I decided to do my own reading goals this year.

Personal Reading

1. Read 166 books - I decided to up the number of books read. 166 is one-third of my TBR pile. Still doable as long as I don't get into any reading slumps. Most of the fiction books will come straight off my TBR mountain - I will use the library to complete my reading challenges for Austen and Steinbeck and keep up with the ...In Death series. Also, I want at minimum 55 books to be non-fiction, although I would like to see a 50/50 mix of non-fiction and fiction.

2.  Continue the Jane Austen Reading Challenge (7 books total, 1 completed, 1 currently reading) - Current pace is one book every other month.

        A. Pride and Prejudice (completed)

        B. Sense and Sensibility (currently reading)

        C. Northanger Abbey (January 2016)

        D. Mansfield Park (March 2016)

        E. Persuasion (May 2016)

        F. Lady Susan (July 2016)

        G. Emma (September 2016)

3. Courtney Milan Reading Challenge (10 books total) - One book per month and I can be done by autumn.

         A. The Carhart Series (3) January - March 2016

         B. Brother Sinsters Series (7) April - October 2016

4. Read the Harry Potter series (7 books) - if I can get through that first book this time around (stopping point the first time I tried to read it was 30 pages in), I know I can get through (and maybe enjoy) the entire series.

5. Women in Military Reading List: I developed this list after reading 4 non-fiction books about women in the US military.

6. Continue John Steinbeck Reading List: So far I have read 2 novels but I would like to read 5 more of his work in 2016. I will read Steinbeck in the months I don't read Austen.

7. Read 4-6 classics. This will not include any works of Steinbeck's or Austen's. I am hoping to get to two of Elizabeth Gaskell's novels sitting on my TBR pile and Ernest Hemingway's A Moveable Feast. I would like at least one novel to be from a POC/WOC, so if you got suggestions, please let me know in the comments!

8. Frank Sinatra at 100 Reading List: Today marks Sinatra's 100th birthday. Going to spend the year with my favorite solo artist.

Reading Related Goals

9. Continue to blog here about books.

10. I would like to do more bookish traveling. Maybe go to famous book stores or take literary walking tours. I have never been to the British Library - a fact of my life I will correct this year, even if I go by myself! Trying to expand my bookish interests to go beyond books. I do plan on attending the London Book Fair 2016 in April, although I am not sure I will go all three days.

11. I am also looking to volunteer more with my local libraries (two base libraries and my local British one). This will only work around my hubby's work schedule and my schooling, but I think it's doable. I plan on keeping my weekly date with the kids to go to Story Time.

12. Keep working on my manuscript that I started with NANOWRIMO 2015. I was solidly writing for about the first 10 days, then haven't touch it since. I felt the goal of writing 1,667 words every day was sucking the fun out of writing my story.

I am feeling stressed and I think I am coming down with a stomach bug. NaNoWriMo is taking up almost all my reading time and I am barely making the 1,667 words per day goal. Today I book hopped across three books, not making a dent in any one. I can't say if any of these books are grabbing me because I have read so little of each one. Hopefully by Monday everything will calm down and I can get a handle on my schedule.

I am only 10 pages in, but I think I am going to like this book more than P&P. I was sucked into the story of the Dashwoods and the family tensions/loyalties. I loved P&P and the slow burn/yearning between Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth, but I am more into Elinor and Marianne than the three younger Bennet sisters, who I thought were kind of a drag on the story (looking at you Lydia and Catherine). I think I might do some binge reading tonight and through the weekend.

I'm not going to say much that probably hasn't already been said, but what a great novel! I get the Darcy love. I love Elizabeth; I liked Jane and Mr. Bennet had me tearing up at the end, knowing his favorite daughter will be leaving the home. Mr. Bennet's talk with Elizabeth, trying to make sure she wasn't marrying for anything but for love and companionship with Darcy was him trying to make sure Elizabeth didn't make the same mistake he made marrying Mrs. Bennet. I liked the Gardiners moreso than the Phillips.

Just loved this book. Not much of a review, sorry.