Hi Guys, I saved this video to private in order to spend more time working on adding all the relevant links in the description box. Bizarrely I came back 3 hours later to add the links and set the video to public only to find that over 2000 of you have viewed it! I have no idea how this happened so I just want to apologise for the video being uploaded without the promised links. I've now added them so hopefully you can find the great channels I mentioned now :)
I love your chatty videos so much. The adjustments you're making to the channel sound really smart, hope they spice things up for you. I'm also making changes (I can't stand doing monthly wrap ups anymore, there are just a lot of books that I don't feel excited to talk about that I then force myself to talk about)
Insert Literary Pun Here looking forward to seeing how you change from wrap ups :) I agree that some books I just don’t want to talk about and also I ramble so much the videos end up super long!
I loved all of this! This is EXACTLY what I wanted when I made the spreadsheets available. It makes me so happy to see other people getting excited about the stats. I also think that the post-it note idea is genius. I wish I'd thought of it when I was doing 0by16. xx
Portal in the Pages your success with 0by16 is a great marker for me knowing it’s possible 😃 and the new tbr page on the spreadsheet is going to be so much help! Xx
I think I need to adopt your 6 week deadline on new books. You're so right that the excitement about a title dissipates hugely after that point. Looking forward to your Hauled Read Reviewed videos M x
I love how you could break down the numbers and the subject for all of this. It makes my nerdy heart happy. You can be gentler with yourself with your goals and what you want to do next year. Celebrate the 113 books you finished! I know you want to read more short stories for next year but you can be happy about 2017 too. And unhauling that many books is impressive!
This is one of the most deliciously book-nerdy videos I’ve seen in a long long time! I’m totally excited for you and excited by all of your 2018 goals! Hauled/Read/Reviewed - wow, that sounds fantastic - can’t wait to see the videos you make! You’ve given me tons to chew on in the final hours of 2017… :-)
It's great to have you back again. I like your goals. I might be doing something similar.. Have to think about it some more. Happy New Year and good luck on your goals.
I am elated you are back. I adore your channel because you primarily got me motivated to get so immersed in the book community! Looking forward to the rest of this video 😂☺️
I'm about to film my own wrap ups of the year and it's really interesting seeing how your year has gone overall. I think my year was fairly successful, but I did have quite a few duds myself too. I do hope you find some great new ones in 2018 and also short story collection recommendations coming back to your channel will be marvellous :D I LOVE the 6-week post-it note plan... Maybe I will do that too... GOOD PLAN!
I am glad to see you've set goals that make sense for you. I am looking forward to your 'haul, read, review' videos. Intriguing format! I am impressed by your determination to clear nine books off your TBR each month! I hope your new plans bring your more reading enjoyment in 2018.
Love hearing your plans going forward. I find that I too prefer things like Drinking By My Shelf's balancing the books over hauls these days. I'm excited by bookopoly and the way I plan to do wrap ups going forward because I've been so unexcited about every way I've tried to do wrap ups.
I love the idea of the dated post-it note on new books with a deadline! Might do this myself this year! My TBR is still fairly small (40 books), so I might do an extreme project where I get rid off any book on there that I don't read this year. Anyway, great video, I enjoyed the statistics bit and you inspired me to think differently about my reading goals this year. - Claudia
I am so behind you with the plans to reduce your TBR! I'm actually getting so excited about getting stuck into mine, I think I have about 216 books altogether including kindle and audiobooks, but I am for sure going to be finally getting over my fear of DNFing. Good luck with reducing your TBR, I can't wait to see your updates!
I'm terrible at commenting on the videos I watch, but I wanted to mention how happy I am to see you back. I hope your upcoming reading year turns out better than this one!
Welcome back, Mercedes! I usually don't even notice when people don't upload, but I've missed your videos because I enjoy them so much. Hope you have a good 2018.
I've finally finished reading all my physical books in 2017, and it was a chore. I've been at it for about 3 years now, and never again. I still have the culling to do though. But I feel your pain in this regard. Good luck and hopefully some awesome reading for you in this new year. Regarding the length of the videos, I love hearing the long and rambley ones too, because I get to hear how you think about the topic, which is nice.
Nice to see you back, and making BookTube fun for yourself again :) I also realized that I was reading way too much frontlist in 2017 and it was negatively impacting my enjoyment, so 2018 is going to be all about backlist! Happy New Year 🎉🎉🎉
I love how much you're holding yourself accountable in 2018! I'm inspired to do the same because last year, I bought way too many books and it took me too long to get to them all, lol. These are great plans and I wish you a happy reading year! Some short story recommendations: 10th of December Her Body & Other Parties (though about 1/3 of the book is some sort of Law & Order fanfic, and I don't watch Law & Order so it all went over my head) What Is Not Yours Is Not Yours (currently reading)
I also love hearing people's stats and goals videos at the end of the year. Great ideas, especially your "strict" goals haha. The 9 x 12 and the read new books you hauled by 6 weeks time particularly. I look forward to your updates on these plans in 2018!
I agree with you that book reviews or monthly wrap ups are far more interesting to watch. I no longer watch book hauls, would rather spend the time reading.
Love me a good spreadsheet, I currently use one for all my Booktube planning and the books I read, but that one by Sophie is adorable. I'm really looking forward to the Hauled, Read, Reviewed series! I love the idea and I think it would be a great incentive to read recently hauled books, it's a win-win :D
Love your honesty and intelligent book nerdish chat in this video! I did a good job last year of reducing my TBR stack(s) to the point where I could fit new books on the shelf (very un-statistics-y method ;) ) but that didn’t survive the Christmas book haul period! It’s hard to do but so rewarding to slow down your reading (or at least the hauling) a bit. Good luck, I look forward to the next videos.
Goals are always exciting! I'm looking forward to seeing what new shape will you be giving your channel in 2018 especially in regards to wrapping-up your progress in reading, Mercedes. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for the new formulas to work better for you and add to a more enjoyable creation process ^^ I will be in fact stealing your goal directed at the shelf clear out. I have a terrifying number of unread books on my shelves and I'm still so very excited about so many of them but I keep getting distracted by newer books and library ones (I just feel so sad leaving library empty-handed). Officially, I'm making an effort for the majority of my reading to come from my shelves. Wish me luck ^^ Also, Hail the Statistics!
So happy to see you back. Also, really like your idea of culling your shelves! I'd love to do something similar, although not sure I'm gonna be able to be so strong.... All the best with your plans!
I’m SUPEREXITED for the Hauled Read Reviewed series because I’ve been looking forward on your thoughts on several of your hauled books before and realized they would have to wait a while. Also, the quarterly updates will give me the buzz I get from culling videos and closet unhaul and year end updates because I love the accountability between reader and bookshelf that shows. “Here are my books, here are my thoughts on their content AND here are my thoughts on the books as objects in my life”- kind of thing. Not sure if I make any sense, but I’m one of those who enjoy videos of reorganizing and sorting.
Was really pleased to see one of your videos back in my feed and this didn't disappoint. Looking forward to seeing the new style videos in 2018. And as a person who prefers to read classics/backlist it will be nice to see a few more pre-2000 books 😀
I love your videos... I can relate when you said you want to find that passion again to come home and indulge in reading 📖 ... I too hope to find that passion again in 2018 !! Good luck to us both !
Hello :) I just want to say I really like the idea of focusing more on reviews rather than hauls. When I started watching booktube videos it was because I wanted recommendations. I've kept watching because of the reviews, but also because of all of the cool booktubers with engaging & inspiring content. I'm not too bothered about what books people happen to own. (To be honest, I have to say that personally I'm all about libraries, & letting the trees continue to grow....).
These sound like awesome 2018 plans! You've clearly put a lot of thought into how to make these goals work for you and I'm really excited - the Hauled Read Reviewed videos sound awesome! Happy New Year!!
I think all of your plans sound amazing. I really like your idea for “hauled, read, reviewed.” I enjoy watching book hauls, but hate filming them so I am also working out a way to film less of them. Sophie’s spreadsheet this year is bomb as hell. Can’t wait to start using it and geeking out over statistics. I know that 2017 was a rough reading year for you, so I really hope looking to 2018 picks up that reading excitement and buzz for you. Great discussion video and I look forward to seeing all the exciting books you pick up next year. Have a happy new year :)
I enjoyed this video so much! I'm actually doing some really similar goals for 2018. I want to read at least four books a month from my TBR by the end of 2018, which should get me close to a zero TBR since I've got about 55 unread books right now. And in the same vein, I'm giving myself three months to read a book after I purchase it, though I might consider ramping it up to six weeks since you're right that that's when I'm most excited about my new purchases. Best of luck with your 2018 goals! I can't wait to see your 2017 favorites video :-)
I love hearing you review books, so I’m quite excited about your upcoming BookTube year! Hauls can be fun sometimes from folks who get lots of advanced copies -just to see what’s coming out soon. But, really, a more useful video is one that tells me what’s coming out soon that is both well written and ticks my reading boxes. Those are the books I’ll pre-order or seek out in book shops. However, I’m get just as excited hearing about gems from years ago that I can easily find on library shelves or in used book shops. Often those authors have back lists that I can dig into and binge read if the mood strikes. So, either way, yes please! More reviews of hauled & read books!
I was so happy to see a video from you in my feed! 😊 welcome back. Hope you had a lovely Christmas. I think your TBR challenge sounds awesome and is something I need to seriously think about too. Will you be inputting them all into Sophie’s spreadsheet? I’ve been thinking about doing that but am a bit daunted by the task. Can’t wait to see all your new videos in 2018 and very much looking forward to your best of the year list. Have a very happy new year.
My TBR isn't as big as yours, but it did grow exponentially this year and I've been trying to think of good ways to encourage (or even force) myself to get through as many of them as possible. I really like your idea of setting a number that have to be read or removed and may try that myself. I also like the idea o not doing hauls. I see so many of them, but what I really want to know if the book was any good. I hope your passion is rekindled and that you have a good reading year in 2018.
I had not been tracking my owned but unread stats over the course of the year; think I'll have to go modify my spreadsheet to include that. Your plans for new books and reading them in six weeks is quite something to aim for. I don't doubt you'll manage it but not something I'd want to do, yet anyway.
Awww... I got such a big smile to see your smiling face pop up in my feed. I hope you had a lovely relaxing break and wish for you a very awesome new year. 🎉🎉🎉
First of all, nice to see you again! I've missed you but I think it's good that you have taken some time off to collect your thoughts and make plans. It was super interesting to hear about all your numbers of 2017! Amazing that you managed to break down your TBR pile to around 200 books. I also think it's a good idea not to film hauls anymore. I don't particularly like hauls of any kind, because I'd much rather (as you said) hear you talk about a book or hear your opinion on something than seeing an item being held into the camera and waiting for that review to happen. Reading 9 books a month from your TBR pile seems ambitious, I hope this technique will work out for you. It's really nice to see you again, because weirdly I haven't managed to find any other BOOKtubers who's opinion I cherish as much as yours. If you recommend a 4-5 star read, I am most certainly putting it on my TBR and I'm very likely going to read it. So you've contributed to some of the best reads I've had this year. Thanks, cheers, on to a really good reading year 2018! And greetings from Berlin x
Svenja M. Thank you so much for your lovely comment 💜 its made me feel all warm and fuzzy! So glad to hear you’ve enjoyed some of my recommendations! I’m really glad I had the reading and booktube break - I think it allowed me to step back and really evaluate what matters to me book wise. I’m actually excited to read and talk books again which I haven’t been for a while. I think the new plans regarding reviews and not hauling have helped to inspire me ☺️
I'm really excited to see your new videos! I love the idea of Hauled, Read, Reviewed. My channel is still so new that I'm not really making significant changes yet, but I'm always fascinated to hear about what other people who have been around for a while are doing. Rincey was talking about quarterly goal check-ins recently and I think it sounds like an excellent idea. I'm a bit behind with tallying my 2017 reading and setting goals for 2018, but I will definitely be scheduling check-ins. Happy to have you back!
JessicaReadsThings I love that more people will be doing check ins as I just love hearing bookish updates ☺️ for so long wraps up worked for me and I never thought I’d move away from them, then suddenly they just didn’t feel right for me anymore. I’m looking forward to seeing how a bit of a shake up works and hoping it ups my enjoyment 👍
I loved this video Mercedes, I so enjoy stats. I just went through my entire tbr pile and unhauled 40 books so I'm down to 240 tbr books altogether. I love the post-it idea, BRILLIANT ! , I think I will do this myself 😊 Also very excited to see your haul read reviewed videos. Good luck with these goals!
BRILLIANT video and so lovely to see you getting all smily and excited about reading again! I love your post-it idea and think I will borrow that if that's OK? I don't have as many books as you as recently moved across country and had to get rid of over 200 but this will help keep the pile I currently have at a semi-manageable level-ish-kinda....! Best of luck! x
Really enjoyed this! Thanks for mentioning my video :) I think I'm going to make a little downloadable printable book balance sheet because a few people have said they'll do the same. Good luck with 2018, I think all your rules are really sensible!
I saved this video to private in order to spend more time working on adding all the relevant links in the description box. Bizarrely I came back 3 hours later to add the links and set the video to public only to find that over 2000 of you have viewed it! I have no idea how this happened so just wanted to say sorry for not providing your link and I swear I didn't do it on purpose! xxx
Love your ideas for 2018. As a viewer, I also don't much care for watching book hauls. I watch these videos to get ideas for good books to read which doesn't help if people just show what they picked up with no reviews. I'm also going to check out the spreadsheets because I am totally nerdy like that. LOL I really hope you find your love of reading again!
I love your chatty videos. C: Woah! I struggle to film monthly wrap ups if I read a lot. I might just focus on 4 star or 5 star reads (or really low ratings, because those are fun to film too) AND Sophie's spreadsheet is goddamned gorgeous and I'm so excited to see how people use it and put their unique spin on it.
This is so similar to my goals. I had a goal of 200 books this year. I managed 213 but I am so burnt out and hate reading. So next year I don’t care about the number I just want to enjoy reading. Also no books coming into this house until I get my tbr books down. The only exception is graphic novels from the library and audiobooks......
Svenja said it all - Glad to see you back and smiling. I just unhaul over 80 books and yes it makes me feel much better. I was watching all your book hauls and wondering how you felt about these upcoming books. Too many ! I like the goals you set up. I actually have been planning my readings for two years at least ten books have to leave my shelves each month. And it does help really. I might also steal a couple of your goals for next year. I downloaded Sophie’s spreadsheets last year and I want to do it next year too. For 2018 I wish that you find again the pure joy of reading. I love your reviews (my favorite videos) so I am glad you want to focus on that. I follow you and Jen and Sophie. My average is close to 4. Also it’s fun to see that we big want to read more short stories and more non fiction ! Our tastes are so alike. Happy new year 🎊 santé 😊🎊🎉
Really loved this video. Your chatty ones are always good. 😊 I think it’s great that you want to branch out and read things that haven’t been recently published. Ariel Bisset mentioned that in a recent video of hers as well. I love to find older books to read as well. I like new releases, but it takes some time to get decent reviews on them, and sometimes I don’t always like the style of newer books. They seem to frequently follow current writing trends instead of being a bit more timeless and memorable. I don’t know if that makes any sense. Lol. In short, I love that you’re looking to include more variety, and more short stories, and more nonfiction. I’m looking to include more of the same.
Yaaaaaay, you’re back. ‘3.2 stars is quite sad’ and your sad face made me feel a little bit sad. 2018 will be an awesome reading year you’ll see. Can’t wait to follow your forthcoming reading year though you are going to be very strict. I’ve had a funny phase with book hauls. Isn’t that funny. Anyway... Here’s to a new year!
I love all of this guidelines you’ve set for yourself, I like to do similar things for myself. Good luck with getting your TBR lower using this system! I think it’s interesting you said you feel filming videos that you don’t enjoy watching is disingenuous because I don’t feel that way. I also don’t watch hauls bc like you said I prefer to hear thoughts after they’ve read it. But I don’t mind filming hauls bc they are easy to do. I can see why that might seem disingenuous or even maybe selfish, but if viewers like to watch them than I think there nothing wrong with creating something other people like to watch.
I'm so glad you're back! I hope you had an wonderful Christmas period and next years reading is much better for you 😊 I love these types of videos and the spreadsheet is such a cool way of organising a reading record and I have been really enjoying using it
It's great to see you back, I hope you had a wonderful Christmas! I also love hearing all your statistics, they're really interesting. I'd love to give a spreadsheet like that a whirl this year, too. Your plans sound challenging and I hope they work well for you. They do sound rather restrictive though, which may be what you want and need now, but if they begin to stifle you later in the year, will you allow more flexibility? Reading challenges are awesome, but they should be fun as well I think. Happy New Year! :)
Have you read Only the Animals by Ceridwen Dovey? It's a short story collection focused on animals involved in key historical events. I thought it was great so would recommend.
Have you read Brideshead Revisited, by Evelyn Waught? I read it in november, and really enjoyed it. It's slow paced and character driven, so I think you might really like it :)
It's so fascinating to hear all the statistics and your reading plans for 2018. In terms of quantity it sounds like you had a very bountiful reading year in 2017 (at least in comparison to my reading rate) but it's a shame the quality of books you read suffered a bit. I hope you have a more enjoyable reading year in 2018!
I saved this video to private in order to spend more time working on adding all the relevant links in the description box. Bizarrely I came back 3 hours later to add the links and set the video to public only to find that over 2000 of you have viewed it! I have no idea how this happened so I just want to apologise for the video being uploaded without the promised links. I've now added them so hopefully you can find the great channels I mentioned now :)
Hey Sophie, I saved this video to private in order to spend more time working on adding all the relevant links in the description box. Bizarrely I came back 3 hours later to add the links and set the video to public only to find that over 2000 of you have viewed it! I have no idea how this happened so just wanted to say sorry for not providing your links and I swear I didn't do it on purpose! xxx
Saw your comment. Have to say that it was one of my favorite books of 2017. The character development and writing were incredible. I cared so deeply about Albert Madsen.
My avrege this year is 3,4 which feels really crappy. 2017 sucked honestly. I've read so much, but can't really think of any book that struck me, you know? God I hope next year is better. I feel like I want to read more non-fiction as well cuz I did really enjoy the biographies I listened to this year. I feel like I need to read slower and be more consious about my reading. I think the pressure from reading a lot to be better at my job is why I read so many meh-books. Hope your 2018 will be better as well! Happy new year 🎉✨
I quite enjoy watching Book Haul videos, but I've realised I don't like asking about books that have previously been mentioned on hauls but then haven't featured on reading wrap ups, as I feel like maybe asking about books that the BookTuber hasn't got to yet, is putting pressure or demands on them maybe?
I saved this video to private in order to spend more time working on adding all the relevant links in the description box. Bizarrely I came back 3 hours later to add the links and set the video to public only to find that over 2000 of you have viewed it! I have no idea how this happened so I just want to apologise for the video being uploaded without the promised links. I've now added them so hopefully you can find the great channels I mentioned now :)
I saved this video to private in order to spend more time working on adding all the relevant links in the description box. Bizarrely I came back 3 hours later to add the links and set the video to public only to find that over 2000 of you have viewed it! I have no idea how this happened so I just want to apologise for the video being uploaded without the promised links. I've now added them so hopefully you can find the great channels I mentioned now :)
I saved this video to private in order to spend more time working on adding all the relevant links in the description box. Bizarrely I came back 3 hours later to add the links and set the video to public only to find that over 2000 of you have viewed it! I have no idea how this happened so I just want to apologise for the video being uploaded without the promised links. I've now added them so hopefully you can find the great channels I mentioned now :)
I like your channel but I honestly don’t get what’s going on while watching this. Where did this weird YOU HAVE TO READ A LOT to love books thing start on booktube. It’s about loving to read not a who can outread who competition. Read as you are in the mood, and read what you feel like reading at the moment, and if you only read 1 book in the whole year but it made you feel happy and excited and fulfilled than that is amazing. I love reading, but the idea of reading goals and HAVE TO READ would completely turn me off, you’re turning it into a job - why?
tosheatower I think you may have completely misunderstood the video. I said I had no actual reading goal as I don’t think it’s necessary. I absolutely hate competition and couldn’t care less what I read compared to others. What I care about is that I miss reading the amount I used to read in earlier years. As I said I used to love reading for hours and I haven’t been doing that lately. Regardless of the number of books I read I want to spend more time reading and find my love of it again :) My rules are focused on the amount of books to remove from my tbr a month but I don’t necessarily have to read them - I dnf and unhaul v often so it should be fairly easy for me. 👍
No no I got that. It just makes me sad that you are maybe losing your love for reading because you feel you should be reading. Sorry, if my comments always seem to rub you wrong. That wasn’t my intent.
Hi Guys,
I saved this video to private in order to spend more time working on adding all the relevant links in the description box. Bizarrely I came back 3 hours later to add the links and set the video to public only to find that over 2000 of you have viewed it! I have no idea how this happened so I just want to apologise for the video being uploaded without the promised links. I've now added them so hopefully you can find the great channels I mentioned now :)
I love your chatty videos so much. The adjustments you're making to the channel sound really smart, hope they spice things up for you. I'm also making changes (I can't stand doing monthly wrap ups anymore, there are just a lot of books that I don't feel excited to talk about that I then force myself to talk about)
Insert Literary Pun Here looking forward to seeing how you change from wrap ups :) I agree that some books I just don’t want to talk about and also I ramble so much the videos end up super long!
I loved all of this! This is EXACTLY what I wanted when I made the spreadsheets available. It makes me so happy to see other people getting excited about the stats. I also think that the post-it note idea is genius. I wish I'd thought of it when I was doing 0by16. xx
Portal in the Pages your success with 0by16 is a great marker for me knowing it’s possible 😃 and the new tbr page on the spreadsheet is going to be so much help! Xx
I think I need to adopt your 6 week deadline on new books. You're so right that the excitement about a title dissipates hugely after that point. Looking forward to your Hauled Read Reviewed videos M x
I love how you could break down the numbers and the subject for all of this. It makes my nerdy heart happy. You can be gentler with yourself with your goals and what you want to do next year. Celebrate the 113 books you finished! I know you want to read more short stories for next year but you can be happy about 2017 too. And unhauling that many books is impressive!
This is one of the most deliciously book-nerdy videos I’ve seen in a long long time! I’m totally excited for you and excited by all of your 2018 goals! Hauled/Read/Reviewed - wow, that sounds fantastic - can’t wait to see the videos you make! You’ve given me tons to chew on in the final hours of 2017… :-)
Shawn The Book Maniac yay! So glad you enjoyed all the book nerdiness 🎉🎊🎉
Good luck with your goals! Looking forward to following you next year :)
I always love watching your reflections videos. I’m currently reading and loving Gillespie & I so thank you for your video on it!
Woo for carrying the BooksandLala unhaul torch!!
It's great to have you back again. I like your goals. I might be doing something similar.. Have to think about it some more. Happy New Year and good luck on your goals.
Oh wow! Sounds like you have a ton of great plans for 2018! Good luck!
Hauled-read-reviewed sounds like a very good idea to me! I enjoy wrap-ups so much more than hauls. Glad you're back! :-)
I am elated you are back. I adore your channel because you primarily got me motivated to get so immersed in the book community!
Looking forward to the rest of this video 😂☺️
I'm about to film my own wrap ups of the year and it's really interesting seeing how your year has gone overall. I think my year was fairly successful, but I did have quite a few duds myself too.
I do hope you find some great new ones in 2018 and also short story collection recommendations coming back to your channel will be marvellous :D I LOVE the 6-week post-it note plan... Maybe I will do that too... GOOD PLAN!
I am glad to see you've set goals that make sense for you. I am looking forward to your 'haul, read, review' videos. Intriguing format! I am impressed by your determination to clear nine books off your TBR each month! I hope your new plans bring your more reading enjoyment in 2018.
Love hearing your plans going forward. I find that I too prefer things like Drinking By My Shelf's balancing the books over hauls these days. I'm excited by bookopoly and the way I plan to do wrap ups going forward because I've been so unexcited about every way I've tried to do wrap ups.
I love the idea of the dated post-it note on new books with a deadline! Might do this myself this year! My TBR is still fairly small (40 books), so I might do an extreme project where I get rid off any book on there that I don't read this year. Anyway, great video, I enjoyed the statistics bit and you inspired me to think differently about my reading goals this year. - Claudia
I am so behind you with the plans to reduce your TBR! I'm actually getting so excited about getting stuck into mine, I think I have about 216 books altogether including kindle and audiobooks, but I am for sure going to be finally getting over my fear of DNFing. Good luck with reducing your TBR, I can't wait to see your updates!
I'm SO happy you're back!!
I'm terrible at commenting on the videos I watch, but I wanted to mention how happy I am to see you back. I hope your upcoming reading year turns out better than this one!
Welcome back, Mercedes! I usually don't even notice when people don't upload, but I've missed your videos because I enjoy them so much. Hope you have a good 2018.
Margrét Jónsdóttir thank you so much! I hope you have a lovely 2018 ☺️
I've finally finished reading all my physical books in 2017, and it was a chore. I've been at it for about 3 years now, and never again. I still have the culling to do though. But I feel your pain in this regard. Good luck and hopefully some awesome reading for you in this new year. Regarding the length of the videos, I love hearing the long and rambley ones too, because I get to hear how you think about the topic, which is nice.
All your plans leave me rather excited for the 2018 videos from you. Some great ideas in here and I hope they all work out for you.
Nice to see you back, and making BookTube fun for yourself again :) I also realized that I was reading way too much frontlist in 2017 and it was negatively impacting my enjoyment, so 2018 is going to be all about backlist! Happy New Year 🎉🎉🎉
I love how much you're holding yourself accountable in 2018! I'm inspired to do the same because last year, I bought way too many books and it took me too long to get to them all, lol. These are great plans and I wish you a happy reading year!
Some short story recommendations:
10th of December
Her Body & Other Parties (though about 1/3 of the book is some sort of Law & Order fanfic, and I don't watch Law & Order so it all went over my head)
What Is Not Yours Is Not Yours (currently reading)
I also love hearing people's stats and goals videos at the end of the year. Great ideas, especially your "strict" goals haha. The 9 x 12 and the read new books you hauled by 6 weeks time particularly. I look forward to your updates on these plans in 2018!
Glad you're back, I missed your videos! I agree with you: my favorite videos are wrap-up, way moer than bookhauls!!
I agree with you that book reviews or monthly wrap ups are far more interesting to watch. I no longer watch book hauls, would rather spend the time reading.
Love me a good spreadsheet, I currently use one for all my Booktube planning and the books I read, but that one by Sophie is adorable. I'm really looking forward to the Hauled, Read, Reviewed series! I love the idea and I think it would be a great incentive to read recently hauled books, it's a win-win :D
Love your honesty and intelligent book nerdish chat in this video! I did a good job last year of reducing my TBR stack(s) to the point where I could fit new books on the shelf (very un-statistics-y method ;) ) but that didn’t survive the Christmas book haul period! It’s hard to do but so rewarding to slow down your reading (or at least the hauling) a bit. Good luck, I look forward to the next videos.
Goals are always exciting! I'm looking forward to seeing what new shape will you be giving your channel in 2018 especially in regards to wrapping-up your progress in reading, Mercedes. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for the new formulas to work better for you and add to a more enjoyable creation process ^^
I will be in fact stealing your goal directed at the shelf clear out. I have a terrifying number of unread books on my shelves and I'm still so very excited about so many of them but I keep getting distracted by newer books and library ones (I just feel so sad leaving library empty-handed). Officially, I'm making an effort for the majority of my reading to come from my shelves. Wish me luck ^^
Also, Hail the Statistics!
It’s great to see you back and hear your exciting plans! Hope it goes well, they sound great ideas. Happy New Year 😃
It's very good to hear from you again ! Can't wait for your following vids.
So happy to see you back. Also, really like your idea of culling your shelves! I'd love to do something similar, although not sure I'm gonna be able to be so strong.... All the best with your plans!
I’m SUPEREXITED for the Hauled Read Reviewed series because I’ve been looking forward on your thoughts on several of your hauled books before and realized they would have to wait a while. Also, the quarterly updates will give me the buzz I get from culling videos and closet unhaul and year end updates because I love the accountability between reader and bookshelf that shows. “Here are my books, here are my thoughts on their content AND here are my thoughts on the books as objects in my life”- kind of thing. Not sure if I make any sense, but I’m one of those who enjoy videos of reorganizing and sorting.
Was really pleased to see one of your videos back in my feed and this didn't disappoint. Looking forward to seeing the new style videos in 2018. And as a person who prefers to read classics/backlist it will be nice to see a few more pre-2000 books 😀
I love your videos... I can relate when you said you want to find that passion again to come home and indulge in reading 📖 ... I too hope to find that passion again in 2018 !! Good luck to us both !
Hello :) I just want to say I really like the idea of focusing more on reviews rather than hauls. When I started watching booktube videos it was because I wanted recommendations. I've kept watching because of the reviews, but also because of all of the cool booktubers with engaging & inspiring content. I'm not too bothered about what books people happen to own. (To be honest, I have to say that personally I'm all about libraries, & letting the trees continue to grow....).
great ideas but don;t stress yourself out
I really enjoyed this video and I also have always loved your wrap ups best. Good luck with your reading goals!
Don't usually comment but wanted to stop by to say I love your channel and the changes you're making sound awesome. Happy new year!
I love your goals for 2018. Such good ideas!
Welcome back, Mercedes
These sound like awesome 2018 plans! You've clearly put a lot of thought into how to make these goals work for you and I'm really excited - the Hauled Read Reviewed videos sound awesome! Happy New Year!!
I think all of your plans sound amazing. I really like your idea for “hauled, read, reviewed.” I enjoy watching book hauls, but hate filming them so I am also working out a way to film less of them. Sophie’s spreadsheet this year is bomb as hell. Can’t wait to start using it and geeking out over statistics. I know that 2017 was a rough reading year for you, so I really hope looking to 2018 picks up that reading excitement and buzz for you. Great discussion video and I look forward to seeing all the exciting books you pick up next year. Have a happy new year :)
These are great goals, Mercedes! I’m looking forward to your hauled, read, reviewed videos. That’s a wonderful idea!
I always skip book haul videos, so I'm excited for your channel changes 😊
Hope 2018 is better reading year for you, it sounds like you're really excited by your new goals, which can only be a good thing 😊
I enjoyed this video so much! I'm actually doing some really similar goals for 2018. I want to read at least four books a month from my TBR by the end of 2018, which should get me close to a zero TBR since I've got about 55 unread books right now. And in the same vein, I'm giving myself three months to read a book after I purchase it, though I might consider ramping it up to six weeks since you're right that that's when I'm most excited about my new purchases.
Best of luck with your 2018 goals! I can't wait to see your 2017 favorites video :-)
I love hearing you review books, so I’m quite excited about your upcoming BookTube year! Hauls can be fun sometimes from folks who get lots of advanced copies -just to see what’s coming out soon.
But, really, a more useful video is one that tells me what’s coming out soon that is both well written and ticks my reading boxes. Those are the books I’ll pre-order or seek out in book shops.
However, I’m get just as excited hearing about gems from years ago that I can easily find on library shelves or in used book shops. Often those authors have back lists that I can dig into and binge read if the mood strikes.
So, either way, yes please! More reviews of hauled & read books!
I was so happy to see a video from you in my feed! 😊 welcome back. Hope you had a lovely Christmas. I think your TBR challenge sounds awesome and is something I need to seriously think about too. Will you be inputting them all into Sophie’s spreadsheet? I’ve been thinking about doing that but am a bit daunted by the task. Can’t wait to see all your new videos in 2018 and very much looking forward to your best of the year list. Have a very happy new year.
My TBR isn't as big as yours, but it did grow exponentially this year and I've been trying to think of good ways to encourage (or even force) myself to get through as many of them as possible. I really like your idea of setting a number that have to be read or removed and may try that myself. I also like the idea o not doing hauls. I see so many of them, but what I really want to know if the book was any good.
I hope your passion is rekindled and that you have a good reading year in 2018.
I had not been tracking my owned but unread stats over the course of the year; think I'll have to go modify my spreadsheet to include that. Your plans for new books and reading them in six weeks is quite something to aim for. I don't doubt you'll manage it but not something I'd want to do, yet anyway.
Awww... I got such a big smile to see your smiling face pop up in my feed. I hope you had a lovely relaxing break and wish for you a very awesome new year. 🎉🎉🎉
all D books awww, bless you! Hope you have a great new year too 💜
Great video Mercedes I shall look forward to your content in 2018 xx
So happy to see you back.! I also read 113 books this year... Hope you have a great 2018.xx
First of all, nice to see you again! I've missed you but I think it's good that you have taken some time off to collect your thoughts and make plans. It was super interesting to hear about all your numbers of 2017! Amazing that you managed to break down your TBR pile to around 200 books. I also think it's a good idea not to film hauls anymore. I don't particularly like hauls of any kind, because I'd much rather (as you said) hear you talk about a book or hear your opinion on something than seeing an item being held into the camera and waiting for that review to happen. Reading 9 books a month from your TBR pile seems ambitious, I hope this technique will work out for you. It's really nice to see you again, because weirdly I haven't managed to find any other BOOKtubers who's opinion I cherish as much as yours. If you recommend a 4-5 star read, I am most certainly putting it on my TBR and I'm very likely going to read it. So you've contributed to some of the best reads I've had this year. Thanks, cheers, on to a really good reading year 2018! And greetings from Berlin x
Svenja M. Thank you so much for your lovely comment 💜 its made me feel all warm and fuzzy! So glad to hear you’ve enjoyed some of my recommendations!
I’m really glad I had the reading and booktube break - I think it allowed me to step back and really evaluate what matters to me book wise. I’m actually excited to read and talk books again which I haven’t been for a while. I think the new plans regarding reviews and not hauling have helped to inspire me ☺️
I would so love to join you for a repeat of 2015, it was such a good reading year
Glad your back...Hugs...
I'm really excited to see your new videos! I love the idea of Hauled, Read, Reviewed. My channel is still so new that I'm not really making significant changes yet, but I'm always fascinated to hear about what other people who have been around for a while are doing. Rincey was talking about quarterly goal check-ins recently and I think it sounds like an excellent idea. I'm a bit behind with tallying my 2017 reading and setting goals for 2018, but I will definitely be scheduling check-ins. Happy to have you back!
JessicaReadsThings I love that more people will be doing check ins as I just love hearing bookish updates ☺️ for so long wraps up worked for me and I never thought I’d move away from them, then suddenly they just didn’t feel right for me anymore. I’m looking forward to seeing how a bit of a shake up works and hoping it ups my enjoyment 👍
I loved this video Mercedes, I so enjoy stats. I just went through my entire tbr pile and unhauled 40 books so I'm down to 240 tbr books altogether. I love the post-it idea, BRILLIANT ! , I think I will do this myself 😊 Also very excited to see your haul read reviewed videos. Good luck with these goals!
Beyond the Pages ohhh, we’ve got a similar amount! I’d be really interested to hear if the post it note idea works for you 👍
BRILLIANT video and so lovely to see you getting all smily and excited about reading again! I love your post-it idea and think I will borrow that if that's OK? I don't have as many books as you as recently moved across country and had to get rid of over 200 but this will help keep the pile I currently have at a semi-manageable level-ish-kinda....! Best of luck! x
Really enjoyed this! Thanks for mentioning my video :) I think I'm going to make a little downloadable printable book balance sheet because a few people have said they'll do the same. Good luck with 2018, I think all your rules are really sensible!
I saved this video to private in order to spend more time working on adding all the relevant links in the description box. Bizarrely I came back 3 hours later to add the links and set the video to public only to find that over 2000 of you have viewed it! I have no idea how this happened so just wanted to say sorry for not providing your link and I swear I didn't do it on purpose! xxx
MercysBookishMusings Of course not! xx
Sounds like a great plan, I need to go through my shelves and be as ruthless as you!! Good luck for your 2018 plans :)
I'm the same way. I love making lists, but struggle with follow through.
Love your ideas for 2018. As a viewer, I also don't much care for watching book hauls. I watch these videos to get ideas for good books to read which doesn't help if people just show what they picked up with no reviews. I'm also going to check out the spreadsheets because I am totally nerdy like that. LOL I really hope you find your love of reading again!
Lynn Miller yay! I hope you love the geeky spreadsheet fun 🎊🎉🎊
I'm so happy to see you and wish you a happy new year, love your channel so please don't leave us!
I love your chatty videos. C: Woah! I struggle to film monthly wrap ups if I read a lot. I might just focus on 4 star or 5 star reads (or really low ratings, because those are fun to film too)
AND Sophie's spreadsheet is goddamned gorgeous and I'm so excited to see how people use it and put their unique spin on it.
This is so similar to my goals. I had a goal of 200 books this year. I managed 213 but I am so burnt out and hate reading. So next year I don’t care about the number I just want to enjoy reading. Also no books coming into this house until I get my tbr books down. The only exception is graphic novels from the library and audiobooks......
I like these plans, and I think they’d be very doable!
It’s great to see you back! Hope you had a nice rest and a Merry Christmas! 🎄 I always enjoy your videos. All the best to you in 2018!
Svenja said it all - Glad to see you back and smiling. I just unhaul over 80 books and yes it makes me feel much better. I was watching all your book hauls and wondering how you felt about these upcoming books. Too many ! I like the goals you set up. I actually have been planning my readings for two years at least ten books have to leave my shelves each month. And it does help really. I might also steal a couple of your goals for next year. I downloaded Sophie’s spreadsheets last year and I want to do it next year too. For 2018 I wish that you find again the pure joy of reading. I love your reviews (my favorite videos) so I am glad you want to focus on that. I follow you and Jen and Sophie. My average is close to 4. Also it’s fun to see that we big want to read more short stories and more non fiction ! Our tastes are so alike. Happy new year 🎊 santé 😊🎊🎉
TheFlyingElectra m
Long time no see! :) Really enjoyed this video. Have a happy new year!
Really loved this video. Your chatty ones are always good. 😊 I think it’s great that you want to branch out and read things that haven’t been recently published. Ariel Bisset mentioned that in a recent video of hers as well. I love to find older books to read as well. I like new releases, but it takes some time to get decent reviews on them, and sometimes I don’t always like the style of newer books. They seem to frequently follow current writing trends instead of being a bit more timeless and memorable. I don’t know if that makes any sense. Lol. In short, I love that you’re looking to include more variety, and more short stories, and more nonfiction. I’m looking to include more of the same.
Yaaaaaay, you’re back. ‘3.2 stars is quite sad’ and your sad face made me feel a little bit sad. 2018 will be an awesome reading year you’ll see. Can’t wait to follow your forthcoming reading year though you are going to be very strict. I’ve had a funny phase with book hauls. Isn’t that funny. Anyway... Here’s to a new year!
SavidgeReads I’m so so excited for 2018 reading! More buddy reads please 🤓
I love all of this guidelines you’ve set for yourself, I like to do similar things for myself. Good luck with getting your TBR lower using this system! I think it’s interesting you said you feel filming videos that you don’t enjoy watching is disingenuous because I don’t feel that way. I also don’t watch hauls bc like you said I prefer to hear thoughts after they’ve read it. But I don’t mind filming hauls bc they are easy to do. I can see why that might seem disingenuous or even maybe selfish, but if viewers like to watch them than I think there nothing wrong with creating something other people like to watch.
I'm so glad you're back! I hope you had an wonderful Christmas period and next years reading is much better for you 😊 I love these types of videos and the spreadsheet is such a cool way of organising a reading record and I have been really enjoying using it
Lizzie Reads thanks for your lovely comment! My Christmas break has been lovely, hopes yours has been too ☺️
It's great to see you back, I hope you had a wonderful Christmas! I also love hearing all your statistics, they're really interesting. I'd love to give a spreadsheet like that a whirl this year, too. Your plans sound challenging and I hope they work well for you. They do sound rather restrictive though, which may be what you want and need now, but if they begin to stifle you later in the year, will you allow more flexibility? Reading challenges are awesome, but they should be fun as well I think. Happy New Year! :)
Fantastic goals! I don't make book hauls on my channel although I enjoy watching them. I would much rather watch wrap ups and reviews though.
Also I would be really interested in watching you doing an unhaul video!
Lovely to see another video from you!! 😀
Have you read Only the Animals by Ceridwen Dovey? It's a short story collection focused on animals involved in key historical events. I thought it was great so would recommend.
Love your channel, happy new year ❤️
Great video. Do you think you will do another mothbox next year? I really enjoyed your book choices in them x
Jill Johnson I’m unsure atm but if I do I’ll make sure to mention it :)
Yaaaay you are back!
Have you read Brideshead Revisited, by Evelyn Waught? I read it in november, and really enjoyed it. It's slow paced and character driven, so I think you might really like it :)
It's so fascinating to hear all the statistics and your reading plans for 2018. In terms of quantity it sounds like you had a very bountiful reading year in 2017 (at least in comparison to my reading rate) but it's a shame the quality of books you read suffered a bit. I hope you have a more enjoyable reading year in 2018!
The spreadsheets are missing - could you please add the links? Thank you 😊 Now off to watch the rest of the video...
you can find her channel by searching portalinthepages :)
If you search '2018 Reading Spreadsheet' it should be the first one up on youtube x
I saved this video to private in order to spend more time working on adding all the relevant links in the description box. Bizarrely I came back 3 hours later to add the links and set the video to public only to find that over 2000 of you have viewed it! I have no idea how this happened so I just want to apologise for the video being uploaded without the promised links. I've now added them so hopefully you can find the great channels I mentioned now :)
Hey Sophie,
I saved this video to private in order to spend more time working on adding all the relevant links in the description box. Bizarrely I came back 3 hours later to add the links and set the video to public only to find that over 2000 of you have viewed it! I have no idea how this happened so just wanted to say sorry for not providing your links and I swear I didn't do it on purpose! xxx
Don't worry at all! I'm genuinely just happy you're enjoying it xx
Great to have you back! Any news about MothBox? I really liked it (hope is not wrong of me to ask)
Iciar Mosquera thank you :) no updates on Moth Box atm but if there is I’ll send a newsletter out 👍
Couldn't help noticing "We, the Drowned" over your right shoulder, which I thoroughly enjoyed. What was your take on it?
tony bennett all the books behind me are unread 😳 fingers crossed I’ll get to it this year!
Aha! So nosy old me blew you up to full screen to try to see the others. The Gustav Sonata is on my want to read list.
Saw your comment. Have to say that it was one of my favorite books of 2017. The character development and writing were incredible. I cared so deeply about Albert Madsen.
My avrege this year is 3,4 which feels really crappy. 2017 sucked honestly. I've read so much, but can't really think of any book that struck me, you know? God I hope next year is better. I feel like I want to read more non-fiction as well cuz I did really enjoy the biographies I listened to this year. I feel like I need to read slower and be more consious about my reading. I think the pressure from reading a lot to be better at my job is why I read so many meh-books. Hope your 2018 will be better as well! Happy new year 🎉✨
Could you do a video on how you organize your books?
theweepingangel I have a playlist of my book shelf tour that I did earlier this year :)
I missed youuuu
Not a fan of haul vids either, so love the haul/read/review plan.
I quite enjoy watching Book Haul videos, but I've realised I don't like asking about books that have previously been mentioned on hauls but then haven't featured on reading wrap ups, as I feel like maybe asking about books that the BookTuber hasn't got to yet, is putting pressure or demands on them maybe?
GreenBitterfly haha, I know what you mean - I always feel awkward doing that too although I don’t mind if people ask me 😆
i could tell there have been an unhaul since the first row of your bookshelves was now visible from behind you
Francisca Javiera Fernández Arce haha, good spot! They’re no longer double stacked 🎊🎉
There's no links to click on in your section.
I saved this video to private in order to spend more time working on adding all the relevant links in the description box. Bizarrely I came back 3 hours later to add the links and set the video to public only to find that over 2000 of you have viewed it! I have no idea how this happened so I just want to apologise for the video being uploaded without the promised links. I've now added them so hopefully you can find the great channels I mentioned now :)
Hi! Not sure if it's a problem on my end but it looks like links are missing from the description?
Yes, the links are missing for me too. She must have forgotten to put them in!
I saved this video to private in order to spend more time working on adding all the relevant links in the description box. Bizarrely I came back 3 hours later to add the links and set the video to public only to find that over 2000 of you have viewed it! I have no idea how this happened so I just want to apologise for the video being uploaded without the promised links. I've now added them so hopefully you can find the great channels I mentioned now :)
I saved this video to private in order to spend more time working on adding all the relevant links in the description box. Bizarrely I came back 3 hours later to add the links and set the video to public only to find that over 2000 of you have viewed it! I have no idea how this happened so I just want to apologise for the video being uploaded without the promised links. I've now added them so hopefully you can find the great channels I mentioned now :)
MercysBookishMusings no problem, thanks!
I like your channel but I honestly don’t get what’s going on while watching this. Where did this weird YOU HAVE TO READ A LOT to love books thing start on booktube. It’s about loving to read not a who can outread who competition. Read as you are in the mood, and read what you feel like reading at the moment, and if you only read 1 book in the whole year but it made you feel happy and excited and fulfilled than that is amazing. I love reading, but the idea of reading goals and HAVE TO READ would completely turn me off, you’re turning it into a job - why?
tosheatower I think you may have completely misunderstood the video. I said I had no actual reading goal as I don’t think it’s necessary. I absolutely hate competition and couldn’t care less what I read compared to others. What I care about is that I miss reading the amount I used to read in earlier years. As I said I used to love reading for hours and I haven’t been doing that lately. Regardless of the number of books I read I want to spend more time reading and find my love of it again :)
My rules are focused on the amount of books to remove from my tbr a month but I don’t necessarily have to read them - I dnf and unhaul v often so it should be fairly easy for me. 👍
No no I got that. It just makes me sad that you are maybe losing your love for reading because you feel you should be reading. Sorry, if my comments always seem to rub you wrong. That wasn’t my intent.