Sunday, January 2, 2011

2010 Challenges Wrap-Up & Challenges for 2011

In 2010, I only joined two challenges officially, the YA Debut Author Challenge and The Speculative Fiction Challenge.


I ended up reading 33 YA debuts in 2010 (down from 40 in 2009), but only 27 counted towards the challenge. (See results here). I have joined this challenge again for 2011.

I didn’t keep track of my Speculative Fiction reading on the hosting blog (Book Chick City), but I had well over 50 titles read, so that was a success! That was mainly due to my Dystopian theme months in February and August which I plan to do again this year.

My other 2010 goals were:

1. To read more classics. FAIL. I only read 1 (Persuasion by Jane Austen, for my book club). However, I do plan to read a classic a month in 2011 (See list here).

2. To read more books in German. FAIL. I only read 1 book in German and it was for my book club. I will read at least 1 again this year because it is on my classics list.

3. Review picture books. Well, I did review a few on Halloween… Look for more of these this year.

4. Read my Waiting on Wednesday picks from 2009. FAIL. I only ended up reading two of these, which means I haven’t started up WoW picks again, and probably won’t in the foreseeable future.

I am going to keep my 2011 reading goals simple. At least 12 classics, at least 12 YA debuts, and at least 30 dystopian novels (15 per theme month). I also want to read some backlist and bought books that have been collecting dust while I read review copies. I haven’t been accepting review books for nearly a year now (with some exceptions of course) so I am getting caught up with those. I haven’t requested anything from Shelf Awareness in ages either. It feels good!

13 comments:

Michelle said...

You did a great job in 2010. I'm notoriously bad about making goals and completely failing them. Like you, I'm attempting to be a bit more reserved in my goals hopefully make them more achievable. Good luck in 2011!

Nicole (Linus's Blanket) said...

Happy New Year Lenore! It's a good thing you had your book club to help you make a little progress on those other goals. Otherwise you wouldn't have had anything!

Lenore Appelhans said...

Thanks Michelle :)

Nicole - Yes, my book club was good this year!

bermudaonion said...

Good luck with your goals! I've slowed down the flow of books into my house as well. Happy New Year!

Melissa (i swim for oceans) said...

love the dystopian goal, lenore! that is so my favourite genre right now - and kudos to you reading in german, by the way! my aunts bought me books in afrikaans, and I slacked ;)

Trisha said...

I haven't even assessed my success or failure with last year's reading resolutions. I am scared too! :)

Literary Feline said...

Good luck with your reading goals this year, Lenore! I decided against setting any this time around--and being a goal-oriented person, I'm sure this will be a challenge all on its own.

Have a great week and an even better New Year.

Jen (@ Jens Book Closet) said...

I keep trying to read classics and it's like an epic fail everytime. It's not because I don't want to, it's just because they sit...and sit...and sit...on my shelf and newer books come out and I read those first. I need to just jump in and get to them. I'd like to read Jane Eyre this year and Pride and Prejudice. Maybe if I stick to those 2 I'll actually hit my mark this year.

Jen
In the Closet With a Bibliophile
For The L♥ve of Reading

Nina said...

Happy New Year! Great books you have read and I like your goals. Pretty simple and so much fun. :)

Smol Dusaran said...

It's nice to look back and check on previous resolutions, just to know what you did and did not accomplish. Happy New year!

Amanda said...

Good luck with your new goals!

Staci said...

Love your 2011 goals..simple and fun!

Liviania said...

For the classics, I recommend either A SENTIMENTAL JOURNEY or TRISTRAM SHANDY by Laurence Sterne. They are odd novels, but quite funny. (Super influential to people like the Modernists and David Foster Wallace, too. Saying that, you should totally read some Virginia Woolf if you haven't. She goes down easy.)