Everyone has books they'd like to read. Most people just pick up a book that takes their fancy when they've finished their current book, but I'm rather more organised than that.
That's because, owning over 800 books (that's excluding the ones I've previously read and kept), I kind of have to be organised. So to retain some semblance of order among my many books, I made a master list of all the books I own and haven't read yet.
This, combined with the invaluable tool that is Goodreads, allows me to keep track of the books I own and have yet to read. Ever since
I joined Goodreads, I've taken part in their annual reading challenges. In my first year on the site, 2013, I set myself the rather ambitious goal of reading 100 books in the year. For bookworms, that doesn't sound like a lot, but when you consider I read literally anything, long or difficult books can soon slow me down. Sadly I didn't complete the 100 books that first year (I managed 80) so I reduced my goal for the following year.
My 2014 goal was 50 books, but what with one thing and another, I only managed 36. So when it came to the time to set my 2015 goal, I was adamant I was going to read 50 books. And I not only completed my goal, but I surpassed it, reading a total of 54 books last year.
For this year, I've stuck with 50 books again. I know it's definitely attainable for me, but it's not too high that I'm speeding through books just to add to my total (I had a bit of that in 2013, and it's just not worth it).
Now, with all that in mind, I think it's important to set yourself reading goals. Last year I wrote a blog post about 5 books I've been meaning to read forever, and looking back on it now, I realised I've read one of those five during the last year. So - what 5 books am I going to try and read in 2016?
1. Ghost Hunter by Michelle Paver
The last book in the
Chronicles of Ancient Darkness series, a series of children's books surprisingly recommended to me by my boyfriend, and a book I've been meaning to read for a little while. I read book 5 in the series,
Oath Breaker, back in July of last year, so it's high time I reached the conclusion of this series.
2. First One Missing by Tammy Cohen
I can't remember where I first heard about this book, but it instantly piqued my interest. I quickly got a copy, and it's been sitting enticingly on my Kindle ever since. I haven't read a really gripping thriller for a while, so I'm looking forward to starting this.
3. Blog of the Dead: Sophie by Lisa Richardson
Another one that's been sitting on my Kindle for far too long. I try to make a habit of reading books from authors I know personally, and since Lisa is a fellow graduate from my university course, it would be rude not to read her book! Plus it's set in Folkestone, Kent, where I lived for a year, so it will be nice to read about places I know and recognise.
4. Spooky New York by S.E. Schlosser
I love paranormal tales, I've always wanted to go to New York, and my boyfriend bought me this book. What's not to love? Plus it's been sitting on my shelf for a year and a half (ever since he bought it back from NYC) so it's about time I picked it up!
5. The Time Traveller's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
Everyone raves about how good this book is. I've been intending to read it for a while, so I figure I might as well try to read it in 2016. After all, I try my best to read as wide a variety of books as I can, and books aren't as popular as this without good reason.
What books are you planning to read in 2016? Let me know in the comments below!
