reading and writing! from Laura Marcella @ Wavy Lines
Ha! I think it's fine to say you enjoy reading more than writing, Laura. I do! Reading is pure escapism - into someone else's story and thoughts. Writing is sometimes fun, but often hard work. (I like it best when it's all finished.) But as a writer, I especially like to read good books, and absorb everything - which hopefully will make me a better writer, too.
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