What can I say some months you just end up with everything going wrong. May was like that for me, first I sprained my wrist so I couldn’t type up anything here, and I was sick already and lacking energy. Now only to add to my troubles I’ve got COVID, no one worry, it’s a very mild case, but I will be slowly transitioning back into blogging this June mostly for Marvelathon go Team Scarlet Witch. I do have another book from this month to write a review about and a few features I’d like to get back to but like I said SLOWLY back into blogging so I don’t overwhelm myself.
Anyway that is the update around here, here’s to hoping my troubles turn around soon!
So April felt long and short at the same time, I did lots of really cool things during the month like going on a trip out of town. And going skating for the first time since my broken ankle. I also went to a ton of independent bookstores and got to see a traveling Broadway production. I was really pleased with how the month went, but I did let some things slide particularly my reviews and the blog which I hope to do better in May.
1) Post Every on the Blog Day
I want to get back to posting ever day. Also just being with the back in touch with the with blogging community consistently. I would really want to work on vlogging but that may have to wait until I redesign my room or posting in an unconventional place like my living room and wait until my bookcases are up to have a traditional vlogging space.
2) Do more Readathons
I have really had success with readathons this month, so I’d like to do more in May, I’m already doing RoyalReadathon, and I’m looking at Desert A Thon as well. I might also do short ones to get back up to my yearly goals.
3) Read enough books in May to get back up to my goal for the year.
According to Storygraph I’m about 10 books behind where I should be so I’m going to try to read ahead a little bit to get back on track. I think I can add about at least 5 or 10 extra books to what I’m already reading.
My plans for April are going to be a little different than most months of the year. I’m hosting and a Chopped mini Readathon with The Blind Scribe, this one is a Seek and Find based on an Easter Egg hunt, we’ll have prizes and sweets and fun galore. We’ll be back for the full length readathon in July, whose theme we will reveal sometime between now and then.
Also post may be a little later in the day for the first week of March and the beginning of April, I have realized I needed glasses and went to the eye doctor yesterday so my glasses are being made, but until I get them, I’ll have to limit my screen time to avoid headaches.
1) Plans for Readathons
So I’m doing at least two other readathons besides my own. I also think I saw another readathon I wanted to do last evening but can’t remember so far I’m doing Magical Readathon and Realm A Thon along with our own readathon so of course some books will be cross used.
2)Getting back to my reading goal
Since I’ve gotten to the root of why I haven’t been reading as much now I can read more through audio books and printed books until my glasses arrive then get back to reading on my devices once they do.
3) Books on Vacation
I’m going to a slightly bigger city to see a production of the travelling cast of the Broadway Show of Frozen. Slightly bigger city equals more book shops so I’m probably going to come home with goodness knows how many books. I will have so many pictures to post from this vacation I can’t wait.
4) More plans on my novel
I’ve been doing some solid work on my novel, but I make plans to need to do more research. But that has been a priority this past month I’d like to continue to make it a priority in April and get more scenes done.
March was a pretty creative month, I didn’t work on other readathons as much as I liked because the Blind Scribe and I have got a plan for an April one in the works and there has been much planning and lots of cackling, all from me.
1) Read Everyday
I may not have read as much I would have liked in March but I did enjoy what I read. I’ve also got things requested that I want to read, I’m focusing less on numbers and more on just enjoying my reads
2) Write Everyday
I’ve finally found my place with writing in March and have started to write important scenes for my novel. I have figured out plot point that had me stumped. I’ve figured out villain motivation and some things that will collect the tears of my readers. I don’t know if its right but I started at the end and am working forward to the beginning.
3) Post Everyday
Except for a few days when I was chronic fatigued I’ve posted to the blog pretty much every day, and I’ve done pretty good to keep my posts in advance for the case that I’m tired or chronic fatigued.
4) Participate in Readathons
Well I worked on my own Readathon, does that count. I’m saying it does indeed. The Blind Scribe and I have been working away on a little Easter/Ostra adventure for all of our Chopped fan readers from last time and to all the new faces we hope to see for April. The surprises will arrive at the beginning of April leaving you plenty of time to plan for your books for the readathon the week of Easter, April 10th-17th. While this is a mini readathon don’t worry were coming back with a whole month of fun in July.
I do the Trope-ical readathon every year, often multiple times a year and this year I need it especially I’m very behind when it comes to where I should be if I want to hit my reading goal but I always seem to hit all of the prompts on this readathon. I also like it because it has alternate prompts for each thing so I’m putting forward a book for each trope and the alternatives and hoping I get to at least most of them.
As you see I have a few holes if you have any suggestions of good books that fit those categories please let me know in the comments. I also need to consider the group book for fantasy but I will do that in another post. Overall I think this is a pretty good starting point I’m a mood reader so some things may change but I think I have good bone here.
Are you all looking forward to the spring or more winter people like I am wishing it would stay cold? Either way warmer temperatures are coming along with lots of new spring releases and I for one can’t to catch some of the new books.
1) Read Everyday
I’ve been so focused on goals I’ve gotten away from just looking at a book at enjoying the habit of reading every day. I’m going to get back to that in March and not worry so much about goals. I’ll have them, but I’m also just going to try to pick up a book every day just for fun.
2) Write Everyday
My novel has been sitting on the backburner for too long and it needs some real attention and while I acknologde I might not be able to write EVERY day that why this is a goal. I need to work on outlining and the rules of my fantasy world and character background. Then I want to get into the fun part, writing.
3) Post Everyday
I’ve been doing pretty good about this and I want to keep it up. It makes the blog number good and I just feel a sense of accomplishment posting consistently. I’ve got a lot of posts coming up that I think everyone is going to like but I won’t have time till the weekend to work on them.
4) Particpate in Readathons
I’ve got a couple readathons I’m doing in March and I may add more. I really enjoy these particular readathons to I’m going to try and take part in the social aspect of the readathons as well since that was something I didn’t do last time.
I think these are four pretty good goals for March I don’t want to be too ambitious but I want to challenge myself and I think this set of goals does that. I’m looking forward to March to work on theses.
Since we’re getting close to the end of the month I thought I’d do an overview of how I’d done for the month. See how everything went so far for this month.
Try and read at least 10 books in February
This is the same goal for every month. However I was extremely naïve to think I would hit it on a month where I was running a readathon. The readathon took the energy right out of me. I think I read two books this month. I plan to read more next month which I’ll get to in my March Goals especially since I’m participating in two readathons the Orillium Gear Up and the Trope-ical Readathon. Hopefully that will get my reading numbers back where they need to be for the year.
Work on the Readathon
I did tons of work on the readathon, I now know how much I have to learn and will be studying Google Forms and several other things before our new round of the readathon in July. This round was very educational and I hope everyone had fun and is still reading and getting in those last books.
Start doing research and rough drafting for my novel
The readathon eclipsed all other work, though hopefully I’ll have time for this in March. I really want to start getting my ideas organized and at least do some outlining. I have all my characters voices very strong in my head so I really should write them down.
Keep posting every day
I’ve done very well with posting nearly every single day in February. I only missed a few days here and there due to fatigue or pain, which I think is an acceptable reason to miss a day of posting besides sometimes you just need a break. But I’m going to keep my regular posting into March because it continues to make my stats look great.
So on the overview I think I did pretty well with my goals for this month, there are things I need to work on but I focused my energy on the thing that was most important to me and made sure content was up every day.
Check out what me and my co-host The Blind Scribe have done with the Chopped Readathon at here
So we are almost at the end of the month, I can’t believe we are almost done with the first month of the year. Maybe because I was in a cast this time this year that time seems to pass a little differently. Anyway I’m looking forward to February because the Chopped Romance Dinner Readathon. But I wanted to take a look back at my goals for January and see how I did.
Read 10 books in January
I’ve only read like 4 books but I’ll probably finish 6 by the end of the month. Migraines strike again, lots of sleeping and naps because I’m behind on my Botox. I went to my new neurologist yesterday so hopefully they can start giving me Botox shots soon!
Keep Posting Regularly
I’ve posted most every day this month, sometimes twice a day. So this goal I have on lock.
Work on things for my readathon
I dropped clues, my co-host and I figured out prompts, I did announcements for the Readathon coming up, and clue. I have a prize package together and finally I have TBRs up for the books I’ll be reading. I feel like I got at lot done for this goal. If you’re interested in the link to the readathon here.
Spend January planning out my readathons for the year.
I have a better handle on at least the next few months that have announced their dates. I’m sure a few more that have promised to come back this year will announce their date closer to the readathon. In which case I’ll take part in those. I’m also taking part in Pondathon II and some of their author quests and side quests all year.
Organize and clean out the categories on my blog
This one I didn’t really get around. I added a few more categories based on things I’m doing but I still need to rearrange stuff and clean stuff out.
Did you accomplish your January goals? How was you reading for this month? In a slump like me or are you miles ahead on your goal. Tell me in comments!
You’ve already heard my goals for the year at large. But now I’m going to focus on my January goals.
Read 10 books in January
I’ve been having pretty bad migraines so not sure if I’m going to get this one done but I’m going to try it will keep me on track to read 125 for the year.
Keep Posting Regularly
I’ve been doing well with this so far, so I hoping I can keep it up.
Work on things for my readathon
Start planning for the Chopped Readathon I’m hosting in February. I need to start dropping clues and decide on the prompts with my co-host. Then at the end of the month I’ll put up sign ups.
Spend January planning out my readathons for the year.
I know I want to do plenty of readathons this year but I want to get a handle on when they are so I can get a handle on how busy each month will be. I think this will help me plan what I’m reading for the year and see if I need to order any books in advance.
Organize and clean out the categories on my blog
I’ve haven’t really updated some of the categories and tags in awhile so I want to get the blog better organized. Some of the tags don’t apply anymore, same with some of the categories and there are some tags and categories that I need to add, so it’s mostly a clean up job but I really just didn’t feel like tackling it last year, this year I’m going to take it in small pieces.
So what are your January goals? Have anything in mind for this month you’ve been putting off? The last two items are ones I’ve really needed to do for awhile but just haven’t had the mental space for.
What are your goals for the New Year, are you shooting high are you keeping to your same goals from last year, or are you reducing what you are doing to relax some? I have to say I’m shooting a bit higher for the coming year. Maybe because I see the blog as sort of a business and I want to start reading more material to work with.
1) Starting with the number of books I want to read in the New Year I’m shooting higher this coming year. I managed to read 100 this year so I’m shooting for 125 this coming year with a stretch of 150.
2) I want to make sure I take part in readathons, they encourage me to read and allow me to read outside of what I would normally read. I know so far I’m taking part in two, Pondathon Part 2, and Finshathon both are going all year long but I know I will find month long Readathons to take part in throughout the year, for example there are several from this year that have promised to have second parts in 2022 that I’m excited about.
3) Posting regularly, In the new year I’d like to post 5-6 days a week, I want to get more people visiting the site, I want to get my numbers up, and this so far is how I have see that you can do it. So expect to see plenty of me on the site, and me being annoying as I argue with myself to keep consistent. Summer is going to be a problem I already know it. I should write posts for June and July now.
4) Engage on social media more. I think I’m starting to do this, I’m hosting a readathon in February. Chopped Readathon for anyone who wants to know we still need another organizer, and we have a prize. Also, I’m going to try to do better at blog hopping and commenting on other blogs.
What do your goals look like for the next year? Let me know in the comments or on Twitter!
