New Year's Reading Resolutions: How I Have Done Thus Far

Hello, Fellow Book Worms and Book Dragons<

   Here we are at the middle of the year, and I thought that it would be a great idea to see how I did with my New Year's Reading Resolutions. 

  On  December 30, 2015 I released an article explaining my hopes for reading in 2016. As of this reading I have read 33 books and have four books currently being read. I have had major slumps that sometimes crippled my ability to pick up a book. But with some shorter books, audio book presentations, and even reading to others, I have overcome this road block. Here is a comparison of goals to actual events of 2016 (actualities are in parenthesis):

1. Take seven books that I began and never finished out of my bookcase: (This is what I am currently doing, but with four novels rather than seven.  All four are reads I began and never finished. I picked four very different books, that way I can switch between the stories and enjoy them better. I read 60 pages a day each-240 pages daily- which has worked very well. I sometimes find it hard to stick with one book for the duration, that is why reading four can be more entertaining for me.)
2. Set future reads next to my bed standing up between bookends on my nightstand: (This was a intimidating and in the long run never benefited me. I began to resent the pile, and always would deviate to newer books that either came out, or that I acquired at a discount rate. I eventually integrated the pile back into my shelves and reserved my nightstand for collections that stacked well together. The aesthetic was visually pleasing, and I did not feel intimidated.)
3. Make sure I have bookmarks placed in the last section that I plan to read: (I have had a lot of success with this mainly because it shows me how many pages I have left to read for that session. For instance, if I am on Chapter Twenty and I know I want to read up until Chapter Twenty Six; I will place the marker at Twenty Six. This gives me a visual as to how many pages I have remaining to read. I sometimes breeze through the book faster due to this.)
4. If my current reads have audiobooks, I will download them to my phone for easy access. (I love listening to audio books while I read. It helps me stay on track, and forces out the noises that may be near me. I have audiobooks on my phone, and each one downloaded pairs up with a current book that I am enjoying. There are also instances where I do not want to carry the book, and having the audiobook helps continue my story even when the physical book is not available.)
5. I will take one book and promise to read at least thirty pages a night. (This one I completely did not do...I read sixty pages a night!)
6. I will take earphones with me in case I can read audiobooks traveling or walking. (This also is a must for reasons mentioned in number four. By carrying earbuds or headphones, you can enjoy your audiobook better.)
7. After I am done with the seven books, I will begin the process again. (The number was reduced to four, as mentioned prior, and has made this a lot easier to do.)

  There you have it, my progress thus far in 2016. Sometimes it is hard to stay on track. When this happens, just reduce your goal slightly, and you may do better in the long run.

  If you have a comment for me, please leave it below. I would love to know how your reading is going so far this year.

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  Because there is always time to read this Summer,
   Xepherus3 


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All written content, and top photography (c) Copyright 2016 by Thomas Bahr II