Failing my 2017 reading challenge. (But joining another one because there’s still hope)
So, I had a self-imposed reading challenge of fifty books for 2017.
Nothing too crazy, right?
Well, not too crazy if you are ACTUALLY able to stick to one book until you finish it. That’s not me though.
I pick books like a kid picks candy. I get the book, unwrap it, lick it… but if a new, sweeter book comes into my hands, I’ll go lick that one too. (Is that a disgusting enough simile?)
Anyway, that’s why I always end up with a bookshelf full of half-read books that I’ll probably have to restart someday because the details are getting fuzzy.
If I tried really hard I might be able to finish the sixteen books I’m missing to complete the challenge. Or…
I COULD DITCH IT and join a new, super cute challenge I found!
I think I’ll go with that option. I’ll let 2018 be the year I learn how to stick to books and stop licking new candy recklessly.
So, Aentee from Read At Midnight came up with an Animal Crossing inspired reading challenge.
It’s called #ReadersCrossing and it was inspired by the new Animal Crossing Pocket Camp mobile game (which has been taking over my life lately).
So, as a big Animal Crossing fan and the competition motivated person I am, well, I just had to join.
The challenge works like this:
You pick up the Bingo card Aentee designed and choose a path to follow. As any Bingo card, you win by completing all the spaces in a single row.
In this case, to complete a space you have to read a book that complies with the requirements.
Here’s the original challenge post in case you want to join.
I decided to follow the Cute inspired row because cute animals are my jam. Also, it made me choose interesting books that wouldn’t have come to my mind otherwise.
The challenge starts next Sunday (December 10) and we have until the end of the year to complete it.
Being the Monica Geller I am, I feel like the competition will help me FINISH these five books. (WANNA BET I DO IT?)
Here are my choices.
GRAPHIC NOVEL OR MANGA
Over The Garden Wall: Tome of the Unknown by Pat McHale, Jim Campbell
I love it because it has a bunch of supernatural/fantasy elements and the greatest soundtrack from any cartoon I’ve EVER watched. This graphic novel features some adventures that didn’t make it into the series!
PINK COVER
Zen and the Art of Cooking by Jon Sandifer. I bough this book years ago because the pink cover called me. It’s about finding balance in your meals and it has a section about Feng Shui in the kitchen, some recipes and, I believe, cooking advice.
Honestly, I’ve tried to read it twice but never felt like it was for me (A.K.A. got bored), and forgot it even existed until this challenge made me dig it up. I’ll take it as a divine sign that it’s time for this book’s third chance. I think I might be able to appreciate it more this time since now I cook all the time and have my own kitchen.
Plus, I might be able to take Feng Shui more seriously after it took me A DOZEN office rearrangements to find a comfortable set up. (And all I needed was make my desk face the door).
MAIN ROMANTIC PLOT
Wild Beauty by Anna-Marie McLemore. This one was a tough choice because I have millions of unread romance books. I went with Wild Beauty because I’m already 40 pages into it and would like to know how to story goes. I stopped reading it because it’s super slow paced and I wasn’t in the mood.
What’s the book equivalent of a Tom Cruise movie? That’s the mood I was in.
Now that the weather is colder I can picture myself reading this cute, slow-paced magical realism story.
Plus, the protagonists are a bunch of Latina girls with the power of growing flowers. And I kinda want to get inspired to plant some Forget Me Not seeds I have in my drawer.
MIDDLE GRADE OR CHILDREN’S BOOK
The Wizards of Once by Cressida Cowell. This one was chosen purely because I love the How To Train Your Dragon movies (who doesn’t?) and this book was written by the same author of those books.
Which I haven’t read. But watching the movies still counts a little?
I also peeked inside and it has the cutest illustrations. This one is the one I’m most excited about! It’s about a wizard boy without any magic and a warrior girl with a secret…
CONTEMPORARY
Turtles All the Way Down by John Green. So, everyone and their dog seems to be reading this book. And I really didn’t care about it because my only close experience with a John Green story was the movie The Fault In Our Stars – which I disliked so much. I didn’t like the pretentious dialog or the way it tried to manipulate my feelings to make me cry (BUT I WON. NOT A SINGLE TEAR WAS SHED).
Anyway, I wanted to get an audiobook for the contemporary space of the Bingo so I could listen while doing chores around the house. And I though, well, you might as well read your first John Green book while washing the dishes.
Plus, this challenge wouldn’t be a challenge if a didn’t add any unusual stuff.
The book is about a teenage girl struggling with a mental illness while also trying to solve the mystery of a missing billionaire.
Let me know if you’re joining the #ReadersCrossing challenge so we can update each other. (Or compete with each other, whatever motivates you the most). 😉
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I avoid reading challenges as I can never manage to complete them, no matter how easy they are. Even small ones like 1 book a month I fail. I guess I am jusg a read for the sake of reading person
I’m the same way! That’s why I always fail at challenges and book clubs. But this one was a lot more personalized, I guess. I’ll do my best to finish it :)!
The Over the Garden Wall graphic novel is so good! I hope you complete your challenge! I love the Animal Crossing theme!
Thanks, Kristin! That’s the one I’ll read first, hopefully after rewatching the series over the weekend 🙂