I know this is a week too late, but I’ve been trying to write this ever since January 1st and I just can’t seem to find the right words to write this blog post. I have a couple of resolutions in mind and have probably told a couple of my bookish friends about it. A couple of days ago, my friend Angele @ Angele Reads Books tagged me to do The New Year’s Resolution Reading Challenge! Just like her, it’s my first book tag here on my blog and I’ve decided to do it along with my personal bookish resolutions.

I don’t want to be hard on myself when it comes to my personal reading resolution because I don’t want to mess up the feeling that reading gives me. So I came up with just a couple of items for my resolution:

• Commit to a reading journal which I’ve been planning to do since July of 2020. I’ve been preparing for my journal this year and have accumulated a lot of stickers, post its, markers, pens, etc. I’ve also started designing my journal, though I’m not yet ready to share it here.
• Finish at least one series that I’ve started in 2021. As you all know, I’ve started quite a number of series last year and still haven’t read their sequels. One of my goals is to try and finish at least one of them before starting a new one.
• Read more diverse books — from authors of color, Asian authors, etc.
• Try to tick off as much prompts from the Fully Booked 2021 Reading Challenge

As for the tag, here are the rules:

• Link back to the original creator (The Corner of Laura) and link back to the challenge page (otherwise, the original creator won’t get a notification).
• Thank whoever tagged you and link back to their post.
• Tag 5 or more other people.
• Read books that fit the description. Laura put some recommendations in the original post to help you pick but you can read anything that fits the brief!
• The deadline for the challenge is six weeks after you were originally tagged (which, statistically, is the point when 80% of people give up their New Year’s Resolutions) e.g. if you were tagged in the original tag, the deadline is 12th February.
• Post a wrap-up when you’re done to show how you got on.

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EXERCISE: A BOOK WITH 500 PAGES OR MORE (IN ANY EDITION).

Physik (Septimus Heap, #3) by Angie Sage

I’ve started the Septimus Heap series early in 2020 and have enjoyed the first two books in the series, I just haven’t gotten into reading the third one because other books kept on distracting me.

This is also one of the series that I hope to finish this year along with Rick Riordan’s Kane Chronicles series.

BONUS CHALLENGE—READ A BOOK WITH 800 PAGES OR MORE.

The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon

If I ever get the chance or extra time to do the bonus challenge, this is the one the fits this prompt and also one of the books that has been on my radar ever since it came out.

I’ve heard so many good things about it, and I’m so excited to read it. I don’t have a copy of yet, though. I’m still waiting for another sale from my local bookstore. Haha

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LEARN A NEW SKILL: A BOOK FROM A GENRE YOU NEVER USUALLY READ.

In The Dream House by Carmen Maria Machado

I read a lot of books from different genres, but I always find myself staying away from non-fiction books. I read Becoming by Michelle Obama last year and absolutely loved it! So I’m trying to read more memoirs in 2021.

I think In the Dream House is a very short memoir and it’s very interesting. I heard that it is written in a way it seemed like it’s fiction.

BONUS CHALLENGE—BOOK FROM A GENRE OUTSIDE YOUR COMFORT ZONE THAT WAS PUBLISHED IN 2020/21.

A Promised Land by Barack Obama

Since I loved Becoming by Michelle Obama, I would also love to finish reading A Promised Land. I really want to get copies of both books but they are quite expensive in my country because they are hardcovers. I’m waiting for the paperbacks to be available.

I’ve already started A Promised Land and it’s written wonderfully. The audiobook is amazing too because it’s narrated by Barack himself.

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SAVE MONEY: READ A SECOND-HAND BOOK OR ANY BOOK YOU DIDN’T PAY FULL PRICE FOR.

The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware

This has been on my radar ever since it came out a couple of years ago, I’ve actually already started reading this book on Friday and it’s such a page-turner. It’s perfect to help me get out of the reading slump that I’m currently in.

This is my first time to read Ruth Ware and I am definitely in love with her writing-style. I can’t wait to write a review about it on here soon.

BONUS CHALLENGE—READ A LIBRARY BOOK.

There aren’t actually a lot of libraries available in my country, so I don’t think I’ll be able to do the bonus challenge for this prompt.

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REDUCE STRESS: READ A HAPPY BOOK OR ANYTHING THAT LEAVES A SMILE ON YOUR FACE.

Tweet Cute by Emma Lord

This book is one of the books that I’ve acquired last year and have been meaning to read it in December, but circumstances have surfaced, so I was not able to. It’s perfect for this prompt because it seems like a feel-good novel.

I browsed through the pages and it’s just really cute seeing tweets and text messages. I love novels with different kinds of text format!

BONUS CHALLENGE—READ A HAPPY BOOK ABOUT REDUCING STRESS/TACKLING MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEMS.

The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin

I’ve been hearing about this book for years and it just seem like a good book for this bonus challenge as it talks about Gretchen’s search for happiness in a span of a whole year.

I think I’ll probably read this mid-year to get me going with life in general and to remind me that there are so many things to be thankful and happy about.

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TRAVEL MORE: A BOOK SET IN A FOREIGN COUNTRY (OR EVEN WORLD!).

Clockwork Angel (The Infernal Devices, #1) by Cassandra Clare

The Infernal Devices series is one of the series that has been on my TBR for a long time. I have mentioned in a lot of my previous blog entries that I finally had the courage to finish The Mortal Instruments series last year (after 6 years after City of Heavenly Fire‘s release!).

The Shadowhunter world is one of the fantasy worlds that I have loved and adored in during my teenage years, so I really had a hard letting go of Clary and Jace’s story. Last year, I decided to stop being so scared of finishing the series, so I can start catching up with all the books that Cassie has published throughout the years. So I am really excited to read The Infernal Devices series and all the other Shadowhunter-related series out there.

BONUS CHALLENGE—BOOK THAT WAS ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN ANOTHER LANGUAGE.

The Memory Police by Yoko Ogawa (Translated by Stephen Snyder)

One of my personal reading goals is to read more diverse books and to read more novels from non-American authors. I love supporting POC authors and have been on the look-out for more of their novels.

I have also always wanted to read more Japanese novels because a lot of Japanese novels, manga, and anime/movies’ story and plot seem very interesting for me.

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SPEND MORE TIME WITH FAMILY AND FRIENDS: READ A BOOK RECOMMENDED BY YOUR IRL/ONLINE FAMILY AND/OR FRIENDS.

Deception Point by Dan Brown

This is a book that my boyfriend has been pushing me to read for a long time now, I wanted to finish the Robert Langdon series first before reading this one but he suggests that I read it already as it’s outside of the series.

Regardless, I know that this will be another intense page-turner reads for me because Dan Brown’s writing is just one of my favorite writing-styles. I never would have thought I’d be such a fan.

BONUS CHALLENGE—READ A BOOK YOU WOULDN’T HAVE PICKED UP OTHERWISE.

I’m not really sure about this one because I try to read pretty much everything, but maybe some classics? Non-fiction and classic novels are two genres that I haven’t really gotten to explore yet and as I’ve mentioned earlier in the post, I’m trying to read as much non-fiction as I can this year, but I still have no plans for when I’ll work on my classic reads.

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STOP PROCRASTINATING: A BOOK THAT’S BEEN ON YOUR TBR FOR OVER A YEAR.

Emergency Contact by Mary H.K. Choi

Honestly, this has been on my TBR for more than I year. I remember stumbling upon this book while browsing the shelves in my local bookstore in 2018. They didn’t have any other copies and the book is damaged so I didn’t buy it then, I’ve been looking for it in other branches but they didn’t have it in stock.

In 2019, my boyfriend and I went to Singapore and was able to squeeze into Books Kinokuniya in our itinerary. As I was browsing their shelves, I saw this again! I bought it. So, yes, I should probably read it. This has become a mashed potato book for me and I need to get to it this year.

BONUS CHALLENGE—THE BOOK AT THE VERY BOTTOM OF YOUR TBR.

Stolen by Lucy Christopher

Stolen is one of the books at the bottom of my TBR. According to Goodreads, I’ve shelved it on January 22, 2015. What a long time ago, eh? I remember that I just saw this from one of the booktubers that I follow, but couldn’t find it in any of my local bookstores. Last year, I stumbled upon someone who’s selling a secondhand copy and knew that I had to get it. It’s very cheap, but it made me happy knowing that I now have a copy of a book that I’ve been looking for so long.

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FOCUS ON SELF-CARE: A BOOK WHERE MENTAL HEALTH IS CENTRAL.

It’s Kind of a Funny Story by Ned Vizzini

I think it’s time that I give this book another try. I tried to read this a couple of years ago but had to put it down because I wasn’t in the mood for it back then. If I remember it correctly, I was distracted with The Mortal Instruments books that I just couldn’t read any other book. Haha

This year, I want to finally read it so I can also watch the movie.

BONUS CHALLENGE—READ A SELF-HELP BOOK AND TRY OUT ONE OF THE PIECES OF ADVICE IT GIVES. LET US KNOW HOW IT WENT IN YOUR WRAP-UP POST!

The Subtle Art of Not Giving A F*ck by Mark Manson

My boyfriend got this from one of our Christmas parties, and gave it to as he was not into reading self-help books. I still haven’t read it, so maybe this prompt will get me into finally picking it up.

I heard a lot of good things about this book. They say that it’s unlike any other self-help books — other self-help books didn’t seem to work for me the way it does to others. So we’ll see!

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SCREW RESOLUTIONS, I QUIT!: RE-READ AN OLD FAVOURITE.
Side Effects May Vary by Julie Murphy

This is my first Julie Murphy book and the only one that I have read so far. It was recommended my one of my online friends and back then, I only had an e-book copy. It was very long for an e-book and I’m surprised that I even managed to finish it then.

These days, I couldn’t get past 100 pages whenever I try to read an e-book. My eyes just strain too much from the glare, but I recently acquired a physical copy of this, so it’s the perfect time to reread it.

BONUS CHALLENGE—RE-READ AN ENTIRE SERIES.

The Dark Elements series by Jennifer L. Armentrout

This is one of my favorite fast-paced fantasy series and it’s been so long since I last read it. I’ve been meaning to read it for a while now after finding out about her new novels and a spin-off series.

I’M TAGGING:

• Wendy @ Written in Wonder
• Evelyn @ Evelyn Reads
• Denise @ Denisia’s Den
• Jonna @ Jonna and Her Wails
• Paula @ The Paper Reels

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Note that for all the bonus challenges, I am not sure if I can get to them but it’s better to plan them out as well. I’m so excited for this reading resolution/challenge! What about you? Do you have any bookish resolutions? Are you taking part in a reading challenge for 2021?