2015 Reading Assignment Challenge

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Because Reading and Fantasy is More Fun

 

My Official 2015 Reading Assignment Challenge Summary Post

 

 

 

The link above will take you to my full list and official summary post.  This time around, I just felt like creating a single, monthly progress report just for this reading challenge... if only because I can; and because I've got some ramblings.

 

First off, here are the books I read for August, which are also listed in my summary post:

 

In August:  COMPLETED 8/27/2015

No Extra Credits or Passes Used

August Report Card and link-up @ Fantasy is More Fun

1.  Better Homes and Hauntings by Molly Harper -- 8/1/2015

2.  Quicksilver by R.J. Anderson -- 8/23/2015

3.  Fool Me Twice by Mandy Hubbard -- 8/25/2015

4.  Elantris by Brandon Sanderson -- 8/27/2015

 

 

A Summary

August was a hard month to get through.  On top of some Real Life activities going on, things have been chaotic (as I'd mentioned before in other wrap-up posts).  I almost didn't make it, got a bit side-tracked, and might have panicked a little; but I persevered and somehow managed to finish all the books I'd chosen for August.  

 

I think my biggest mistake was picking Elantris; as much as I enjoyed and loved the book and as much as I enjoy reading anything by Brandon Sanderson, an intricate and long high fantasy novel like Elantris just wasn't what I needed during a month filled with too much else going on between work and home.  Don't get me wrong, because it wasn't like I struggled through it or kept putting it down or anything.  Elantris is just one of those books that you need to find time to sit and read for longer than five to ten minute snatches here and there.

 

With all the activity in Real Life--and me also being a bit guilty of making time to read books more in my own comfort genre instead--I couldn't get myself to make a big enough bubble of time to sit down and focus on Elantris without getting distracted or interrupted.  All excuses, yes, but I don't make a point out of arguing with my reading mood; it could just very easily lead into slumps and I don't like slumps.

 

But now that I'm done with it and now that I'm looking back on August, I'm kind of proud of myself for finishing my goal.

 

Anyway, the only thing I couldn't finish doing was writing up my review for Elantris--this will be coming sometime later on, probably (and hopefully) within the next week or two.  In the meantime, I will be reading my next four Reading Assignment Challenge books and hopefully getting more reviews pumped out.

 

I have to say, though, while I'm still fairly on track, it is becoming much harder to choose what book to read next from my list.  As a note to myself for future challenges: I should NOT choose an entire trilogy for this challenge, nor should I rely on the remote possibility that certain books will be available to me via library access.  Reliance on being able to check out a book from the library is great and all until I make certain choices about what book to read in the next month... and that book is NOT available for check out for another four weeks.

 

Also, I really SHOULD NOT choose books based on the fact that I want to force myself to finish a series or something like that (as proven by my frustration and subsequent moping at reading Promised by Caragh M. O'Brien just so that I could finish up the Birthmarked trilogy and put it behind me).  Forcing myself to read books I don't really want to read is something I told myself I'd never do, but it's so easy to make yourself feel bad for not reading a book you already bought or not finishing a series with only one more book left to go...

 

Again, logic is not something Ani does, apparently.

 

I think next year, if I continue to participate in this challenge, I may try to choose as many books as possible that I already own (and that I really DO want to read but haven't gotten around to for one reason or another).  Goodness knows I need to make a bigger dent in my bookshelf (digital AND physical); and I just keep adding more to both as the days go by.

 

At least one thing is for certain though:  I have been able to jump into new series and find new authors to love because of this reading assignment challenge.  Officially putting books on an official reading list is still a good way to get those TBR piles whittled down.  And it also helps me pick up books that I otherwise probably wouldn't have picked up due to my reading mood or other such nonsense... :P

 

And here I am rambling again...

 

A Forecast

These are the books I plan to be reading for the month of September:

1.  The Nightmare Affair by Mindee Arnett

2.  The Surgeon by Tess Gerritsen

3.  Sacred Evil by Heather Graham

4.  The Evil Inside by Heather Graham

 

Hopefully I can stick to my chosen books, but I HAVE deviated before and swapped one book out for another from my main list... but that had to do with library availability... which, in this instance might also be an issue.  I have a hold request for The Surgeon via the library's e-reads and I'm hoping that I can get the book checked-out within the month.  I put myself on the waiting list a week or two ago and I'm next in line, so it shouldn't be a problem.

 

And with a nice long vacation coming up, I have faith that I can knock off all of these books and then some.

 

Wish me luck anyway.  The last time it took me the entire month to read one of my challenge books, it was because I wasn't enjoying it.  But I'm hopeful that all of these four books will be quite well received by my reading mood.