Ani's Book Abyss: 2016 Bookish Resolutions -- May & June Progress Report

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My 2016 Bookish Resolutions Summary post

May ramblings: So I got really, really lazy this month (aside from all the reading I managed to do) and just didn't want to do a monthly progress report. And so I made a decision to start combining my progress reports. This time around will be for May and June. Next time around... I don't know. But at least May was a great month in terms of some catching up on some of my goals. I finally made time for one new recipe (the first and only other was in January). Though that's pretty much it for May...

June ramblings: I'm starting to believe that I've gotten lazy about blogging. To be honest, while I like blogging about my reading challenges, I don't like having to update twenty posts about reading challenges. So... first of all, I'm hoping to finally be able to consolidate everyone to one blog soon and then cross post from said blog elsewhere. That will be a new blogging goal for me, though I won't really list it. Otherwise, everything else going on this month has been rather blah. I have a lot of catching up to do.

The new "Delete and Tweak" option: I never had much issue with my Blogging Goals or my Reading Goals. Though the Blogging Goals feel a bit more tedious and at least one of my Blogging Goals has been harder to manage, I'm still doing fine. But it seems that my Personal Goals are the issues right now, so changes will definitely be made there. Changes will be in blue font. And yes, I fully took advantage of this new option, because, once again, I overshot myself and made one too many goals.

Blogging Goals

- 1 - Participate in at least 50% of the Top Ten Tuesday meme (@ The Broke and the Bookish) topics for 2016--that's 26 of the TTT topics.

Running Total: 12 Top Ten Tuesday posts written

January: 3 Top Ten Tuesday posts written
February: 2 Top Ten Tuesday posts written
March: 1 Top Ten Tuesday posts written
April: 1 Top Ten Tuesday posts written
May: 3 Top Ten Tuesday posts written

June: 2 Top Ten Tuesday posts written

- 2 - Continue to post Monthly Reading Wrap-ups... with a slightly less overwhelmingly bulky form.

Deleted Goal: Because this one seems redundant now that I've been doing it regularly. And it's a bit tedious because I'm tired of listing all my wrap ups each progress report. In fact, I will soon be creating a non-review blog post index that includes everything else I post about including monthly reading wrap ups.

- 3 - Create and try to maintain a blogging schedule.

January: Lots of out-of-control, lots of colors. See January update for more info.
February: No pictures this time. Just know that things are continuing to get more chaotic.
March: Still keeping up. See March update for more info... though not much more info.
April: I've been slacking. That's all I can say really.
May: No change. Just chugging along.
June: One new change--all of my reviews and some update posts are being transferred to Blogger and so I felt the need to keep track of what I'm posting in a more official capacity. I have an "index" of sorts of all the blog posts I've written and posted as well as anything that is being written, scheduled to be published, or is in the planning phase. When I started creating a separate book blog with Blogger, I also started transferring reviews from Booklikes and Goodreads--those transferred reviews are being tracked on my spreadsheet as well.

After six months of monkeying around with a blogging schedule, I've come up with two separate spreadsheets to keep track of what I'm blogging and one colorful calendar. Actually one of my spreadsheets is quite colorful too. So at this point in time, I consider this goal to be complete. After all, even MY obsessive compulsive ass feels like some of my spreadsheets are overly adequate... maybe even a tad bit overkill.

- Bonus Goal - Attempt participating in at least two other monthly/weekly bookish memes.

May My TBR List meme:

June My TBR List meme:

Cover Crush on Thursdays:

Reading Goals

See Also: 2016 Bookish Resolutions shelf

- 1 - Finish reading 10 completed series that I have already started reading.

Running Total: 5 completed series finished reading

January: 1 series finished
February: 1 series finished
March: 1 series finished
April: 1 series finished
May: 1 series finished
June: 0 series finished

I had really hoped to have Lotus War finished in June, but circumstances of the "I'm not enjoying this book" persuasion blindsided me and so I decided that I needed to take a break from the world of young adult Japanese steampunk for a while. Forcing myself to finish the series in one go is not doing my reading mood any favors. So I'm going to take a break, take some time, and come back to the last book later.

This goal is at least fifty percent completed, so I'm happy, being that it's midyear and all.

(1) Heather Wells by Meg Cabot -- COMPLETED 5/7/2016

Already Read: Size 12 Is Not Fat, Size 14 Is Not Fat Either, Big Boned
Read in May:

#4. Size 12 and Ready to Rock -- 5/1/2016
#5. The Bride Wore Size 12 -- 5/7/2016

Lucky Harbor by Jill Shalvis -- In progress

Already Read: Simply Irresistible, The Sweetest Thing, Head Over Heels
Read in May: #4. Lucky in Love -- 5/20/2016

Left to Read:

#5. At Last
#6. Forever and a Day
#7. It Had to Be You
#8. Always On My Mind
#9. Once in a Lifetime
#10. It's in His Kiss
#11. He's So Fine
#12. One in a Million

The Lotus War trilogy by Jay Kristoff -- In progress

Already Read: Stormdancer
Read in June: Kinslayer (book 2) -- 6/20/2016
Left to Read: Endsinger (book 3)

- 2 - Catch up with 5 ongoing series that I have already started reading.

Running Total: 1 ongoing series caught up with

January: 0 series finished
February: 0 series finished
March: 1 series caught up
April: 0 series caught up
May: 0 series caught up
June: 0 series caught up

I had plans to finish reading the last two available KGI books by Maya Banks... but that didn't really happen. At least I didn't over-estimate my ability to catch up with ongoing series. I will leave the series listed as a form of motivation to get these last two books read. Because in 2017, apparently there will be two more books.

KGI by Maya Banks -- In progress

Already Read: The Darkest Hour, No Place to Run, Hidden Away, Whispers in the Dark, Echoes at Dawn, Shades of Gray, Forged in Steele, After the Storm
Left to Read:

#9. When Day Breaks
#10. Darkest Before Dawn
#11. Brighter Than the Sun - Publication February 2017
#12. untitled work - Publication 2017

Deleted Goal: This goal is actually not coming along as well as I would have liked. And I don't want to have to worry about finishing it up in a timely manner with so many other reading goals going on this year, so it's getting the boot.

- 3 - Read 5 completed series that are new to me.

Running Total: 4 new to me completed series read

January: 1 series finished
February: 0 series read
March: 0 series read
April: 2 series read
May: 0 series read
June: 1 series read

I finished one more series. That's four down and one more to go. ONE MORE! I'm almost there!

(1) Starbound by Amie Kaufman & Meagan Spooner -- COMPLETED 6/7/2016

#1. These Broken Stars -- 5/18/2016
#2. This Shattered World -- 5/24/2016
#3. Their Fractured Light -- 6/7/2016

- 4 - Participate in at least one Read-a-thon in 2016 (Bout of Books, Dewey's 24 Hour, any personal or community improv/unofficial read-a-thon, etc.)

-- GOAL COMPLETED -- 1/10/2016 --

Running Total: 3 Read-a-thons participated

January: Participated in Bout of Books 15 Read-a-thon
February: Did not Read-a-thon this month.
March: Participated in 24 Hour Take Control TBR Pile
April: Did not Read-a-thon this month.
May: Participated in Bout of Books 16 Read-a-thon

Bout of Books Read-a-thon: May 9 to May 15

June: Did not Read-a-thon this month.

- 5 - Pick up at least 10 new to me authors (books not pre-listed for my 2016 Reading Assignment Challenge).

Running Total: 10 new-to-me authors picked up -- GOAL COMPLETED 4/29/2016

January: 3 new-to-me authors read
February: 3 new-to-me authors read
March: 3 new-to-me authors read
April: 1 new-to-me authors read
May: 0 new-to-me authors read
June: 0 new-to-me authors read

- 6 - Accomplish my 2016 Mount TBR Reading Challenge goals. Tackle those books already on my shelves pre-2016!

Running Total: 23 Mt. TBR Books read

January: 6 Mt. TBR books read
February: 5 books read
March: 4 books read
April: 3 books read
May: 3 books read

Prince Joe by Suzanne Brockmann -- 5/10/2016
Forever Blue by Suzanne Brockmann -- 5/11/2016
These Broken Stars by Amie Kaufman -- 5/18/2016

June: 2 books read

Hanover House by Brenda Novak -- 6/14/2016
Kinslayer by Jay Kristoff -- 6/20/2016

See also My 2016 Mount TBR Challenge summary post for complete listing.

Personal Goals

- 1 - Clock at least 2 hours of cardio workout each month.

Running Total: 2.42 hours of cardio clocked

January: 0 hours cardio clocked
February: 2.42 hours cardio clocked
March: 0 hours cardio
April: 0 hours of cardio
May: 0 hours cardio
June: 0 hours cardio

May ramblings: The gym is just so far away. And so is the treadmill in my basement. And the sidewalk around my neighborhood.

June ramblings: I have no more excuses.

- 2 - Attempt to work out at least twice a week. Failing that, attempt to work out at least 8 times a month (which will be met if I can get my lazy ass to work out at least twice a week). <--Tweaked to --> Attempt to do some form of physical activity at least once a week (four times a month), not necessarily in a vigorous work-out capacity, for the rest of the year. In other words, some stretching and light strength training will count. If I can make myself start doing cardio, that counts too.

Running Total: 4.5 times worked out

January: 0 times worked out
February: 1 time worked out
March: 2.5 times worked out
April: 2 times worked out
May: 0 times worked out
June: 1 time worked out

May ramblings: There was a lot of food involved and a lot of sleeping involved this month.

June ramblings: I started doing little semi-work outs each morning mid-sleep. I'll stretch my legs a little bit before going to sleep. Then four hours later, I'll wake up, pee, then do some more stretching. And while I'm on the ground stretching my legs, I'll go ahead and do some mini core workouts. It's not much, but I feel like it's better than nothing. Then, at some point after I finally got better from being sick with the cold, I started doing some mini arm work outs during the evening.

All of that has to count for something, right? I'm going to call it one work out. Because, reasons.

- 3 - Learn 5 new recipes. Actually make said recipes. And take pictures. For evidence. <-- Changed 12 to 5

Yearly Total: 2 new recipes

January: 1 new recipe learned // Tomato Basil Soup
February: 0 new recipes
March: 0 new recipes
April: 0 new recipes
May: 1 new recipe // Sweet Potato Patties
June: 0 new recipes

May ramblings: Yay! I've got one more! ....... Ten to go.

June ramblings: This was a rather unproductive month. And I had so many plans, too.

- Bonus Goal - Be better at being sociable, in general.

May ramblings: Being sociable is relative to how much time I get to sleep and read by myself.

June ramblings: Vacation and outings and family gatherings... sort of... Oh my!

Previous Update Posts

2016 Bookish Resolutions -- January Progress Report
2016 Bookish Resolutions -- February Progress Report
2016 Bookish Resolutions -- March Progress Report
2016 Bookish Resolutions -- April Progress Report

Ani's Book Abyss

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Sunday, July 3, 2016

2016 Bookish Resolutions -- May & June Progress Report