25 Reads Reflection and Book Challenges/Projects

Well, 2014 was pretty busy, considering I spent most of it writing, reading, and, well, getting acquainted with my new job (which includes dealing with germy, germy three-year-olds who have gotten me sick at least three-quarters of the past few months so far…). At the beginning of the year, I had set out to increase the amount of books I was reading on a regular basis (not that the past few years have been lazy or anything). I had also set out to be a bit more active in my blog. For which the 25 Reads Project emerged.

While I did reach my 50-books goal (actually, I surpassed that goal by over 20 books by now…), I didn’t exactly finish my 25 Reads Project. And I certainly didn’t review all of the ones I did read (because I just either couldn’t bring myself to rant about it or I really regretted picking it up in the first place), though that was certainly my goal. Just to hash it out, general stats on my 25 Reads of 2014:

Books Read and Reviewed: 15*
Books Read and Not Reviewed: 2
Books Not Read: 7
Books In the Process of Being Read: 1*

*Number is probably higher, because I technically counted series as one entire entity (so the Mistborn trilogy consisted of three books, and the Protector of the Small series consisted of four, etc.)

It seems like such a small sampling of things that I’d read, but as I said, I did manage to surpass my reading goal of 50. Might be because I signed up for Netgalley this year, and also went a little bit crazy on the Goodreads giveaway stuff. So that practically adds in another 11 books into my list of book reviews.

So total of Books Read and Reviewed on my blog this year? 26. So I guess it worked out! XD

Anyway, enough with the stats! I’m here also to take on a new 25 Reads Project, as well as a TBR Pile Challenge hosted by Roof Beam Reader. I figure I could kill two birds with one stone, doing my personal project as well as participating in a blog challenge hosted by someone else (plus, it looked like fun).

So without further ado, my 25 Reads Project for 2015:

Mari’s Must-Reads of 2015
(in no particular order)

1. Clariel, by Garth Nix
2. Divergent (+)*, by Veronica Roth
3. Boneshaker, by Cherie Priest
4. Spindle’s End, by Robin McKinley
5. The Warded Man, by Peter V. Brett
6. Nightingale, by Melissa Mickelsen
7. The Night Angel Trilogy (+)*, by Brent Weeks
8. Snow White, Blood Red, edited by Ellen Datlor and Terri Windling
9. Days of Blood & Starlight (+)*, by Laini Taylor
10. Fire Study (+)*, by Maria V. Snyder
11. The Diviners, by Libba Bray
12. Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, by Ransom Riggs
13. The Goblin Emperor, by Katherine Addison
14. The Graveyard Book, by Neil Gaiman
15. Snow Like Ashes, by Sara Raasch
16. The Thackery T. Lambshead Cabinet of Curiosities, edited by Ann VanderMeer
17. The Hundred-Foot Journey, by Richard C. Morais
18. Scarlet (+)*, by Marissa Meyer
19. The Eyre Affair, by Jasper Fforde
20. Throne of Glass (+)*, by Sarah J. Maas
21. Shadow and Bone (+)*, by Leigh Bardugo
22. Naked in Death, by J.D. Robb
23. Eolyn, by Karin Rita Gastreich
24. Shatter Me (+)*, by Tahereh Mafi
25. The Girl Who Leapt Through Time, by Yasutaka Tsutsui

(+)* denotes that I’ll likely read the rest of the series before reviewing it on the blog, though this may not necessarily be the case. I could always change my mind about this, depending on how long it’ll take me to pick up the series sequels.

I carried most of my unread books of 2014 over to the 2015 list, because hey, I really do intend to read them, so there you go!

As for the TBR Pile Challenge of 2015, my books:

1. Steelheart, by Brandon Sanderson
2. Assassin’s Apprentice, by Robin Hobb
3. The Forest of Hands and Teeth, by Carrie Ryan
4. Daughter of the Forest, by Juliet Marillier
5. The Shadow of the Wind, by Carlos Zafon Ruiz
6. Nobody’s Princess, by Esther M. Friesner
7. The Iron King, by Julie Kagawa
8. Clockwork Angel, by Cassandra Clare
9. The Way of Kings, by Brandon Sanderson
10. The Name of the Wind, by Patrick Rothfuss
11. I Am Number Four, by Pittacus Lore
12. The Disappearing Spoon, by Sam Kean

Alternates:
1. Beautiful Creatures, by Kami Garcia
2. Cast in Shadow, by Michelle Sagara

I’ve put up a Master List for both my 25 Reads Project and the TBR Pile Challenge, but there ya go. Now we’ll see how much I actually get read in light of the fact that I also have Netgalley books I’ve signed up to review, and there’s also my book meandering depending on my mood…so…yeah.