With the year halfway over, I know I’ve already done an update on my reading stats so far, but I also wanted to talk about our reading goals!
I know I’m not the only one who made a list of 2018 reading resolutions (you can read my main goal post here, or my list of 10 resolutions here), so I wanted to update you all on how my resolutions are going, as well as to ask you guys how YOUR resolutions are going!
My Updates…
GOAL: Goodreads challenge of 150 books
STATUS: 141/150 – 94% there and 66 books ahead of schedule!
GOAL: “must read” list of 24 titles
STATUS: 11/24 down, so I’m almost on track! I should be knocking out 5-6 more for the throwback bingo, though!
GOAL: finish more series!
STATUS: so far this year, I’ve completed 6 previously ongoing series, which is like… probably a record for me as the self-appointed Queen of Avoiding Finales.
GOAL: request less ARCs!
STATUS: I requested and/or accepted 123 ARCs in 2017 (from April-ish to December), and have requested 51 ARCs in 2018. I’d say I’m doing a little better! What really matters is that I’m only requesting ARCs I genuinely want to read now.
GOAL: book bans for most of the year
STATUS: HAHAHAHAHA. Okay, we all know damn well I have not been on a book ban this year until my current one started on June 1st. I have hauled waaaaay too many books so far this year. That said, my current ban is going at least until the end of August, but possibly the rest of the year, and I’m doing very well so far!
GOAL: looser TBRs
STATUS: I succeeded at this for the first 2 months, I think. My TBR for July was 15 books long.
GOAL: DNF more books
STATUS: I am actually kicking ass at this one! I no longer force myself to trudge through books I’m hating. I’ve DNFed 14 books so far this year.
GOAL: review books within 1-2 days
STATUS: … I don’t wanna talk about this.
(^ absolutely judging my RTC stack)
GOAL: read less books at once
STATUS: 
*sigh*
GOAL: read pre-orders ASAP (or stop pre-ordering so much!)
STATUS: So far in 2018, I don’t think I’ve read a single pre-order when it arrived except Obsidio and ACOFAS. 😐 Oops.
So, those are my reading goal updates! Do you have any advice for how I could be doing a better job with the ones I’m kinda failing at? ? How are your goals going?
(Danielle) Books, Vertigo and Tea
July 4, 2018You are way more goal oriented than me ? I am failing at the few sad goals I have in place this year (although I am not sure I can still consider them “in place”). And let’s face it l, we only claim to be on book buying bans to make ourselves feel better ??
Destiny @ Howling Libraries
July 8, 2018Funny enough, I’m really bad at keeping goals in every other aspect of my life! I feel like my bookish list is the one thing I can somewhat “control” lmao. I think it’s the only reason I do okay with these goals!
(Danielle) Books, Vertigo and Tea
July 10, 2018Haha, I am getting better at it. But at my age I have no excuses ?
lilisblissfulpages
July 4, 2018‘Review books within 1-2 days, I don’t wanna talk about this’… hehehe..
You’re really doing better than I do. and wow, 14 books DNFed.. I wonder what those books are..
Destiny @ Howling Libraries
July 8, 2018Bahaha I seriously have something like eleven unwritten reviews right now… it’s so bad! And thank you! I should do an updated DNF mini-review post soon!
lilisblissfulpages
July 8, 2018hehe.. goodluck making those reviews. 🙂 And it’s nice that you still try to make a review for DNF’ed books, I usually get lazy reviewing them.
Destiny @ Howling Libraries
July 8, 2018Haha thank you! Oh, DNF reviews are some of my favorites to write because I get to let my inner saltiness shine through, but I just write mini reviews (they’re usually 3 paragraphs or less) for DNFs.
lilisblissfulpages
July 8, 2018Hahaha… that’s actually brilliant. 🙂 🙂
Keri
July 4, 2018I’m so impressed by your “finish more series” goal and accomplishments! Lol, I set myself a “Book series to Finish” TBR for 2018 back in February and I haven’t finished a single one yet still. ?
Tho I am determined to finally finish The Remnant Chronicles this month, but we’ll see…
And lol on your review goal! I totally feel ya there: I have a long book review to-do list that keeps growing in my planner. I don’t know if this would work for you, but I remember you talking about how you like to do scheduled reading a couple of weeks ago. Is there anyway you could tie review writing into that? “I can’t read anymore of this book until I write XXX words for a review of this other book.” I don’t know, just a thought. 🙂
Destiny @ Howling Libraries
July 8, 2018Thank you, Keri! Oooh, I love the idea of a whole TBR for series you want to finish, though. 😀 Good luck!
Bahaha, I’m glad I’m not the only one. That’s a really good idea, actually! I am gonna have to try that. 😀 Thank you!
Keri
July 9, 2018Thanks! I got the idea from another book blogger.
And yay! I hope it works out for you! <3
The Bookish King
July 4, 2018ohmygosh! 12 currently reading?!? THE STRESS ?
Destiny @ Howling Libraries
July 8, 2018I don’t know why I’m like this D:
ambsreads
July 4, 2018omg currently reading 12 books ? HOW ARE YOU DEALING??
Destiny @ Howling Libraries
July 8, 2018Bahahah I have no idea… I seriously need to get my shit together on this one
Taasia @ librapaintspages
July 4, 2018I thought I was the queen of reading multiple books, but I got nothing compared to you (like 12?? How?)
Destiny @ Howling Libraries
July 8, 2018Bahaha I have no idea but I need to stop letting my number get this high!
Kathy @Pages Below the Vaulted Sky
July 5, 2018Good lord, my brain cells pretty much implode on me whenever I try to read four books at once, but 12 is a whole another level!!! How do you keep track of all the characters??
And I’m with you on DNFing more books. I definitely have to work at getting over the guilt and anxiety of letting a book go early.
Destiny @ Howling Libraries
July 8, 2018Weirdly enough, I don’t have a big problem with keeping the stories and characters straight! I think the biggest problem it presents is that it sometimes can be hard for me to review the books afterwards, because if I start several books at roughly the same time, chances are high that I’ll finish them all close together, too.
Kathy @Pages Below the Vaulted Sky
July 8, 2018Super jealous of that ability! 😀 I get plot lines mixed up all the time if I don’t take notes. And I’m very close to finishing three books at once right now and encountering that exact problem. Like, which do I write first? AHHH
Destiny @ Howling Libraries
July 8, 2018Ooooh, hopefully you can pace yourself and space them out a little bit! 😀 Good luck!
tasya @ the literary huntress
July 5, 2018I’m being better at DNF ing books too this year! It’s relieving because I used to force myself and ended up in a reading slump ahaha.
Destiny @ Howling Libraries
July 8, 2018Good! It’s honestly a good habit to have, in my opinion – life is too short!
dragonsandzombies
July 5, 2018Looks great! Really good that you are not forcing yourself through bad books anymore. It sometimes is a bit hard to dnf books, especially ones you THOUGHT you were going to like or others are raving about.. But in the end, you probably feel better if you don’t spend your time with a bad story.
And woah, that is a crazy amount of books you’ve read, congrats 🙂
Destiny @ Howling Libraries
July 8, 2018Yes, exactly! Plus, I always figure that if I DNF a book too soon to justify rating it, that’s better for the book than me finishing it and giving it 1-2 stars, right? 😛
Thank you!
Annemieke
July 5, 2018It looks like you are doing pretty well. Reviewing within 2 days I would like as well but sometimes it just isn’t possible so I count jotting down my thoughts to help with the review haha.
Destiny @ Howling Libraries
July 8, 2018Thank you! Oh man, even if I did that, I think it would help me a lot. I need to get back into the habit of taking notes or something.
Laura Beth
July 5, 2018I don’t understand how you can read 12 books at once! I’ve always been a one-at-a-time reader!!
Destiny @ Howling Libraries
July 8, 2018I’m not sure! I’ve always been a multitasking reader, but I’ve never read more than 3-4 at a time until the last several months.
RedRocketPanda
July 5, 2018I got to the “currently reading” screenshot and just snorted so loudly.
Destiny @ Howling Libraries
July 8, 2018Lmao! I live to entertain 😀
Kathy @ Books & Munches
July 6, 2018We need a “current readathon” to clear our current reads. Like, that should be a start, right?
Destiny @ Howling Libraries
July 8, 2018YES. Lmao. Or what if there was a monthly challenge where you could only read one book at a time? I would SUCK at that!
Ellyn
July 6, 2018This was really fun to read and I totally relate to the rtc problem!
Destiny @ Howling Libraries
July 8, 2018Thank you! I’m so glad I’m not the only one who’s awful at keeping my reviews up to date.
Jenna @ Falling Letters
July 8, 2018LOOOOL at your goal and status of “review books within 1-2 days”. I imagine all bloggers have the same feeling towards this goal 😛 I have been operating ‘within 3-4 weeks’ for most of this year which I think is good enough for now… But it looks like you’re making awesome progress with most of your goals 🙂 I am at 77% of my Goodreads goal and feeling like I’ve achieved a miracle, haha – 96% is a great accomplishment!!
Destiny @ Howling Libraries
July 8, 2018Bahahaha isn’t it the worst?! Yeah, I have a few reviews that need to be written for books I finished in May… I’m like, what is wrong with me?! Lmao. And thank you! Congrats on being so high on your goal, that’s amazing! 😀
Meeghan reads
July 12, 2018Oooh, I like the goals! Maybe I could steal some for next year?!
Destiny @ Howling Libraries
July 14, 2018Thank you! Yes, absolutely ♥ 🙂
Madalyn @ Novel Ink
July 15, 2018You are doing so well with your goals this year!! Congrats on almost being done with your Goodreads challenge! DNFing books is a godsend, honestly. It’s saved me from so many reading slumps. I am also trying to request fewer ARCs this year, and I think I’m succeeding at that goal so far! Oh man, I feel you on failing at reviewing books 1-2 days after finishing… *thinks about the book I finished three weeks ago that I still need to write a review for*
Destiny @ Howling Libraries
July 16, 2018Thank you so much! ♥♥ And congrats on succeeding at requesting less!