At the beginning of this year I set a reading goal for myself on Goodreads. In 2015 I would like to read 40 books. I'm not sure if that seems like a lot, or a little to you but for me it's a reachable, yet challenging goal.
After my goal was set my husband and I watched one of the Harry Potter movies and it got me thinking about the last time I read Harry Potter. In 2013 we listened to the audio book of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows on our 30 hour round-trip drive to Florida. Kevin had read all of the books except the seventh and he wanted to finish the series; so I don't really count that as the last time I read my favorite books ever. Going back in my memory, I last read HP when I was working at a coffee shop that wasn't very busy and we were allowed to read in-between making lattes and cappuccinos. I worked there around 2009-2010. Which means I last read HP over FIVE YEARS AGO. Which is definitely five years too long and I immediately went to grab my copy of Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone but then remembered the 40 books in 2015 goal I sent for myself.
Goodreads won't count a book you already have marked as "read" towards your reading challenge and I want to reach my goals! I want to win! And I want to go back to Hogwarts ASAP so I decided to tweak my goal a bit. It's now my Read-Fourty-Books-By-November-So-I-Can-Read-Harry-Potter-Again Challenge. (I'd like to bet I'm the only one with this reading goal.)
What is my strategy, you ask? Read short books, oh I know that sounds terrible but before I put any books on hold at the library, I'm checking to make sure they have less that 400 pages. I've even read a young adult graphic novel for good measure. (Of course there are still some longer books I'm reading this year, but in general the books I'm choosing are relativity short.) I'm also listening to a good share of audiobooks. I don't have a long commute but just driving to work will get me through one or two chapters. Audiobooks are really helping me speed things up.
These are the books I've read so far this year:
1. The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion
2. At Home with Madame Chic: Becoming a Connoisseur of Daily Life by Jennifer L. Scott
3. Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead by Brené Brown
4. Eat That Frog!: 21 Great Ways to Stop Procrastination and Get More Done is Less Time by Brian Tracy
5. First Frost by Sarah Addison Allen
6. Best Staged Plans by Claire Cook
7. The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing by Marie Kondō
8. Drama by Raina Telgemeir
9. 13 Things Mentally Strong People Don't Do: Take Back Your Power, Embrace Change, Face Your Fears, and Train Your Brain for Happiness and Success by Amy Morin
10. The Magician's Lie by Geer Macallister
11. Living Well, Spending Less: 12 Secrets of the Good Life by Ruth Soukup
12. Landline by Rainbow Rowell
Twelve books by March 22nd isn't bad, right? As you can see I like to read a variety of fiction and non-fiction, it keeps things interesting. I'm about to start a Nicholas Sparks book, because I know I can read them fast. Now I'm off to dive into a book! Have a wonderful Sunday!
