Hello, I’m back. Again. I’ve just decided to fully embrace the fact that I keep taking long breaks from this blog so here I am, Queen of Hiatuses, back on the blogging train.
Let’s catch up. Since my last post in May 2021, we’re still in a pandemic so that’s great but we’re officially in 2022 so it’s time for me to look back at my reading goals post. And, spoiler, no I didn’t achieve all my goals.
In January 2021, I decided I wanted to read 25 books that year. I read 15. Not even close. But, I do think I ended up going for quality over quantity because I read some fantastic books. 2021 saw me start my Taylor Jenkins Reid obsession and finally read a few books that I had been meaning to pick up for a long time. You can see a full list of the books I read last year on my Goodreads.
Along with the 25 books goal, I also set myself nine mini reading goals. Let’s see how I got on with those:
Goal One: A book that is less than 200 pages
Did I achieve it? Kind of. I read The Mermaid of Black Conch by Monique Roffey which is over 200 pages in my copy but according to Goodreads is less than 200 pages so I’m going to see this as a win. Also, this goal was a bit of cheat because I know I’m very picky about book length as I barely ever read books more than 400 pages. So, really this goal should have been the opposite and I should have challenged myself to read a book over 500 pages. And, if I had, I wouldn’t have had to cheat because I did that! At 592 pages, Fingersmith by Sarah Waters would have seen me give a clear tick to that goal. Damn it.
Goal Two: A thriller
Did I achieved it? Yes! I read An Anonymous Girl by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen. I liked it, I didn’t love it. Thrillers just aren’t my favourite but I’m glad I challenged myself to read one and I do think I’d read more.
Goal Three: A book with a film/TV adaptation (or upcoming adaptation) that I haven’t seen yet
Did I achieve it? Yes! Both The Light Between Oceans by M.L. Stedman and The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro have film adaptations that I hadn’t seen before reading the books. And, I haven’t actually seen either of the films still now but I’m sure I will soon.
Goal Four: A book that has been recommended to me by someone else
Did I achieve it? Not really. I read books that I’d seen recommended on social media but not anything recommended by a friend despite having plenty of recommendations from friends to get to. Basically, I was still a terrible friend in 2021. Great.
Goal Five: A book that has been on my shelf for at least a year
Did I achieve it? Yes! The Remains of the Day but Kazuo Ishiguro had definitely been on my shelf for a few years.
Goal Six: A book I started but never finished
Did I achieve it? No. I only read books I’d never attempted to read before in 2021 but I have a few I tried reading and abandoned last year that I’m hoping I’ll pick up again this year.
Goal Seven: A classic that is at least 100 years old
Did I achieve it? Look, I got cocky in 2020 because I read Little Women by Louisa May Alcott for the first time and and wanted to read more classics in 2021. I also really wanted to read Emma by Jane Austen (which would also count as both a recommended book and a book with an adaptation I haven’t seen) but I just didn’t. Let’s move on.
Goal Eight: A book published in 2021
Did I achieve it? Absolutely smashed this one. The Wolf Den by Elodie Harper, Reputation by Lex Croucher and A Net for Small Fishes by Lucy Jago were all published in 2021. Well done, me!
Goal Nine: A book set in a country I haven’t been to or read about before
Did I achieve it? Kind of. This is a tricky one. I read two books set in Troy (Troy by Stephen Fry and The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller) which is in present-day Turkey. I don’t think I’ve finished a book set in Turkey before so I feel like this could count. Also, The Mermaid of Black Conch by Monique Roffey is set in an unspecified Caribbean country inspired by Tobago. I’ve never read anything set in Trinidad and Tobago before so I feel like I could maybe count that as well.
You know how that song goes, ‘6/9-which-when-simplified-is-2/3 ain’t bad’. I’ll do another post in a few days with some more reading goals for 2022 because there’s no better time to do that than when you’ve wasted three weeks of the year already. Thanks for reading my blog and bye for now!
Georgia Haze 