However, during December of 2016, I realised that I had been focused so much on studying that I hadn't really been living my life. I was constantly trying to remember all this information, making notes, locking myself up in my room, not talking to anyone for days on end because I was so focused on passing my exams. There was a moment when I just stopped and though, "What am I doing?". Yes, exams are important, and I am not trying to say that you shouldn't revise on them because grades do matter. I just don't think the extent I was going to to revise was healthy, and I was actually doing more damage to myself than good. I had stopped myself from doing something I enjoyed so much in my younger years, and a lot of things suffered for that. I noticed my writing style had decreased in quality and I had no original ideas anymore, which worried me a lot since I would love to write my own books someday in the future. I also realised I had just stopped talking to people because I had nothing interesting to talk to them about. Whenever they asked me how my weekend was or what I would be up to in the evening, I would always say, "Revising" and I decided that that just wasn't good enough for me. I wanted to be able to discuss stories again, to read new books and force them upon my friends because I loved them so much. So that is what I intend to do this year.
I know normally the challenge is to read 50 books in a year, but since I haven't read books in such a long time, and that I am a much slower reader than I used to be, I would just set myself a bit of a smaller target. 2 books a month would make 24 books a year and I though to myself that I might as well make it 25 since its already half of the 50 book target. I started this challenge in January 2017, and as I am currently writing this, I have already read six books (so I guess you could say I'm pretty on track with my 2 books a month target). I would love to review these books at some point, but my revision schedule - although less intense than before - won't allow me to do that. I may do a 6 month checkpoint review type thing when I've finished my exams and will begin my gap year plans, but we'll see. Here are the books that I have read in 2017:
January
1) Light by Michael Grant (Gone Book 6)
2) The Art of being Normal by Lisa Williamson
3) Cinder by Marissa Meyer ( The Lunar Chronicles Book 1)
February
4) Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Mass (Throne of Glass Book 1)
5) Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Mass (Throne of Glass Book 2)
6) Heir of Fire by Sarah J. Mass (Throne of Glass Book 3)
Currently Reading - Queen of Shadows by Sarah J. Mass (Throne of Glass Book 4)
Here are the books I plan to read in the rest of the year. I may or may not stick to this too read list, but we shall see.
8) Empire of Storms by Sarah J. Mass (Throne of Glass Book 5)
9) The Assassins Blade by Sarah J. Mass (Throne of Glass Prequel)
10) Scarlet by Marissa Meyer ( The Lunar Chronicles Book 2)
11) Cress by Marissa Meyer ( The Lunar Chronicles Book 3)
12) Fairest by Marissa Meyer ( The Lunar Chronicles Book 3.5)
13) Winter by Marissa Meyer ( The Lunar Chronicles Book 4)
14) Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard (Red Queen Book 1)
15) Glass Sword by Victoria Aveyard (Red Queen Book 2)
16) Vivian versus the Apocalypse by Katie Coyle
17) Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
18) Margot and Me by Juno Dawson
19) The Women of Baker Street by Michelle Birkby
20) Three Dark Crowns by Kendare Blake
21)The Darkest Minds by Alexander Bracken
22) Pretties by Scott Westerfeld (Uglies Book 2)
23) Specials by Scott Westerfeld (Uglies Book 3)
24) Extras by Scott Westerfeld (Uglies Book 4)
25)Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare
It's unlikely that I will stick to that order and I may not stick to that set list, but these are the books I'm hoping to have read by 31st December 2017.