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My 2019 Reading Challenge

2019 Reading Challenge: 6 books out of 52.

I've been meaning to write a post about what I've been reading recently and the reading challenge I'm doing again this year. I still carry my Kindle Paperwhite around with me, almost everywhere I go, in my backpack or handbag, depending on which one I happen to be using that day. I taken to reading on the bus to work, though I can't read on the way home due to motion sickness, I often finish work after dark and because of the darkness outside and the moving bus, so if I'm looking down, I tend to feel a bit sick and headachy. Sometimes I do read in bed in the evenings, and the nice thing is the backlight from the Kindle Paperwhite means that I don't have to have a light on next my bed and thus disturb my sleeping husband. The Kindle's backlight can be turned down, which is a huge benefit in regards to disturbing Andy. 

If you're into reading like I am, I'd like to encourage you to start a reading challenge of your own with GoodReads. You will have to create an account, but it is a lot of run seeing your progress bar get closer to completing as you read through various books. You can add books you've already read, manually, or if you have a Kindle, it should do it automatically if your kindle is connected to the internet. I have a GoodReads account (the link to my profile is here) and I tend to post my progress on there very regularly. Even if you don't have a Kindle you can still have and use a GoodReads account. My GoodReads account was set up as soon as I got my Kindle Paperwhite as the two are linked, so if I buy a book on Amazon (either from the Kindle store or as a paperback/hardback) it'll show up on my GoodReads account. I'm very happy with both my GoodReads account and my Kindle Paperwhite. I didn't think I'd be so happy with a Kindle, given I love the feel and smell of the paper in a book. The Kindle doesn't have the same experience but its still incredibly easy to use and it saves the hassle of carrying heavy books around in my backpack, which I have done in the past (I've been known to bring several books back out to Uganda in my suitcase, when I should have bought clothes).


One of the big things I'd suggest is that when you're gonna read a book, and you hit the "currently reading" button, don't read the reviews because they can cloud how you read the book. The reviews are very helpful when buying the book, I've found, but once you've bought the book and want to read it, you may well struggle to enjoy the book because of the reviews. I discovered this with Carve the Mark (by Veronica Roth), and The Sword of Shannara (by Terry Brooks). The former, I was pleasantly surprised (more on that below) and the later, I really struggled to finish because of the notes and reviews I'd read about it before I started reading it. I doubt I'll be able to read the second and third of the Shannara books I have on my Kindle Paperwhite. 

Current Read

I've been reading The Fates Divide by Veronica Roth, author of the famous Divergent Series (the books, for those of you who weren't aware that the films were based off a series of books). I've really enjoyed reading this book as well as the first book in the duo, Carve the Mark. Even though Veronica Roth is a very good writer,  I was a bit uncertain about how I'd find the first book due to some of the reviews I'd read about it on GoodReads, so I only bought the first book, instead of also preordering the second book as well, as I often do. The two books have was only recently published. There are only two books in this series, which is also quite sad because I don't want to stop reading this book since its so gripping. Veronica Roth is a very good writer and I'm looking forwards to reading other books that's she written, and will write in the future.

My 2019 Reading Challenge 

I wrote last year that I was aiming to read 52 books over the course 2018, which I didn't succeed in. I only managed to get through 40 odd books in the  12 months of last year. So I've decided to try again, with the same number of books to read through 2019. I am nicely on track, having read 6 books so far this year. I'll keep you posted with how my reading challenge goes in the months to come. If I don't succeed this year then I'll drop the number down to a more manageable number in 2020. I'm hoping I do manage to succeed because I think I can manage this challenge.

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