Two years back I realized that I by far don’t read enough and started to do
something about it. And even though I made some progress in 2015 I challenged myself to at least read one more book than I did in 2015. Seven books would suffice, which seemed manageable.

So, I did what every reasonable person would do and had set a goal in my Google Calendar app to read every day. Getting a daily reminder was in the beginning rather helpful to get into a daily routine. At some point during the summer I realized that I started to skip watching TV in the evenings and rather sat down to read which I now prefer. Also listing my currently read book to my /NOW page might have been some extra motivation.

Either way, the strategy seemed to have worked and I managed to finish 18 books, which is far more than I had expected when I set out for the challenge. That said, it is still early in December and I might be able to add one or two more books to the list before the month is over.

Here’s now the list (so far).

Books I finished in 2016

• Stephen King: Doctor Sleep
• Randall Munroe: What If
• Steven C. Schlozman: The Zombie Autopsies
• David Eddings: Pawn of Prophecy
• Jon Robson: So, You have been publically shamed
• Ariel Waldman: What’s It like in Spaced
• Shirley Jackson: The Haunting of Hill House
• Elizabeth Kostova: The Historian
• Neil Gaiman: Anansi Boys
• Neil Gaiman: Coraline
• Neil Gaiman: American Gods
• Neil Gaiman: The Ocean at the End of the Lane
• Matt Gemmel: Changer
• Ray Bradbury: Fahrenheit 451
• Ryan Brist: Luke Skywalker can’t read and other geeky truths
• H.P. Lovecraft: At the Mountains of Madness (short story)
• Kurt Vonnegut: Slaughterhouse Five
• Charles Dickens: A Christmas Carol

Audiobooks

• Dan Brown: Illuminati (Angels and Demons)

I have the feeling that I did quite well during this year and I’m not sure would I manage to read more in the next year. So my minimum challenge would be to read at least as much as during this year.

Also in the upcoming year I will list the book(s) that I am reading on the /NOW page and in December of 2017 you will figure out if I have succeeded or failed my own challenge.