The 2012 Annual Reading Challenge - Discussion Thread!

[CRussel]

Originally Posted by tponzo

Ms. Heyer trash, 'gasp'. them's fighting words!

Well, I'd have to say that Ms. Heyer's books are fluf but delightful fluf. To me, that qualifies as "good trash".

What I wanted to get across was to read what will bring pleasure when you're feeling a bit "off". Don't try to force down something that's "good for you", but rather enjoy a bit of something that you know and like.

[MrsJoseph]

Originally Posted by CRussel

What I wanted to get across was to read what will bring pleasure when you're feeling a bit "off". Don't try to force down something that's "good for you", but rather enjoy a bit of something that you know and like.

Agreed!

[RDaneel54]

Originally Posted by CRussel

What I wanted to get across was to read what will bring pleasure when you're feeling a bit "off". Don't try to force down something that's "good for you", but rather enjoy a bit of something that you know and like.

That's my motto for everything I read, but I do try to step out of my comfort zone once in awhile. I read for pleasure mostly. My learning passion is history, and is almost as fun as mysteries and science fiction.

I'm way ahead of my reading goal, but my goal to lower my TBR pile seems to be receding from possibility. There are just too many books that I find I want to add to my (virtual) pile. Sigh.

Dean

[jbcohen]

I think that I may need to lower my goal a little bit. I am attempting to make it to the same level that I got to last year and I am trailing that goal so far. I don't particularly want to lower my goal but I think that I will have to shortly. I am currently two books shy of where I need to be to get to my goal by the end of the year.

[MrsJoseph]

Originally Posted by jbcohen

I think that I may need to lower my goal a little bit. I am attempting to make it to the same level that I got to last year and I am trailing that goal so far. I don't particularly want to lower my goal but I think that I will have to shortly. I am currently two books shy of where I need to be to get to my goal by the end of the year.

I would give yourself a little more time. I started out this year in a funk and I've trailed behind the entire year so far...until this weekend. I shut off the computer, stopped texting my friends and I just read. I managed to do some damage this weekend!

[CRussel]

Originally Posted by MrsJoseph

I would give yourself a little more time. I started out this year in a funk and I've trailed behind the entire year so far...until this weekend. I shut off the computer, stopped texting my friends and I just read. I managed to do some damage this weekend!

27 books so far?!

You were one busy woman this weekend! In all the right ways.

I'm doing well on the quantity, but a bit week on the quality so far. And doing very badly on the not buying more than I can read goal, I'm afraid.

I should have some quality reading time in the next two weeks. First a long weekend in the sun, then a second weekend hanging around a hotel room. Both should lead to some serious reading.

[Dazrin]

Originally Posted by jbcohen

I think that I may need to lower my goal a little bit. I am attempting to make it to the same level that I got to last year and I am trailing that goal so far. I don't particularly want to lower my goal but I think that I will have to shortly. I am currently two books shy of where I need to be to get to my goal by the end of the year.

It is early yet, I would give yourself some time before throwing in the towel. When tracking things last year I saw some huge swings in books/pages per month, with no real contributing factor for them. I guess it was just my moods and the complexity of the books I was reading.

Off topic nerd notes: I noticed my second highest page count month was my lowest book count month (I read a couple monsters that month) and my highest book count month was my lowest page count month* (several short stories that month). Apparently I spend more time looking for the next book than I should.

*Not including the month when my daughter had surgery, I didn't get much done that month due to taking care of her and the holidays all rolled into one fun month.

[MrsJoseph]

Originally Posted by CRussel

27 books so far?!

You were one busy woman this weekend! In all the right ways.

I'm doing well on the quantity, but a bit week on the quality so far. And doing very badly on the not buying more than I can read goal, I'm afraid.

I should have some quality reading time in the next two weeks. First a long weekend in the sun, then a second weekend hanging around a hotel room. Both should lead to some serious reading.

It was great! I came out of the (thankfully long) weekend full of energy! I didn't get much housework done (took a hurried break to rush through chores and jump back into reading) but I felt great.

I think that I get...anxious and edgy if I don't get enough to read.

[paulsalter]

just increased my challenge for the year, was at 50 and have increased this to 75, currently read 44 books (although a fair few where shorts)

a lot of time on my hands at the moment (which could change at any time), so don't want to put the figure too high

[CRussel]

Originally Posted by MrsJoseph

It was great! I came out of the (thankfully long) weekend full of energy! I didn't get much housework done (took a hurried break to rush through chores and jump back into reading) but I felt great.

I think that I get...anxious and edgy if I don't get enough to read.

That's good news. We all need that kind of complete break to rejuvinate.

[jbcohen]

At least one of us Paul is on track to make the goal. I am trailing where I need to be in order to make my goal which is a little over 14 books and I am at 11 at this point, although I have two great reads in front of me at this point.

[paulsalter]

Originally Posted by jbcohen

At least one of us Paul is on track to make the goal. I am trailing where I need to be in order to make my goal which is a little over 14 books and I am at 11 at this point, although I have two great reads in front of me at this point.

That's about what my normal reading is, about 5 or 6 a month

since I discovered ereaderiq website I get a list of hundreds of free books from Amazon daily and have found quite a few good short stories which are good to read with a coffee

at the end of the year I will ignore the short stories to see what my reading has been, currently listing everything I read (about 25% short reads so far)

[CRussel]

What I've been doing is grouping the shorts into logical (?) groups and counting them as one book. So, 5 Kate Shugak stories make one book on my total.

[rpmazur]

Just finished the 2nd book in the Dune series today and started Children of Dune. 939 pages so far....a fair amount of "downtime" during the day here so I think I might be able to pick up my pace a little.

Rob

[jbcohen]

My humble opinion of the dune series, I read it many years ago before Brian Herbert picked up where his pop left off, is that the first of the dune books is by far the best of the books and the rest of them are so so. If you want a real door stopper fantasy series try Tery Goodkind's Sword of Truth series. Teh books must be something like one thousand pages each and they are great read however the problem that I have with them at the moment is that they are too high priced to fit under my $6 price limit, oh well I will read something else, I would rather not pay that much for any ebook.