Reading Goals and Challenges for 2014

Reading Goals and Challenges for 2014

Today the weather in Minnesota is so cold the Governor canceled school for the entire state.  School districts have already canceled school for tomorrow because of the frigid temperatures.  So I get two extra days to work out, read, watch movies, clean, grade papers and write or blog.  So happy to just hang out with my kids.  Sometimes it is nice just to stay home in your warm house and curl up with a good book.

I have made a couple of reading goals or challenges for this year.
1.  My number one goal is to read all of the books I received as gifts for the holidays.  This includes 6 books; The Ghost Bride, Doctor Zhivago, Wonder, Fangirl, Everybody Sees the Ants and The Gendarme.

2.  My second goal is to listen to more books on audio.  I started listening to audio books in 2013 for the first time while I clean, cook and drive and I love it!!  Listening to a book has changed my reading experience.  I have found that a great narrator enhances a book.  I listened to 12 audio books last year and want to read more.  So I am looking forward to an audio book challenge.  I plan to read  15 to 20 audio books this year and this is the Socially Awkward level according to the challenge.  Stop by and Sign up at http://www.hotlistens.com/2014-audiobook-challenge/

3.  My third reading goal is to read more electronic books.  I have a lot of Ebooks piled up on my kindle and nook apps and I need to get started reading them.  I prefer a REAL book but ebooks are cheaper and take up less space in my house so I want to start reading them more.  Last year I read ONE Ebook.  So this year I am going to try and read 5 more than last year and that means I will read 6 Ebooks or at least pass the Floppy Disk level which is 5 books according to the challenge.
Stop by and Sign up at http://workadayreads.com/2013/11/2014-ebook-reading-challenge-sign-up.html

4.  I am participating for the 3rd time in the What's in a Name Challenge.  This year it is hosted by The Worm Hole.  Here are the categories:  Choose a title of a book that fits in the category and read it.


A reference to time (Eleven Minutes, Before Ever After)
A position of royalty (The People’s Queen, The Last Empress, The Curse Of The Pharaoh)
A number written in letters (The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms, A Tale Of Two Cities)
A forename or names (Rebecca, Eleanor & Park, The Unfinished Work Of Elizabeth D.)
A type or element of weather (Gone With The Wind, Red Earth Pouring Rain)

5.  I would like to read more poetry books this year and so I am joining a poetry challenge.  Last year I read two books of poetry.  Original Fire by Louise Erdrich and Earth's Appetite by Margaret Hasse and I loved them both.  So this year I am going to try and double the number of poetry books I read in 2013 and read 4 in 2014.  You can sign up for this challenge here: http://savvyverseandwit.com/2014/01/dive-into-poetry-challenge-2014.html


6.  I want to continue reading a short story every week in 2014.  So I am challenging myself to read 3 short story collections.  I read one short story book in 2013 called This Close by Jessica Francis Kane and it was awesome.  I couldn't find a specific blogger challenge to sign up for so it is something I will keep track of.

7.  Lastly, I want to continue to plug away and continue reading the Pulitzer Prize fiction winners.  I did not read one book from this list last year and I am disappointed in myself.  UGH.  So I need to read at least 2 or 3 Pulitzers this year.  I have read 18 total out of the 90 or so novels that have won the prize.

Wish me luck!!

What challenges are you entering??