A 2015 Nielsen survey concluded that nearly two-fifths of Americans resolve to “stay fit and healthy” for the new year – other popular goals included living life to the fullest, traveling more and picking up a new hobby.

Twelve percent decided to “read more” in 2016 – and I decided to try and take that to a new level. Inspired by Nicolle Hodges, who read 59 books in two years, I'm in the process of trying to read my height (5'7") in books over the course of one year.

Above: One of the two bookshelves I've set aside for this literary journey.

It's been such a fun challenge to pick out books across genres - from classics to newly popular stories, from fantasy to fact. I've learned more about psychology, ethics, marketing, communication, writing and cooking on the grill.

I chose to write about this resolution this week because I think that for those of us that love to read, regardless of genre, this sort of challenge can force you to stretch your limits and become knowledgeable of a topic that was foreign to us before. You can also benefit from this as an language learner – I'll be attempting my first Portuguese book this year, and I've definitely developed my Spanish reading abilities!

I've always been a pretty fast reader, sometimes overly so, but for those of you that prefer to take your time or have incredibly hectic lifestyles, I'd still recommend a reading challenge – just set a goal that stretches your comfort zone, but doesn't shatter it entirely.

There's no need to spend hundreds of dollars on an all-new book collection – most of these books were ones I got from friends, or books I already owned! I had a lot of fun going through my dad's collection, which is why I'm learning about grilling for dummies.

Some of my favorites so far are "La Casa De Los Espíritus (The House of the Spirits)," "Beyond Outrage," Perfume: The Story of a Murderer," "Phantom," "Gone Girl" and "Unbroken." I've gone from coming-of-age books to thrillers to how-to books, and I wouldn't have it any other way.

I'll write about my progress as the end of the year approaches (though, for reference, here's how my stack of books looked in March). Maybe I'll have found my new favorite book by then, though "Phantom" by Susan Kay definitely comes close.

Maybe I'll meet or even exceed my goal. I used to have the books stacked up in my room to measure my progress, but I felt it was counterproductive because it led me to see this as a goal, not a journey. Now, I'm just reading whenever I have the time, enjoying the process and trusting that I'll be able to complete the resolution. And even if I don't, I'll feel comfortable in the fact that I've gained a lot from this experience.

In the meantime, if you need a book rec, hit me up.