MMD Reading Challenge update-2018

This year, I decided to attempt the Modern Mrs. Darcy Reading Challenge. 12 books, I figured, I could do. Fitting the categories took a little work. Here's the original post.

My reading habits actually changed A LOT this past year though.

1. I stopped listening to audiobooks. It was just something I lost interest in so I gave it up. This made my book count go down by 1 or 2 a month. It's a habit I'm hoping to get back into in 2019 though, because I have had some of my best reading experiences via audiobooks over the last few years.
2. Having a baby meant I had less time at night to read...most of my reading pre-baby had been in bed at night. If I read to exhaustion once he was in bed, I wasn't guaranteed sleep, so I had to go to bed as soon as I felt tired, instead of trying to read first.
3. Electronic reading isn't my favorite. This year, I read less on my Kindle and more of actual books from the library.
4. I stopped buying books. I never bought many anyway, but I didn't buy any Daily Deals after a certain point..maybe June?..because almost everything I wanted to read was available at the library here in Laramie. Plus, it's only a few blocks away from our house, so I could easily stop by to pick up holds and return books.


All that being said, here's my challenge results.

1. A classic you've been meaning to read. Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie. I'll call this a classic. It's the most-read mystery of all time. Who decides what "classic" means anyway?  This was a Did-Not-Finish for me. 

2. A book recommended by someone(s) with great taste. Sworn to Silence by Linda Castillo. This is recommended by several bloggers so I'll give it a try. This was a good one. I meant to read more of the series this year. Maybe next year. 

3. A book in translation. Britt-Marie Was Here by Frederick Backman. I don't have a strong "like" record with his books but I like the title of this one and I'll give him one more chance. This was a Did-Not-Finish. I don't think I even posted it in a monthly book review because I disliked it so much that 20% was likely as far as I got. And I didn't like Beartown either, so just come at me with the hate. 

4. A book nominated for an award in 2018. Wolf Hollow by Lauren Volk. This is a Newbery Honor book and I can't figure why it was nominated in 2017 and isn't being published until this April. I'm calling it as fitting the category though for that discrepancy. I had to pre-order it. It has a long list of awards on the Amazon page so it'll work. It was okay. I wouldn't not recommend it, but not the best Newbery Honor book I've come across (that's Penny from Heaven by Jennifer L. Holm). 

5. An essay collection. Heating and Cooling by Beth Anne Fennelly. This was pointless. It should've been a diary or blog.

6. A book you can read in a day. I'm thinking The Lathe of Heaven because Anne Bogel recommends it as a book you can read in a day...but I don't always love her suggestions (and now I know you're wondering why I'm doing this challenge, right?) I never even posted this for a SUYB post. I bought it for $2 as a deal on Amazon, and it was so terrible. I think I read 10%? Like, it never even made it to my Goodreads.

7. A book over 500 pages. The Distant Hours by Kate Morton. This is the most ambitious pick on the list. I'm a fan of Morton but I don't have a great track record with long books these days. Do you have a different one you've loved? This was pretty good. 

8. A book by a favorite author.  Deadly Summer by Denise Grover Swank. This is her new series, now that Rose Gardner is mostly wrapped up. This was dumb. I don't think I finished it.

9. Something recommended by a librarian or bookseller.  I read The Hate U Give, because just about every single person has recommended that it be read. I didn't love it, so again, bring on the hate. 

10. I don't actually think I read a banned book. 

11. A Memoir. What Made Maddy Run by Kate Fagan. This was recommended by Carly and it seems interesting and meaningful. I enjoyed reading about Maddy and thought her story needed to be told. It was incredibly sad though.

12. A book by an author of a different race, ethnicity, or religion than your own. Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng. I didn't finish this within my library loan time, so I put myself back on the holds list. I'm currently #48. Then, Kristen generously sent me her copy since she was done with it, so I can read it at my own (snail's) pace!  Thanks Kristen! I'll be happy to pass it on to whoever wants it next and is a victim of a long wait list. Let me know! This was really good. I wouldn't give it an A+++ or anything, but it was good for sure. 

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I don't know if I'll do this again in 2019, but I was thinking about setting some other book goals for the year. 

Are you setting book goals for the next year?