2018 Team Wrap Up and 2019 Goals!

By: Cait Marie

Everyone has different intentions with their reading. Some set specific goals of how many books they want to finish in a year, while some set more vague goals of wanting to read more in other genres. There are, of course, those who don’t set any goals and just go for it as well.

I sent the team out a handful of questions to see how their year went and what their goals are for the new year. Here are some of their responses, as well as my own:

Cait Marie

Q: Did you reach your reading goal this year? What was it?
A: I exceeded my goal! My original goal set in January was to read 30 books this year. In February, I had already read a dozen books, so I increased the goal to 50. I reached 50 in October, so I increased it to 60. I am currently at 70 books. I also set a goal mid-January to read every day for the rest of the year, which I also accomplished.

Q: What was your favorite book of the year?
A: I read so many good ones this year. It’s hard to pick just one, so I’m going with two–one that came out this year and one that came out last year. My favorite book released this year is A Touch of Gold by Annie Sullivan. My favorite book I read that wasn’t released this year (and wasn’t a re-read) is The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzie Lee. I loved this book so much that I read it twice in a six-month time span.

Q: Were there any books you didn’t like?
A: I had to read The Road by Cormac McCarthy for class and could not get through it. It was the second time I’ve tried reading it in the last few years. It’s just so gray and gloomy.

Q: Are you setting any reading goals for next year? What are they?
A: Yes, I am setting a goal of 100 books for 2019. However, I am debating changing that to 130 to really challenge myself. Before this year, the most I’d ever read in one year was 30 books, so I think it’d be awesome to read 100 more than that. I also want to read a little every day again, and read at least one book in three other genres that aren’t YA Fiction.

Kesha

Q: Did you reach your reading goal this year? What was it?
A: My reading goal was to read ten books. I made it to seven, so I did not quite make it to ten this year.

Q: What was your favorite book of the year?
A: Out of the seven books that I read this year, my favorite one would have to be The Hate U Give.

Q: Were there any books you didn’t like?
A: I honestly have to say that there was not any book that I did not enjoy this year.

Q: Are you setting any reading goals for next year? What are they?
A: Even though I didn’t achieve my reading goal for this year, I’m still going to set one for the new year and it’s to read up to twenty books.

Brandi

Q: Did you reach your reading goal this year? What was it?
A: My reading goal was 40 books, and not re-reading any of my favorites. I met and mastered that goal, found some new authors that I truly enjoy, and looking forward to their continued work.

Q: What was your favorite book of the year?
A: Favorite series this year: A Court of Thorns and Roses, Throne of Glass, and Stalking Jack the Ripper.

Q: Were there any books you didn’t like?
A: Books I didn’t like….I can’t think of any, but that’s either a good thing or I hated them so much, I forgot they existed.

Q: Are you setting any reading goals for next year? What are they?
A: My reading goals are to read massive series like Game of Thrones, Outlander, The Shannara Chronicles. In between those bored moments (they happen people), I want to read that ever growing TBR of mine. It’s cancerous in a good way, and ever-growing. You think I could ask all authors to stop writing and publishing so I can catch up?

Hayley

Q: Did you reach your reading goal this year? What was it?
A: Considering I haven’t set one, and stopped using Goodreads, I guess I sort of did and sort of didn’t. I read plenty of books but I didn’t set a goal.

Q: What was your favorite book of the year?
A: Vicious Depths trilogy, and the Fallen Too Far books by Abbi Glines.

Q: Were there any books you didn’t like?
A: Yes. The Selection by Kiera Cass.

Q: Are you setting any reading goals for next year? What are they?
A: I’m not sure. I think I want to read a little every day, whether that be paperbacks, hardbacks, magazines, or ebooks, in addition to writing every day. But that seems like a lofty goal so I may or may not do it.

Jenny

Q: Did you reach your reading goal this year? What was it?
A: My reading goal was 50 books. I fell unbelievably short at 25, but have my momentum back now.

Q: What was your favorite book of the year?
A: A Court of Thorns and Roses was my favorite book of the year, with Dirk Gently tied as a close second.

Q: Were there any books you didn’t like?
A: I dislike no books, because I stop reading if they are awful.

Q: Are you setting any reading goals for next year? What are they?
A: My reading goal for next year is 52!

Manuela

Q: Did you reach your reading goal this year? What was it?
A: Yes, I did reach and surpass my reading goal. Since I tend to go through reading slumps on and off throughout the year, I set my reading goal for 15 books, so that I would be averaging at least 1 book a month with some extra for when I have a reading frenzy. I still had my slumps this year but I read 40 books this year – several of which were historical fiction (centered around WWI & WWII) because historical fiction is one of my favorite genres.

Q: What was your favorite book of the year?
A: My favorite books I read this year are: The Nightingale by Kristen Hannah, Lilac Girls by Martha Kelly Hall, The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden (the sequel was really good too and part 3 is on my tbr), A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness, The Girl in the Letter by Emily Gunnis, The Alice Network by Kate Quinn, and Karolina’s Twins by Ronald H. Balson. (I couldn’t pick just 3, they were all so good!)

Q: Were there any books you didn’t like?
A: There were a couple of books that I read that I didn’t care for, but they weren’t horrible books over all.

Q: Are you setting any reading goals for next year? What are they?
A: My reading goals, as of right now, for 2019 are to read at least 24 books and to find a reading challenge that will challenge me to read more of a variety of genres and place settings.

Christopher

Q: Did you reach your reading goal this year? What was it?
A: I failed to reach my reading goal this year. It was like 18 books and I got through like five books this year.

Q: What was your favorite book of the year?
A: My top 3 would be Red Clocks by Leni Zumas, The Philosopher’s Flight by Tom Miller, and Brief Cases by Jim Butcher.

Q: Were there any books you didn’t like?
A: Not so much books that I didn’t like, just some that are still in the process of being read and harder to get through than others as they are not as easy for me to embrace.

Q: Are you setting any reading goals for next year? What are they?
A: Next year, I want to get through 8 books and 36 magazines. Magazines are easier to read for me at times.