At the start of 2016, way back when the new year brought hopeful ambition coursing through my veins, I made a whole bunch of reading resolutions.

Now, resolutions aren’t something I usually stick to. The intention is there, but the motivation very quickly dies. However…somehow reading resolutions are easier to achieve to me. Maybe because I’m actually interested in them, or because it’s not a huge lifestyle change?

There were quite a few though. And a lot of the time I forgot I even had resolutions. So I’ve honestly no idea how this look back will go, but I’m excited to see whether I failed it or nailed it 😆

Let’s take a look back!

1. Read more historical fiction

Since discovering historical fiction, it’s become my second favourite genre. I’d only read The Book Thief before this year, however this year I read 9 more. Granted, some of them were historical fiction mixed with other genres, but 6 of them were entirely historical.

So I guess I succeeded in this one. I read more of it. Though it does feel like a bit of a pitiful success – with there still not being many – 9 is definitely an increase compared to 1 😆

Verdict: Nailed it!

2. Collect more graphic novels and comics

I did want to have a pretty extensive graphic novel/comic collection by now. But looking back at the ones I added this year, I actually only collected…3 more. In the entire year.

To be fair, I don’t have a job right now, so any money I come across usually goes towards normal books. Graphic novels and comics are so much more expensive, and when you don’t have much money, it doesn’t always feel worth buying one of them instead, especially when you’ll have done reading it within an hour.

So while I did technically collect more – three more is still “more” – it doesn’t seem like much of a collection. For it to be a success, I’d need at least 5 in my eyes. So unfortunately, this one is a miss.

Verdict: Failed it

3. Read more classics

This one might have gone very differently had I not joined the Austentatious book club. While I do enjoy reading classics, it definitely takes some motivation to get me going. But this book club meant I have been reading one Jane Austen book every month, with occasional movie nights (though I’ve stopped joining the movie nights now just because busyness).

So this year I’ve read 5 classics and 2 classic short stories. While that might not seem like a lot, it’s the most classics I’ve ever read in a year, so I’m classing it as a success 😀

Verdict: Nailed it!

4. Complete my Goodreads reading challenge

I set my Goodreads challenge to 50 books. I didn’t want to add too much pressure, because that’s a sure way to make me not want to read anymore. So just under one book a week seemed good – especially since that’s my usual reading speed (one book a week).

I think it’s safe to say…

Verdict: Nailed it!

5. Try to get another signed book

This one isn’t all that interesting. I did complete it, because when A Court of Mist and Fury came out, I made sure to go down to Waterstones the same day, and I managed to pick up a signed copy 🙂

Verdict: Nailed it!

6. Keep buying books!

I wanted my book collection to grow grow grow, so I kept buying. I don’t actually know how many I started with in 2016, but I do know for sure that I’ve bought a lot of books this year. All the hauls from this year were quite lengthy.

Verdict: Nailed it!

7. Read Anne Frank: Diary of a young girl

Another simple one –

I read this one back in June! And loved it by the way, you can see my review here!

Verdict: Nailed it!

8. Keep up with blogging

Throughout the year, I’ve uploaded at least 3 posts every week. Sometimes more if I had extra reviews or there was an announcement. So I definitely think that one was a success 🙂

Verdict: Nailed it!

9. Get to 500 followers on my blog

This is the one that I can’t control.Though it’s not about numbers, it was intriguing to see if I’d actually get this resolution. And luckily, incredibly, amazingly, I did!

Verdict: Nailed it!

10. Continue being my enthusiastic self

Because apparently at the beginning of 2016 I was a huge ball of cringe and actually set this as a resolution???

There’s not even a way to judge this one. I’m just going to go ahead and say I managed to remain enthusiastic 😀

Verdict: Nailed it!

11. Finish some of the book series I’ve started

This was a sort of bonus resolution I added partway through the year. I have a really bad habit of not finishing series – or taking years to do so – and I wanted to actually tick off some of the ones I’d started.

And I think I actually managed to! While I do still have a fair few “in progress” series’ I managed to read…

– Siege and Storm, and Ruin and Rising – finishing The Grisha Trilogy by Leigh Bardugo

– The entire Raven Cycle series by Maggie Stiefvater

– The entire Spinster Club trilogy by Holly Bourne

– Reread Anna and the French Kiss, then went on to read Lola and the Boy Next Door and Isla and the Happily Ever After – finishing the AatFK trilogy by Stephanie Perkins

– The entire Mara Dyer trilogy by Michelle Hodkin

– Fairest, Winter and Stars Above – finishing The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer

– Read both Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children and Hollow City, then went on to read the final book Library of Souls – finishing the MPHfPC trilogy by Ransom Riggs

– Me Before You and After You by Jojo Moyes – completing the MBY duology

Oh my word I actually finished more series than I realised! That one is a DEFINITE success!

Verdict: NAILED IT!

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So there we have a look back at my 2016 resolutions!

I actually did so much better than I thought I would – I only failed one out of 11!

I recently made a video about my reading resolutions for 2017, so you can check that out here if you’re interested! I’m really excited to start them all, I’ve already gotten some books towards them (which you’ll see in my haul video/blog post this Sunday).

Did you set yourself any resolutions for 2016? How did you do with them?

Have you set yourself any for 2017?

What will you be setting your Goodreads challenge at?

Let me know in the comments!

Until next time…

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