The 2014 Annual Reading Challenge Discussion Thread!

[BelleZora]

I started tracking page count as well as book count last year, and tracking the average page count. This is because I had begun to avoid short books because I felt like I was cheating when I counted them. Now I know that it really does all average out respectably. I no longer even think about book length when choosing what to read.

[jersysman]

I use a combination of book counts and page counts. I have an overall page count goal, but within that goal is a book count (i.e. 10 books based on the Civil War). It works well for me. I do only keep a book count on Goodreads, so I must follow that as well.

[Nyssa]

Originally Posted by Katsunami

I just discovered something:



Funny. I didn't actually know of this clip before I wrote that post...

Thank you...

[Katsunami]

Ah. I've replaced the Inspector Gadget theme in your head with this clip?

Glad to help

[Nyssa]

Originally Posted by Katsunami

Ah. I've replaced the Inspector Gadget theme in your head with this clip?

Glad to help

LOL

Actually I was responding like the gentlemen at the end of the clip...

[Katsunami]

Originally Posted by Nyssa

LOL

Actually I was responding like the gentlemen at the end of the clip...

Hehe. I found the clip by entering "You're doomed" into Youtube, for another post by pdurrant, in the "Buying Addicts" thread.

I laughed my ass off when I found this one, that (almost) exactly corresponds with my post. I swear to God... uh... The Great Banana (<- don't click that link, it sticks for WEEKS), that I didn't know this clip when I made up that "You're doomed" post.

[Yapyap]

I track by number of books, but I also find it interesting to check the page cpunt stats on Goodreads at times.

Right now, for this year, my 11 books read - which includes a short story counted as a separate read - come to 4061 pages (based on page counts entered for the editions I picked as read on GR, which are mostly ebook or Kindle editions with page counts similar to paper books), which means a ~370 page average - in other words, I don't need to feel bad about counting the odd short story separately as it does, indeed, even out.

My last year's stats were 136 books / 45,237 pages, which comes to ~332 pages per book; again, I read about ten short stories, but my overall reads averaged out nicely to 136 perfectly average novel sized books. (Also, it might be that some of my last year's reads were entered as ebooks that don't have a page count added in GR database; I didn't start to pay attention to that until late in the year and in some cases I went back and switched to an e-edition that did have a page count - but I couldn't be bothered to go and check all 136 books.)

ETA: Actually, I just realised the short story I read didn't even have a page count entered. And I found the setting on Goodreads that displays number of pages in My Books, so now I can easily go back and check for the no-page-count books I read, and as I'm a librarian, I can go and add the page counts to the editions when I can find them on Amazon / publisher site.

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by Rev. Bob

Of course you can. After all, it's the shortest month of the year!

What an excellent point!

[orlok]

Originally Posted by Katsunami

That's why I decided to use page count as a goal. A book can be 200 pages, but it can also be 600 or 1200. Setting a number of books as a goal invites to read shorter books to meet the goal more easily. Page count does not have that problem.

I am doing a page count for the first time this year, but I haven't set a target - just doing it out of curiosity. I agree with what HIMS says below about any method of counting being flawed in some way.

Originally Posted by HomeInMyShoes

Read shorter books.

I purposely chose shorter books when I could this year for my challenge because I knew it would be crazy enough. I could probably never read seventy 600 page books in a year as my best year for pages is around 25,000 pages.

Pages are deceptive as well. I've had 200 page books take longer than 400 page books. It depends on font size, spacing, and actual difficulty of the text. I have a 440 page book I've probably spent ten hours reading to only get halfway through it so far. While I've got another 400 page book that only took ten hours to read the whole thing.

Every method of counting is flawed in some way, read to have fun and my usual goal is just to record what I read.

I'm not hung up about the length of the books I read, as I do feel it averages out. The first book I read in 2011, for example, was over 1400 pages (The Count of Monte Cristo), but I still ended the year having read 110 books, the most since I started these challenges.

[DrNefario]

I'm attempting to count pages this year, too, but I already feel like I'm cheating because of pages I didn't read this year. I was 150-odd pages into my first book of the year on the 1st of January, and I have three more books I'm more than 50% of the way through.

Also most of my sub-challenges require whole books. Pages are only really any good for totals.

The 50-50 challenge I did in 2012 allowed a book to count as 2 if it was more than 500 pages long, but I felt that was cheating and didn't apply it myself.

[HomeInMyShoes]

Originally Posted by DrNefario

I'm attempting to count pages this year, too, but I already feel like I'm cheating because of pages I didn't read this year. I was 150-odd pages into my first book of the year on the 1st of January, and I have three more books I'm more than 50% of the way through.

Also most of my sub-challenges require whole books. Pages are only really any good for totals.

The 50-50 challenge I did in 2012 allowed a book to count as 2 if it was more than 500 pages long, but I felt that was cheating and didn't apply it myself.

I look at books spanning years to not be a problem at all. There's usually a book I'm reading at the end of the year that counts in the next year. Not a problem. It skimps on the previous year, but this book adds to this year and the book at the end of this year will skimp on this year. It balances out.

I think I might forgo challenges next year and just say 36 books and call it a day. Then I'll read whatever and just record what I'm reading. I might give myself small challenges of read so many books about this or from here or of this type, but that will be it.

In other news, I finished SHORT book number 9 so far this year.

I'm now in Nicaragua for those following my journey.

[Tarana]

It's interesting to compare books with page counts. Before my medical problems, I found that I could go through four 250 page books faster than I could go through a single 1,000 page book. I think the reason why is that I'm much more action oriented - long books tend to have a lot of descriptive detail in between action 'sequences.' Today, of course, if I want to read a long book, I have to get the audio for it.

My two primary books right now are Doctor Sleep and The Princess Bride. I'm over half way done with both. After these are done, I need to decide what free book to get through Amazon Prime. I'll be able to get one every month, so that will help fill in series that I started as a result of some of my book clubs' selections. My local library doesn't have much in the way of science fiction.

[DrNefario]

In the interests of science, I've decided to compile a list of the books I read in 2007, before I had an ereader (if we ignore my Palm PDAs), to see how it compares to the last few years. I've kept a diary since 2005, and I tend to record when I start and finish each book, so it's just a case of looking through it and trying to decode my terrible handwriting.

I kind of had the feeling that before 2012, I probably averaged about 25 books a year, but at the moment it's looking like that might be an under-estimate. I'm half-way through the year, and have read 19 books, which is below my current pace but more than I expected. The odd thing is that twice, so far, I have taken an entire month to read a book. If my priorities were elsewhere, I was entirely unconcerned with pace as long as I had something to read each night. I kind of miss that.

In addition, I ran out of books on April 6th. Books I wanted to read, at least. I don't think that's ever likely to happen again. Maybe if my house burns down, destroying all my books and ereading devices, and I'm so traumatised I forget my amazon password. Anyway, in 2007 I turned to graphic novels for a day or two, until I could visit a bookshop.

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by DrNefario

In addition, I ran out of books on April 6th. Books I wanted to read, at least.

You poor thing! The horror!

[DrNefario]

I know!

My 4-figure TBR is a comfort-blanket.