Good enough: The final reading challenge update

Yeah, my family can't read it either.

Haaaaappy New Year! It's 2016, the time when we can reflect on everything we did last year and say, of course I'll do better this year.

Speaking of reflection, does anybody remember way back when, when I started doing a reading challenge? Well, I may have stopped updating you all on it, but I didn't quite stop doing it! However, I'm not writing this to update you on what I've completed lately, but to wrap it all up so that I can start a new challenge (and wish you a good one, while we're at it).

Did I finish it? Well... no. Am I disappointed? No! In fact, while I didn't always stick to the required list, it meant I always had a prompt in case I ever got stuck without a book, which is a great idea in case you're ever wondering what to read next.
And I'm not upset that I failed at my challenge, because I've come to terms with the idea that failure just gives you another chance to do it again (and because it turns out that 52 books is a LOT).

No doubt my new reading challenge will come around with January, and no doubt I'll grab it by the horns again and try to cross everything off of it.
But fifty two books is a heck of a lot, so I'm quite chuffed with myself at having finished how many I did - especially as I did read more books, just nothing I could fit into these categories.

Just to show you how I got on, I thought I'd include the latest and last update of the list, and how much I crossed off. Next year, the goal is to cross off a few more than this one.

What did I miss? Well, about half. But half is half, and that's like, 27 more than zero. I even cheated and reshuffled them so I could put others in categories I had 'already done', but I'll take what I can get. Some of these books were... well, not my cup of tea. Some of them are now on my to-buy list. No doubt you'll see a few of these in future blog posts where I gush all about them (and some I already have)!

My family is now in the process of making a new and revised book list. It's made of two parts - those who have less time to read can tackle the one-book-a-month challenge, and the others have an extra list that doubles it.
It seems like a few of us never got around to completely finishing our list, but not for trying (we shared our progress on a family page). I wasn't the only one! It does mean that hopefully, I'll finally be able to finish a challenge I set for myself - but we can only see.

How did everyone else do? Did you guys have any reading (or otherwise) challenges that you pulled off magnificently, or failed miserably, or finished like me and did so-so? And do you have any more plans for a new one this lovely new year? Let me know!

That New Book Smell

Ahh, that moment when the book you've finally been waiting for comes in. It's brand spanking new and shiny and perfectly covered. The pages aren't marked and it still smells​ of new book. And then sometimes, you get the book you'd long forgotten you'd even wanted. It's a favorite authors book and you've been waiting in line for it for months.The hold you put on, oh, what, late last year? It's finally come in! You pick it up and you think about it for a second - a memory niggles the back of your brain, and then BAM! It's exactly what you needed. Past you knows you so well. You hold it in your hands and you know that the instant you get home, you'll be unreachable to all others until you've at least finished the first 100 pages. That's the perfect moment and definitely one of my favorite things as a book-lover. 

You take that baby home, devour it in one, two sittings, and then afterwards you feel a mixture of excitement, contentment and sadness at the face that it's over so quickly. But it's okay! You're rejuvenated, you're ready for the next one. Hop on our webpage and put more holds on the latest additions, and hopefully beat the rush and get first in line.

If you're like me and you love to take out new books, check out our New Titles tab on the Auckland Libraries website. It has all the books the library has just bought this month (as well as a couple of previous months if you want to look back), plus the links to every one of them on the catalogue. (If you're not sure if we're going to get a book you're looking forward too, you can always suggest it for purchase, too).

Some of my favourite 'new' books that have just come in were these treasures -

Displacement - Lucy Knisley
A travelogue from one of my favourite authors and comic artists, Lucy takes us with her on a cruise... for the elderly. She volunteers to go with her grandparents when her family gets worried, and ends up being run around mad while trying to come to grips with mortality and the hard work of watching the ones you love get older.

First Frost - Sarah Addison Allen
My absolute favourite author. This is the second book in the Waverly Sister series (the first being Garden Spells), but is entirely fantastic as a stand-alone novel as well. The Waverly women are known for their powerful but obscure family magic. Claire starts to doubt her cooking magic which she has always been so sure of, while Sydney (hair magic) tries to understand her teenage daughter, Bay, the way most mothers do. Lovesick Bay knows where things belong - but doesn't know what to do when the person she belongs with doesn't think the same. A lovely, endearing story all aglow with magical realism.

In Real Life - Cory Doctorow, Jen Wang
A simple but thoughtful fiction graphic novel that looks at the way poverty and gaming come together in the form of gold farming - the act of collecting valuable items in-game to sell in real life to wealthier players. Anda, new player to the MMO taking the world by storm, starts out by taking out these gold farmers - until one of them stops to talk to her and an unlikely friendship begins.

And some I've just put on hold now, from browsing through the New Titles list (again)!

Cut, fold & hold : unique cardboard projects for the home - Petra Schroder & Dirk von Manteuffel
I love love love looking at craft books. I don't often make the things in them, but they inspire me nonetheless - especially ones to do with papercraft. 

"This book is filled with detailed photographic instructions on how to create amazing items from cardboard. Everything needed to complete the projects is outlines in the first chapter, and a vast majority are typical household items many people already have lying around."

Sound of a Woman - Kiesza

Yep, even the recent CDs that the library has bought are available to see on the New Titles page. I am a huge fan of what little I've heard of Kiesza and am totally stoked to hear what's on her album past the singles released on the radio. Check out her music and the rest of what we've recently got!

It's always interesting to just scroll through our catalogue and see what has popped up. And now that March has officially started, it's time for me to get requesting... Just joking, I already did on the very first of the month.

New Year, New Hobby - Crochet for beginners with Bella Coco

Yep - It's officially 2015 and I still find myself writing 2014. Not quite broken that habit yet.

I decided not to set any New Years resolutions this time round due to continuously breaking them in previous years. Instead I got inspired by a lovely customer to try a new hobby. 

Crocheting - Something I never thought I'd be so excited to be doing in my 20's! I've tried my hands at knitting and unfortunately all I managed to accomplish was making a big ball of knotted mess. Safe to say, knitting is not for me.

After a bit of researching for some simple steps on how to crochet for beginners I found an amazing lady on YouTube, by the name of "Bella Coco" who does some gorgeous crochet tutorials, and the best part is that they are so easy to follow.

I have decided for my first project I am going to make a Granny Square crochet blanket, with a slight twist - I am taking the blanket and making it a year long project. I plan on making a 2015 "Mood Blanket". Each day during 2015 I will make a small granny square, and the colour will be picked depending on the mood I was feeling each day.

Here is the tutorial I found really helpful by Bella Coco on how to create the squares for the blanket - 

After you have created all the squares you want and are ready to connect them all together to create the blanket here is another fabulous tutorial from Bella Coco on how to do it - 

When you are ready and feel more confident with crocheting, check out the crochet books that Auckland Libraries have by clicking here for even more wonderful projects to have a go at.

If any of you feel inspired to have a go at this too I would absolutely love to see photos of your work.

New Year's resolutions - Do you make and break them?

So we all know that a New Year's resolution is when a person makes a promise to do an act of self-improvement or something slightly nice, such as opening doors for people beginning from New Year's Day.

But how many of us make these resolutions and then end up breaking them? I'm not jumping on that wagon this year. I have spent too many years subjecting myself to failure. Over the years I've promised to myself that I would try a new diet, exercise more, save money, spend more time outdoors, and numerous other efforts. Each and every time I have failed.

A 2007 study by Richard Wiseman from the University of Bristol involving 3,000 people showed that 88% of those who set New Year resolutions fail.

So why do New Year's resolutions fail? While we start out with good intentions and high expectations, it is easy to become discouraged when we inevitably fall short of our goals, and this is the reason most New Year’s resolutions fail. Our high expectations and desire for changes in behavior simply are not matched by our willingness to change our actual habits. The desire is there, but not the self-discipline needed to manifest the changes.

The top 10 most commonly broken New Year's resolutions are - 

• Lose Weight and Get Fit
• Quit Smoking
• Learn Something New
• Eat Healthier and Diet
• Get Out of Debt and Save Money
• Spend More Time with Family
• Travel to New Places
• Be Less Stressed
• Volunteer
• Drink Less

However if you are planning on making one, here are some top tips to help you avoid failure - 

Don’t overreach. Make one, not multiple New Year’s resolutions. Channel all your energy into one sensible, achievable goal.

Be specific. Break your overall goal down into smaller sub-goals, or objectives, with time-lines or other specifics. 

Monitor your progress. Keep track of both your goal-related activities and the progress you are making.

Don’t over-react to set-backs. Set-backs should be expected, but not used as an excuse to dial back on self-discipline.

Reward yourself often. We all need positive feedback.

Whether you are a New Year’s resolution-maker or not, the most important thing to consider for the coming year is that you can have a “fresh start” any time you need it.

So, if you have decided that you are going to set a resolution, what is your goal?