2013 Challenges

So for 2012 I only had one bookish challenge in mind and that was my goal for total books read. My original goal was to read 100 books in 2012. Unfortunately, I didn't quite make that mark.  I've decided I'm going to do a couple challenges for 2013, but none officially. I'm just going to do them for myself.  I'll be updating this post as I go along so I will be all organized and such come 2013 wrap-up time.

 



Challenge #1:  Read 100 books in 2013

-I'm going to give this one another go. I hit quite a few reading slumps this past year, but I have so many books I'm stoked about reading now that I hope that doesn't become a problem again.  I'll be following this with the meter on Goodreads and I'll also post it to my blog. 

Challenge #2: Attack of the To Be Read Pile

-We all have one.  Whether they're all nicely stacked in one area or haphazardly thrown on several shelves or overtaking your floor, you know what books I'm talking about. Those ones you just had to buy because you had to read them and yet there they sit collecting dust bunnies because another book caught your eye and in turn you had to have that one too. While there are many books I'm anticipating being published in 2013 that I will def buy right away, I need to start dwindling down my already owned to be read pile. It's getting a bit out of control. SO. My goal for this challenge is to read 50 books I already own. That will be half of the total books I hope to read in 2013. I totally feel this is possible. I just need to stop getting distracted by shiny, pretty and new.
I'm going to start a list here to update as I go along:
Off the (previously owned before January 1st 2013) To Be Read Pile:

1.

Challenge #3: Re-read Rewind

-The reason I buy books and keep them and collect them is because I want to reread them. If I had no intention of ever rereading my books then I would get them all from the library or primarily use my Kindle.
My goal is to reread 13 books for 2013. I went ahead and made a list, which of course, is subject to change. I picked these for different reasons, many of them are some of my all-time favorites. Others I need to reread in order to finish up the series. And still others I want to read again before the movie adaptation comes out.

1. Poison Study (Maria V. Snyder)
2. Magic Study (Maria V. Snyder)
3. Fire Study (Maria V. Snyder)
4. Graceling (Kristin Cashore)
5. Fire (Kristin Cashore)
6. Divergent (Veronica Roth)
7. The Hunger Games (Suzanne Collins)
8. Catching Fire (Suzanne Collins)
9. Shatter Me (Tahereh Mafi)
10. Firelight (Sophie Jordan)
11. Paranormalcy (Kiersten White)
12. Beautiful Creatures (Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl)
13. City of Bones (Cassandra Clare)

Challenge #4: It's a Classic

 

-How many classics have I voluntarily read? That would be a big fat whopping zero. My hatred of classics was developed in school when I was forced to read, pick apart and attempt to understand supposedly great, poignant books of a certain time, that quite frankly I found to be boring, confusing, difficult to get through and just plain uninteresting. I want to be one of those people who likes classics and sounds intelligent name dropping these particular books. I figured now that I'm older and wiser and smarter (the latter two being quite questionable) I needed to give these supposed gems another go. This time around, however, I would be picking the ones that actually interest me.
SO. My goal is to read 3-5 classics in 2013. I KNOW I KNOW, it's a hefty goal I'm setting for myself. Go big or go home they always say.

My list of Classic possibles:
1. Wuthering Heights (Emily Bronte)- So this book has been mentioned in several other books I have read and loved and I want to read for myself about Heathcliff and Catherine's escapades.

2. Pride and Prejudice (Jane Austen)-  I keep hearing about this dude named Mr. Darcy and this dude-ette named Elizabeth Bennett, and I'm like what are they all about? And what's so great about this gal named Jane Austen anyways?

3. The Great Gatsby (F. Scott Fitzgerald)-  I'm not ashamed to admit that most of the reason I want to read this one is because of my love for the cover. And it sounds pretty darn interesting. And at only 180 pages I think it's pretty doable. Best not to overwhelm myself.

 

4. To Kill a Mockingbird (Harper Lee) - I tried to block out most of my schooling from about 6th grade to 12th, but I hesitatingly tentatively remember having to read this for English Lit. And possibly hating it the least of any of the others. I remember nothing else but that. Eh. I'll give it another go.

 

5. The Secret Garden (Frances Hodgson Burnett) - SO I figure this being a Children's Classic and all I shouldn't have too difficult a time reading it. I LOVED the movie adaptation as a kid so it will be interesting to see how the book compares.

 

 

Challenge #5: Catch-Up If you Can-Series



-I know many people who are with me on this one. All those series that you started and for one reason or another didn't get around to finishing or reading up until the latest book. I have at LEAST 10 series that I'm behind on. At least. So for this challenge I'm hoping to play catch up/finish a few. So. The books I hope to read for this challenge are as follows:

 

1. Caster Chronicles (Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl)

    -Beautiful Darkness (#2)   already own

    -Beautiful Chaos (#3)

    -Beautiful Redemption (#4)

 

2. The Mortal Instruments (Cassandra Clare)

    -City of Fallen Angels (#4)

    -City of Lost Souls (#5)

 

3. Firelight (Sophie Jordan)

    -Vanish (#2) already own

    -Hidden (#3)

 

4. Paranormalcy (Kiersen White)

    -Supernaturally (#2) already own

    -Endlessly (#3)

 

5. Graceling Realm (Kristin Cashore)

    -Bitterblue (#3) already own

 

6. Divergent (Veronica Roth)

    -Insurgent (#2)  already own

 

7. If I Stay (Gayle Forman)

   -Where She Went (#2)  already own

 

 

Well I think that's quite enough challenges. I think they're all totally do-able. But let's be real here. I'm not a follow-througherer. Througher?  So if I can achieve 2 of these all will be well with the world.