2021 Goals

 

    2020 goals were the best combination for my reading reality. I did not fulfill all of them but it kept me on track for the whole year. So this year I decided to keep most of them. So here my goals for 2021:

• Read 52 books
• Read 5 books by Russian authors
• Read 10 translated books
• Read 10 books in my Top 2021 books list
• Listen to 10 audiobooks 
• Read 8 classics
• Complete Read your Bookshelf Challenge
• Complete Page challenge
• Buy less than 12 books during 2021
• Participate in at least 3 readathons
• Finish 5 or 6 series

Challenges I am Joining in 2020

1. This year I am setting my Goodreads goal to 52 books  

2021 Reading Challenge

Julie has read 3 books toward their goal of 52 books.

hide

3 of 52 (5%)

view books

2. 2021 Pages Read Challenge
Goal is 24 000 pages
 
3. Read Your Bookshelf – Reading Challenge 2020
Goal is 12 books throughout the year.

That is basically it. I am still continuing with my Russian Literature, World of Literature, Booker Prize and Classics Club projects, which at the begging 2020 are the following:

Russian Literature: 12/30
World of Literature: 24/50
Booker Prize Project: 7
Classics Club: 15/50

2021 Pages Read Challenge

     While I’m participating in a number of challenges that shows how many books you’ve read, I am joining as well the Pages Read challenge, which is hosted by Gina @ Book Dragon’s Lair. Gina does not seem to post any more or is having a break, but I still like this challenge and would like to continue with it just for my own statistics. According to this challenge you are judged by the number of pages you read.

Levels:

Bonsai - Read 12,000 pages
Shrub - Read 24,000 pages

Dwarf Peach - Read 36,000 pages

Apple Tree - Read  48,000 pages

Oak - Read 60,000 pages

Douglas Fir - Read 72,000 pages

Sequoia - Read 84,000 pages

Redwood - Read 84,001+ pages

Dwarf Peach (36,000 pages) is a nice deal, but I will set my goal to 24,000 (Shrub) again this year.  In 2020 I have read only 26562 pages, so no point to add pressure to my reading.

Read Your Bookshelf – Reading Challenge 2021

This fun yearly challenge is hosted by Chantel from An Intentional Life
         This challenge is about reducing the number of unread books on your shelves. Here are some prompts for each month to make it more interesting and challenging. 

        You can watch the announcement video for info on what the prompts are for each month, Chantel also suggests two books recommendation as well as the book she would read for that prompt.

Let’s get into the challenges for each month!

JANUARY
a “home-ish” word in the title

FEBRUARY
red on the cover or spine

MARCH
recommended by a friend

APRIL
five or more words in the title

MAY
a book you should have read before graduating high school

JUNE
an animal on the cover

JULY
a book that starts with the first letter of your first name

AUGUST
a book in a series

SEPTEMBER
a translated book

OCTOBER
set in a different country than your own

NOVEMBER
has a night scene on the cover

DECEMBER
a winter scene on the cover

Tome Topple Readathon on April 13th - 26th - TBR

     The next round of the Tome Topple Readathon will take place from midnight in your time zone on August 4th to 11:59pm in your time zone on August 17th!
     The whole point of this readathon is to read big books (over 500 pages). You don't even need to read a lot of them. You don't even need to finish one. The point is that we are all reading those big daunting books at the same time and supporting each other.  Tome Topple Readathon Goodread group.
      All books read need to be over 500 pages! That's the only "rule".

     There are new challenges this year and I like them more:
1. Read more than 1 tome 
2. Read the time that has been on your TBR the longest 
3. Read a tome that is part of a series 
4. Read a tome in a genre you don’t usually read 
5. Read an adult novel 

My ambitious TBR is: 

    

        For challenge 2 I have:
Career of Evil - third book in Cormoran Strike series by Robert Galbraith p. 599
        For challenge 3 I have:
The Thirst - 11th book in Harry Hole series by Jo Nesbø  p.510
        For challenge 4 I have sci-fi book:
Dune by Frank Herbert p.800
        For challenge 5, which I transfer into "Read a YA novel" I have:
Runemarks first book in Runemarks series by Joanne Harris p.505

    In case, just in case, I would be successful in this readathon I have two more books to read or at least to start:
1. The Good Soldier Švejk by Jaroslav Hašek p.702
2. The Shadow of the Wind (The Cemetery of Forgotten Books #1) by Carlos Ruiz Zafón p. 527

The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

Author: Stephen Chbosky
Original title:  The Perks of Being a Wallflower
Pages: 231
Edition Language: English
Series: no
Format: Paperback
Genres: Contemporary
Goodreads

Blurb:    
       Charlie is a freshman.
Shy, introspective, intelligent beyond his years yet socially awkward, he is a wallflower, caught between trying to live his life and trying to run from it.
    Charlie is attempting to navigate his way through uncharted territory: the world of first dates and mix tapes, family dramas and new friends; the world of sex, drugs, and The Rocky Horror Picture Show, when all one requires is that perfect song on that perfect drive to feel infinite. But he can't stay on the sideline forever. Standing on the fringes of life offers a unique perspective. But there comes a time to see what it looks like from the dance floor.
    The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a deeply affecting coming-of-age story that will spirit you back to those wild and poignant roller-coaster days known as growing up.
 
My thoughts:
      The popularity of this book baffles me. Not that it is a bad one, it is just an ordinary one.
      I don't really know how to feel about this book. I liked the writing and the way the story unfolded through letters. But the characters drove me nuts a lot of the time.
     It was an easy read, while simultaneously tackling pretty much every difficult subject at once. Chbosky wrote a book with so many serious issues like drugs, death, homosexual adventures, suicide, rape, relationship violence, abortion, child molestation/incest, parties, fights, without really dealing with any one of them in depth.  Each one of these issues needs to be taken seriously, not pointed out on one page, just to be forgotten on the next.

My main issue was Charlie. 

     The question is: whether or not Charlie might be autistic. It is hinted at, but never stated explicitly. Thus, I could not concentrate on his narration. He seems very immature, more like a 7-year-old. But then all of the sudden come some philosophical observations and character analysis. I had a feeling that two different people were telling the story and the switch between them was always sudden. Maybe that was the point - to baffle the reader and get him guessing about the boy's story, but frankly, it irritated me and made Charlie’s character less believable.  
       And thought I flew through the book, it did not stir any emotion in me and most probably I will forget about the plot and characters quite soon. The only thing that spoke to me was the friendships and the family dynamics.

Rating:  

    3/5 

The Backlist Reader Challenge 2019

      Another challenge I am taking part in, since I have quite a lot of unread shelves and need a push to pick them up: The Backlist Reader Challenge 2019.

The Backlist Reader Challenge (#BacklistReader) encourages you to read all those older books that have been piling up on your TBR pile or list—not just the books you already own, but also the books you’ve wanted to read for a long time but haven’t gotten around to yet. Hosted by The Bookwyrm's Hoard

The challenge runs from January 1, 2019 through December 31, 2019. It ends at midnight in whatever timezone you’re in.
   
   So at the moment I have 215 physical books on my shelves (not counting e-books on my Kindle and audio books). So I should be realistic for this challenge and I hope that I can read at least 20 books from my shelves.

The Rules

The rules are simple. Only (1) and (2) are mandatory. 
(1) To count for the challenge, books have to be published before 2018 AND already be on your TBR list or pile. In other words, you don’t have to own the book. If it was on your want-to-read list when you signed up for the challenge, and it came out in 2017 or earlier, it counts… regardless of format (ebook, print book, audiobook) and how you acquired it.
Last year, I was asked about rereads. You can only count a rereads if (a) you haven’t read the book in the last 10 years, and (b) you can’t remember any more of it than you would learn by reading the publisher’s blurb. In other words, it should feel new to you. I know this is subjective, but bear in mind, this isn’t a rereading challenge. (There are other challenges for that.)
(2) Create a goals or sign-up post on your blog or wherever you usually post your reviews (e.g., Goodreads, LibraryThing, Instagram.) Please link back to this post! Then link your sign-up post below, where you see the “Add your link” button. (Please link the actual goals/sign-up post, not your home page.)  You can set your own goal, and you can list the books you want to read this year, or leave it up to your mood at the time—as long as they are already on your TBR list when you sign up! You can sign up through December 1, 2019; after that, the sign-up link will be closed.
(3) Review the books you read, and post the links on the review linky (reachable through the top menu bar.) You can certainly do the challenge without writing reviews, but the review links are your entries for the year-end giveaway. Reviews don’t have to be long; a few sentences is fine. You can post them on Goodreads or LibraryThing if you don’t have a blog. Please link to your review itself (not to your blog's main page, your profile, or the book’s Goodreads or LibraryThing page.)
(4) On or just after the end of the year, post a wrap-up post to let us know how you did! I’ll create a link-up post for the wrap-up posts, too. Again, this one isn’t absolutely necessary, but I hope you’ll do it anyway, just for the fun of looking back and seeing your accomplishment!

The 2019 POPSUGAR Reading Challenge

     One more challenge for 2019. I am not going to even try to read through advanced prompts. Actually I think I am picking this challenge for the last time as I do not like the prompts and struggling with them every time.

     This challenge is being hosted by POPSUGAR. #popsugarreadingchallenge

You can find the Goodreads group HERE.

1. A book becoming a movie in 2019
2. A book that makes you  nostalgic
3. A book written by a musician (fiction or nonfiction)
4. A book you think should be turned into a movie
5. A book with at least one million ratings on Goodreads
6. A book with a plant in the title or on the cover
7. A reread of a favorite book
8. A book about a hobby
9. A book you meant to read in 2018
10. A book with "pop," "sugar," or "challenge" in the title
11. A book with an item of clothing or accessory on the cover
12. A book inspired by mythology, legend, or folklore
13. A book published posthumously
14. A book you see someone reading on TV or in a movie
15. A retelling of a classic
16. A book with a question in the title
17. A book set on a college or university campus
18. A book about someone with a superpower
19. A book told from multiple character POVs
20. A book set in space
21. A book by two female authors
22. A book with a title that contains "salty," "sweet," "bitter," or "spicy"
23. A book set in Scandinavia
24. A book that takes place in a single day
25. A debut novel
26. A book that's published in 2019
27. A book featuring an extinct or imaginary creature
28. A book recommended to you by a celebrity you admire
29. A book with  "love" in the title
30. A book featuring an amateur detective
31. A book about family
32. A book written by an author from Asia, Africa, or South America
33. A book with a zodiac sign or astrology term in the title
34. A book that includes a wedding
35. A book by an author whose first name and last names start with the same letter
36. A ghost story
37. A book with a two word title
38. A novel based on a true story
39. A book revolving around a puzzle or game
40. Your favorite prompt from a past POPSUGAR reading challenge

2019 Pages Read Challenge

    While I’m participating in a number of challenges that shows how many books you’ve read, I am joining as well the Pages Read challenge, which is hosted by Gina @ Book Dragon’s Lair. According to this challenge you are judged by the number of pages you read.

Levels:

Bonsai - Read 12,000 pages
Shrub - Read 24,000 pages

Dwarf Peach - Read 36,000 pages

Apple Tree - Read  48,000 pages

Oak - Read 60,000 pages

Douglas Fir - Read 72,000 pages

Sequoia - Read 84,000 pages

Redwood - Read 84,001+ pages

Dwarf Peach (36,000 pages) is a nice deal, but I will set my goal to 24,000 (Shrub) since I am also going to participate the 2019 Audiobook Challenge.

2019 Audiobook Challenge

       Another challenge I am joining this year is 2019 Audiobook Challenge. I noticed that I listen to more and more audio books with every year, so why not to join the challenge to monitor my progress.
     The 2019 Audiobook Challenge is hosted by Hot Listens and Caffeinated Book Reviewer you can check their site to see more about audio books altogether and read great reviews on audio books.

Challenge Details

• Runs January 1, 2019 – December 31, 2019. You can join at any time.
• The goal is to find a new love for audios or to outdo yourself by listening to more audios in 2019 than you did in 2018.
• Books must be in audio format (CD, MP3, etc.)
• ANY genres count.
• Re-reads and crossovers from other reading challenges are allowed.
• You do not have to be a book blogger to participate; you can track your progress on Goodreads, Facebook, LibraryThing, etc.
• If you’re a blogger grab the button and do a quick post about the challenge to help spread the word. If you’re not a blogger you can help by posting on Facebook or Tweeting about the challenge.
• Updates plus a giveaway will be posted twice during the year. The first update will be June 30, 2019, and the last update will take place on December 15, 2019.

Levels

• Newbie (I’ll give it a try) 1-5
• Weekend Warrior (I’m getting the hang of this) 5-10
• Stenographer (can listen while multitasking) 10-15
• Socially Awkward (Don’t talk to me) 15-20
• Binge Listener (Why read when someone can do it for you) 20-30
• My Precious (I had my earbuds surgically implanted) 30+
• Marathoner (Look Ma No Hands) 50+

I would go for a Stenographer at the beginning and after half a year I will evaluate the results and see how it is going on.

Fraterfest Readathon

 It is time to to celebrate love of horror, suspense, thrillers, the paranormal and more together with Kimberly @ Caffeinated Reviewer. This is going to be a fun easy readathon with very little requirements to participate. See rules below.

 Official Rules 

•     Linkup

•     Spread the Word Grab the button and/or use social media to share the signup post

•     Read or Listen Between Midnight October 11th and ending at 11:59 pm October 16th read or listen to thrillers, mysteries, paranormal, horror, supernatural, witchy, ghostly, fantasy, or serial killer novels and novellas. (to clarify..these can be cozies and include romance. No need to sleep with the lights on if you don’t fancy a good scare!)

•    Share your progress on Twitter or Instagram using #FraterfestRAT

•    Participate in at least one challenge.

•    Create a shelf on Goodreads  (or blog post) marked FraterfestRAT to share your progress

•    Win, Have Fun, Discuss Books and Make New Friends

2017 PopSugar Reading Challenge

     I set for myself that unless I complete the 2016 PopSugar Reading Challenge I will not read for 2017 Challenge list and I failed. At the end of the 2017 I was falling behind and now had 2 lists on my hand and did not compete any.
    So I decided to "DNF" 2016 Reading Challenge completely and not waste my time on it anymore. And concentrate on 2017 instead. As a result out of 40 prompts I completed 36 and not going to read the last 4 in 2018, but start a new 2018 challenge.

2017 Popsugar Ultimate Reading Challenge
1. A book recommended by a librarian - A Spool of Blue Thread by Anne Tyler (completed in March)
2. A book that's been on your TBR list for way too long - About a Boy by Nick Hornby  (completed in May)
3. A book of letters - Love Virtually by Daniel Glattauer  (completed in September)
4. An audiobook - The Diviners by Libba Bray  (completed in October)
5. A book by a person of color - Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon (completed in October)
6. A book with one of the four seasons in the title - Strawberry Spring by Stephen King (completed in December)
7. A book that is a story within a story - A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness (completed in August)
8. A book with multiple authors - The Making of Pride and Prejudice by Sue Birtwistle, Sue Conklin, Susie Conklin  (completed in September)
9. An espionage thriller - Eagle Trap by Geoffrey Archer (completed in November)
10. A book with a cat on the cover -
11. A book by an author who uses a pseudonym - The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith; pseudonym for J.K. Rowling (completed in August)
12. A bestseller from a genre you don't normally read - Blankets by Craig Thompson (completed in April)
13. A book by or about a person who has a disability -  All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr (completed in November)
14. A book involving travel -  Holy Cow by David Duchovny (completed in February)
15. A book with a subtitle - I Am Malala: The Story of the Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban by Malala Yousafzai  (completed in December)
16. A book that's published in 2017
17. A book involving a mythical creature - Dogheaders by Alexej Marvin  (completed in May)
18. A book you've read before that never fails to make you smile - Oblomov by Ivan Goncharov  (completed in April)
19. A book about food - Shark's Fin And Sichuan Pepper by Fuchsia Dunlop (completed 12/8)
20. A book with career advice - Scrappy Little Nobody by Anna Kendrick (completed in February)
21. A book from a nonhuman perspective - If I Stay by Gayle Forman (completed in September)
22. A steampunk novel -
23. A book with a red spine - The Complete Maus by Art Spiegelman   (completed in August)
24. A book set in the wilderness - The Martian by Andy Weir  (completed in May)
25. A book you loved as a child - Asya by Ivan Turgenev  (completed in March)
26. A book by an author from a country you've never visited - A Slow Boat to China by Haruki Murakami (completed in March)
27. A book with a title that's a character's name - Arsène Lupin, Gentleman-Thief by Maurice Leblanc  (completed in September)
28. A novel set during wartime - The Black Tulip by Alexandre Dumas (completed in September)
29. A book with an unreliable narrator - Under The Skin by Michel Faber  (completed in February)
30. A book with pictures - A Bear Called Paddington  by Michael Bond  (completed in September)
31. A book where the main character is a different ethnicity than you - All You Need Is Kill by Hiroshi Sakurazaka (completed in July)
32. A book about an interesting woman - The Ocean by Alberto Vázquez-Figueroa (completed in September)
33. A book set in two different time periods - Blood Ties by Samantha Hayes  (completed in August)
34. A book with a month or day of the week in the title - Goodnight June by Sarah Jio (completed in September)
35. A book set in a hotel - The Archived by Victoria Schwab  (completed in September)
36. A book written by someone you admire - Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro (completed in October)
37. A book that's becoming a movie in 2017 - The Circle by Dave Eggers  (completed in October)
38. A book set around a holiday other than Christmas -
39. The first book in a series you haven't read before -  Hornet's Nest by Patricia Cornwell (completed in December)
40. A book you bought on a trip - The Son by Jo Nesbo  (completed in August)

So the below prompts are left incompleted:
10. A book with a cat on the cover
16. A book that's published in 2017
22. A steampunk novel
38. A book set around a holiday other than Christmas

2018 Audiobook Challenge

Following the successfull 2017 I am planing to take part in 2018 Audiobook Challenge. Join Hot Listens and Caffeinated Reviewer for the 7th year of audiobook fun.

Challenge Details

• Runs January 1, 2018 – December 31, 2018. You can join at any time.
• The goal is to find a new love for audios or to outdo yourself by listening to more audios in 2018 than you did in 2017.
• Books must be in audio format (CD, MP3, etc.)
• ANY genres count.
• Re-reads and crossovers from other reading challenges are allowed. 
• You do not have to be a book blogger to participate;
• If you’re a blogger grab the button and do a quick post about the challenge to help spread the word. Updates plus a giveaway will be posted twice during the year. The first update will be June 30, 2018, and the last update will take place on December 15, 2018.

Levels

• Newbie (I’ll give it a try) 1-5
• Weekend Warrior (I’m getting the hang of this) 5-10
• Stenographer (can listen while multi-tasking) 10-15
• Socially Awkward (Don’t talk to me) 15-20
• Binge Listener (Why read when someone can do it for you) 20-30
• My Precious (I had my earbuds surgically implanted) 30+
• Marathoner (Look Ma No Hands) 50+ 

Since the aim is to improve from your previous year I would go for Socially Awkward this year

2017 Audiobook Challenge End of Year Update

It is time to check the progress made for this challenge. Thought there still a couple of days left till official year end and I am in the middle of the book and most probably finish it this year I've decided to post the challenge wrap up and see if I met my goals.

2017 Audiobook Challenge Levels:

• Newbie (I’ll give it a try) 1-5
• Weekend Warrior (I’m getting the hang of this) 5-10
• Stenographer (can listen while multi-tasking) 10-15
• Socially Awkward (Don’t talk to me) 15-20
• Binge Listener (Why read when someone can do it for you) 20-30
• My Precious (I had my earbuds surgically implanted) 30-50
• Marathoner (Look Ma no hands) 50+

This year I was not sure of my possibilities so I went for Stenographer and completed 12 books:

1. The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins
2. The Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo by Amy Schumer
3. The Handmaid's Tale By Margaret Atwood
4. Scrappy Little Nobody by Anna Kendrick
5. Bucky F*cking Dent by David Duchovny
6. A Spool of Blue Thread by Anne Tyler
7. The Diviners by Libba Bray
8. Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro
9. I Am Malala by Malala Yousafzai
10. Hornet's Nest by Patricia Cornwell
11. Southern Cross by Patricia Cornwell
12. Bossypants by Tina Fey

   Altogether I consider this year's challenge quite a success and most definitely be participating next year!

Tome Topple Readathon Wrap Up - August

  The whole point of this readathon is to read big books (over 500 pages). You don't even need to read a lot of them. You don't even need to finish one. The point is that we are all reading those big daunting books at the same time and supporting each other.  Tome Topple Readathon Goodread group. All books read need to be over 500 pages! That's the only "rule".

           It seems I have a real issue with Anna Karenina - I failed again and did not even opened the book. I do not know what motivation I need to just start the book. I know once started I will love it, but the problem is to start. I believe I have such a poor result because I was reading in parallel The Complete Maus by Art Spiegelman and the experience from the book was heart breaking and I needed some tile to recover from each chapter.

     So first novel I finished is The Son by Jo Nesbø (p.527). I finished it within 2 days and rather enjoyed it, but not quite. It is a standalone novel. I liked it; but though the development was fast paced and captivating, I was disappointed with happy end. The characters were also a bit unrealistic, so it left an strange mixture of enjoyment and bitterness.
     The second novel was Blood Ties by Samantha Hayes (p.543). I have this book from a friend and was trying to read it for a couple of months now but it just did not grab me. This time I made a small effort and after 100 pages I started to like it, though it contains some triggers as child abuse and abduction. The ending was rather predictable from around the half of the book, but still it did not spoil the way the story was revealed to the reader.
      The 3rd and final book was The Cuckoo's Calling (p. 509) by Robert Galbraith. I was disappointed by this book and it seemed to drag forever. There were too many repetitions and unnecessary descriptions that were killing the pace for me. About in the middle of the book I guessed who was the killer and I was struggling through the rest of the book just to see the reasoning for the murder.

      So 3 out of 5 planned books are finished. There were none 5 stars read, but all of them were rather enjoyable and captivating. I am so looking forward to the next round of the Tome Topple Readathon.