Back in 2011, I did a post of 25 books I wanted to read and get rid of by BEA. I thought I might as well do that again this year, so as to eliminate the amount of time I waste looking to select my next read. Seriously, I waste A LOT of time. I also want to do this so that I can clear 25 more books out of my house. In 2011, what I did to achieve this was basically give each book a number from 1-25 and then would use random.org to pick my next read. I also took to asking twitter and facebook and friends what I should read from the pile, especially asking what’s quick. I have 41 days until I embark for the BEA, so I think this truly is achievable. I achieved it last time — although I did read 2 books early and had one DNF, ALSO. I did that in only 35 days with 2 adult books on my pile.
Here are my goal books:
The Books:
- In Darkness by Nick Lake – Picked because it won the Printz also because I am a giant fail and got it from a previous BEA but haven’t gotten to reading it.
- The Hero’s Guide To Storming The Castle by Christopher Healy – Selected because I need humor and levity every now and again.
- The Revenge of the Girl With The Great Personality by Elizabeth Eulberg -For my contemporary fix. Also because I have a copy from netgalley as well, so I can knock that review off my NG queue.
- Catching Jordan by Miranda Kenneally – Everyone has read this except for me, I’d like to be able to show my face at different things without the shame of being the last to read this.
- Salt: A Story Of Friendship In A Time Of War by Helen Frost – Middle grade historical fiction free verse. And short.
- Through The Ever Night by Veronica Rossi – All my friends love this.
- Star Cursed by Jessica Spotswood – Oh goodness, CANNOT WAIT.
- All I Need by Susane Colasanti  – Quick contemporary with a summer vibe based on the spine.
- White Lines by Jennifer Banash – Hard hitting contemporary – I need a serious book every now and then.
- Tarnish by Katherine A. Longshore – I’m on a blog tour for this. ALSO. I loved her first book, Gilt.
- Belladonna by Fiona Paul – YES. I need to know what happens next. Of the Breathless Reads, Venom was my favorite.
- The Rithmatist by Brandon Sanderson – I am such a Sanderson fangirl, I cannot even.
- Flowers In The Sky by Lynn Joseph – Very short book with diversity.
- Yellowcake by Margo Lanagan – I’ve yet to try a Lanagan book and this looks short and accessible.
- Zebra Forest by Adina Rishe Gewirtz – Short middle grade, beautiful cover, and I know what to expect thanks to Kara at Great Imaginations.
- Monument 14: Sky On Fire by Emmy Laybourne – I liked the first book and this follow up looks short and quick and I’m pumped to reunite with the characters.
- That Time I Joined The Circus by JJ Howard – Basically a guilt read.
- False Memory by Dan Krokos – Obtained this at BEA 2012, failed at reading it.
- Furious by Jill Wolfson – Because the furies are awesome.
- How To Save A Life by Sara Zarr – Obviously, I need to read more Zarr. Also, I never did get around to this.
- Pretty Girl-13 by Liz Coley – All my trusteds liked this one.
- Siege And Storm by Leigh Bardugo – Um… duh…
- The Rising by Kelley Armstrong – AKA book crack.
- The Program by Suzanne Young – LOVE Suzanne Young’s books and am pretty sure I’ll whip through this one.
- Jepp, Who Defied The Stars by Katherine Marsh – Pretty much this was my most anticipated BEA 2012 book, and LOLOLOL I still haven’t read it, because I am the worst.
My other goals last time were basically to lose 10 lbs in 35 days hahahaha, which did not happen. So here’s my more realistic goal – I’d like to run 31.5 miles by BEA, and that’s essentially running 1.5 miles a  day for a total of 21 days, which is easy and manageable and great for my health. I’d also like to get in at least half an hour of working out for 30 of those days. It’s not a ton of exercise, but I still have one of those 13 hour days today, am in Albany for Legislative Awareness next week, health fairs on the weekend. Basically, my work bleeds over into my free time. SO, I am planning to do something manageable to get healthy, and maybe bonus, a tiny bit more svelte. Like, I saw my latest vlog and felt kind of busted – reason being that the week before I was subsisting on a LOT of fast food instead of eating healthy and had like 4 sodas and y’all, for a person like me that adds up and one can tell. SO, any encouragement would be awesome. <33333 Sorry, maybe I disclose too much to you guys, but like, I feel most of you are my friends and friends are open with each other.
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Holy shiz, yo, you are so organized. Like, I would do this and get through like 1/3 of the fifty books I listed, because that is what I do. On vacays, I would pack like twenty books for a seven day trip, because, yeah, that’s happening.
Good luck knocking those out. You can do it!
I am culling the books on my shelves too, because I got way too many last year at BEA and didn’t have room for them. But my TBR shelves are still full of books I didn’t get to from last year. I’m hoping this year I’ll be a bit more selective and realistic… but somehow I doubt it!
You’ve got some great reads in your pile, and I’m sure you’ll reach your goals!
YOU CAN DO ALL OF THESE THINGS!!
Also, you better get your butt in gear and read Siege and Storm. I think Random.org just chose that as #1.
I heard great things about #3. That’s my pick for you to read next. 😉
Good luck with your pile, I wish I could squeeze in that many reads before BEA!
Go you! I have a lot of those books on my list too! Star Cursed and Siege & Storm are the highest up 🙂 Reading The Program right now. I liked Revenge of the Girl… and False Memory. Ah! I need to read Through the Ever Night and Catching Jordan too!!! Enjoy 🙂
If you’re not a total mood reader, you could use my cheating method: Put the books in order of length from shortest to longest and read them that way. That way, even if you don’t read all 25, you’ll probably read the most possible. lol With that being said, I thought Catching Jordan was a quick read, even though I didn’t love it, and I’m really interested in The Program, so those are my votes for early ones. 🙂
I wish you all the luck on all your goals. And I will also be living vicariously through you while you read Siege & Storm. It won’t be creepy. I promise. 😛
I’ve been thinking I should make a list of books to get out of the way before coming home from BEA with tons to read…I usually prefer e-galleys because they don’t take up physical space but then I think the visual reminder would help me keep on top of them and make them harder to forget!
You can definitely do this! How to Save a Life is really good, I recommend it. I have only about 3 books I am adamant I get read before heading to BEA, but about 15 more I would like to (including That Time I Joined the Circus). Good luck in your goals!
Only one of these I’ve read is Through the Ever Night. It was okay. Hope you get through your list!
Good Luck!!!! =D
Start with THROUGH THE EVER NIGHT!!!!!!
Good God, I don’t know how you do it. I’ll NEVER read 25 books by BEA. Sersiously though, good for you, your list of all the things terrifies me, but I know you’ll rock it!
YOU GOT THIS.
False Memory and Catching Jordan are THE BEST! You must read them. ALSO YOU HAVE SUSANE COLASANTI’S NEWEST AND I AM A JEALOUS LADY!
Good luck, April! You can do this, you’ve got time, and just think positive, because what’s better than cutting through your review pile, and THEN getting more books – ARCs! – from BEA as a reward? 😀 Can’t wait for you to start Siege and Storm. That book was amazing.
This is a GREAT post. I’m going to BEA for the first time this year and I have no idea what I’m doing!!! I’m also not sure where I’m going to put all of the books. But I’m excited!! LOVED Siege and Storm and Through the Ever Night. I really want to read the Hundred Oaks (Catching Jordan) series.
I’m not going to BEA, but I really like your ‘give each book a number and then let random.org pick’ idea! I may do that with my monthly TBR piles!
First things first, thanks for the shout out! I think if I had known what to expect going in, I might have liked it better. But the blurb ruined it. I wish I could not read blurbs but I need to know the plot beforehand. I’m weird like that. But I wish you luck!
How to Save a Life is so freaking good, April. You are going to love it. It’s my favorite Zarr, and though I’ve only read two, it’s the best. LOL. It’s in my top 5 favorite contemporary reads ever.
Jelly that you have an ARC of The Program. At least I can buy it soon. Wheeeee. 41 days to BEA. I can’t wait!
Yey! I just finished The Rithmatist last week and am also a huge Sanderson fan :D. I will advise that it is has a definitely different feel that all the previous Sanderson I’ve read (pretty much all of it >.>), and you can definitely tell that he was going for the young end of YA. However, it’s a magic school and the ending is just as plot twisty and delicious and all Sanderson books!
Anya @ On Starships and Dragonwings
I have no suggestion…I just wanna say you always make me wanna sit down and knock the heck out of some books. Go girl.
Whoa! That’s a big list of books. I waste a lot of time trying to decide what book to read as well. So making a list is a good idea.
And good luck with your running goals! I really want to start exercising more too.
Hmm, hadn’t heard of Yellowcake, gonna look into that one. And there a number in the stack I’m curious about, so I’ll be keeping an eye out.
As for the rest, personally, I thought you looked gorgeous in the last vid, so stop worrying!!
Catching Jordan is a quick read, as is That Time I Joined the Circus and Revenge of the Girl with the Great Personality. Unfortunately, all those books were just alright reads to me, with Revenge probably being the best of the three.
Good luck with reading all these books! There is no doubt in my mind that you’ll be able to accomplish your goal, both in reading and in terms of exercise.