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My 2016 Bookish Resolutions Summary post
I think the biggest set back in my bookish life were some personal health issues that made it hard for me to want to do anything, period. That being said, I still think I was fairly productive this month concerning all things bookish as well as some things non-bookish.
I typically don't like to mention much about my personal life on my book blog, but even I have to admit that the two cannot one hundred percent be separate lives. I haven't had as much energy to want to do anything at all these past few weeks, be it bookish or in real life. But things are starting to look up now and so I can get back into doing whatever it is I want to do or need to do, in general.
I think I owe a lot of my published posts (this one included) in part to having pre-planned several blog posts way in advance--I then only needed to tweak and edit them slightly in order to get them posted.
Otherwise, there were at least two book reviews I haven't even gotten around to starting their writing process, and one book I should have already finished reading by now... according to my pre-planning.
But all-in-all, I still think I did quite well this month and I need to remind myself to ease off on the strict scheduling, sit back, and just enjoy my reading and blogging.
Blogging Goals
- 1 - Participate in at least 50% of the Top Ten Tuesday meme (@ The Broke and the Bookish) topics for 2016--that's 26 of the TTT topics.
- January: 3 Top Ten Tuesday posts written this month
1/5/2016: Top Ten Resolutions We Have in 2016
1/12/2016: Top Ten 2015 Releases I Meant to Get to But Didn't
1/19/2016: Top Ten Books I've Recently Added to My TBR
- 2 - Continue to post Monthly Reading Wrap-ups... with a slightly less overwhelmingly bulky form.
I usually post my monthly reading wrap-ups on the first of the next month, so there will be no update yet this month. However, I HAVE made an attempt at de-cluttering my monthly wrap-up posts and hopefully they don't look so overwhelming now... not that I got rid of much.
- 3 - Create and try to maintain a blogging schedule.
I might have gotten a bit more obsessive about keeping track of my stuff with this new blogging schedule thing.
I know these aren't the best pictures in the world, but it's the best I could do with my limited tech skills. Just know, there's a legend for colors and stuff.
But basically, what's going on here, is I intended to just lightly plan some monthly or weekly stuff, pre-schedule some posts/reviews, and make note of when I finish reading a book... but it spiraled out of control with colors and to-do lists, and some other stuff...
I've even got a legend for colors going on for when I publish any post (green), plan posts (light yellow, light orange, or light purple), finish reading a book (dark blue), start reading a book (light blue), or have other Bookish Activities to contend with (cyan). There's a To Do list, a list of pre-planned posts to work on, my monthly Reading Assignment books, and even a count of all the posts written and books read each week.
I've even got a bright green color code for any personal, non-bookish activities so that I can plan my blogging stuff around Real Life. Holidays are in bright blue and significant birthdays are in purple.
I have the distinct feeling this might have ended up a little out of control.
But I'm actually having fun with this. I kind of like it because I can see a good spread of my usual bookish activities "on paper" (I say this, but it's technically digital) on my Google Doc spreadsheets: how often I post reviews, how often I post random posts, how often I finish or start reading books, etc....
I can even try to plan around my nights off from work or other personal, non-bookish activities, such as family gatherings, doctor's appointments, work meetings... stuff like that. And I can allow myself to make sure I don't overdo the posting in one day, both overwhelming myself AND others who might be following my ramblings.
Also, I can hold myself accountable for making sure a review gets published in a timely (in my own personal "timely" definition) fashion. I'm also able to kind of determine if I'm going to actually write a review for a book or not by how often I have to "reschedule" a review post--sort of a date of book finished to date of review publication ratio.
- Bonus Goal - Attempt participating in at least two other monthly/weekly bookish memes.
I have decided on one particular monthly meme so far, but haven't quite put much thought into it yet. We shall see. Until then, here's a teaser linky to what little I've planned already.
Reading Goals
See Also: 2016 Bookish Resolutions shelf
- 1 - Finish reading 10 completed series that I have already started reading.
- January: 1 series finished // Running Total: 1 series finished
The Elemental Trilogy by Sherry Thomas -- Completed 1/5/2016
Already Read: The Burning Sky, The Perilous Sea
#3: The Immortal Heights -- 1/5/2016 -- Review to come
- 2 - Catch up with 5 ongoing series that I have already started reading.
One-Eyed Jacks is still a series in progress that I hope to have caught up with by the time March rolls around. I will be reading Running Blind as part of my February Reading Assignment book picks. And if things go right, I'll be able to read Taking Fire before the end of February--otherwise, it'll get read first thing in March as soon as I can get my hands on the book.
- January: 0 series caught up // Running Total: 0 series caught up
One-Eyed Jacks by Cindy Gerard
Already Read: Killing Time
#3: Running Blind -- To Read
#4 Taking Fire -- To Read -- Publication on 2/23/2016
- 3 - Read 5 completed series that are new to me.
Just one this month--I hadn't been planning on finishing all of the Sky High series, but it happened. I would also like to read and finish the rest of Addison Fox's Alaskan Nights series, but I'm not sure when I'll actually get to it. I might just wait a bit before posting anything about it.
- January: 1 series read // Running Total: 1 series read
Sky High Air by Jill Shalvis
#1: Smart and Sexy -- 1/19/2016
#2: Strong and Sexy -- 1/24/2016
#3: Superb and Sexy -- 1/29/2016
- 4 - Participate in at least one Read-a-thon in 2016 (Bout of Books, Dewey's 24 Hour, any personal or community improv/unofficial read-a-thon, etc.)
-- GOAL COMPLETED -- 1/10/2016 --
- January: 1 Read-a-thon participated // Running Total: 1 Read-a-thon
Since my goal technically states that I need to participate in "at least one" read-a-thon for 2016, then having participated in the Bout of Books read-a-thon, I'm done with this goal. But I'll keep listing other read-a-thons when and if I participate in others.
Bout of Books 15 -- 1/4/2016 to 1/10/2016
Bout of Books 15: Starting Day 1
Bout of Books 15: Day 1 Update
Bout of Books 15: Day 2 Update
Bout of Books 15: Day 3 Update
Bout of Books 15: Day 4 Update
Bout of Books 15: Day 5 Update
Bout of Books 15: Day 6 Update
Bout of Books 15: Day 7 Update and Overall Read-a-thon Wrap-Up
- 5 - Pick up at least 10 new to me authors (books not pre-listed for my 2016 Reading Assignment Challenge).
- January: 3 new-to-me authors // Running Total: 3 new-to-me authors
Author name // Book(s) Read
1. Beverly Long // Dead by Wednesday
2. Addison Fox // Baby It's Cold Outside
3. Haruki Murakami // The Strange Library
- 6 - Accomplish my 2016 Mount TBR Reading Challenge goals. Tackle those books already on my shelves pre-2016!
- January: 6 books read // Running Total: 6 books read
1. The Way Home by Cindy Gerard -- 1/4/2016
2. The Immortal Heights by Sherry Thomas -- 1/5/2016 - to be reviewed
3. Hungry Like the Wolf by Paige Tyler -- 1/10/2016 - to be reviewed
4. The Wide-Awake Princess by E.D. Baker -- 1/20/2016
5. Deadly Strain by Julie Rowe -- 1/24/2016
6. Snow Baby by Brenda Novak -- 1/29/2016 - to be reviewed
See also My 2016 Mount TBR Challenge summary post for complete listing.
Personal Goals
- 1 - Clock at least 2 hours of cardio workout each month.
- January: 0 hours cardio // Running Total: 0 hours cardio
This goal was not quite accomplished the way I had been hoping due to some personal health issues I was experiencing over the course of the month. But now that everything is being resolved, I'm going to try to pick up this whole New Year's Resolution work out thing for the months to come.
Wish me luck!
- 2 - Attempt to work out at least twice a week. Failing that, attempt to work out at least 8 times a month (which will be met if I can get my lazy ass to work out at least twice a week).
- January: 0 times worked out // Running Total: 0 work outs
See first personal goal above.
- 3 - Learn 12 new recipes. Actually make said recipes. And take pictures. For evidence.
- January: 1 new recipe // Running Total: 1 new recipe
Tomato Basil Soup -- attempted on 1/2/2016
- Bonus Goal - Be better at being sociable, in general.
I think I've been pretty good about commenting on other's posts. I also went along with my brother and his friends to play in a Room Escape scenario, which was pretty fun. Unfortunately, the most social I've been seemed to reach its limits in the interwebz world... and chit-chatting with coworkers... which is nothing new.
I will continue to persevere, I guess.
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