Hello everyone,
As we are just about four months into the year (yes, it has gone so fast!), it is time to check in on my 2021 Goodreads Challenge and have a look at my progress.
Last year I read 66 books having set myself a target of 52, which was my highest ever total and something I was very proud of. For 2021 I decided to slightly increase my goal to 54, working out at just over one per week. It felt like a little bit more pressure perhaps, but also realistic considering the number of books I have read over the past few years.
It often takes me five or six days to finish a book, but my reading habits have changed a bit recently. For example I am much more accustomed now to having more than one book on the go at any one time, and also the number of buddy reads I participate in has risen enormously in the last six months. Both of these factors mean the time it takes for me to finish a book now varies quite widely.
So far in 2021, the challenge has felt like slow going, but a look at the statistics suggests that I am doing reasonably well! As I type, I have read 19 books towards my target of 54, which according to Goodreads is three ahead of schedule. The reason why I feel like it has felt a bit slow is that it is taking me longer to finish books, while there was also a period at the end of January where I fell into a bit of a slump. However, it is wonderful to know that I am on track!
One interesting thing to note is that the books I have read so far have more pages on average than the ones I picked up in 2020, with 386 as opposed to 365. At the same time, I have started trying out audiobooks and depending on how well I manage to get along with them, that could help push me closer to my target.
I am confident of making it to 54 especially if I carry on at the same rate I am going, and that would be a really good achievement – especially when I spending a lot of my time adjusting to a new job and a new home! Exceeding last year’s total feels like a difficult ask, but that does not matter to me at all.
Of the 19 books I have read so far, there have been many excellent reads but I have only given one of them (Deity) a five-star rating, if you discount a reread which I listened to on audio. I have enjoyed almost all of them and written an substantial majority of positive reviews, with only a couple being serious disappointments.
As always, I am really happy with the range of genres I have read, which only seems to be increasing. I did go through a bit of ‘creepy Gothic/haunted house’ phase at one point, but every new book I pick up at the moment feels refreshing and different. Reading Six Of Crows at last was also a highlight, while Rebecca is another one that I was very keen to tick off my list.
The only disappointment for me so far is that I have not read enough books by non-white authors. It is something that I have been very mindful of and am aiming to address immediately, beginning with my current read (The Silence Of Bones by June Hur). Hopefully that will be reflected by the time of my next update at the end of August.
Aside from that, I am pretty happy with my progress towards my reading target. My TBR for the coming months remains to be seen, but fingers crossed I can stay on track and discover a whole host of five-star reads along the way!
Let’s Chat
Are you taking part in the 2021 Goodreads Challenge? How are getting on? Let me know in the comments!
Happy reading :)
Stephen Reads Books 