2016 Reading Resolutions

I'll soon post a review of my 2015 Reading Resolutions; however, before we get too far into January, I want to share the ones I've decided on for 2016. Some may seem familiar from previous years.  That is because I use my prior resolutions as a guide for the next year. I still have so many award winners and honors to read!  

2016 Reading Resolutions

1. Participate in at least one of the two Dewey’s  24-hour Read-a-thons. The next Read-a-thon is scheduled for April 23.  I’m scheduled to work the next day, so I may not be able to do all 24 hours.

2. Read more books from the below lists.

·         Read 2015 winners/honors for Caldecott, Belpre illustrator, Coretta Scott King (CSK) illustrator, Odyssey(read 35/attempted 4) YALSA non-fiction , and Geisel  (a.k.a. the awards I finished reading in 2013 and again in 2014 and 2015).  The 2016 winners/honors will be announced on January 11, 2015, adding several titles to my TBR list.

·         Read at least 3 honors/winners from: Schneider Family Book Awards (36 total books 15 read/1 abandoned), Stonewall Book Award - Mike Morgan and Larry Romans Children's Young Adult Literature Award  (30 total books 23 read/1 abandoned), Morris – 40 total books 24 read), and Sibert  (59 total books 26 read)

Schneider

Stonewall

Morris

Sibert

·         Read at least six honors/winners from: Newbery (400 total books 102 read/1 abandoned), Printz (77 total books 41 read and 7 abandoned), and CSK author (161 total books. 38 read. 1 abandoned).   

Newbery

Printz

CSK author

3. Finish re-reading the Outlander series. I only have one of the novels left to read: Written in My Own Heart’s Blood.

4. Read/Listen to 375 books.  Originally I was going to go for 500; however, I am on an award selection committee this year, so I am lowering my goal to around what I read in 2015 (373 books). I’ll continue to keep track via my Goodreads account.

5. Blog more.  I would like to make a schedule and stick to it.  Will it happen?  Who knows?  Here’s hoping it does!

2015 Reading Resolutions - December update

The year is nearly over.  How about another update on my 2015 Reading Resolutions?

1. Participate in at least one 48-hour Reading Challenge.  If not done by June 30, 2015, organize my own. One day I will do this!  Dewey’s  24-hour Read-a-thon is slated for April 25, 2015!  I did it!  I did it!  I participated in the Dewey 24-hour Read-a-thon in April.  The fall Dewey 24-hour Read-a-thon was scheduled for October 17.  I participated in that one as well. 

2. Read more books from the below lists.

·         Read 2015 winners/honors for Caldecott, Belpre illustrator, Coretta Scott King (CSK) illustrator, Odyssey(read 31/attempted 4) YALSA non-fiction , and Geisel  (a.k.a. the awards I finished reading in 2013 and again in 2014).  The 2015 winners/honors will be announced on February 2, 2015, adding several titles to my TBR list. Finished all!

·         Schneider Family Book Awards - 36 total books 15 read/1 abandoned

·         Stonewall Book Award - Mike Morgan and Larry Romans Children's Young Adult Literature Award –30 total books 23 read/1 abandoned

·         Morris – 35 total books 24 read (Finalists announced in December 2014; winner announced February 2, 2015)

·         Read at least six honors/winners from: Newbery (400 total books 102 read/1 abandoned), Printz (77 total books 41 read and 7 abandoned), and CSK author (161 total books. 38 read. 1 abandoned).   Thanks to the spring Dewey 24-hour Read-a-thon, I finished the CSK titles. And thanks to the fall Dewey 24-hour Read-a-thon I finished both Newbery and Printz!

Newbery 1.     Our Only May Amelia by Jennifer L. Holm 2.     The Crossover by Kwame Alexander 3.     Penny from Heaven by Jennifer L. Holm 4.     Pictures of Hollis Woods by Patricia Reilly Giff 5.     The Year of Billy Miller by Kevin Henkes 6.     Paperboy by Vince Vawter 7.     Dark Emperor and Other Poems of the Night by Joyce Sidman 8.     Show Way by Jaqueline Woodson 9.     The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate

Printz 1.     I’ll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson 2.     Grasshopper Jungle by Andrew Smith 3.     Hole in My Life by Jack Gantos 4.     And We Stay by Jenny Hubbard 5.     Your Own, Sylvia: A Verse Portrait of Sylvia Plath by Stephanie Hemphill 6.     Keesha's House by Frost, Helen

CSK author 1. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou 2. Remember: The Journey to School Integration by Toni Morrison 3. The Crossover by Kwame Alexander 4. The Other Side: Shorter Poems by Angela Johnson 5. I Hadn’t Meant to Tell You This by Jacqueline Woodson 6. From the Notebooks of Melanin Sun by Jacqueline Woodson

3. I’ve decided that 2015 is going to be the Year of Non-Fiction.  This means I plan to focus on reading non-fiction titles - not just those on award lists such as YALSA Non-Fiction (25/30 read as of December 15, 2014) and Sibert  (39/53 read as of December 15, 2014) – but non-fiction in general for a variety of ages.  This will include biographies. YALSA Non-fiction finalists were announced in December, but the winner for that award – and the winners and honors for most of the other Youth Media Awards won’t be announced until February 2, 2015. (UPDATED TOTALS: YALSA Non-Fiction (30/30 read) and Sibert (46/59 read).  It has become more the Year of Graphic Novels than the Year of Non-Fiction.  I need to get on the ball!

4. Read the Harry Potter and the Outlander series again. Both are favorites of mine.  After recently watching all of the Harry Potter movies, I realized how many details I had forgotten (that are missing from the movies as well).  I think it is time to revisit the stories.  I’ve listened to the Outlander series twice.  It takes quite some time!  Hopefully by starting them again this month I will finish in time for the next book to be published. (Please be soon.  Please be soon. Please be soon.) I was participating in a Buddy Read of the Harry Potter series through one of the Goodreads groups I belonged to, and had read books 1, 2, 3, and 4, and 5 for it. Since then I dropped that group (too many changes through the year).  It took me a while, but I did read HP6 over June and July. In November I read book 7 as a read along with a friend who had not previously read all of them. 

I finished Outlander, Dragonfly in Amber, Voyager, Drums of Autumn, The Fiery Cross, A Breath of Snow and Ashes, and An Echo in the Bone. I’ll likely not start the final book until January, as I have a few other audiobooks to finish first.

5. Set aside time each week to read the libraryland blogs, journals and other news sources. This really needs to be a part of my regular workweek.  Ever since Google’s blog reader bit the dust, I’ve fallen behind on reading blogs.  I’m trying Feedly, but need to get in the habit of checking it on a regular basis. I give up on this.

6. Keep up with tracking books read!  I read over 775 books in 2013.  My goal for 2014 was 1000, and I ended up reading just over that amount. In 2015 I am going to go with a less hectic goal of 500. I have been using Goodreads for years, and plan to continue. I lowered my goal to 250 and feel so much less stressed. I’ve hit my revised goal!  My new goal was to read 350, which I also hit.  I’m now over 360 books.

It's nearly read-a-thon time!

By this time tomorrow I will be a few hours into the Dewey’s 24-hour Read-a-thon!

Yesterday I compiled my preliminary booklist.  It’s already been adjusted, and likely will a few more times by the end of the event.

My husband has been forewarned of my unavailability to do, well, much of anything on Saturday.  Last I heard he plans to go see a movie while I’m home reading.  He works on Sunday, but should be finished by 2:30, so I will sleep while he is at work and be well rested by the time he gets home.

Food is important and should be at least somewhat planned before the event.  Since I often will listen to an audiobook via the audible.com app on my iPhone, it isn’t as much of an issue for me to continue reading while prepping a meal.  I have some snacks set aside for the day, such as Granny Smith apples, Chicago Mix popcorn, beef jerky, and dark chocolate pizzelles.  In the evening I am going to dinner for my book group outing, so that is another meal taken care of with little time away from the read-a-thon.

When you sign up as a reader for the event, you can request to have cheerleaders.  I didn’t, but that doesn’t mean I wouldn’t welcome being cheered as I read!  I’ll mostly update through Instagram – which will forward to my Twitter account, but will also share those updates – and possibly others – on my blog’s Facebook page. If you want to be an official cheerleader for the read-a-thon, you can register here.  This is a great way to be involved when you know you won’t have the time to really read all day.

In April I read for about 20 of the 24 hours. I would love to make it the whole 24 hours this year – counting book group towards the participation time – but…I’m just starting to get over a bout of bronchitis. So, if I feel too worn down, I will nap – and not feel bad about it, either!

I can hardly wait.

Fall 2015 24-hour Readathon

The fall 24 Hour Readathon is this weekend.  I am so excited.  It starts at 8 a.m. in my time zone. I’ve been selecting books – in a variety of formats – just for this day.  In addition to reading and participating in various readathon activities online, I am going to my book group that evening.  I decided that it counts as we will be discussing books.

Most of the titles I have set aside for Saturday are:

• Fever Moon: A Graphic Novel by Karen Marie Moning; Adapted by David Lawrence (Graphic Novel)
• Monster on the Hill by Rob Harrell (Graphic Novel)
• All-Star Superman by Written by Grant Morrison (Graphic Novel)
• Batman: The Killing Joke by Alan Moore (Graphic Novel)
• Brain Camp by Susan Kim & Laurence Klavan (Graphic Novel)
• Rat Queens, Sass and Sorcery, Volume One by Kurtis J. Wiebe (Graphic Novel)
• Furiously Happy: [A Funny Book about Horrible Things] by Jenny Lawson (ebook)
• Your Own, Sylvia: A Verse Portrait of Sylvia Plath by Stephanie Hemphill (Printz)
• Keesha's House by Helen Frost (Printz)
• The Sword of Summer by Rick Riordan
• Captain Marvel. Vol. 3, Alis Volate Propriis by Writer Kelly Sue (Graphic Novel)
• Feathers by Jacqueline Woodson (Newbery)
• Dark Emperor and Other Poems of the Night by Joyce Sidman (Newbery)
• After Tupac and D Foster by Jacqueline Woodson (Newbery)
• Show Way by Jacqueline Woodson (Newbery)
• A Single Shard by Linda Sue Park (Audiobook. Newbery)
• Carry On by Rainbow Rowell (Audiobook)
• Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard (Audiobook)
• Son of No One by Sherrilyn Kenyon (Audiobook)
• Everything’s Eventual by Stephen King (ebook)
• Gone Crazy in Alabama by Rita Williams-Garcia
• In the Shadows of Blackbirds by Cat Winters (Morris)
• You Slay Me by Katie MacAlister (ebook)

As you can see, several titles are in audiobook form.  I am currently reading Carry On (via the Audible app on my phone) and will likely finish it Saturday, but I’m not sure which title I have on deck I will start next.  I just started A Single Shard (via CD, so in the car), so will likely listen to it as I drive to and from book group. And yes…there are 23 titles.  I like to have options.

Last time I almost made it the full 24 hours.  I wonder if I can do it this time.  Guess I’ll find out soon enough!  

Be sure to follow me on Instagram, as that is where I will post updates throughout the day.

My stats for #dewey #readathon all or part of 10 books, four of which were #audiobooks. By my best estimate, I spent around 20 hours reading or #readingwithmyears

A photo posted by Ama (@amareads) on Apr 26, 2015 at 11:22am PDT