By the end of April...

Okay, so I didn't get through much in March. That's okay. The fact that I got through anything is still pretty impressive for me.

My goal for next month (or at least for next month's goal post) is to not even mention that it's been slow going on the reading front. Like I'm actually going to just read and not complain about the fact that I haven't been lately. So get excited for this thread to end.

It was my birthday last month and I got quite a few new good looking books, so my to be read list has updated a bit from last month...

To be Read by the End of April
The Coroner's Lunch - Colin Cotterill
Out Stealing Horses - Per Petterson
Shanghai Girls - Lisa See
Talking to Girls About Duran Duran - Rob Sheffield
The Weed that Strings the Hangman's Bag - Alan Bradley

Let's do this!

By the end of March...

I feel like I should really label this post Veronica's Return: This Time She's Serious. Because I wrote a few things last year where I was all "I'm back! And I'm reading!" And that turned out to be a lie. But now, I have actually read something. Like for real, read a whole book. Finished it and everything. And I've even started another one. So we're being...cautiously optimistic that the clouds have broken and the storm is over.

I'm going to wade in slowly. No point in diving in and ending up drowning. Just going to set some nice easy goals. Get back in the swing of things. And take it from there.

To be Read by the End of March

Miss Buncle's Book - DE Stevenson

Out Stealing Horses - Per Petterson

Shanghai Girls - Lisa See
The Weed that Strings the Hangman's Bag - Alan Bradley

By the end of May

I know May is already two thirds of the way over, but I'm making a monthly goal anyway. It's going to be nice and small, trying to ease my way back into reading and blogging. The blogging I've already started a little bit (I've started a tv blog: similar to this book blog, but about tv instead), but the reading has not come easy for me lately. I posted back in February about being back and motivated to start reading again and nothing really came of it. Now I'm fifty pages into a new book, so I'm cautiously optimistic that things are changing back to the way they used to be. Which is good. I enjoy reading and I enjoy blogging about the books I read and I enjoy the community of book blogging. So here's hoping this is a step in the right direction...

To be Read by the End of May

Lamb: the Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal - Christopher Moore

The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie - Alan Bradley

Like I said, a nice and easy goal for the next eleven days. Not that I haven't crapped out on something this easy before...

By the end of September...

So I don't know what happened, but for some reason August got super productive. Which is crazy considering I graduated from college in August. You'd think I would have been a little too busy. So go me. Now in September (seriously in about a week) I'm moving down to Santa Barbara so again you'd think I'd be to busy to do too much reading, but I'm going to go ahead and make an attempt anyway.

To be Read by the End of September

Dragonwyck - Anya Seton

The Revolt of the Eaglets - Jean Plaidy

Le Mort d'Arthur - Thomas Malory

Enduring Love - Ian McEwan

Against Nature - Jori-Karl Huysmans

The Name of the Rose - Umberto Eco

By the end of August...

Okay, yes, as you may have noticed from the fact that I've not posted since July 3, July turned into the month where I didn't read a single book. I've got maybe 30 pages left of The White Queen which I've been reading since the last day of June, and I've started The Liar's Club, I Will Repay, and Bombay Time, but haven't really gotten more than about 25 pages into any of them. I actually don't like to read more than one book at a time (unless I've got school books or a REALLY big book that I can only read in small increments) which I think is why I haven't really gotten into those three. I'm dragging my feet horribly on The White Queen  and to be honest, I'm not entirely sure why. I read the first 300 pages in incredibly good time (for me) but then something happened and I can't really bring myself to read more than a few pages at a time. It's possible that my enjoyment changed after a certain character died (is it really a spoiler if it's history?), but I'm not sure. Anyway. Hopefully I can force myself to finish it tomorrow and move on.

To be Read by the End of August

The White Queen - Philippa Gregory

I Will Repay - Baroness Emmuska Orczy

Bombay Time - Thrity Umrigar

Dragonwyck - Anya Seton
Amsterdam - Ian McEwan

I was asked after I posted my last monthly goal if I ever finish these monthly lists, and the answer is almost always no. But I think that's okay. I may not always (or ever) complete things, but at least I have goals. :)

By the end of July...

Okay, so I only made it through one of the books from last month, but that's okay. It's only one extra for this month. We'll see what happens.

To be Read by the End of July

The White Queen - Philippa Gregory

The Liar's Club - Mary Karr

Bombay Time- Thrity Umrigar

The Name of the Rose - Umberto Eco

Small Wars - Sadie Jones

Amsterdam - Ian McEwan

By the end of June...

Like I said in my last post, the wheels have completely fallen off the wagon. I'm so behind in my plans for the year that I'd have to stop living and just read non stop in order to finish everything I planned. Seeing as I'm starting my last quarter of college, as much fun as it might be I don't see that happening. If anything, after adding a move to Santa Barbara upon graduation to this last quarter of school, I will have even less time devoted to reading (plus let's be for real, I have a sizable amount of tv to watch if I want to be caught up for the Emmys...and I do).

In light of these plans, I have decided to scale back on the amount of challenges I'm signed up for. Normally I would throw up my hands in despair and quit everything, but things have fallen apart so early this year that I think I have the opportunity to re-prioritize instead of just giving up. Because of how behind I am in them compared to some of the others, I've decided to pull out of the Back to the Classics, What's in a Name, Page to Screen, and Global Challenges. This still leaves me with the South Asian, I Want More, Historical Fiction, Reading From My Shelves, and TBR Challenges. So there's still a lot to be read and maybe more to be given up. We'll see how it goes.

As there's still ten days left in June, I still have time to get a little bit done this month. So here's an abbreviated goal.

To be Read by the End of June

The White Queen - Philippa Gregory

Theft: a Love Story - Peter Carey

Think I can finish two books in ten days? Don't be surprised if I fall way short of this teeny tiny goal. Ha. :)

By the end of May...

And now we've gotten to the point when writing up what needs to be read each month to keep on track is just laughable. Sad that I only made it four months before my challenges spiraled out of control.

To be Read by the End of May

Catch-22 - Joseph Heller

Against Nature - Jori-Karl Huysmans

Mirror Mirror - Gregory Maguire

La Mort d'Arthur - Thomas Mallory

The In-Between Life of Vikram Lall - MG Vassanji

The Improper Life of Bezellia Grove - Susan Gregg Gilmore

The Liar's Club - Mary Karr

Amsterdam - Ian McEwan

Brother Cadfael's Penance - Ellis Peters

I Will Repay - Baroness Emmuska Orczy

I often find it difficult to read FIVE books in a month. I really think I'm going to get anywhere with TEN???? Ha!

By the end of November...

Okay, so the wheels have really fallen off the wagon, so to speak. I read next to nothing last month (except school related things). I barely made it through 100 pages of one book. That was it. Not only that, but I didn't go on my blog or anyone else's in that whole time either. Which is why there is no post of all the awesome books added to my TBR pile last month. There weren't any. I'm not sure what the deal is. I could say I was getting back in the swing of school after summer break, but let's be for real...I only have class three days a week. So, like I say every month, let's try this again and maybe this month will be different...

To be Read by the End of November
Peony in Love - Lisa See
Beloved - Toni Morrison
Against Nature - Jori-Karl Huysman
Looking for Alaska - John Green
The Heretic's Daughter - Kathleen Kent
Mudbound - Hillary Jordan
No Name - Wilkie Collins

Check back next month to see if I actually finish something...