Are you ready for another banner year?

Are you ready for another banner year?

Not to sound cliched, but I think Brad Paisley said it best in regards to the new year.

There were so many wonderful books published by all of my favorite authors this last year.  I'm not sure how they will top them, but with the help of their imaginations and their muses they always do.  As an avid reader, I look forward to every post and blog letting me know a new book is in the works and that a release date is on the way.  I love seeing those posts offering an ARC and am so excited when I get the opportunity to read one.  I love all of the updates on every book, the requests for reader interaction, the pre-order links, the announcement that a book is to be released early and even the announcements that a release date has been pushed back because the author wants to make sure it is perfect for the readers. 

I live my life in the real world and within the pages of the books I read every day.  When I write a blog, I try to converse as if I am having a conversation with any and all who will listen.  Some days they are short conversations and some days they are long, often times they are funny and sometimes they may be boring, but each one is a little part of me that travels out into the real world.  I always hope that someone will comment and start up a conversation, but if not that is okay as I am used to having conversations in my head.  My own imagination takes me to places I have never been or that I may never see again.

In 2018 I took the GoodReads reading challenge.  It was my first time counting how many books I read a year.  As you can see I was clearly in a dream world as I only projected 50 and I actually read 595 (this picture was taken about an hour before I finished my last book of the year).

I cannot remember if I started this at the beginning of the year, but I do not think so.  I decided that I needed to give my projected number a big boost just in case.  It may be over ambitious, but I think that I can get the projected 800 read by December 31 of this year.

Shh, don't tell anyone, but I have already finished my first book of this year and yes I didn't start reading it until this morning.  I may have an unfair advantage as I am a super fast reader.  Before you ask, no I do not skip parts, and yes I understand the book and can retell the tale when I am finished with it. 

I already have 584 books in my To Be Read folder, so I really need to make a dent.  Unfortunately I often get distracted by shiny new things, so when I see a new book I often skip ahead and read it before the ones already in my kindle app.  Who can blame me, they all look so pretty. 

I hope that you all join me in my journey this year to enjoy the world of reading.  Please feel free to add your own thoughts on any reviews I do and become a follower to show your support and get updates.  I am going to start the year with a review of the last book I read in 2018 and the first book I read in 2019, then I have to go back and finish reviewing the 15 or so books I read last week.  What can I say, the week between Christmas and New Year is rough for me.  Then I have some fun things going on throughout the year that I can't wait to share with everyone.

Please share with me your reading goals and any and all books that you would like to recommend I read in 2019.  I am always looking for my Next Great Read.

Happy Reading
Sydney