2016: Reading Challenge Wrap Up

It’s here. The end of 2016 is finally nigh and while it’s been a dumpster fire for the world, it’s been a pretty decent year for me. But how did I fare with my ambitious reading goals and challenges for 2016?

- Read 125 books.

Smashed it! I read over 200 books in 2016.

- Read 1 classic a month for the #2016ClassicsChallenge.

I smashed this one too! I became a little obsessed with classics in 2016 and I read 36. Audiobooks definitely helped with this!

- Read at least 6 adult novels.

I’m so proud of completing this challenge! YA has absorbed my life for a really long time so managing 20 adult novels alongside YA review copies and expanding my reading into on-fiction and classics is a real achievement for me.

- Keep expanding my reading – adult, literary, classics, short story collections, non-fiction, plays, sci-fi, high fantasy.

I did it! I read poetry, memoir, short story collections, classics, literary fiction, mystery and fantasy.

- Read 10 books from BAME (Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic) authors.

Though I did better in 2016 than I had in the years before, I still didn’t achieve this goal - I only read 6 books by BAME authors.

- Keep striving to read diversely, especially when it comes to #ownvoices.

This is the same as BAME authors for me. Though I think I did okay, there’s always scope to do better and it’s a goal I’ll continue year after year after year.

- Read the YA Book Prize longlist.

I’d read 6 of the 10 titles shortlisted when the list was announced and I was totally happy with that - the rest I didn’t own and didn’t hugely want to read.

- Read the Bailey’s Women’s Prize for Fiction shortlist.

Heh, nope. In my defence, when the shortlist was announced there were only actually 2 or 3 titles that I actually wanted to read. So I bought them, but they’re actually still sitting on my shelf...

- Tackle my Extended Reading Project – more info here!

I began this well, but after switching out Metamorphoses for a more modern translation I still couldn’t find the love for it I had while I was at university. I was happy to leave this to the side.

- Finish The Princess Diaries.

Total fail. I’ve only read the first two books...

- Finish Artemis Fowl.

Another total fail. I didn’t pick up a single book from this series in 2016...

I achieved a lot, but not everything I intended to - I’ll take it!

Keep an eye out for my 2017 goals coming soon!

Sophie