I Failed the Goodreads Challenge in 2018


I'm an avid reader but clearly, I need to read more. I need to read faster and I need to be able to count the manuscripts I read for work in my Goodreads challenge so I can complete my goal every year. According to my Year in Books on Goodreads I've read over 13,000 pages across 47 booksin 2018. You'd think I would be happy with those numbers but knowing that I'd set my Goodreads challenge to 50 books and failing it by 3 titles (which are currently sitting in my “currently reading” list) stings.

I’m a habit tracker, a list maker, 🎶a task list taker...🎶 and find it completely satisfying to check off or fill in a tracker with a completed task. Days where that doesn’t happen are usually marked as “frustrating or stressed” in my mood tracker. I need to complete tasks! It’s almost an obsession really. But even while failing to complete the Goodreads challenge for 2018, I was able to achieve my goal of diversifying my reading list. I devoted 2018 to reading more POC authors, more LGBTQIA fiction, more audiobooks, more nonfiction, and more new-to-me authors who have been killing it in the indie market. I read more books via audio than in 2017 switching between the Kindle and Audible apps throughout the day to finish a book while folding laundry, walking the dog, or driving my son to and from work each day.

I discovered the immersive fantastical worlds of Zoraida Cordova, Tomi Adeyemi, Nnedi Okorafor, and Sabaa Tahir. I lost myself in historical romances by Lydia San Andres, Alyssa Cole and the #SlayerofWords Beverly Jenkins. I laughed out loud with Sonali Dev and Alyssa Cole’s contemporary romances and fell in love with Edwidge Danticat’s brutally beautiful prose. I got to know Trevor Noah, Tiffany Haddish, and Jenifer Lewis through their memoirs and fell in love with the beauty of a Cuban sunset with Chanel Cleeton. I helped to rebuild Puerto Rico with La Borinquena then ran with thieves and murderers uncovering secrets along the way with Natalie Anderson and Karin Slaughter. Some books were purchased in multiple formats, some were borrowed from the library, others were gifted but all were treasured.

Failing to complete the goal of 50 books read in 2018 may keep me from checking off that list but it sure helped me discover so much more.

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