5 Months. 5 Goals. Update the Second

5 Months. 5 Goals. August 2017-December 2017

1. Write a weekly week-in-review post at Becky's Book Reviews sharing links to everything I've reviewed at my blogs. REASON: So monthly wrap-up posts are not scary-intimidating.

Success. These posts can be found under the tag "2017 week in review".

2. Read five classics and review them from a Christian perspective. Reason: I enjoy reading classics. I am a Christian. And so often I delegate Operation Actually Read Bible to just "Christian" fiction. Classics can be of benefit to believers even if they're not Christian. We live in a real world that is messy.

1984. George Orwell. 1949. 268 pages. [Source: Bought] (August)
Great Expectations. Charles Dickens. 1860. 640 pages. [Source: Library] (August)

3. Read 40-50 books from my GoodRead's ChristianTBR list. Reason: I need to read my own books. 

I reviewed 5 books in August from my Christian TBR list. I reviewed 9 books in September from my Christian TBR list. 

4. Improve my feedback ratio on Netgalley. I haven't decided if the problem is a) I choose other books to read and review instead of these e-galleys, b) I do review them but am horrible at going and submitting feedback, c) I request books faster than I can read them, d) all of the above. To make this a measurable goal: let's say I'd like to have my "feedback sent" number be 200+ by December 2017. Reason: So I don't feel guilty.

This will be the hardest goal to achieve. I actually added twenty books to my Netgalley shelf in August. I sent feedback in for two in August. I added twelve books to my Negalley shelf in September. I sent feedback in for ten in September. So if I hadn't added books this month, I'd have made some progress! Still, I think I did BETTER in September than in August. 

5. Restart a mother-daughter book club project with my mom. It will be up to her if we read one book per month. Or if we just read two or three books over the next five months. Reason: MOM IS AWESOME.

In September, mom and I read some of the same picture books. 

Egg. Kevin Henkes. 2017. 40 pages. [Source: Library]
Here Comes Teacher Cat. Deborah Underwood. Illustrated by Claudia Rueda. 2017. 88 pages. [Source: Library] 
 Noisy Night. Mac Barnett. Illustrated by Brian Biggs. 2017. 32 pages. [Source: Library]
Tea with Oliver. Mika Song. 2017. HarperCollins. 40 pages. [Source: Library]
You Must Bring A Hat. Simon Philip. Illustrated by Kate Hindley. 2017. 40 pages. [Source: Library] La La La: A Story of Hope. Kate DiCamillo. Illustrated by Jaime Kim. 2017. Candlewick. 72 pages. [Source: Review copy]
The Catawampus Cat. Jason Carter Eaton. Illustrated by Gus Gordon. 2017. 32 pages. [Source: Library]
Carrot & Pea. Morag Hood. 2017. HMH. 32 pages. [Source: Review copy]  

I haven't worked out a way for Mom to share her thoughts yet. But I do have her reading.

Alternate: Read 42 books of my charity books--books I've bought from Ruth's Room Too. This would be about 10% of my TBR. I do keep track of what comes home with me. REASON: I have no self-control around bargain books. If I actually read them, then I can say: BUT I READ THEM, they just don't sit around.

1. Skitterbrain. Irene Bennett Brown. 1978. 112 pages. [Source: Bought] (August)
2. Three Little Kittens. Illustrated by Lilian Obligado. 1974. Random House. 32 pages. [Source: Bought]  (September)
3. The Circular Staircase. Mary Roberts Rinehart. 1908. 197 pages. [Source: Bought] (September)
4. The Case of the Fiery Fingers. Erle Stanley Gardner. 1951. 192 pages. [Source: Bought] (September)
5. The Case of the Lucky Loser. Erle Stanley Gardner. 1957. 192 pages. [Source: Bought] (September)
6. The Case of the Gilded Lily. (Perry Mason #50) Erle Stanley Gardner. 1956. 188 pages. [Source: Bought] (September)
7. The Case of the Daring Decoy. (Perry Mason #54) Erle Stanley Gardner. 1957. 198 pages. [Source: Bought]   (September)
8. The Living Bible. 1974. Tyndale. 1090 pages. [Source: Bought] (September)

© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible