Hi hello and welcome to day five of #Project14Lists! Today, I am going to be talking about some of my reading goals for 2019. With my previous list, I talked about some of my blog goals that I have for 2019 so today, I figured I would talk about some of my reading goals for the upcoming year! I've spoken about some of my goals when it comes to reading in a Blogmas post but I'll elaborate and probably include a few more in this list. Let's get started!
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1. Read 24 books

This may not seem like a lot to most people, but I think that it's a pretty solid and attainable goal. I set my goal for 12 books this year and have surpassed it so I can't imagine reading at least 24 books will be a problem next year. That's two books a month and 12 months and with the TBR pile that I have, I'll probably hit that goal before the middle of the year!

2. Only request ARCs I plan to read

I can't be the only one that is guilty of this but I tend to get on NetGalley and go on a book requesting spree sometimes. It's bad, and I really shouldn't do it unless I know I have the time to sit down and read the book and provide the publisher with my thoughts. That's what NetGalley is for and I plan to take that much more seriously come 2019. I don't need to pile up my TBR anymore with books that I request just because they have pretty covers (which, yes, I have done oops) and I don't need to waste the publishers time or allowance for that ARC if I won't actually review it. So next year, I'm going to make an effort to only request ones I'm genuinely interested in.

3. Review more books

My blog is, at its core, a book review blog, but I feel like I've kind of started to stray away from that a bit. I've done a lot of tags, blog tours, and things that are bookish related, but I don't feel like I've done a lot of reviews on books in 2018. I have read 22 books (so far) but I'm almost positive I haven't done 22 book reviews. This was the entire reason that I started my blog and I'd really like to "get back to my roots" or whatever the phrase is!

4. Read more diverse books
I'd really like to broaden my TBR in 2019 and discover some more diverse reads! I'm always looking for book recommendations but I'd really love to get some diverse book recommendations so that I can experience new things and gain a new perspective on the world and different cultures. So if you have any books you'd like to suggest, please feel free to let me know!

5. Try at least one audiobook
I've never been able to read via audiobook but I've heard so many good things about them that I'd really like to give them a chance. I don't know if I can stay focused and keep up with what's going on while listening to the story, but I would like to try it at least once next year!

6. Annotate my books!
I've seen this becoming more and more popular recently and I'd really like to take the plunge and start annotating my books! Sticky notes, note cards, page flags, all of the things to help me take notes inside of my books alongside my notes in my book notebook.

7. Start a traveling book
This may or may not happen but I'd really like to start a traveling book with some other readers/bloggers. I'd love to see their thoughts on different books and I think it would also be a great way to make some new friends in the new year!
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And that's it for day five of #Project14Lists! It's short and sweet but I don't want to overwhelm myself with long and detailed goals for the new year. I'd rather set smaller goals and if I do something that goes above and beyond my goals, then that's awesome and I'll feel really good about it! I'd really love to know some of your reading goals for 2019 so please let me know in the comments what your goals are for next year. Do you want to read a certain number of books? Do you want to try a new format of reading such as ebooks or audiobooks? Let me know! Thanks for stopping by and I'll see you tomorrow for another day of #Project14Lists!

Hi hello and welcome to Blogtober! This is the first year that I'm participating and I'm so excited! If you don't know what Blogtober is, it's similar to Vlogtober (for YouTubers) where I'll be posting a brand new blog post every day in the month of October. I got all of my prompts from the fabulous Jenniely, so be sure to go over and check out her post if you want to jump in on all of the blogging fun. I skipped my first day yesterday but I'm really happy to be back! Today is day ten and I'll be talking about some tips to get out of a reading slump. Let's get spooky!
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1. Whatever book you're trying to read, put it down!
Obviously, whatever you're currently trying to read is not working. The best option is to put it down and just walk away. I know, I know, you don't want to give up and maybe you can make it through if you just push on and force yourself to read. Nope, sorry friend, not gonna happen. The first step to conquering your slump is to recognize what put you in the slump in the first place.

2. Don't read anything for a while.

It sounds insane, but anything you try to pick up as a rebound after your initial slump book is just going to end up exactly the same. Take a break, step back, and do something other than read for a while. You'll miss reading, for sure, but your brain needs to basically reset itself. Go catch up on a TV show or do some chores around the house. Give yourself some time to separate from reading. And I don't mean a few minutes or a few hours, I mean a few days or up to a week or more.

3. Change it up

What genre were you reading when the slump hit? When you're finally ready to read again, pick something completely different. Reading fantasy? Try a contemporary or maybe a horror/thriller! What about a Young Adult? Step outside the comfort zone and try an Adult Fiction book.

4. Change it up...again
I know, creative title. But I'm referring to the format in which you're reading this time. Were you reading a physical book when the slump happened? Try an e-book! Or vice versa. You could even try reading on the computer with a PDF or the Kindle app. Or maybe give audiobooks a try if you've never listened to one before. A change in format may help keep your brain fresh and may help you discover you like reading different formats than you're used to!

5. Try a new location
Some of my preferred places to read are in my computer chair at my desk or in the bed with a bunch of blankets. If you have one place you typically like to read, try changing it up and reading in a new spot. Maybe in the living room by the fire or just in a comfy reading chair. Changing your surroundings can help change your mindset and give you a fresh perspective on reading.

6. Graphic novels count, too!
This kind of relates to changing the format in which you read but is more about what you read than how you read. Graphic novels (or even comic books and manga) are a great way to reset your brain and make reading fun again. Having pictures to look at while following along with the story can help keep you engaged and want to read instead of feeling like you're just looking at words on a page. Putting faces to the names can help immerse you into the world that you're reading about and making you want to continue on with the story!
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I would love to know some of your tips for surviving a reading slump! I had an awful slump happen last year and most of the beginning of this year due to some personal things but now I'm back on my reading game and couldn't be happier. What are some things that you do when you get hit with a slump? Let me know in the comments and maybe your tip will help a fellow reader! Thanks for stopping by and I'll see you tomorrow for another Blogtober post! Stay spooky!