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January 03, 2015

Juhina's 2015 Book reading and buying resolutions

For the past three years, I've never really done a reading/book buying resolution. However this year has been a dire one in both aspects. One, I have noticed that I barely, and I mean barely read non review books. Second, I noticed that because I barely read non review books, and my buying habits, my physical TBR pile has accumulated to astronomical numbers. We're talking in the hundreds here. That's why I am implementing these rules.. eh.. guidelines to improve both my book reading and book buying habits. 
Let's count my physical TBR (disappeared for half an hour). One thing, I am not counting ARCs that I received unsolicited or my sister read. I am only counting finished copies of books I am interested in reading. So the number amounts to 170 books. In a couple of years, with my rules, I think it is possible to have read or at least tried to read all the books I'm interested in that are on my shelves. Here are the rules that I've been following for the past two months:
Oh yes, It is the lovely Bookoutlet.. which some of us have gone crazy over. I personally have never really went all out and most of the books I bought were ones I actually want to read. However, many have exceeded the one year rule. Others, I've actually read in allotted time. For example, I bought Dark Triumph by Robin LaFevers last december and I read it this month. I am going to try including one book a month from my past book outlet hauls. Here are other rules I'm going to keep track of:
I think what's really propelling me to make this post and stick to my TBR is all the amazing books that I'm missing out on. I bought The Kiss of Deception as soon as it came out and I still haven't read it. It pains me that I still didn't. However I AM reading it this January. Other books include Me Before You by Jojo Moyes, Let the Sky Fall by Shannon Messenger, Trouble by Non Pratt, among many fluffy contemporaries that are one sit reads but all I'm thinking about is keeping up with  my review pile. I am not being ungrateful, I am truly 200% grateful and privileged to receive advanced and finished books from publishers. However, I think the problem lies with my eagerness and that feeling of being special because you have that book early or read that book before everyone else. I'm trying to be very picky with my review books and I mostly only request one or two books, maximum, from every newsletter. Honestly, all I want is to follow the motto below:
 Here are some guidelines.. heck, they are rules.. that I want to follow and stick to for this year.
My most important reading rule is this one:

To sum up this post. I am going to leave you all with one advice: I know it's hard, I really do. Especially if the book is a review book, especially if you are new to reviewing and don't want to be black listed from a review list.. but you know what? I've rated many books from all publishers one or two.. they know you can't enjoy every single book you read. For them, it is better that you DNF it and don't rate it. I personally only DNF-ed one book this year, and it was a non review NA title.. but still, I am going to really focus more on my enjoyment level and not so much on needing and having to finish said book just to add to my GR challenge or to please a publisher. 

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14 comments:

  1. I have problems DNFing too. I always feel a bit bad when I DNF because I know an author put tons and tons of work into it and I couldn't even be bothered to finish. But I hate struggling to finish books. I have tons of half-finished books that I refuse to DNF even though I'm not interested in them at all. Time to put them on the DNF shelf!

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  2. "Don't fall for the hype wagon." THIS! I need to think more critically about the books I actually buy/spend my time on because the hype is not where it is at. For instance, I was very disappointed by The Young Elites, We Were Liars, and The Bronze Horseman and those were all books I picked up because of BookTube hype.

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  3. The last two years, I've become very good at DNF books and it's such a relief! I'm also trying to cut down on buying books, because I already have so many TBR piles on my room.. I hope to stay around a maximum of 3 books every month. Good luck with your goals!

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  4. I have never DNF'd a book. I just scan and skim to the end if it's still rubbish.
    I feel your pain with the TBR pile! x_x
    LOVED the quote of Bookoutlet x'D
    Happy reading!
    Katie @ Kitkatscanread.blogspot.co.uk

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  5. I have only DNF'd like two books ever. lol I always feel so guilty even though I know I shouldn't. I also always keep thinking the book will get better....

    Good luck with all of your goals!

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  6. These are so great, especially the "hypewagon" and the fear of the DNF. I need to read more non-review books, as well.

    Kate @ Ex Libris

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  7. I tend to not DNF books because I mostly buy all my own books so it seems a waste haha. I did not know about this bookoutlet thing and I think I'm mad at you because they ship international which means I am probably going to buying books from there now. DAMMIT!!! Haha. I hope your new system works and the you get through all those books :)

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  8. Aw, this post is gorgeous Juhina :D Thank you for sharing your reading goals for this year. <3 You are awesome. And I hope you will manage to do all of it :) I really need to stop buying so many books too, and read more of my TBR list :p Happy reading sweetie. <3

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  9. Well I did not read this year... as i was suppose to read.. but I read amazing books also and some of them were bad also..
    Anna and the french kiss series {adorable}
    i'll give you the sun {emotional}
    shatter me
    snow like ashes
    between the devil and the deep blue sea
    matched
    broken hearts, fences and other things to mend
    me and earl and the dying girl.. {hilarious btw}
    and of course how can i forget rainbow rowell eleanor and park {very cute}.. and john green's fault in our stars.. and also the movie.. so yeah but in 2015 m planning to read more I.A

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  10. These look like great goals! It's easy to get caught up with review titles and hype. I managed to escape that last year and actually read twice as many backlist titles are review titles, which was nice!

    I haven't gotten sucked into the Book Outlet madness yet, probably because I prefer ebooks. But I'm waiting on my Boxing Day order, and that will likely be it for me.

    Good luck!

    Angie @ Pinkindle

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  11. hahaha I've been avoiding Bookoutlet because of what you said. On one hand, beautiful for the cheap prices! On another hand, oh gosh my book buying was out of control for the first three years that I was blogging and I'm *STILL* trying to catch up. I like the rules that you've laid out for yourself on book buying. For me, I've just decided that I'm only going to buy books that I've read and already like. Read em through ARCs or the library. And next year, maybe I'll go back to the try-before-reading if it's as you say, and I can read the book within the same month I purchased it.

    I hope you enjoy The Kiss of Deception and it is 100% truly a book you want :D. I like this new motto. We're on the same page, you and I, about our reading resolutions. I stopped DNFing review books - but not that I've stopped review books, I can DNF again. I wish you luck in your DNFing - it's a hard habit to adopt if you're not used to doing it... :O

    here's to an awesome 2015!

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  13. Good luck, you can do this :)
    I follow similar guideline when purchasing books, unfortunately we don't have bookoutlet from the place I live, so what I do now I buy 3 books that are new releases n read them ASAP and write a review for that book. One of my biggest ambitions in 2015 is to write more reviews for my blog since I've just started.I hope we all have great year in 2015 :)
    http://zeybooks.blogspot.co.uk

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  14. Honestly, one of my bookish resolutions should probably to stop buying so many books, but that's probably not going to happen, so I don't even know if I want to try lol. There are just way too many books that I want to own! That being said, I actually only buy a small fraction of the total books I read- lots of review copies from publishers and trips to the library :)

    I wonder if I should start DNFing books more easily- I'm pretty tolerant of most problems in books, so I can mostly push through them even if they're not that great, holding out the hope that it will get better...that being said, I definitely DNF when I need to. Don't want to keep reading a book I absolutely hate!

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