I have to be honest, I was not sure I was going to achieve either of my reading goals for 2018. It came down to one book. I needed the book to finish my Goodreads goal of 60 books and the Modern Mrs. Darcy Reading Challenge for a book on diversity. With 40 minutes to spare, I was able to check off a successful reading year for 2018. With it, I also attained new levels of achievement.
At the beginning of 2018, I set out to accomplish two reading challenges. The first was to read 60 books. I still need to write reviews on six of the books. The other challenge was to complete the list of books outlined in the Modern Mrs. Darcy 2018 Reading Challenge. Here is how I did:
Goodreads
Most importantly, I read 60 books in 2018. This was the primary goal that I set out to achieve. But here are some other interesting numbers related to the reading challenge.
Number of books read in 2018
I appreciate the work that goes into writing a book and I seldom find a really bad book. This is reflected in my ratings. It is also interesting to note the shelves for my books. I have to go back and look what “other” is.
Number of pages read in 2018
The seven extra books I read in 2018 translated into 1,900 more pages.
Publication dates for books read over time
A few of the books were published well before my birth date, most notably Frankenstein.
Number of books read per month
December seem to be the month when I hunker down and knock out a lot of reading. I was able to read 10 books this December.
Number of pages read each month
This naturally translated into more pages read. In December 2018, I read over 3,000 pages. But I do have to admit, I am exhausted. I need to be more disciplined to pace myself throughout the year.
Modern Mrs. Darcy Reading Challenge
Over the past few years, I have been participating in Modern Mrs. Darcy Reading Challenge. 2018 was no different.
Here is what we were challenged to read in 2018:
- A classic you’ve been meaning to read – Frankenstein
- A book recommended by someone with great taste – The Stranger
- A book in translation – The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
- A book nominated for an award in 2018 – Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup
- A book of poetry, a play, or an essay collection – What a Character!: Florida Writers Association Collection, Volume 9
- A book you can read in a day – Management by Walking Around (The Every Day MBA)
- A book that’s more than 500 pages – Tribe of Mentors: Short Life Advice from the Best in the World
- A book by a favorite author – David and Goliath: Underdogs, Misfits, and the Art of Battling Giants
- A book recommended by a librarian or indie bookseller – A Cold Day in Hell (A Cold Case Investigation)
- A banned book – The Grapes of Wrath
- A memoir, biography, or book of creative nonfiction – Beyond Band of Brothers: The War Memoirs of Major Dick Winters
- A book by an author of a different race, ethnicity, or religion than your own – Becoming
In most cases, I pick up my books from Amazon. This year, at least four of these books were picked up at a local bookseller, Off the Beaten Path.
If you are interested in what I have been reading you can check out my reviews or visit my monthly book lists: January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, and December. I plan to continue to share what I am planning to read on a monthly basis. It helps to keep me on task.
