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My goals for 2019 are to reduce my TBRs, read more non-fiction and also Australian authors. I'm participating in a number of challenges to help me achieve these goals.

Specifically I want to:

A. Read a minimum of 12 non-fiction books.
01. Educated by Tara Westover ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
02. When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi ⭐️⭐️⭐️
03. Girt by David Hunt ⭐️⭐️
04. My Place by Sally Morgan ⭐️⭐️💫
05. My Life in France by Julia Child ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
06. The Hidden Life of Trees: What They Feel, How They Communicate �� Discoveries from a Secret World by Peter Wohlleben ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
07. Becoming by Michelle Obama ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
08. Lab Girl by Hope Jahren ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
09. The Sun Does Shine: How I Found Life and Freedom on Death Row by Anthony Ray Hinton ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
10. Dark Emu by Bruce Pascoe ⭐️⭐️⭐️
11. Fight Like A Girl by Clementine Ford ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
12. Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage by Alfred Lansing ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
13. The Erratics by Vicki Laveau-Harvie ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
14. The Arsonist: A Mind on Fire by Chloe Hooper ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
15. Any Ordinary Day: Blindsides, Resilience and What Happens After the Worst Day of Your Life by Leigh Sales ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
16. The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America's Great Migration by Isabel Wilkerson ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
17. Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
18. Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants by Robin Wall Kimmerer ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
19. One Hundred Years of Dirt by Rick Morton ⭐️⭐️⭐️

B. Read a minimum of 24 Australian books.
01. The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris ⭐️⭐️⭐️
02. The Rosie Effect by Graeme Simsion ⭐️⭐️⭐️
03. Away with the Fairies by Kerry Greenwood ⭐️⭐️⭐️
04. The Dressmaker by Rosalie Ham ⭐️⭐️⭐️
05. The Wife's Tale by Christine Wells ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
06. Girt by David Hunt ⭐️⭐️
07. A Beautiful Place to Die by Malla Nunn ⭐️⭐️⭐️
08. Gemina by Amie Kaufman ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
09. My Place by Sally Morgan ⭐️⭐️💫
10. Her Mother's Secret by Natasha Lester ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
11. The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart by Holly Ringland ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
12. Bye Bye Baby by Fiona McIntosh ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
13. Beautiful Death by Fiona McIntosh ⭐️⭐️💫
14. The Lost Man by Jane Harper ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
15. The Scholar by Dervla McTiernan ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
16. The Rosie Result by Graeme Simsion ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
17. Obsidio by Amie Kaufman ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
18. Murder in Montparnasse by Kerry Greenwood ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
19. This Red Earth by Kim Kelly ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
20. The Place on Dalhousie by Melina Marchetta ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
21. Dark Emu by Bruce Pascoe ⭐️⭐️⭐️
22. Stars Across the Ocean by Kimberley Freeman ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
23. Crimson Lake by Candice Fox ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
24. The Trials of Morrigan Crow by Jessica Townsend ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
25. Fight Like A Girl by Clementine Ford ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
26. The Book Ninja by Ali Berg ⭐️⭐️⭐️
27. The Castlemaine Murders by Kerry Greenwood ⭐️⭐️⭐️
28. Australia Day by Melanie Cheng ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
29. The Erratics by Vicki Laveau-Harvie ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
30. The Power of One by Bryce Courtenay ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
31. Redemption Point by Candice Fox ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
32. Breath by Tim Winton ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
33. The Arsonist: A Mind on Fire by Chloe Hooper ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
34. A Lifetime of Impossible Days by Tabitha Bird ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
35. The Broken Shore by Peter Temple ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
36. Any Ordinary Day: Blindsides, Resilience and What Happens After the Worst Day of Your Life by Leigh Sales ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
37. The Cottage at Rosella Cove by Sandie Docker ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
38. Truly Madly Guilty by Liane Moriarty ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
39. Resurrection Bay by Emma Viskic ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
40. Queen of the Flowers by Kerry Greenwood ⭐️⭐️⭐️
41. The Eye of the Sheep by Sofie Laguna ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
42. Dead Cat Bounce by Peter Cotton ⭐️⭐️⭐️
43. The Mother-in-Law by Sally Hepworth ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
44. Bloodtree River by Sarah Barrie ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
45. Khaki Town by Judy Nunn ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
46. Legacy Of Hunters Ridge by Sarah Barrie ⭐️⭐️⭐️
47. His Other House by Sarah Armstrong ⭐️⭐️💫
48. The Woman in the Green Dress by Tea Cooper ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
49. One Hundred Years of Dirt by Rick Morton ⭐️⭐️⭐️
50. Nine Perfect Strangers by Liane Moriarty ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
51. Too Easy by J.M. Green ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
52. The Secret River by Kate Grenville ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

C. Significantly reduce my TBR of books purchased 2017 or earlier.
01. In This Grave Hour by Jacqueline Winspear ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
02. Justice Denied by J.A. Jance ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
03. Broken Harbour by Tana French ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
04. Fire and Ice by J.A. Jance ⭐️⭐️⭐️
05. Calling Me Home by Julie Kibler ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
06. Macbeth by A.J. Hartley ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
07. City of Bones by Michael Connelly ⭐️⭐️⭐️
08. The Ghost Fields by Elly Griffiths ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
09. The Dressmaker by Rosalie Ham ⭐️⭐️⭐️
10. The Wife's Tale by Christine Wells ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
11. The Crowded Grave by Martin Walker ⭐️⭐️⭐️
12. That Girl From Nowhere by Dorothy Koomson 👎
13. Betrayal of Trust by J.A. Jance ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
14. Girt by David Hunt ⭐️⭐️
15. A Beautiful Place to Die by Malla Nunn ⭐️⭐️⭐️
16. Worth Dying For by Lee Child ⭐️⭐️⭐️
17. Mud, Muck and Dead Things by Ann Granger ⭐️⭐️⭐️
18. The Midnight Watch: A Novel of the Titanic and the Californian by David Dyer ⭐️⭐️⭐️
19. A Hundred Pieces of Me by Lucy Dillon ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
20. Lost Light by Michael Connelly ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
21. The Eye of the Reindeer by Eva Weaver ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
22. The Narrows by Michael Connelly ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
23. The Secret of Orchard Cottage by Alexandra Brown ⭐️⭐️⭐️
24. The Inn at Rose Harbor by Debbie Macomber 👎
25. The Museum of You by Carys Bray 👎
26. Night by Elie Wiesel ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
27. The Search by Nora Roberts ⭐️⭐️💫
28. This Red Earth by Kim Kelly ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
29. The Life We Bury by Allen Eskens ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
30. The Castlemaine Murders by Kerry Greenwood ⭐️⭐️⭐️
31. The Trail to Buddha's Mirror by Don Winslow ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
32. Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
33. Rack, Ruin and Murder by Ann Granger ⭐️⭐️⭐️
34. The Power of One by Bryce Courtenay ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
35. The Death of Lucy Kyte by Nicola Upson ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
36. A Palm for Mrs. Pollifax by Dorothy Gilman ⭐️⭐️⭐️
37. Conspiracy in Death by J.D. Robb ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
38. Truly Madly Guilty by Liane Moriarty ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
39. Runaway by Peter May ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
40. The Closers by Michael Connelly ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
41. Echo Park by Michael Connelly ⭐️⭐️⭐️
42. Queen of the Flowers by Kerry Greenwood ⭐️⭐️⭐️
43. Dark Fire by C.J. Sansom ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
44. Small Favor by Jim Butcher ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
45. The Devil's Cave by Martin Walker ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
46. Out Of Range by C.J. Box ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
47. Redemption Road by John Hart 👎
48. The Moon-Spinners by Mary Stewart ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
49. His Other House by Sarah Armstrong ⭐️⭐️⭐️
50. The Overlook by Michael Connelly ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Good luck Mari :)

Brenda wrote: "Good luck Mari :)"

Thanks Brenda I'm going to need it - especially with regards to limiting my book purchasing 😂.

Haha!!! Good luck with THAT!!!

Going to be hard NOT buying books!

Deb wrote: "Going to be hard NOT buying books!"

I'm already failing and it's only March 😂🤣.

At the end of March I am on track for all my challenges except purchases 😁. The daily deals now available on Audible are just too tempting. Really happy with my reading of TBR list 👍.

Good job Mari!

Brenda wrote: "Good job Mari!"

Thanks Brenda 😊.

Half yearly check in.

So happy with the progress of my three main goals. I have read a lot more from my TBR than I was expecting, 26 to date. What has pleased me the most is that I only DNF 3 of these books. I find this really surprising as my tastes have changed so much since I bought a lot of these books.

Both my non-Fiction and Aussie Author goals are going very well.

I’m actually happy with my book buying. I’ve bought 12 books so far, but I’ve read 4 so I’ve only added 8 to my TBR shelf 😄. I’ve been utilising the library a lot more this year. However, I’m expecting to go on a buying binge soon, as I’ve seen so many books I want - let’s see how long I can hold off for 😂.

I’ve had a great year of reading to date and hope this will continue.

Good to hear you're happy with your progress Mari! Keep up the good work :)

Brenda wrote: "Good to hear you're happy with your progress Mari! Keep up the good work :)"

Thanks Brenda. The year is going too fast!

It's scary isn't it 😌

Third quarter check in.

I’ve exceeded my goals for both non-fiction & Aussie reads - so big ticks. I will try to add more titles for both categories, over the next three months, but so happy with having achieved these goals.

At 36 books I’ve read exactly half of my 2017 and earlier TBR. I think this is a pretty good result. I would very much like to get to 50 but not sure this is achievable. Gotta aim high 😄.

I’m never setting limits on book buying again because I suck at it! Regardless I have only added 16 books to my unread shelves and I should get to a few of these books before the end of the year. However, with Black Friday sales, Christmas and Boxing Day sales I just know this number will increase 😜. Nonetheless this exercise of writing down every book purchased has helped to keep me accountable.

Having a great reading year. I’ve read more than double the books I read last year, which is amazing, and I’m sure setting myself these goals has helped tremendously 😊.

Good going Mari! So glad you're excelling and happy with your results so far :)

Brenda wrote: "Good going Mari! So glad you're excelling and happy with your results so far :)"
Thanks Brenda, always feels good to tick some boxes.

It sure does!

I ran out of room in the original comment so moving book purchases.

D. Only purchase a book when 3 books from C have been completed.
01. Wild Fire by Ann Cleeves �� ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
02. My Place by Sally Morgan �� ⭐️⭐️💫
03. What the Wind Knows by Amy Harmon
04. The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton �� ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
05. The Year that Changed Everything by Cathy Kelly �� ⭐️⭐️💫
06. The Microbiome Solution: A Radical New Way to Heal Your Body from the Inside Out by Robynne Chutkan
07. Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage by Alfred Lansing �� ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
08. I'm Fine and Neither Are You by Camille Pagán
09. Hum If You Don’t Know the Words by Bianca Marais �� ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
10. The Scholar by Dervla McTiernan �� ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
11. The Murmur of Bees by Sofía Segovia
12. False Step by Victoria Helen Stone
13. The Things We Cannot Say by Kelly Rimmer
14. Next Girl to Die by Dea Poirier �� ⭐️⭐️💫
15. The Book Ninja by Ali Berg �� ⭐️⭐️⭐️
16. Valencia and Valentine by Suzy Krause
17. Three Things About Elsie by Joanna Cannon
18. The Lost by Mari Hannah
19. The Overdue Life of Amy Byler by Kelly Harms �� ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
20. Bad Feminist by Roxane Gay
21. The Yield by Tara June Winch
22. Murder on a Summer's Day by Frances Brody �� ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
23. The Crow Trap by Ann Cleeves �� ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
24. Bloodtree River by Sarah Barrie �� ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
25. Too Easy by J.M. Green �� ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
26. False Step by Victoria Helen Stone
27. Big Sky by Kate Atkinson
28. True Places by Sonja Yoerg
29. The Two Lila Bennetts by Liz Fenton
30. Sisters and Brothers by Fiona Palmer
31. Under the Midnight Sky by Anna Romer
32. Past the Shallows by Favel Parrett
33. The Sunday Girl by Pip Drysdale
34. A Transcontinental Affair by Jodi Daynard
35. The Secrets of Lost Stones by Melissa Payne
36. The Cactus by Sarah Haywood
37. Everything You Are by Kerry Anne King
38. Terra Nullius by Claire G. Coleman
39. The Blue Mile by Kim Kelly
40. Less by Andrew Sean Greer
41. Salt Creek by Lucy Treloar
42. The Flatshare by Beth O'Leary
43. Holly Banks Full of Angst by Julie Valerie
44. The Widow by Fiona Barton
45. The Better Son by Katherine Johnson
46. The Zig Zag Girl by Elly Griffiths
47. Recursion by Blake Crouch

Hard to believe that another year is coming to an end. I’ve had an amazing reading year and have been so happy with reducing my older TBR books and significantly increasing my non-fiction and Aussie authors reads.
Recording my goals has kept me on track and I really enjoyed ticking the boxes 😁.

Great work Mari!
You've inspired me - I've made sure every one of my 100-odd books for 2020 are either titles I already own (and haven't read yet) or available from my local library. I've also been amazed at how my range of reading and reading of Aussie authors has risen as a result of participating in the challenges. Roll on 2020!

Wow, you smashed those goals! Well done :)

Sarah wrote: "Great work Mari!
You've inspired me - I've made sure every one of my 100-odd books for 2020 are either titles I already own (and haven't read yet) or available from my local library. I've also bee..."

Thank you Sarah. Finding this group was the best thing that happened, for my reading, this year. I’ve discovered so many great books. Let’s hope it continues in 2020!

Kerri_M wrote: "Wow, you smashed those goals! Well done :)"

Thanks Kerri. Writing them down certainly works for me! 2019 was a fantastic year of reading.