Reading can be hard work sometimes — even for bookworms.

Growing up, I was always reading. I took books with me to parties, as a kind of security blanket (I don't remember ever actually reading at parties. I just needed to know that I could).

But college left very little time to read for fun. After assigned books, homework, and required viewing, all I was able to do was read Hunger Games or watch Netflix. I suffered from depression and anxiety, which made it harder to focus on a book or to even have the energy to read. But when I was able to read, specifically books I loved, it helped keep those feelings at bay.

When I graduated, I wanted to get back into the swing of reading, hoping to recapture some of the imagination and creativity I left behind in my childhood, not to mention peace of mind. I had friends who took on the 100 books challenge, reading that many books in one calendar year.

It's unclear where the concept of a hundred-book challenge originated — it became a meme on Facebook years ago, based on a BBC list — but I immediately loved the idea. I attempted it in 2014, my first full year in New York, but failed miserably — reading only 50 books.

So I made just one resolution in 2015 — to try again, to finish 100 books by the end of December 31. No rules beyond that they had to be of at least a Young Adult reading level, and I had to limit the number of books I re-read.

I had joined two book clubs since moving to the city, so that helped give me titles and accountability. I would join the MashableReads team part-way through the year (where I receive a lot of books, including advanced copies), which brought my book club count to three. My newly purchased Kindle, plus my New York Public Library card, would make reading more accessible and transportable in the crowded city.

Here's how the journey to the center of the bookshelf went down:

January

The year started off strong. My first book was Outlander, as I'd become obsessed with the TV show and was re-reading the first installment in the series during the show's hiatus. I was job-hunting at the time, which left lots of time to read.

I made it through 10 books, which led me to increase my initial goal of 75 to the ultimate goal of 100. When I told this to my father, he responded with: "maybe you should pick a lower number."

Thanks, dad.

Books read:

1. Outlander by Diana Gabaldon. 850 pages, 5 days to read. My rating: 4/5 2. Dorothy Must Die by Danielle Paige. 480 pages, 3 days to read. My rating: 4/5 3. MWF Seeking BFF by Rachel Bertsche. 384 pages, 5 days to read. My rating: 4/5 4. Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell. 336 pages, 1 day to read. My rating: 5/5 5. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian by Sherman Alexie. 229 pages, 1 day to read. My rating: 4/5 6. Dark Places by Gillian Flynn. 349 pages, 3 days to read. My rating: 3/5 7. Neil Patrick Harris Choose Your Own Autobiography by Neil Patrick Harris. 304 pages, 2 days to read. My rating: 4/5 8. Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins. 368 pages, 3 days to read. My rating: 3/5 9. Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins. 368 pages, 2 days to read. My rating: 4/5 10. Grasshopper Jungle by Andrew A. Smith. 416 pages, 4 days to read. My rating: 2/5

February

In February I hit my first snag. I started the month soaring along, with a new book every 3 days, feeling great. Then I made my first fatal flaw: I tried a book by an author I hadn't enjoyed before. I thought that since the book was short, I would blast through it.

Instead I took 5 days to make it through 300 pages of sappy romantic teen fluff. I followed that with a book club book, another mistake — I can never be sure if I'll like them or if I'll be slogging through. And 10 days later, I had my answer. I ended up merely reading 7 books in February.

Books read:

11. I Was Here by Gayle Forman. 288 pages, 4 days to read. My rating: 3/5 12. Let It Snow by John Green, Maureen Johnson, and Lauren Myracle. 352 pages, 3 days to read. My rating: 4/5 13. The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart. 352 pages, 3 days to read. My rating: 4/5 14. A Little Something Different by Sandy Hall. 272 pages, 1 day to read. My rating: 4/5 15. I'll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson. 400 pages, 3 days to read. My rating: 5/5 16. To All the Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han. 368 pages, 5 days to read. My rating: 2/5 17. The Winner's Curse by Marie Rutkoski. 384 pages, 10 days to read. My rating: 2/5

March

March provided more than one saving grace. That was the month I started my job at Mashable, and the month I joined MashableReads. I now had coworkers to recommend books, widening the genres I was exposed to. I read essays and non fiction and short stories. I made it through 9 books that month, including one of my favorites, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time by Mark Haddon.

Books read:

18. The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wacker. 512 pages, 3 days to read. My rating: 4/5 19. Someday, Someday, Maybe by Lauren Graham. 368 pages, 3 days to read. My rating: 3/5 20. Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater. 416 pages, 7 days to read. My rating: 4/5 21. Trigger Warning by Neil Gaiman. 368 pages, 3 days to read. My rating: 4/5 22. I'll Be There by Holly Goldberg Sloan. 416 pages, 3 days to read. My rating: 2/5 23. Bad Feminist by Roxane Gay. 336 pages, 5 days to read. My rating: 4/5 24. The Monopolists by Mary Pilon. 320 pages, 2 days to read. My rating: 4/5 25. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time by Mark Haddon. 226 pages, 2 days to read. My rating: 5/5 26. The Young Elites by Marie Lu. 384 pages, 2 days to read. My rating: 2/5

April

I was 1/4 of the way to my reading goal, and just past 1/4 of the way through the year. I started the month with my fastest book of the year, Mallory Ortberg's Texts from Jane Eyre, which was short enough for me to finish in a day.

I also did a bit of traveling in April, for a Jewish holiday and for my brother's wedding, and there's no better time to read than while traveling. So thanks for getting married, bro. I was able to tell my dad that I'd made it through another 9 books that month. Mazel Tov!

Books read:

27. Texts from Jane Eyre by Mallory Ortberg. 240 pages, 1 day to read. My rating: 5/5 28. An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir. 464 pages, 3 days to read. My rating: 3/5 29. Beauty Queens by Libba Bray. 400 pages, 3 days to read. My rating: 4/5 30. Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty. 512 pages, 3 days to read. My rating: 5/5 31. Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. 588 pages, 7 days to read. My rating: 4/5 32. Guy in Real Life by Steve Brezenoff. 400 pages, 3 days to read. My rating: 2/5 33. The Royal We by Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan. 464 pages, 5 days to read. My rating: 5/5 34. The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty. 464 pages, 2 days to read. My rating: 4/5 35. The Night Gwen Stacy Died by Sarah Bruni. 278 pages, 3 days to read. My rating: 4/5

May

2015 was finally looking like my year! In May I traveled to two more weddings, which was great for extra reading time. Though it did remind me of how single I was, I'm not sure if having a significant other would've cut into my reading time, so maybe it's worth it.

For the first time I read a book in order to interview the author, which added to the feeling of accomplishment this project gave me. I also read my first and only graphic novel of the year, Fun Home by Alison Bechdel. This endeavor was also adding to my list of feminist tomes, in which I'd include Mindy Kaling's Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? in May and a Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie the month before.

Books read:

36. Lois Lane: Fallout by Gwenda Bond. 304 pages, 1 day to read. My rating: 4/5 37. A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara. 736 pages, 5 days to read. My rating: 3/5 38. Armada by Ernest Cline. 368 pages, 4 days to read. My rating: 3/5 39. Life in Motion by Misty Copeland. 304 pages, 2 days to read. My rating: 2/5 40. The Duff by Kody Keplinger. 304 pages, 2 days to read. My rating: 4/5 41. Lying Out Loud by Kody Keplinger. 304 pages, 3 days to read. My rating: 3/5 42. Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel. 352 pages, 4 days to read. My rating: 5/5 43. Room by Emma Donoghue. 352 pages, 3 days to read. My rating: 5/5 44. Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? by Mindy Kaling. 222 pages, 2 days to read. My rating: 4/5 45. What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty. 488 pages, 2 days to read. My rating: 4/5 46. Fun Home by Alison Bechdel. 232 pages, 3 days to read. My rating: 5/5

June

My 10 books in June included #50, meaning I'd read as much in half of 2015 as I had in all of 2014. Needless to say, I was euphoric. I decided to make #50 a meaningful one, and re-read one of my all-time favorites.

My dad first gave me To Kill a Mockingbird when I was 11, and I'd read it about once every year or two through college. With Go Set a Watchmen on its way, it seemed a poignant time for my 10th re-read of the original. I'm not sure why I relate to Scout's story so much, as I grew up in Ohio, not the rural south. But I also had a lawyer father and a big brother I looked up to, though with a mom who was way cooler than my nerdy dad, and a sister who was much more of the play-time companion than Jem was to Scout.

What I loved most was that I discovered something new, or related to something new, every time I read it. I was rediscovering something about myself during this project. The more I read, the more confident and centered I became, even as I became stressed about making my goal. It was fitting to go back to a book that helped me connect to my past and look to my future.

Plus no line in literature is better than "Cecil Jacobs is a big wet heeeen!"

Books read:

47. The Interestings by Meg Wolitzer. 560 pages, 3 days to read. My rating: 4/5 48. Royal Wedding by Meg Cabot. 448 pages, 2 days to read. My rating: 5/5 49. Ready Player One by Ernest Cline. 400 pages, 4 days to read. My rating: 5/5 50. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. 384 pages, 3 days to read. My rating: 5/5 51. The Unamericans by Molly Antopol. 288 pages, 5 days to read. My rating: 4/5 52. Me, Earl, and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews. 305 pages, 5 days to read. My rating: 4/5 53. Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein. 368 pages, 4 days to read. My rating: 4/5 54. Jackaby by William Ritter. 304 pages, 1 day to read. My rating: 2/5 55. Every Day by David Levithan. 384 pages, 1 day to read. My rating: 4/5 56. Another Day by David Levithan. 336 pages, 3 days to read. My rating: 4/5

July

After being so productive for so long, I had a shaky July. My only 7 books that month included the truly horrendous Go Set a Watchmen, which proved the perfection of Mockingbird but still felt like a waste. I also read Not that Kind of Girl for a book club, which shook my newfound confidence as only Lena Dunham can: I find her both relatable and abhorrent, making me nervous that I annoy others as much as she annoys me.

That was my last book of July, as I spent the last week of the month in Orlando with friends and finished nothing. I've decided to blame both Lena and Harper Lee's sketchy attorney.

Books read:

57. Anna and the Swallow Man by Gavriel Savrit [Advanced Reader's Copy]. 240 pages, 2 days to read. My rating: 4/5 58. Two Boys Kissing by David Levithan. 224 pages, 4 days to read. My rating: 4/5 59. One Plus One by Jojo Moyes. 416 pages, 2 days to read. My rating: 4/5 60. Paper Towns by John Green. 336 pages, 2 days to read. My rating: 3/5 61. Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee. 288 pages, 7 days to read. My rating: 2/5 62. Hello, Goodbye, and Everything In Between by Jennifer E. Smith. 256 pages, 2 days to read. My rating: 2/5 63. Not That Kind of Girl by Lena Dunham. 320 pages, 7 days to read. My rating: 2/5

August

August was the first month where everything I read was something I later rated 3 or more stars. I'd been tracking my books all year and rating them out of 5, with 1 being so terrible that only two books in the whole year received that score.

Though I only read 7 books, they included The Martian by Andy Weir and Carry On by Rainbow Rowell, two genre books that rocked my literary world in 2015.

Books read:

64. You're Never Weird on the Internet (Almost) by Felicia Day. 272 pages, 2 days to read. My rating: 4/5 65. The Martian by Andy Weir. 387 pages, 3 days to read. My rating: 5/5 66. The Secret History of Wonder Woman by Jill Lepore. 464 pages, 2 days to read. My rating: 4/5 67. Carry On by Rainbow Rowell. 528 pages, 1 day to read. My rating: 5/5 68. Fates and Furies by Lauren Groff. 400 pages, 5 days to read. My rating: 3/5 69. Everything Leads to You by Nina Lacour. 336 pages, 2 days to read. My rating: 3/5 70. Anatomy of a Misfit by Andrea Portes. 336 pages, 2 days to read. My rating: 4/5

September

If August was my best month, September was my worst. Though it had plenty of praise in the literary world, Among the Ten Thousand Things was my first one-star book, and it took me a week to finish.

But the hardest book for me, and the one that took me the longest of anything in 2015, was Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow, the biography that the hit Broadway show is based on. I was inspired to read the 832-page behemoth after falling in love with the show. Thank goodness for my Kindle, because there is no way I could've finished it without the ability to read on the train and at the gym. Nothing beats reading about the Federalists Papers while on the elliptical.

It took me over two weeks to finish that book, over twice as long as any other book before it. My chances of reaching my goal weren't looking so great.

Books read:

71. Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow. 832 pages, 18 days to read. My rating: 3/5 72. Emmy and Oliver by Robin Benway. 352 pages, 2 days to read. My rating: 4/5 73. Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates. 176 pages, 3 days to read. My rating: 4/5 74. Belzhar by Meg Wolitzer. 272 pages, 4 days to read. My rating: 2/5 75. Among the Ten Thousand Things by Julia Pierpont. 336 pages, 7 days to read. My rating: 1/5 76. Tonight the Streets are Ours by Leila Sales. 352 pages, 3 days to read. My rating: 3/5

October

This month had the smallest count of the year, with only 6 books. It also saw my most shameful, as I read Stephenie Meyer's Twilight genderswap book and wrote about it for Mashable.

Oddly enough, I felt the book wasn't too bad and gave it 3 stars. The 100 Books Challenge is full of surprises.

Books read:

77. Hunger Makes Me a Modern Girl by Carrie Brownstein. 256 pages, 6 days to read. My rating: 3/5 78. Life and Death by Stephenie Meyer. 208 pages, 1 day to read. My rating: 3/5 79. Uprooted by Naomi Novik. 448 pages, 6 days to read. My rating: 5/5 80. Lafayette in the Somewhat United States by Sarah Vowell. 288 pages, 2 days to read. My rating: 4/5 81. Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins. 336 pages, 3 days to read. My rating: 4/5 82. The Replacement by Brenna Yovanoff. 368 pages, 4 days to read. My rating: 3/5

November

I started the month with 17 books left to go, and I was feeling the pressure. Too many obstacles stood in my way: my birthday and Thanksgiving were both in November, so those celebrations would likely prevent reading at least 9 books in 4 weeks. I hit my second 1-star of the year, an Advanced Reader's Copy of a novel I was sent through work, but luckily it didn't slow me down.

I ended up only hitting 8 books, but my stress was lessened by how much I loved the 8th one, Everything Everything by Nicola Yoon. I loved it so much that I finished it in a day. Thanks, Nicola, for reminding me that this project wasn't really about the number of books I could read. It was about finding books that made me feel what reading had always done for me: that connection, that sheer joy of reading a book that both entertains and moves me.

But even with that newfound love, I still had 10 books to go.

Books read:

83. Dumplin' by Julie Murphy. 384 pages, 4 days to read. My rating: 4/5 84. I'll Meet You There by Heather Demetrios. 400 pages, 3 days to read. My rating: 3/5 85. Sanctuary Bay by Laura J. Burns and Melinda Metz [Advanced Reader's Copy]. 314 pages, 4 days to read. My rating: 1/5 86. Me Before You by Jojo Moyes. 369 pages, 3 days to read. My rating: 4/5 87. After You by Jojo Moyes. 368 pages, 2 days to read. My rating: 3/5 88. Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys [Advanced Reader's Copy]. 378 pages, 2 days to read. My rating: 4/5 89. In Real Life by Jessica Love [Advanced Reader's Copy]. 224 pages, 5 days to read. My rating: 3/5 90. Everything Everything by Nicola Yoon. 320 pages, 1 day to read. My rating: 5/5

December

Here it was, my last chance. 31 days to get through 10 books. Though I had no travel plans to give me extra reading time, I also didn't have trips or family obligations getting in the way. I finished a book on December 1st, which helped my count, but my second book took 5 days. Luckily it was another book I adored, Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo, so my disappointment was mitigated.

I zoomed through the next 7 books, a mixture of YA, classics, and nonfiction. Finally, after nearly a year of work, I had 99 books under my belt. I wanted #100 to be meaningful. And that's when I made a nearly fatal error.

I decided to pick a book I hadn't read, and to go with a non-YA novel as my closer. As a huge Jane Austen fan, I was always a little ashamed that I'd never read Sense and Sensibility.

Take it from me, friends: when you've got a reading deadline, don't choose a Regency novel. I adore Austen, but her books are slow to start and low on action. A lesser book than it's predecessor Pride and Prejudice, and not as much fun as my beloved Northanger Abbey, Sense and Sensibility almost derailed my whole year.

I stayed in all day on the 31st trying to finish, until I'd hit the limit. I was due to meet friends for a New Year's party. I grabbed my Kindle and headed to the train, hoping for a local to buy more time.

And then, it happened. Just before 8:30pm EST on December 31st, I finished my 100th book. And immediately texted my family.

My siblings, of course, did not respond.

It almost felt like the champagne at midnight was a book challenge celebration.

Books read:

91. The Burned Bridges of Ward, Nebraska by Eileen Curtright. 252 pages, 7 days to read. My rating: 2/5 92. Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo. 462 pages, 5 days to read. My rating: 5/5 93. Dash & Lily's Book of Dares by David Levithan and Rachel Cohn. 288 pages, 2 days to read. My rating: 2/5 94. The Serpent King by Jeff Zentner [Advanced Reader's Copy]. 384 pages, 2 days to read. My rating: 4/5 95. Modern Romance by Aziz Ansari. 288 pages, 4 days to read. My rating: 4/5 96. Library of Souls by Ransom Riggs. 458 pages, 4 days to read. My rating: 3/5 97. The Rest of Us Just Live Here by Patrick Ness. 336 pages, 3 days to read. My rating: 4/5 98. The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath. 288 pages, 2 days to read. My rating: 3/5 99. The Silent Sister by Diane Chamberlain. 343 pages, 4 days to read. My rating: 2/5 100. Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen. 400 pages, 4 days to read. My rating: 3/5

January (again)

Starting the new year hasn't given me too much time to reflect on 2015. Most of my friends seem happy to leave the old year behind, but I'm not as sure. 2015 was a big one for me. I started a job that I love, I got to travel with friends, my family grew through marriages and births. I grew closer to my friends and to my new city. And I got to feel that I really accomplished something.

After college, there are far fewer opportunities for long-term projects, for something beyond my normal work-day that I can feel proud of. By reading 100 books I didn't just reconnect to my inner bookworm and the lost art of reading for pleasure. I also boosted my self-confidence and self-esteem.

For some people, 100 books may not be that great a number. But in the end, it didn't matter how many books I read. The point was making a goal, sticking to it, and getting there.

I posted about this project on Facebook January 1st (I posted my full 100 book list, which you can see here). Lots of people congratulated me, but even more told me about their own reading goals.

Some were inspired by mine, some came to it on their own. But no matter the reason or the number, I'm happy to see people getting the chance for a year-long experience like that.

And finally, I'm doing the challenge all over again in 2016. So if you'll excuse me, I've got a book to read.

Do you have a book-reading goal? Share it in the comments.