June Wrap-up & July TBR!

2016 Reading Goals [check in]

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Books read: 18/25
Pages read: 6,299
Goals completed: 3/6

1. Read 25 books: I already knocked out 18 books toward this goal, so I am sure I will be able to complete 25 by September or October. I find it a little sad that it has taken me so much of the year just to complete 18 books when, in 2014, I was easily able to meet a goal of 70, but my reading slumps and busy work schedule has made reading that many books a bit unrealistic.


2. Read three books that have been on my physical TBR shelf for at least six months: This goal used to be one that I struggled the most with but, for some reason, I kicked this challenge's butt this year. So far, I have read eight books toward this goal, and I anticipate that the number will keep growing throughout the second half of 2016.


3. Reread three books (not including Percy Jackson): I did awesome with this goal as well, completing it in the first four months of the year. I am fairly certain I will be rereading the first two Harry Potter books at the end of the summer but, other than that, I am not yet sure if any other books will go toward this challenge.


4. Finish five series/trilogies: As of a few days ago, I have been able to finish three series, so I have no doubt I will be able to complete this goal within the next few months as well.


5. Reread the Percy Jackson series: So far, I have only reread The Lightning Thief, so I definitely need to step up my game and make it a point to pick up the others before the year comes to an end. I should be okay, since there are only four books left; I've told myself not to panic unless I have made no progress with this goal by October.


6. Listen to an audiobook: I listened to my first audio book in March! It is not something I will make a habit of doing, particularly because I found it very difficult to find time to listen to it, but it was definitely an interesting experience and I can see the appeal.

How are you guys doing on your 2016 reading goals?

May Wrap-up & June TBR

June 2014 Wrap-up [spoiler free!]

June was fairly uneventful, reading-wise. After completing the Bout of Books read-a-thon in May, I entered the month in a reading slump of sorts and could not bring myself to sit still for very long. Thankfully, it ended after I indulged in a few of the more action-y books on my TBR shelf, but I still only managed to complete a handful of reads before the month's end.

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1. Monsters of Men (Chaos Walking #3) by Patrick Ness. This book was an emotional roller-coaster, and I loved every minute of it. After setting aside Love Letters to the Dead by Ava Dellaira, I needed something fast-paced and action-packed, and Monsers of Men was the perfect fit. I absolutely adore this series, and the ending—while heartbreaking—was very fitting and emotional. Completing this book allowed me to check off two of my personal 2014 reading goals: to finish a series (progress = 1/10) and read a book that had been on my physical TBR shelf for longer than six months.

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2. Snowscape (Chaos Walking #3.5) by Patrick Ness. The last line was what did me in. Oh, my heart.

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3. The New World (Chaos Walking #0.5) by Patrick Ness. As far as prequel novellas go, The New World—while not at all what I was expecting—turned out to be very interesting and insightful. I was originally hoping for glimpses of Todd's parents; their struggle upon arriving in New World and how their ending came about, but Viola's past proved to be equally vital and I quite enjoyed reading from her POV before Todd and the Mayor.

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4. To All the Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han. First of all: there's going to be a second book? YES, PLEASE. In truth, I was expecting this to be another cutesy contemporary, filled with fluff and happy endings. However, there were some powerful themes present that I was not expecting; the importance of family, friendship, first loves and how to move on. I quite enjoyed the fake boyfriend/girlfriend scheme and was vaguely reminded of The Duff (but better, obviously). There were a few things that I did not like, such as Laura Jean's babyish attitude and a few of the more annoying characters, but the writing was beautiful and I continually found myself far more emotionally invested in the story than I should have been. The cliffhanger ending was a perfect set-up for the second book and I cannot wait to find out what happens next. Hopefully it will also be written from Laura Jean's POV.

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5. The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith. The unnecessary/annoying family drama, cheesiness and lack of any real struggle or journey kept me from enjoying this book as much as I was hoping to. Oliver was definitely a favorite, but other than his character and the lovely writing—though, I am not really a fan of third-person POV—I found myself reading just to finish.

And the two books I began but did not finish this month were:

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May Stats:

▫ Read 3 books (and 2 novellas)

▫ Read 1,591 pages

GR's 2014 Reading Challenge (Progress):

▫ Read 31 of 70 books

▫ Currently 3 books behind schedule

Upcoming Releases:

▫ Landline by Rainbow Rowell -- July 8, 2014

▫ Four by Veronica Roth -- July 8, 2014

▫ Lets Get Lost by Adi Alsaid -- July 29, 2014

Taking my awful, two+ week long reading slump, I think I did relatively well this month. Hopefully I can bring my Goodread's reading challenge number up during July.

The year is already half over! How are your goals coming along? Read anything good this month?