I Successfully Failed My Goodreads Challenge

Including some unconventional book reviews

I started with Goodreads’ yearly challenges in 2021 as a motivation to get myself to read more. As you can see below, I didn’t even start. It was a massive failure, but I didn’t give up.

In 2022 I decided to set a goal of 22 books (because it’s 2022) and it started well, but then in the middle of the year, I felt like reading was another chore on my to-do list and I simply stopped after finishing 12.

This year I didn’t want to set a goal too high with 23 books, so I put 18. I thought that a few more than I read last year was going to be a good goal. And as you can see above, I failed that one as well. Technically I’m on 16 and a half books right now, but there is no chance I will finish it by the end of the year.

I’m proud of myself for the progress I’ve made this year. The habit of reading is something I’ve been struggling to “install” in my daily life for some time now, and it’s not an easy road to take. That is why I’m particularly proud of my progress this year even though I didn’t reach the set goal, it’s still good progress.

Most of my reading choices are based on BookTok and Bookstagram recommendations, even though sometimes they are not my cup of tea, but I needed to start somewhere. (And yes I’m aware that New York Times has a list of bestselling books, but it’s pretty much the same as the bookfluencers recommend).

Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi

This was the first book I’ve read this year, and I was quite disappointed by it. It left me with a BLAH feeling, and a question mark why is everyone so obsessed with it.

I learned later that is the book one of the series, but had no desire to read the other two. The idea for the book is amazing and it could be executed much better. Overall impression — the book is overhyped.

Why Has Nobody Told Me This Before? by Julie Smith

I stumbled upon her TikTok and fell in love with the way she explained some things that resonated with me at the moment. I decided to order her book hoping that it would resonate with me in the same way her videos did.

It was a great read, as the book is filled with tools and helpful advice to start working on yourself. Don’t forget to prepare a notebook and a pen to use as you read.

Everything is Figureoutable by Marie Forleo

I was watching The Diary of a CEO when she was a guest and remembered that her book was widely recommended so I ordered it. It was inspirational listening to her, so I thought I might be inspirational as well reading her book.

The book was good and it has a lot of actionable tools and advice. The pen and paper are good things to have next to you as there are some great questions and exercises she put in the book. I did skip through some life stories as I wasn’t interested in reading them.

The Clear Skin Prescription: The Perricone Program to Eliminate Problem Skin by Nicholas Perricone

This was a book I’ve read about on Medium, as one writer gave her experience on following the diet prescribed in it. I can’t remember who the writer was and the publication, but this book was sitting on my shelf for quite some time before I started it.

Lots of science stuff, but there are many of important and valuable information that can help you. Also, recipes are included, and if you come from a third-world country, most of the recipes are useless (this was my case).

The Midnight Library by Matt Haig

This was another widely recommended book by bookfluencers I’ve fallen for. Honestly, I thought this book sucks when I started reading it, I’m glad I didn’t put it down and gave up.

It’s a good book, the writing is amazing and the idea really makes you think about your life and your decisions and regrets.

Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid

This was the second book by TJR I’ve read, the first one being The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo. I love her writing style as it is easy to read and not lose focus.

This was an amazing book, with great ideas and execution. It just makes you read it from cover to cover in one sitting. I’m glad I read the book before watching the show.

The Infinite Game by Simon Sinek

I’m so late in the game of reading and following Simon Sinek, and I read the books in reverse order. This was the first one I read after listening to a podcast where he was talking about Infinite games and companies.

The concept of infinite and finite goals/games in business and life is quite interesting. However, the first chapter of the book basically covers it all and it was enough. I skimmed through most of it as it was the same thing on repeat for the rest of the book.

Find Your Why: A Practical Guide to Discovering Purpose for You and Your Team by Simon Sinek

I thought that this was the book one (silly me for not Googling), but soon I realized that I made a mistake.

Just like the previous one, this book could be much shorter, maybe even a long-form blog post. I skimmed through most of it as it was repetitive and not interesting. Maybe my impression would be different if I read the books in order, but I have no desire to go back to it.

The Spy by Paulo Coelho

The only reason I bought this book is because I forgot to bring one on my vacation and this was the most “interesting” one to buy at the airport. I haven’t read anything by Coelho, but I’m familiar with his work and the hype about The Alchemist.

Thankfully the book is not too long, otherwise, it would be a big DNR for me. The story about Mata Hari is interesting, but the delivery in this book is awful. I wouldn’t really recommend it to anyone. If you are interested in learning more about Mata Hari, I think that simple old research would do a much better job than The Spy.

Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid

nother vacation read was this one, however, I was not as impressed with it as I was with my previous two reads by TJR. Her writing style is still on point and it’s one of those books you don’t want to put down.

Maybe I wasn’t in the right state of mind reading it, being on the beach and all, because this story has a lot going on “under the surface”. It might look like the standard Hollywood gossip drama, but underneath there is much more to uncover. Overall, don’t skip this one, I might even read it again just to check if my first impression was wrong.

Your Soul is a River by Nikita Gill

I’m not a big fan of poetry, but I got this book after reading some of her work on Instagram. If you are a fan of poetry, this book might suit you better than me, but I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone.

The work she posts on Instagram is amazing, the rest of the collection is disappointing and sometimes repetitive.

Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action by Simon Sinek

The entire concept of Why is interesting and it makes you wonder about your Why and does your company have one. However, was the concept itself enough to carry an entire book? The simple answer is No.

The TEDtalk was enough to explain the concept and to spark interest in finding your why. Just like the rest of Simon’s books, this one as well is too long and it could be explained better in a shorter form. I still enjoy listening to Simon because there is always something new to learn, but reading his books is a waste of time.

Tiny Beautiful Things: Advice from Dear Sugar by Cheryl Strayed

Another bookfluencer fail recommendation. Honestly, I don’t understand the hype around this book. In 2024 I’ll have to develop a better system of choosing what to read and unsubscribing from a certain book club (most of the recommendations were a fail for me).

This book could be much better if the author actually answered the questions and gave advice, instead of telling her stories that sometimes had nothing to do with the question itself. I read half of it and then skimmed through the rest. If the question was interesting enough I would read the “advice”, otherwise just skimming.

The entire book reminded me about having that one friend you sit for a coffee to catch up and “ask for advice” only to end up listening to them complaining and talking about themselves rather than “helping” you.

Ecoute la pluie tomber by Olivia Ruiz (Listen to the rain fall)

I read this book in my native language as I realized that my vocabulary was starting to suffer as I was reading, listening and writing in English only. There was a big discount on the book during the book fair and I decided to buy several just to read in my native language.

If I could give it 0 stars I would, and if I could return it to the bookstore I would do it almost instantly. The story might be more interesting if the writing was better and less chaotic. I had to go back to the beginning of the book just to understand the ending because I was lost. Thankfully the book was short, otherwise, I would put it down after 20 pages.

Death at the Chateau Bremont by M.L. Longworth

Another “catch” from the book fair was this book. Overall I was satisfied with my choice.

The concept of the book is great — the mystery, France, chateaus, and some love stories. It’s a nice and easy read that has your focus on the story. I honestly didn’t want to put down the book. After you’re done with the book, there’s a little “I want more” feeling as it doesn’t end in the usual way. If you are into mystery, this one is a good read.

La commode aux tiroirs de couleurs by Olivia Ruiz (The chest with colored drawers)

This is the second book by Olivia Ruiz and it is the continuation of the Ecoute la pluie tomber. It should help you understand the first book better, as it fills in some gaps in the story.

However, it feels like everything is just thrown in the pile of words and you feel lost reading the book rather than getting some clarifications. It’s again a 0-star from me. The book is as chaotic as the first one, and it ruins a reading experience.

Conversations on Love by Natasha Lunn

This is the one I’m currently reading and will not finish it until 31 December as I’m only 50 pages in (I read it slowly). I have a feeling this one would be a 2-star and that it will not change my life as the book cover promises.

That’s all folks!”, as far as my book reading challenge goes. As you can see I’m not sticking to a specific genre as I want to learn to read even “uncomfortable” stuff. Also, I give my best to finish each book even though it’s “bad”, some books get good near the end.

In 2024 I’ll set a goal of 20 books, and I have 8 sitting on my shelf waiting to be picked up and read. Will I be able to finish it? I don’t know, I’ll give my best to at least finish the same amount as this year and everything else would be a great bonus.