Reading Goals... How did I do on my reading goals?
*2016 I Love Libraries Reading Challenge... my goal was to take out and read 6 books from my local library, I took out and read 12! I think I may have actually taken a few more out, but I am happy to say, I surpassed my library goal! And I enjoyed it too! I saved a bit of money, helped my library by showing that people do use it and encouraged others to visit their library too!
*2016 Graphic Novel & Manga Challenge... my goal was to read and review 12 books. I did read more than 12, but only reviewed 11, so I missed that goal just a little. I'll be posting the reviews for the other books I read in the next coming weeks.
*Chick with Books Book Bingo 2016 Challenge... my goal was to fill the entire Bingo card! I almost made it, reading 22 out of 25 books. This year I'm going to make it!
*Goodreads Reading Challenge 2016... my goal was to read 50 books and I read 63!!! (Too bad all those books didn't fit all the categories on my Book Bingo card!
How did you do with your reading challenges?
Do you set reading goals for the year?
Eternal on the Water by Joseph Monninger... I absolutely loved this book. It's like a walk in the woods, it's two people falling in love, it's wonderful! Here's my review, "Did you ever wish a book to never end?! That's how I felt about Eternal on the Water!"
Depraved Heart by Patricia Cornwell... I haven't read anything by Patricia Cornwell in forever, but I use to LOVE her books. I discovered her one day and read every Kay Scarpetta book back to back until I was caught up, and then I just kind of got Kay Scarpetta overload. I just received a copy of Depraved Hearts from the publisher this week and thought, hey, wouldn't it be nice to visit Kay Scarpetta again. And so, if you enjoy Patricia Cornwell, it's time to crack open Depraved Hearts, which is coming in paperback this week! "Dr. Kay Scarpetta is working a highly suspicious death scene in Cambridge, Massachusetts, when an emergency alert sounds on her phone. A video link seems to be from her niece Lucy. But how can it be? It’s clearly a surveillance film of Lucy taken almost twenty years ago."
I use to be "Challenge Obsessed"! I love reading and so many challenges sounded so interesting! Mysteries, Southern authors, Jane austen, Poetry, Historical fiction... but then I found myself choosing books soley on what I needed to fill my reading challenge obligations and not necessarily on something I saw that I wanted to read. So, I've calmed down quite a bit on signing up for challenges. But reading challenges are fun! I have not signed up for any reading challenges yet, but there are a few definite choices...
Reading Challenges 2017...
Goodreads Reading Challenge 2017... There is a glitch at the Goodreads site when I tried to sign up for this years reading challenge, but I'll go back and join in later. My goal is 50 books, which I was happy to accomplish last year, but is still a big goal. Interested in joining? Here's the LINK.
2017 Library Love Challenge... I love my library. Fortunately I have a great library and they get or can get almost any book I want to read. And I am running out of space at home for all the books that I bring home, so why not save a little money and room at home by BORROWING some of those books I want to read!? Love this challenge, which encourages you to love your library! This year the challenge is co hosted by Bea's Book Nook and Angel's Guilty Pleasures. I'll be signing up this week and I'll be posting about it too.
Book Bingo 2017... Last year I posted a Bingo card for all the Chick with Books readers to enjoy filling in. I'm going to do this again this year. I also made up Bingo cards for all my reading group members, but each member had a different arrangement of the book categories, so we all wouldn't have the same Bingo's. They all loved it! And I'll be doing it again for them this year, with some changes in the categories. Bingo cards are so much fun! I've seen other reading challenges do this too! Join in the fun! I'll be posting the Chick with Books Bingo card this coming week!
Favorite Books of 2016...
There were so many good books I read this year, it is hard to pick just one, or even three, but here are 3 great books that should not disappoint if you're looking for something to read...
Eternal on the Water by Joseph Monninger... I absolutely loved this book. It's like a walk in the woods, it's two people falling in love, it's wonderful! Here's my review, "Did you ever wish a book to never end?! That's how I felt about Eternal on the Water!"
Binti by Nnedi Okorafor... It's not too often that I read science fiction, but I was reading about the 2015 Nebula award winners and this struck me as interesting. It's a little under 100 pages and worth every word! It is wonderful! Read this!
Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi... A wonderful novel! Here's part of my review, "At the moment of finishing Homegoing, all I could think was "Wow"! What a breathtaking, sweeping novel. All of the characters were so incredibly alive off of the pages. The story, the landscapes, were all so incredibly rich with details and substance. I read this leisurely, enjoying every minute. I was captivated from the very start..."
What were your favorite books of 2016?
Looking Forward...
2017 will have new books! What will be the breakout novel of the year?! Well, here are a few books to look forward to...
Mississippi Blood by Greg Iles... If you are familiar with this series, Mississippi Blood is the third (and I think last) book of this trilogy. Penn Cage is the "hero" in these books, actually a lawyer and ex procecutor, and the series is a thriller filled with secrets, revenge, love and tragedy. The writing is great and from the first book through the second book, I was on the edge of my seat and fully immersed. Penn Cage is "the man" in Greg Iles books, so if you like this series, you can visit Penn in one of his other stories.
Depraved Heart by Patricia Cornwell... I haven't read anything by Patricia Cornwell in forever, but I use to LOVE her books. I discovered her one day and read every Kay Scarpetta book back to back until I was caught up, and then I just kind of got Kay Scarpetta overload. I just received a copy of Depraved Hearts from the publisher this week and thought, hey, wouldn't it be nice to visit Kay Scarpetta again. And so, if you enjoy Patricia Cornwell, it's time to crack open Depraved Hearts, which is coming in paperback this week! "Dr. Kay Scarpetta is working a highly suspicious death scene in Cambridge, Massachusetts, when an emergency alert sounds on her phone. A video link seems to be from her niece Lucy. But how can it be? It’s clearly a surveillance film of Lucy taken almost twenty years ago."
The Wicked City by Beatriz Williams... I just received Beatriz Williams' book A Certain Age in the mail, and here I see that Beatriz is back with more from that era! "New York Times bestselling author Beatriz Williams recreates the New York City of A Certain Age in this deliciously spicy adventure that mixes past and present and centers on a Jazz Age love triangle involving a rugged Prohibition agent, a saucy redheaded flapper, and a debonair Princetonian from a wealthy family." This sounds fun and is coming out Jan. 17th! A Certain Age is out in hardcover and will be out in paperback this week!
There are many authors coming out with books this year! Next Sunday, we'll be back with more great books coming out in the next few months that you are not going to want to miss! For now, I'm going to grab another cup of Java and settle down with a good book! Which book?! I have my mind on a few, but I'll let you know what my FIRST BOOK OF THE YEAR turns out to be later this week!
Hope you found something interesting here today! Let me know what you're reading! And what books you're looking forward to in 2017!
Happy reading... Suzanne
