WRAP-UP: Reading Goals for 2020

Maybe you saw my original post for my 2020 reading goals? Honestly, I thought I did a pretty good job of setting attainable goals, but then (as we all know) 2020 changed drastically. Despite all of that, by September I had made pretty good headway on my goals (see my update here). Between September and the end of the year, however, I went through a bit of a slump. Finally, I discovered that the only books I could really get through were romances for some reason. In the last couple months of 2020 I decided to really embrace that and have been reading romances almost exclusively since then. With that being said, here’s how my 2020 goals ended up shaking out:

• The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
• A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens
• Try The Princess Diaries series
• Finish series’ that I own (The Remnant Chronicles, The Reckoners)
• 1984 by George Orwell
• Kristin Hannah books
• Ruth Ware books
• Reread Twilight

It’s in the exact same place that I left it in September, but I don’t really mind. I still feel like I got a lot accomplished and I think the two I didn’t finish will fit in with my 2021 reading goals as well.

How did you do accomplishing any 2020 reading goals? And how did COVID effect your reading this year?

October 2020 Wrap-Up/TBR Update

I had high hopes for this month, but I ended up feeling so slumpy. Nothing sounded good and I had no motivation to actually read. On the other hand, I did catch up on some graphic novel series and ended up doing some rereads so I read more than it felt like I did.

• The Umbrella Academy vols 1-3 by Gerard Way & Gabriel Ba (reread) – Finished volume 1
• The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab (preorder) – Read and reviewed
• Boop and Eve’s Road Trip by Mary Helen Sheriff [ARC 10/6]
• Love & Olives by Jenna Evans Welch [ARC 11/10] – Currently Reading
• The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes – Read and reviewed
• Emma by Jane Austen (book club)

Also read/reading:

• Queen of Volts by Amanda Foody – Currently Reading
• The How and the Why by Cynthia Hand – Read, review coming
• Lumberjanes vol 12: Jackalope Springs Eternal by Shannon Watters et al – Read
• Lumberjanes vol 14: X Marks the Spot by Shannon Watters et al – Read
• The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen – Reread, dream cast
• The Devil and the Dark Water by Stuart Turton – Read and reviewed
• Runaways vol 4: But You Can’t Hide by Rainbow Rowell – Read
• Runaways vol 5: Canon Fodder by Rainbow Rowell – Read
• The Cruel Prince by Holly Black – Reread
• The Wicked King by Holly Black – Reread
• The Queen of Nothing by Holly Black – Currently Reading

Books finished this month: 12
Books currently reading: 3

Overall TBR:

TBR at the beginning of the year = 296
TBR at the beginning of October = 319
Books added to TBR = 14
Books read/deleted from TBR = 8
Total on TBR now = 325

How did your reading go this month?

UPDATE: Reading Goals for 2020

I’m a little late on this update, but when I checked on my goals I was surprised by how much I’d gotten done! Here’s my original post from the beginning of the year. But for those of you who don’t want to click through, here’s my list:

• The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
• A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens
• Try The Princess Diaries series
• Finish series’ that I own (The Remnant Chronicles, The Reckoners)
• 1984 by George Orwell
• Kristin Hannah books
• Ruth Ware books
• Reread Twilight

I’m super proud of everything I’ve accomplished so far. Early in the year I read The Little Prince and the beginning of quarantine was a great time to binge the entire Princess Diaries series. I quickly binged the Twilight series before Midnight Sun came out this summer (I was never planning on reading it, but it reminded me that I had this as a goal). I was really curious to see how the series would read as an adult since the last time I read it, I was still a teenager (my review).

I only ended up reading one Kristin Hannah and Ruth Ware book apiece–I just didn’t LOVE their writing styles so I didn’t feel that urge to pick up any of their other books. For Kristin Hannah, I read The Great Alone (review)and for Ruth Ware I read The Death of Mrs. Westaway (review). I liked The Great Alone a lot more than the Ruth Ware book, but I’ll definitely have to be in the right mood before I read another Kristin Hannah book I think.

I ended up listening to the audio book for The Tale of Two Cities and I thought that ended up being a really good decision. I think if I’d tried to read it, I would have missed some things. I think I would have been more confused as to what was going on and I definitely would have missed the little jokes throughout–Dickens is funny! Who knew? So to anyone who’s struggling with reading classics, I might suggest finding an audio version!

I’ve got 1984 sitting on my Kindle right now, but I’m not sure I’ll get to it before it’s due back at the library. I still need to pick which series I want to finish, but right now I think I’m planning on doing three which would consist of four books that I own. We’ll see though…

How are your 2020 Reading Goals coming?

April 2020 Wrap-Up/TBR Update

This has just been a weird month all around and I’m pretty proud of how much reading I managed to get done.

• Continue Princess Diaries series by Meg Cabot – All finished! (#5-11)
• The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides (book club) – Read, review coming
• Daisy Jones & the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid – Read and reviewed
• Are You Listening? by Tillie Walden
• The Lost Lieutenant by Erica Vetsch [ARC, Blog Tour on 5/7] – Read, review coming
• Leviathan Wakes by James S.A. Corey (book club) – …I’m giving up on this one…
• The Court of Miracles by Kester Grant [ARC 6/2]
• Something by Kristin Hannah: The Great Alone – Currently Reading

Also read/reading:

• Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman – Reread
• More than Maybe by Erin Hahn [ARC 7/21] – Read, review coming
• Forever, Interrupted by Taylor Jenkins Reid – Read, review coming
• Behind Every Great Man by Marlene Wagman-Geller – Currently Reading

Books finished this month: 13
Books currently reading: 2

Overall TBR:

TBR at the beginning of the year = 296
TBR at the beginning of April = 307
Books added to TBR = 4
Books read/deleted from TBR = 3
Total on TBR now = 308

How did your reading go this month?

February 2020 Wrap-Up & TBR Update

I had a great reading month in February! With Locke & Key hitting Netflix, I decided to binge the whole graphic novel series–I’ll probably do an overall series review sometime…soon.

• A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens – Finished
• A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson [ARC 2/4] – Read and reviewed
• Ten Days Gone by Beverly Long [ARC 2/18] – DNF 9%
• Havenfall by Sara Holland [ARC 3/3] – Currently Reading
• Every Reason We Shouldn’t by Sara Fujimara [ARC 3/3] – DNF 26%
• Lucky Caller by Emma Mills – Read, review coming
• Prey by Michael Crichton (book club) – Read

Also read/reading:

• Locke & Key, vol 1: Welcome to Lovecraft by Joe Hill – Read
• Locke & Key, vol 2: Head Games by Joe Hill – Read
• Locke & Key, vol 3: Crown of Shadows by Joe Hill – Read
• Locke & Key, vol 4: Keys to the Kingdom by Joe Hill – Read
• Locke & Key, vol 5: Clockworks by Joe Hill – Read
• Locke & Key, vol 6: Alpha and Omega by Joe Hill – Read
• Furious Hours by Casey Cep – Read
• This Place: 150 Years Untold (Anthology) – Read
• The Dutch House by Ann Patchett (narrated by Tom Hanks) – Finished
• The Death of Mrs. Westaway by Ruth Ware – Read, review coming
• Sword & Pen by Rachel Caine – Read, review coming
• The Golden Tresses of the Dead by Alan Bradley – Currently Listening
• Leviathan Wakes by James S.A. Corey – Currently Reading

Books finished this month: 15 with 2 DNF
Books currently reading: 3

Overall TBR:

TBR at the beginning of the year = 296
TBR at the beginning of February = 302
Books added to TBR = 9
Books read/deleted from TBR = 6
Total on TBR now = 305

How did your reading go this month?

January Wrap-Up

Okay, I didn’t have an official TBR for January, but here are the books I read this month/what I’m currently reading.

• The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry – Read
• Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi – Read, review coming
• The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern – Read and reviewed
• The Royal We by Heather Cocks – Read
• How to Build a Heart by Maria Padian[ARC 1/28] – Read and reviewed
• Belle Révolte by Linsey Miller [ARC 2/1] – DNF 10%
• A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens – Currently Listening
• A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson [ARC 2/4] – Currently Reading

Books finished this month: 5 books read with 1 DNF
Books currently reading: 2

Overall TBR:

TBR at the beginning of the year = 296
Books added to TBR = 8
Books read/deleted from TBR = 2
Total on TBR now = 302

How did your reading go this month?

California Winter | November Wrap-Up & TBR Update

This month hasn’t been great blogging wise (you might have noticed) but it’s been pretty good reading wise! I was able to snag some library copies of a couple of my anticipated November releases, so that was awesome. It always feels like I’m slogging through a book that’s taking me too much time, so then I’m surprised when I see how much I’ve actually read in a month.

• The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern
• Scavenge the Stars by Tara Sim [ARC 1/7]
• The Map from Here to There by Emery Lord [ARC 1/7] – Read, review coming
• Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens [Book Club] – Read, review coming
• The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
• Caraval by Stephanie Garber [Book Club] – Read
• Talking to Strangers by Malcolm Gladwell
• The Queen of Nothing by Holly Black – Read, review coming
• The Toll by Neal Shusterman – Read, review coming

Also read/reading:

• Sisters of Shadow and Light by Sara B. Larson [ARC 11/5] – Read and reviewed
• Inkheart by Cornelia Funke – Finished Listening
• Inkspell by Cornelia Funke – Currently Listening
• Twenty-One Truths About Love by Matthew Dicks [ARC 11/19] – Read
• Legendary by Stephanie Garber – Read, review coming
• Pumpkinheads by Rainbow Rowell & Faith Erin Hicks – Read
• Five Dark Fates by Kendare Blake – Read, review coming
• The Guinevere Deception by Kiersten White [ARC 11/5] – Read and reviewed
• A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles [Book Club] – Currently Reading
• Hearts, Strings, and Other Breakable Things by Jacqueline Firkins [BT 12/13] – Currently Reading

Books finished this month: 12
Books currently reading: 3

Overall TBR:

TBR at the beginning of the year = 383
TBR at the beginning of November =305
Books added to TBR = 2
Books read/deleted from TBR = 7
Total on TBR now = 300

How did your reading go this month?

Cooler weather at last! | October Wrap-Up & TBR Update

The heat has finally dialed it back and we’re having some nice cooler weather where I don’t feel like I’m dying every time I step outside. I’ve had a tough blogging month…but we’ll see how next month goes.

• Deadly Little Scandals by Jennifer Lynn Barnes [ARC 11/5] – Read and reviewed
• Across a Broken Shore by Amy Trueblood [ARC 11/5] – DNF 12%
• Twenty-one Truths About Love by Matthew Dicks [ARC 11/19]
• Good Omens by Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett
• The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
• The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin [Book Club] – Read
• Flavia de Luce mysteries by Alan Bradley – Finished #9
• Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling – Finished!!! (#4, 5, 6, and 7)

Also read/reading:

• Scythe by Neal Shusterman – Read, review coming
• Operatic by Kyo Maclear – Read
• Secrets & Suitors by Joanna Barker [ARC 10/1] – Read and reviewed
• White Cat by Holly Black – Read and reviewed
• The Umbrella Academy vol 3: The Hotel Oblivion by Gerard Way – Read
• Thunderhead by Neal Shusterman – Read, review coming
• A Constellation of Roses by Miranda Asebedo [ARC 11/5] – Read, Blog Tour
• Tithe by Holly Black – Read and reviewed
• Valiant by Holly Black – Read and reviewed
• Ironside by Holly Black – Read and reviewed
• The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde – DNF 33%
• Sisters of Shadow and Light by Sara B. Larson [ARC 11/5] – Currently Reading

Books finished this month: 17, 2 DNF
Books currently reading: 1

I didn’t really realize that I’d read so much this month. A couple of them were graphic novels and then I had to binge the Harry Potter books because the audios all got checked out to me at once basically. So those things helped.

Overall TBR:

TBR at the beginning of the year = 383
TBR at the beginning of October = 342
Books added to TBR = 8
Books read/deleted from TBR = 45
Total on TBR now = 305

How did your reading go this month?

I’m back baby! | July Wrap-Up & TBR Update

The reading! It’s happening! I’m finding glorious pockets throughout my day to read and it’s making my life so full right now!

• Vengeful by V.E. Schwab – Read and reviewed
• Dark Matter by Blake Crouch (Book Club) – Read and reviewed
• Wilder Girls by Rory Power [ARC] – Read and reviewed
• This Adventure Ends by Emma Mills – Read and reviewed
• House of Salt and Sorrows by Erin A Craig [ARC] – Read and reviewed
• Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte – Currently reading
• Flavia de Luce mysteries by Alan Bradley – Finished #3, 4, and 5; Currently listening to #6

Also read/reading:

• With the Fire on High by Elizabeth Acevedo – Read and reviewed
• Magic for Liars by Sarah Gailey – Read and reviewed
• Magpie Murders by Anthony Horowitz – Currently listening
• Foolish Hearts by Emma Mills – Read and reviewed
• Descendant of the Crane by Joan He – Currently reading

Books finished this month: 11
Books currently reading: 4

Overall TBR:

TBR at the beginning of the year = 383
TBR at the beginning of July = 472
Books added to TBR = 8
Books read/deleted from TBR = 11
Total on TBR now = 469

How did your reading go this month?

Summer TBR Update

At the end of May, I posted a list of 9 books that I wanted to read over the Summer. Now that we’re halfway-ish through said season, I wanted to post a quick little update as to how my Summer reading is going!

The Weed that Strings the Hangman’s Bag by Alan Bradley – Read! I’ve been bingeing the audio books on our morning walks and I’m currently on #5 now!
eBook | Paperback

Legendary by Stephanie Garber – Still waiting on my shelf…
eBook | Hardcover | Paperback

King of Scars by Leigh Bardugo – Also still just hanging out…
eBook | Hardcover

Descendant of the Crane by Joan He – Not yet, but I just put it on hold at my library!
eBook | Hardcover

The Rest of the Story by Sarah Dessen – Read! Sarah Dessen is a queen and I really liked this one. Review
eBook | Hardcover

With the Fire on High by Elizabeth Acevedo – Read! My review for this one is coming (but spoiler, I didn’t LOVE it).
eBook | Hardcover

This Adventure Ends by Emma Mills – Read! I really, really liked this one and am excited to share my thoughts on it soon!
eBook | Hardcover | Paperback

The Cruel Prince by Holly Black – Haven’t read it yet, but I do have the paperback on my shelf now.
eBook | Hardcover | Paperback

Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi – I currently have this checked out from the library and I hope I can get to it before it’s due!
eBook | Hardcover | Paperback (Preorder)

So far I’ve read 4/9 on my Summer TBR which isn’t bad! I hope that I can at least get to the three that are sitting on my shelf, staring at me right now…

How is your Summer reading going? Have you been getting to everything you’ve wanted to? What’s been your favorite Summer read so far?