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Does anyone here take part in reading challenges? Something like GoodReads yearly challenges or perhaps one of your own devising? If you do, what is your motivation behind it and what sort of selection criteria for books do you have?
I'm pretty chuffed with how much I've managed to read in 2019. It was a difficult year for me on all fronts, much of which I've spent recovering from an illness, yet I've made sure to find some time and accommodate reading into my routine. Reading is my passion but when things around you seem to crumble and work wears you down to the point of being comatose it can be pretty hard to find the motivation or the energy to keep focus, so I'm desperate to hold on to that spark and not get swallowed up by the darkness entirely. And with books being my light, I'm thinking of making this into an active 2020 challenge, to keep myself on my toes, to mind the topics that I cover and things I learn, and in general mark my reading achievements.
The book threads on this site have been a godsend and everyone's enthusiasm for reading so contagious and full of inspiration. But I do wonder if anyone is in the same boat as I am and would perhaps like to do something akin to a reading challenge?
I have a vast To Read List and, at the end of 2019, I've narrowed it down to around 300 books that I would genuinely like to read. My intention is to continue to pick books randomly from that list (as I've started this past year, and not simply rely on my mood), and read as much as I can. We don't have to agree on what we read, how much, or how fast - just keep track of our individual goals and support one another. Would anyone be interested in something like this?
(Apologies for any mistakes. I'm fighting a killer migraine, so my brain is working with a major lag.)
I do the Goodreads challenge every year. I managed to squeeze in 75 books last year and I'm hoping to hit the same amount this year.
I don't really have a selection process, I just try to hit the unread books on my bookshelves that I get from BotM or that I win during giveaways. Occasionally I'll check out the new books at the library and pick up one or two.
I do the Goodreads challenge every year. I managed to squeeze in 75 books last year and I'm hoping to hit the same amount this year.
I don't really have a selection process, I just try to hit the unread books on my bookshelves that I get from BotM or that I win during giveaways. Occasionally I'll check out the new books at the library and pick up one or two.
Cool. Have you started on this year's one? Also pardon if this is a stupid question but what is BotM? I'm guessing book of the month?
How do you find GR as a site? I like to follow some of the lists and reviews but otherwise the site feels a bit clanky.
Cool. Have you started on this year's one? Also pardon if this is a stupid question but what is BotM? I'm guessing book of the month?
How do you find GR as a site? I like to follow some of the lists and reviews but otherwise the site feels a bit clanky.
I started my first book of the year but I'm only a few pages into it. Yes, BotM is Book of the Month.
GR is clanky. I use it mainly to keep track of the challenge, my books and the books I've read so it's sort of like a personal catalog (except it's online and people can see it). I like to follow some of my favorite authors but I don't really check out reviews unless it's a book I'm already going to read.
I was feeling proud of having read 40 books in the GR 2019 challenge, and then I see a l'ouest with 75. Sigh.
It's ok
I think that was the first year I actually did the challenge and I also use Goodreads in the same manner. When a book gets suggested, I add it there and keep track of all my books read. I find it extremely handy because occasionally someone will suggest a book and I go to add it to my "Want to read" books, and I find it's either already there, OR I read it a few years ago.
I also look at the overall rating of a book, and very rarely read reviews. I have found though that if there's a puzzling part or I have a question, there is also a discussion feature and that has been quite helpful.
Generally speaking, a rating of 3.5 is pretty good (and 4 or higher is really good). I don't use the rating to determine if I will read it, but I find it's helpful to me.
Of course, to each his own but I have found very few rated over 4 that I did not care for(for sure there are several).
I started my first book of the year but I'm only a few pages into it. Yes, BotM is Book of the Month.
GR is clanky. I use it mainly to keep track of the challenge, my books and the books I've read so it's sort of like a personal catalog (except it's online and people can see it). I like to follow some of my favorite authors but I don't really check out reviews unless it's a book I'm already going to read.
I thought about putting my To Read list to GR but that's just too much hassle, so I'll just be adding the ones I've read. I've cheated and started my first one on the 30th and am half way through it already. I'm hoping to sort others by genre on GR but I haven't yet figured out if it's an option, will just have to fiddle with the settings at some point.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mayvenne
I was feeling proud of having read 40 books in the GR 2019 challenge, and then I see a l'ouest with 75. Sigh.
It's ok
I think that was the first year I actually did the challenge and I also use Goodreads in the same manner. When a book gets suggested, I add it there and keep track of all my books read. I find it extremely handy because occasionally someone will suggest a book and I go to add it to my "Want to read" books, and I find it's either already there, OR I read it a few years ago.
I also look at the overall rating of a book, and very rarely read reviews. I have found though that if there's a puzzling part or I have a question, there is also a discussion feature and that has been quite helpful.
Generally speaking, a rating of 3.5 is pretty good (and 4 or higher is really good). I don't use the rating to determine if I will read it, but I find it's helpful to me.
Of course, to each his own but I have found very few rated over 4 that I did not care for(for sure there are several).
40 books is a really good figure, you should definitely be proud of it. I know so many people for whom double digits would be too much of an effort.
Are you planning on beating that this year or did you find that pace more enjoyable? My pace tends to vary, sometimes I read several books a week, other times can barely get through one a month. But I'm gonna try and commit to keeping an even pace this year and maybe aim toward minimum of 50. I feel like if I have a number in mind I'd be less inclined to hibernate and not read.
I didn't consider that I could just add recommendations to my 'want to read' list on GR, will definitely take advantage of it now, as I'm constantly adding to my ever growing list.
P.S. Would it be appropriate to share GR links on here? Or is that considered personal info? Apologies, I'm not very good with these sort of things.
I do the Goodreads challenge every year, and set my number to 50. Two years ago I made it to 60, but I didn't want to increase my number in case I fell short, and last year I only made it to 56. So I was glad I didn't increase it because I did not want to fail the challenge. I think 50 is a good number -- nice and round, and just under a book a week.
Don't get number envy, though -- I have some friends who set their number to 12, and while I sometimes think, "really?' at least it's 12. I once had a neighbor say to me that they would like to do a book club, but how was it for me reading a book a month, because wasn't that hard to do?
I see that some people have 100 or even 150 books as their number, and in some ways I don't know how they do it. Although often, when I check out their lists, the overwhelming majority of the books are romance books or short kindle only releases or sometimes lots of YA, which don't take as long to read.
A few years ago I only got to 21, because I was in a writer's critique group and we started meeting every two weeks, and I had to read drafts of novels or a dozen 15-20 page short stories to critique, and I was overwhelmed -- all my reading time was reading drafts of other people's writing, plus trying to write some of my own stuff, so I had almost no time to read any actual published books.
I was feeling proud of having read 40 books in the GR 2019 challenge, and then I see a l'ouest with 75. Sigh.
40 is a great number! I barely made 75 in 2019 and I doubt that I'll do it again this year. I read a lot of fast-paced thrillers that I can get through in 2-3 days and then I'll throw in a "War and Peace"-type book that can take months. I also tend to read two books at a time; one physical copy and one ebook.
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