Reading Resolutions
1. Read all the books I own until there is 80 or none [deadline: January 1, 2015]
I have about 89 books left to read without taking the books I expect to have left over. I decided to lower my books left over books to 35 now. The biggest thing I am battling with in trying to complete this goal is my lack of interest in my books and disappointment in many novels right now.
2. Read more diversely
I read 10 books with non-white main characters and 13 books with white characters.
The biggest problem I am having in trying to read more diversely is that I don’t seem to like that many novels that feature any race right now. I’m doing decently with the level of diversity I am finishing. Most of the good diverse books are coming from graphic novels.
3. Delve more into these genres: horror, adult fantasy, mystery, and just explore more genres
What I said in 2013
Among the many problems with my reading last year I know that I was focusing my reading on genres that were not for me. I need to read the genres that are consistently overlooked in my reading. The crazy thing is I feel that I kept going even though I kept repeatedly for years knowing that certain genres were not doing it for me. While I like ranting I do not want to spend this year ranting and wasting my time on books that are not for me.
What I’m saying now
I feel that there is a reason why I do not read in many genres. I’ve been trying to read fantasy for example and it is not going well. I do not mean just in the (good) diversity and women department but they cannot even make a basic story interesting. I am trying too hard with most of these genres to find good books. I think the only genres that are taking care of business this year are graphic novels and romance. I’m enjoying the romance genre but waiting for that shoe that will drop with all the problems the genre has. All genres have problems so the point is not that I DNF books after the slightest problem. The issue is that most stories are seem to be not interesting or unique. You are telling me that you as a fantasy/sci-fi author can write anything but you choose to write our world or just the same things over that the last fantasy author wrote. Since last year I’ve been trying when am I going to get a good fantasy book beyond the ASOIAF series? Readers wonder why a lot of people don’t read. As a reader right now I can give you so many reasons why I find myself not wanting to read.
4. I need to be on top of things
what I said in 2013
I need to be conscious of what I want as a reader. Last year, I spent a lot of time barking up the wrong tree and going around in circles. I need to be brutally honest and direct. I do not want to spend this year like I spent 2013.
what I am saying now
What I realize now is that most of the time I do not know what I am doing. I cannot know where my reading will take me so I cannot be on top of things most of the time. It is a fact that I need to accept
5. Stop putting books on the hook or side.
I cut a lot of books from my pick me ups & put me downs list. I think I might cut even more before the end of the year because there is a reason that the majority of those books still have not gotten finished by me.
6. DNF even more books
I didn’t finish about 64 books on my books left to read list so far this year. I think this is why I am in the mess I am now. I refuse to finish a book that I feel I will not like. My enjoyment is not a option, either a book has it or it does not.
7. Plan more while not losing mood reading
I am going to get back into planning books from the books I own each month (maybe). The main reason I stopped was because it became overwhelming and I did not like most the books.
8. Read more than one book this year from my favorite authors
I’m still working on this. It seems like I am for some reason getting to all the rotten apples of books in my favorite authors works.
9. Don’t pressure myself to read!
I definitely calmed down with the pressure reading.
Non-book Related
10. Support my other hobbies a lot more.
I’m doing a lot better with this one.
Challenges
I joined a bunch of challenges that I have not even read one book in so far. The same reasons as earlier I just am not having luck with that many books lately.
Sookie Stackhouse Series: Read all the Sookie Stackhouse series that I own this year. I was supposed to read the books every other month in the year but something happened. I realized why I have not picked up Sookie Stackhouse book in over a year. The series has lost its juice. For a little while I was going to keep reading to finish it and just because it is kind of fun to hate read. A list of events happened that made me finally decide to let the series go. I was reading The Stand recently which is as I wrote earlier sucky. Then I’ve been watching a show called Twisted which was good at one point but went bad. After watching a very disappointing season finale of that show I thought why am I still reading the Sookie Stackhouse series. I spent two books eye rolling and ranting. It is time to let the Sookie Stackhouse series go.
I have not made headway in this because of all the reasons listed above.
I’m waiting for a good historical fiction book. I think my love went away the year before last on the genre. I just started the challenge to read the last bit of historical fiction I have on my shelf.
I’m going to be saying good bye to I love girls in dresses soon. I have 5 at the most books with girls on the cover meaning that I will probably only finish one. I’m not into historical fiction or young adult books so my main sources of girls in dresses covers has went away. I’m going to miss doing the theme because it was fun.
literary fiction, mystery, fantasy, science fiction, historical fiction
I’m at the point that I’m weary. I just want to pick up a book from one of these genres and like it. I think that me not being able to get a greater footing in these genres is crazy when I just reconciled with romance/chick-lit books. Essentially, I went full circle back to chick-lit/romance when I’m still trying so hard to get a footing in these genres. I think that the best remedy now is to take a step back and let a good book come to me. I think that is what made me able to even think about coming back to genres that last year I wrote off. Let me give these genres a proper send off and tell them what is wrong.
literary fiction, mystery, fantasy, science fiction, historical fiction
I am down with you:
- promising interesting/creative but hardly ever delivering
- not giving well written different ethnicity characters, women, and just characters period
- even when the stars align and you actually take the time to have diversity, women, and a unique story you cannot go the full mile to make me care.
- At even the base level you cannot give something for me to care about
So…
[ This is a free full book on amazon.] 
[full free book on amazon] 
[2 chapters preview] I thought this book actually has a cool premise. This book has some issues one of them being that the author has random situations happen that are supposed to be funny but they are not. I know that I am a person who doesn’t give her laughs for free but this is not funny. Some of the scenes were done right silly and actually gross when I had to explain it to my brother. I most likely will not continue with this book. I’m kind of on the fence because I wanted to see if the lead guys personality and their chemistry as a couple is interesting. 
[free ebook on amazon] It is not even a argument this is the best book of all the free books I read. I really liked the relationship between the two main characters. I like the premise of the waking up married trope and how it was handled. This book is overall good. The only problem is the book is split into parts that you have to pay for each one. I am on the fence about buying the rest of the series. 
This suffers from most of the problems of Cracked, not being long enough for many things to have impact. I wish that their relationship was developed a lot more. I wish that this story had more content and that I could have seen more into these characters lives.
This is supposed to be the chick-lit novel for people who are into Korean dramas. This book had some heavy fat shaming and awkward comments on the main characters appearance. Then the chemistry between the two lead was not there. It did not help that when the main character described the lead to look like Kim Kang Woo, I was like eh. I guess in a way I think that she should have just described him physically then I could have used my imagination. Now that I am thinking about it she probably described someone specific to avoid having to describe him. I think that the references to Korean dramas was supposed to excite me but they did not. If the overall story was better the references could have really done something. Overall, this story could have been better. 
I knew I wouldn’t like this but pushed myself to read this because it was in a sampler with Let The Sky Fall and Two-Way Street. The reason for the dystopian world is illogical. It feels like ya author are just looking for issues in our societies without really looking at logical ways we would fix them. I think the wooden basic writing did it in for me too.
The characters voices sounded generic. The romance hit me over the head right away, once I start smelling ya romance unless the story is boss to make me stay, I leave. Someone in a review said before I even read the book that the romance would take over not the sci-fi elements. In just reading 2 chapters I could see that.
I think that chapters 1 and 2 were good but once it went beyond there it started to show signs of things that would irritate me. One of those things is characters thinking they are funny when they are not. Also, the plot forcing romance and the magic turning into a ya hot mess.
I in all honesty don’t miss the genre at all. I just needed to make a detour and check to see if I am missing anything, nope I am good. I am at the exact same place with ya that I was last year. I don’t believe that ya (or at least the ones I have read) show a experience that I had as a teen. I can say the same thing for adult books honestly. In addition they create these generic characters who have the same voice. Saying all that I do want to read the new Dorothy Must Die book.
I think this has potential with the children and the hints of bigger issues that it would deal with. I decided to stop reading it because the sexist things that were said a couple of chapters into the book. It was a couple of throwaway lines but if this is something I am seeing early on in the book I need to leave before it become a huge problem. Also, I happened upon some racist stuff that are supposed to be in the book too. 
I started this wanting to give sci-fi a fare shake before completely dismissing it. This book was confusing. If you don’t know confusion does not make interest. I just left this book not feeling it. 
I finally sampled this and it seems like something I should continue. I like that everything is not confusing and boring. I did see some moments of obnoxiousness but it was not a major issue. 
themollyweather 