Alright, confession time….I may have set the bar a little too high. Last year, I read 300 books, but 200 of them were children’s picture books. Seriously, what was I thinking? But, I am not about to give up so soon. I noticed that I was reading out of obligation and it was really really really not enjoyable. Oh my friends, that cannot be. For me, reading is a balm to my soul. It encourages me to see the world through another’s eyes. It makes me think about things I normally wouldn’t think about. It challenges me to grow. So, I press on. Even if I don’t meet my goal of 300, I’m still going to read and not see this as a chore. At one point I felt like I was back in school, reading the things I didn’t want to read.

One thing I’ve increased this year is photography/art books. This helps increase my read count, but honestly, it has already pushed me out of my normal read zone. Last night I finished A Beautiful Ghetto by Devin Allen. His work is stunning, it gave me a deeper love for a city so close to home (being a born and bred Marylander), further opened my eyes to struggles right next door, and a reminder of things that aren’t normally talked about.

A new thing I started this year was joining Facebook groups for some of the challenges. Oh friends, I did not know what I was missing! Getting to chat with others who love reading as much as I do AND sharing recommendations? Ah, joy. It has also helped keep me motivated to carry on.

Without further ado, here are my last 10 reads! All of the reading challenges will be linked at the end of the list for ease of reading. Titles marked with an * are Amazon affiliate links. That means we’ll get a small percentage of your order if you order something. I only link to things that I personally stand behind and have read/seen/tried/etc. myself.

Book #4 – Dog Years: Faithful Friends, Then & Now by Amanda Jones – this fulfilled a book with an animal in the title for the Popsugar challenge.

Book #5 – The Princess Saves Herself in this One* by Amanda Lovelace – this fulfilled a book of poetry, a play, or an essay collection for the Modern Mrs. Darcy challenge. I really really really enjoyed this book. Poetry isn’t something I regularly read and when I do, there are only certain types that I really enjoy. This was one of them. I absolutely loved the progression, the style, and the content. Highly recommend.

Book #6 – The Two-Second Advantage: How We Succeed by Anticipating the Future–Just Enough by Vivek Ranadive and Kevin Maney – this fulfilled a book you’ve been meaning to read but haven’t got to. I’ve had this bad boy on my phone as an audiobook for a really really really long time. Happy to finally finish it!

Book #7 – Ready Player One* by Ernest Cline – this fulfilled a book that was made into a movie in the BWellread challenge. I know it’s not in the theaters yet but I DID ask BCPL online and they said it fits. Woo! I love this book and it was just as enjoyable the second time through.

Book #8 – Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by Newt Scamander, J.K. Rowling, Albus Dumbledore – this fulfilled a book made into a movie you’ve already seen for the Popsugar challenge. Oh man, this was THE hardest book to read. Oy. Now, if I had Jim Dale read it to me, I might have had a different opinion.

Book #9 – Signs of Hope: Messages from Subway Therapy by Matthew “Levee” Chavez – this fulfilled a book you can read in a day in the Modern Mrs. Darcy challenge. As a deep lover of post-it notes, it was a joy to read this book.

Book #10 – Life’s Journeys According to Mister Rogers: Things to Remember Along the Way by Fred Rogers – this fulfilled none of my challenges. It could have fit into a book you can read in a day (this is on a few of my challenges), but I started it one day and finished it on another, so I didn’t feel right about putting it on one of those. Thankfully, my challenges only add up to 150 books, so that leaves me with 150 “freebies.”

Book #11 – Wild and Crazy: Photos from the Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards by Paul Joynson-Hicks, Tom Sullam – this fulfilled a book that makes you laugh out loud in the Mommy Mannegren 52 books challenge. Oh man, this was a FUN book. Definitely made me (and Bret) laugh out loud.

Book #12 – A Beautiful Ghetto by Devin Allen – this fulfilled a book about a problem facing society today on the Popsugar challenge. See my thoughts above.

Book #13 – Mean Streets: NYC 1970-1985 by Ed Grazda – this fulfilled a book with the letter “Y” somewhere in the title in the Mommy Mannegren 52 books challenge.

The 2018 Modern Mrs. Darcy Reading Challenge
The 2018 #BWELLREAD Reading Challenge
The 2018 Popsugar Reading Challenge
The 2018 Read Harder Challenge
The Mommy Mannegren 52 Books in 52 Weeks Challenge

There you have it, I’m still powering through, with a renewed focus on just enjoying the journey. What are you reading right now?

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Did you like what you read? Here’s some ways you can support us and this blog!
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Join the Journey With The G’s email list (bonus – you get my Epic Road Trip Budget spreadsheet)
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Last year, I read 304 books. 200 kids books (picture books) and 104 “adult/full length” books. I was super proud of myself and learned a lot about a lot through reading so much. My previous year, I read 75 books. I like challenging myself to do more, so this year, I am planning on reading 300 books again, but all or very nearly all “adult/full length” books. I know I will read, I have to, but having a big goal is helpful. And a big shout out to Goodreads in helping to keep track of my goal….and telling me if I’m off track.

So what do I do to set myself up for success in this area?

I set aside several times a day to read. My morning tasks include reading through a book on book marketing/blog marketing/etc and reading through Tribe of Mentors. This helps me to chip away at 2 books. My evenings I want to read a little out of a non-fiction and read a fiction book as well. Since we just got back from being away, there are things to catch up on, so my evenings aren’t as open as they normally are, but in the future, I hope to spend an hour or two reading.

I keep track of my progress in Goodreads and on a sheet of paper. This serves as a double check to make sure I’ve recorded all of my books, and an easy way to count up adult vs. kids.

I use reading challenges to expand my options of books. Last year I started two challenges but they fizzled out by February. I’m not sure if I’ll complete any of the ones I’ve chosen this year, but they really help my options. This year, I’m hope to attempt the following:

The 2018 Modern Mrs. Darcy Reading Challenge
The 2018 #BWELLREAD Reading Challenge
The 2018 Popsugar Reading Challenge
The 2018 Read Harder Challenge
The Mommy Mannegren 52 Books in 52 Weeks Challenge

There are some fantastic ideas in there (in order of the lists above):
a classic you’ve been meaning to read
a book with a one-word title
a book that was being read by a stranger in a public place
a comic that isn’t published by Marvel, DC, or Image
a book with bad reviews

I listen to audio books during my longer commutes.

But most important, I won’t beat myself up if I don’t meet my goal. The reasons to read are many (authors should read a lot, reading gives you many perspectives, etc) and just the act of reading and learning new things elates my soul.

Are you doing a reading challenge this year?

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Did you like what you read? Here’s some ways you can support us and this blog!
Join our Facebook group, Planning an Epic Road Trip on Any Budget
Join the Journey With The G’s email list (bonus – you get my Epic Road Trip Budget spreadsheet)
Buy my book, Planning an Epic Road Trip on any Budget
Buy my book, Trusting God With 2 Cents: 22 Days To Becoming A Successful Christian Business Owner.
Shop on Amazon (no additional cost to you, this gives us a percentage of what you order).
Check out our resources page.
Subscribe to our YouTube Channel