2010 In Review

2010 is nearly over and can I just say that I’m really looking forward to 2011?!! It was kind of a crazy and rough year for me and I even had to take a break from blogging toward the end of this year. I decided that despite my challenges, life must go on and I miss my blogging friends too much to just give up blogging altogether.

I had hoped to do much better with reading in 2010 than I actually ended up doing. I managed to read or partially read 53 books (not all of which I reviewed and listed—some of them were smutty free books from Amazon that to be honest, weren’t worth reviewing. Yes, I’m admitting it. I read a few smutty romance novels to try to expand my horizons). My spreadsheet total says I read 21,000+ pages and averaged 465 pages per book I read. I am not sure that count is completely accurate because some of the books I haven’t finished yet.

What I learned about myself
I did learn that overdoing challenges really bogged me down in 2010. I didn’t enjoy reading as much because I felt obligated to hold to the challenges I had joined. So, toward the end of the year I gave up and just read what I felt like reading. It worked much better for me and I felt much more satisfied.

I did REALLY enjoy doing read-a-longs though. I finally trudged through Middlemarch with Lydia from The Literary Lollipop and Ellie, a friend from Shelfari. It made the experience enjoyable and we are all reading The Count of Monte Cristo together right now and through the first part of 2011. Instead of joining tons of challenges, I am going to concentrate more on joining read-a-longs from now on because I feel like I get more out of them.

I will however be doing two challenges in 2011:

Rikki from The Bookkeeper’s Steampunk Challenge
I have already started this one and plan to read a total of five books for the challenge.


Zee from Reading in the North’s Nordic Challenge
I am planning on reading at least one book from each Nordic country in this challenge. I have already chosen a book for Sweden called The Saga of Gosta Berling by Selma Lagerlöf. I still have to choose books for Norway, Finland, Denmark, and Iceland. I can’t wait to start this one because I have a love affair with Scandinavia (and now Iceland too after reading The Tricking of Freya).

So I guess to make it official, I am going to make every effort to start blogging again. I miss all of my blogging friends too much to stay away. You guys have all been so supportive of me through my blogging break. I especially want to thank Amy from Amy Reads, Rachel from And the Plot Thickens, Rikki from The Bookkeeper, and Sarah from Bookworm Blues for being my sounding boards. All my blogging friends are great, but these ladies have really listened to me through some chats and are probably sick and tired of me moaning and groaning about life! I love all of my blogging friends though. You are all very special to me! Thank you all for being there in my time of need.

I am not sure that I’ll be posting three or more times a week, but my goal is to post one to two times a week and get my rear in gear for 2011. I am going to read where my heart takes me this year and not limit myself in any way other than these two challenges. I also may host a read-a-long of The Three Musketeers later this year when things settle down in life.

• What are your plans for 2011?
• Are you going to challenge yourself in any way this upcoming year, reading or otherwise?
• What things will you change in your blog and/or reading habits from 2010 for the upcoming year?

Have a Happy New Year everyone!

Hope it’s a joyful year for all of us!