Lily's reading goals for 2015

[Lily]

This year I'm hoping to read (and review) about 30 books, and I'm also doing the Read Harder Challenge, because I've been wanting to diversify. So if all goes well, that'll be 24 challenge-guided books plus 6 more that I can freely choose. However, I'm trying not to worry myself about the number too much. Mostly, I just want to enjoy and absorb as many books as I can. 30 books was also my goal in 2014, and it helped me get back into a pattern of reading regularly. But this year it may be more challenging since I'm hoping to finish up my thesis at the same time. It'll be fun (?)!

[Lily]

1. Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri
[my review]
A collection of short stories focused on (but not exclusively about) the experiences of Indian immigrants in the US. 4 stars.
(Read Harder challenge task: a collection of short stories)

2. The Green Mile by Stephen King
[my review]
My first foray into Stephen King's writing. A very gripping and hard-hitting book that I enjoyed despite a few issues that I had. 4 stars.
(Read Harder challenge task: a book recommended by someone else)

3. Lila by Marilynne Robinson
[my review]
I hadn't read the preceding two books in this trilogy, but I found that this book stood very well on its own as an exploration of how people's worldviews evolve through interactions with others. 4 stars.
(Read Harder challenge task: a romance)

4. Red Rising by Pierce Brown
[my review]
A dystopian sci-fi novel with a neat premise and a promising start, but unfortunately, it didn't quite come together for me. 2 stars.
(Read Harder challenge task: a YA book)

[Cassandra]

Welcome to the group, Lily! Good luck with your reading goals this year. :)

[Lily]

Thanks a lot, Cassandra!

[Lily]

5. Reading Like a Writer: A Guide for People Who Love Books and for Those Who Want to Write Them by Francine Prose
[my review]
For a while, I've been wanting to try out a book about reading and/or writing, and this book nicely covered both. It's a bit of a tiring read at times because of how frequently the author jumps from one example passage to another, but it was a solidly rewarding book. 3 stars.