I’ve been blogging about books for four years now, and for three of those four years, I’ve participated in a variety of reading challenges. I’m not quite sure how it’s possible, but I’ve never done a post where I recap the challenges I chose to participate in and how I fared. Thanks to a nudge from Hannah of So Obsessed With, you’re getting a full recap of my reading challenges and book resolutions today. (If you’re interested in more posts about 2015, check out my end of year book survey and my obsessions post!)
In total, I participated in three reading challenges this year: the Flights of Fantasy Reading Challenge (which I co-hosted with Rachel of Hello Chelly), the Re-read Reading Challenge (hosted by Hannah of So Obsessed With and Kelly of Belle of the Literati) and the Dive into Diversity Reading Challenge (hosted by Magan & Estelle of Rather be Reading and Rebecca of Reading Wishes). To sum it up, I basically aced all three with flying colors!
Ever since I started blogging, I've found that I generally read more contemporary novels than fantasy. This is a far cry from the days when I read exclusively fantasy in high school and college. Thankfully, co-hosting this challenge with Rachel has made it easier for me to prioritize reading fantasy novels - no matter how long they may be! I went above and beyond meeting my personal goal, as you can see, and I certainly look forward to reading more fantasies in 2016. (Sign up for the 2016 Flights of Fantasy Reading Challenge!)
My top fantasy reads of 2015 are:
I stopped rereading right around the time I started blogging, which is something I'm not necessarily proud of. I'm so glad Hannah & Kelly came up with this reading challenge, as I felt extra motivated to make the time to revisit some old favorites. You know what's even better? The realization that most of these novels really stand the test of time and still have a place on my favorites shelf. I definitely plan to reread more in 2016, especially for series that are coming to end! (Sign up for the 2016 Re-Read Challenge!) (Also, this was one of the reading resolutions I totally managed to keep.)
My top rereads for 2015 are:
I really enjoy reading a wide variety of novels, and not just in terms of age group or genre. No, I also love reading about all sorts of people, since there are so many different situations, lives, cultures, histories to read about and learn from. It was a wonderful experience to really read more diversely, and it's something I hope I'm always going to try to keep on doing in the years to come.
My top diverse reads for 2015 are:
Under a Painted Sky • Every Last Word • Under the Lights • The Summer of Chasing Mermaids • The Weight of Feathers
I'll go in depth about my review reads for this year when I'm reflecting on the Picky Pledge next year, but I'm actually quite pleased. Yes, I went way past the limit I was hoping to stick to! But this is a definitely decrease from how many I read the previous year (156, in case you wondered), so on that note, I'd say it's an improvement! I definitely plan to try to whittle away at the number for 2016.
My top review reads of 2015 are:
The Wrong Side of Right • Brown-Eyed Girl • Rules for Stealing Stars • Vengeance Road • Walk on Earth a Stranger
I definitely wanted to read more adult novels, and I aced this goal (with the help of some romance binges). But seriously, it's always fun to switch up my YA reads with adult (or NA) (or MG), and I read some really excellent adult fiction this year. I definitely want to try and keep adult reads integrated into my TBR consistently.
My favorite adult reads of 2015 are:
I'm only giving myself half a star when it comes to sticking to this resolution. I did read more than the numerical goal I set for myself, but of the ones I read, only two were new-to-me (as you'll see in a second). While I'm pleased I did spend some time reading classic literature, I think I can definitely do better in 2016. In particular, I would like to read new-to-me classics, and I actually own quite a few copies of classics that I plan on getting to next year.
My favorite classics of 2015 are:
I read a respectable amount of my physical to be read pile, though I didn't quite manage to hit my numerical goal. Still, there's something to be said for finally picking up books I bought a while back and didn't get around to. It's definitely helped me feel empowered to read more of my own books versus review copies, and I want that habit to stick around in 2016. (Side note: I managed to whittle down my to-read pile to less than 100 books, so it's actually doable for me to try and read all of them within the next year. Let's hope I didn't just jinx myself by saying that.)
My favorite physical TBR reads were:
Happiness for Beginners • The Boleyn King • Their Fractured Light • Heart’s Blood • A Mad Wicked Folly
How did you fare on your 2015 reading challenges & resolutions?
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