Fantasy and Vampire Book Club discussion

So on another forum it is asked, "How did you grow this year as a reader?", which can be taken in many ways; I read more of what I liked, I expanded out and read more mystery, etc... Well, here I decided I need to know how people would like to grow as readers. What is important to you to get done as a reader?

Read more recommended books.
Read more non-fiction.
Read more of the series that you started.
Finish or catch up to those series that you are reading.
Read more romance.
Read less romance.
Read more YA.
Stop reading books that are not interesting you, DNF when not enjoying.
Try new authors.
Give authors/series a second chance.
etc..

What do you want to do more of as a reader for 2018. I might try to use suggestion as challenge topics so please post as many as you can think of that you want to do. Don't post suggestions of what others should do but what you actually want to do as your
"2018 New Year's reading resolution".
Maybe at the end of the year, you can post that you got certain resolutions done, and others either fell to the wayside or became less important to you.

I've heard two goals, not mine from friends,
Be more spontaneous with which books to pick.
Read more classics.

One of my New Year's reading resolution is to finish as many series as I can. With 37 ongoing series, I'd be insane to start new ones.
I tend to read a lot of Urban Fantasies and Paranormal Romances as it is a genre I most enjoy. But next year I'm going to add a bit of more Contemporary Romance and Crime Fiction. It's a genre I've been neglecting for ages and quite a few of my friends have recommended me Crime Thrillers. So I'm really looking forward to it.
On a personal note... I've been trying to start The Dark Tower Series by Stephen King. It's been on my TBR for ages but I always get sidetracked by some other series. In 2018 I'm definitely going to start this Epic series.

Cool. So finish 1. current series, which I have to say is really hard because I am always starting new ones with Buddy Reads and BOM reads, and then sometimes just because I'm pulled by the description and reviews. This is one my resolution for certain, finish or drop as many series as I can to at least weedle them down. I don't know how many on going series I have on my TBR but... I want fewer of them by the end of the year. So if I start a new series, I've got to continue it or drop it, no adding to my pile. I think I was pretty good this year.

So 2, 3, and 4, are not on my list. I actual want to read less CR as I don't seem to enjoy it as much as Historical Rom. and I seem to have been picking up CR with friends all year this year. I think it might be even 2 times my HR. Crime Fiction is really a good one but it doesn't pull me. I might be able to push a few in but other genres would come first.

The Dark Tower sounds interesting, especially after seeing movie trailers (though the reviews weren't so great). I might be up for a Buddy Read, might push you to it? Let me know and I'll set up a forum.

I guess I have a lot of books already on my TBR shelf on my Kindle - already at over 300 for 2018 so I think I need to get through as many of them before buying any more although at the moment I have 3 months free of Kindle Unlimited so can read for 0. Already got 9 books on there which are all part of the same series.

Plus I am excited and sad because in May this year the last book for the Kate Daniels series by Ilona Andrews is out on the Kindle. Hopefully they may be able to do a spin off series. So one of my resolutions is to re-read all the Kate Daniels just before the last book comes out so that I am again up to date before the last book.

I did the same in 2017 for the Chicagoland Vampires series by Chloe Neill and thoroughly enjoyed it. I can't wait for the spin off from this amazing series which comes out later this year Heirs of Chicagoland.

I also usually just read books from the paranormal and urban fantasy genres which also includes YA too.

Thanks for listening to me jabber on. Good luck with your resolutions.

1. So I want to try to get my 40 odd series that are started either finished or dented.
2. I'm going to try non-fiction and out of genre, 1 per month at least. I end up usually liking them, just not pushed to start them.
3. Going to try to read the books that I actually paid money for and they've been sitting in my Amazon or Audible account for ages. I have at least a thousand freebees but the ones I actually paid for, if on sale (usually) or not. I want to stop wasting my book money. This also applies to my hard cover and paperbacks. I have a lot of used book sales that are just sitting there.
4. Going to try to drop the books and series that I'm not loving/liking. I would rather re-read, like Anjali, the Kate Daniels or other favorites.

My new years resolutions are:

Get most, if not all, of the non-series books I already own read and done.

Try to get through all, if not most, if the completed series I have.

Attempt to get back into the series I am already in (BDB, etc,...) and see how far I get with that.

Toss/trade in the first book in series I no longer have a desire to read. My husband, for example, bought me six books, all first books in series I wanted to start... in 2012. It has been five years and I do not want to read them. May as well trade for what I want to read.

I want to read MORE. I want to get through a book a week, if possible, but since I do not finish school until March, this will probably NOT happen. Though I am on going to Bermuda on a cruise and I am hoping to bang through a bunch of books in that week.

In 2017 I read around 80 books. I read a lot of different types of books that I have never tried reading before. Which I really enjoyed. I am hoping to do that again this year. Discover new authors and genre's. I also am hoping to do better during my school, usually my fun reading time is during the summer. Its hard for me to read for fun and study my school materials.. Last semester I had to cut myself off of the for fun reading.. But I'm going to try again so I can participate more with this group and hopefully read at least one of the books of the month. I love this group and my goal this year is to be more apart of it :) I also have several series books I want to read this year. It seems my list keeps growing! I have a couple murder mystery books I want to try out. I haven't really read much of that kind of book. Have read maybe one or two and that was a few years ago.. I am more of a romance, paranormal, YA kinda girl. I like being taken to different worlds or even staying in this world but going on some kind of adventure. Its nice to get out of reality sometimes when lots of stress is going on or even when there's not stress. But I figure why not grab what looks interesting and give it a shot! I am also hoping to make a dent in this 20 -25 book stack of books my brother gave me for Christmas last year. He knows how much I love to read so I guess he found a shelf of books and scooped them all into a bag! This still cracks me up, I think it was really sweet. Just some of the books don't sound that interesting:( but I'm gunna try them all out maybe I won't finish all but I still would at least like to try. Thanks for listening to all this! I know its quite a paragraph! Haha :) good luck to you all with your challenges \new year resolutions!

Amyiw wrote:The Dark Tower sounds interesting, especially after seeing movie trailers (though the reviews weren't so great). I might be up for a Buddy Read, might push you to it? Let me know and I'll set up a forum."

I would love to buddy read and I don't need a push, more like a shove, as everyone around me has read except me. Haven't watched the movie yet but heard it was a huge disappointment. If you are interested then lets do this. I'm ready whenever you are.

So I have the print version from the library but won't be able to start a print until the mid to end of this month so plan for 15th to 21st start.

I posted a thread for a buddy read.
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

I'm going to really try to start by the 15th. You can start sooner and let me know what you think.

It is June and we should look to see how our New Years Resolutions for read have held up. I'll come and post some of mine but I think I've done pretty well except for the out of genre.

I looked at my resolutions... I am such a slacker, though!!! I did, however, get rid of books/series I will not read. I am trying to read more, but I keep getting distracted by series re-read/buddy reads!!

Yes, get rid of series that you are no longer really interested in. One way to clean up. I think I failed on that one a bit too. I have such a problem with that and usually they really disappoint. The Darkest Promise was my latest failure. I said I would quit that series as the latest are just not as good as the beginning.

So how is everyone doing on resolutions? Did you stick to any, one, all?

I thought I would update my resolutions


1. Mixed bag, 28 (10 new but finished) finished or topped off, 26 dented, 16 new added 1. So I want to try to get my 40 odd series that are started either finished or dented.
Mostly got this, 9 1/2 as of today. Need 2 and finish the one I'm on 2. I'm going to try non-fiction and out of genre, 1 per month at least. I end up usually liking them, just not pushed to start them.
3. Made a big dent in my Audible and some on my shelf and Kindles too so partially done 3. Going to try to read the books that I actually paid money for and they've been sitting in my Amazon or Audible account for ages. I have at least a thousand freebees but the ones I actually paid for, if on sale (usually) or not. I want to stop wasting my book money. This also applies to my hard cover and paperbacks. I have a lot of used book sales that are just sitting there.
4. Failed miserably, I did stop new series easier but still got pulled to my old ones.4. Going to try to drop the books and series that I'm not loving/liking.

I tossed series/books I felt I would never read, so I accomplished that. I did get more into the series I was already involved in, but overall, not really. I did read a few non-series books, but I added more, so I equaled out on that front. LOL!

Had a good year. Completed my Goodreads Challenge of 170 books. Caught up on ten ongoing series, finished 24 , started 14 new series. Dumped quite a bit of load off of my tbr. It got a bit slow towards the end of the year because of my eye surgery in September. Had to take a month break from reading and even afterwards I had to take easy on my eyes. So I didn't do as much as I wanted.

Audio could have help a bit. There are some great narrators. I think you did great by finishing more than you started!

@Norma- I really need to learn to toss.

I went through a cleanout and said that anything I had not read in 4 years, I will never read so out they went.

I got my 12 non-fiction completed before the end of the year so that was completed, yea!

@Norma- I have read some of the books that have been on my list for over 4 years but most don't surprise. I should take a closer look and decide if they are really "my type" of story since they are not pulling me. I have been surprised also, just infrequently.