The 2016 Annual Reading Challenge Discussion Thread

[astrangerhere]

Originally Posted by HomeInMyShoes

^My reading challenges make some books a bit expensive. I'm not sure how I'm going to achieve my target next year given that a couple of the books are probably $30CDN. I'm hoping inter-library loans can pull me through. I'll be starting my requests in about two weeks for the ugly ones on the list.

That is literally one of the BEST things about being a university professor. Just about anyone will lend you anything.

[CRussel]

This coming year I expect to keep my goals much the same. A base goal of 120 books read or abandoned -- 10 books a month. With a stretch goal of 15 books a month (180 books.) 14 books a month, or 168 books total. Based on this year, I think it highly unlikely that I'll reach that stretch goal, but that's the point.

My sub-goal is to keep closer track of how much I've spent and what I've actually bought, with an end of year goal of being at least neutral -- reading as many books as I buy.

ETA: Changed to 14 books/month for a stretch. Even that is very unlikely, based on my reading this last year.

[sakura-panda]

Originally Posted by astrangerhere

I am intrigued. Care to elaborate?

Oh, it's not that interesting. I was going to elaborate in my first post, but it was so boring (even to me!) that I quit.

Basically, every time I get a new device I set up a scheme for what books to read on it and the circumstances where I'll use it over some other reading device.

1. I have two e-ink readers, a Kindle K3 and a Sony T1. These used to be my light reading at home, but I've gotten addicted to a couple of iPhone games and haven't been reading them. Now I keep whichever one I am reading in my purse and I alternate between reading my oldest bought Kindle book or one of the books I bought from the Sony Reader store, back when there was a Sony Reader store. (Currently reading His Majesty's Dragon by Naomi Novick.)

2. I also have a NOOK HD+ where I alternate between books in my Kobo and B&N Libraries. This is my favorite ebook reader and I save it for the times when I'm deliberately reading, rather than when I'm reading during a "found" moment. (Currently reading Fortune's Favorites, the third book in the Masters of Rome series by Colleen McCullough.)

3. For when I'm eating lunch (we all read when we eat alone, right?) I tend to read cozy mystery or other "light and fluffy" books. I like to break up series with books in between, so that the books don't all blur together. I was reading the Mrs. Murphy books by Rita Mae Brown (alternating with the Fool's Gold series by Susan Mallery), but I just finished the next to last book and still am not sure what cozy mystery I want to pick up next. (Currently reading The Spy Wore Blue by Shana Galen)

4. Work issued me a smart phone and I found that syncing with most of my other libraries doesn't work well. So of course I have set up a system for it. Here I rotate through four libraries: Baen, Smashwords, Discover a New Love and Kindle Unlimited. (Currently reading Utterly Charming by Kristine Grayson.)

I do try to make all the books different, so that if I'm in the mood for something in particular, or not in the mood for something I've started, I can read something else without starting something new.

[AnnieWhere]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

Ebooks are wonderfully easy to buy. And quite cheap, if you're able to wait around for special offers. But beware of building up a big 'To Be Read' list of bought books that you haven't read yet. A 3-6 month supply is probably best, IMO.

Thanks for that IMO!!!! I'll keep that in mind.

[Dngrsone]

My goals are as realistic as last year: take this year's totals and match... I read enough without stressing myself out trying to squeeze more reading in.

If anything, I should be cutting back and doing some writing, instead.

[Andie Luke]

I'm still trying to decide what my challenge would be, but most likely it will be to go through my TBR list, mainly consisting of psychology and business books and my backlogged HBR and Inc. subscriptions.

I've been reading mainly 'fluffy' books the past year as I went through chemo. I like reading novels as e-books and reference books as hardcopies, and those e-books were definitely easier to read while laying in bed

I've also been wanting to expand genres. Space opera comes to mind.

Originally Posted by astrangerhere

Steal away! I have a huge fondness for Japanese culture and language. The only reason I have no Murakami on the list is because I've read them all. I expanded out into a few Chinese books last year, but they just didn't have the same flavor.

Have you read Mo Yan's The Red Sorghum? Granted it's not the same flavor as Murakami though. I read it in college in conjunction with Ha Jin's Waiting and both left a deep impression. It was an interesting and brilliant choice by the professor to assign both books at the same time as both touch on complex human relationships (very easy reads though), but tell them in such different ways.

Reading The Red Sorghum was like a roaring thunderstorm, while Waiting was like a gentle river in pacing. I wasn't surprised when Mo Yan was named Nobel laureate recently.

Originally Posted by Dngrsone

If anything, I should be cutting back and doing some writing, instead.

.... I should probably do the same haha....

[issybird]

Is it silly that now I've set my 2016 goals, I'm starting to plan tentatively for 2017?

[astrangerhere]

Originally Posted by issybird

Is it silly that now I've set my 2016 goals, I'm starting to plan tentatively for 2017?

Depends on what you're planning

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by issybird

Is it silly that now I've set my 2016 goals, I'm starting to plan tentatively for 2017?

Not at all. I have a long-term plan is to reduce my TBR to about six months of reading. In my case, that means down to about 100 books.

I reckon that's going to take me until at least 2022....

But then I've been at MobileRead since 2007, perhaps some long-term plans are in order.

[Hampshire Nanny]

Originally Posted by HomeInMyShoes

^My reading challenges make some books a bit expensive. I'm not sure how I'm going to achieve my target next year given that a couple of the books are probably $30CDN. I'm hoping inter-library loans can pull me through. I'll be starting my requests in about two weeks for the ugly ones on the list.

I definitely used the library and particularly Inter-Library Loan to make sure that I got to read the books that I wanted to help me meet my secondary challenge goals.

Originally Posted by sakura-panda

2. I also have a NOOK HD+ where I alternate between books in my Kobo and B&N Libraries. This is my favorite ebook reader and I save it for the times when I'm deliberately reading, rather than when I'm reading during a "found" moment. (Currently reading Fortune's Favorites, the third book in the Masters of Rome series by Colleen McCullough.)

The only thing I *read* on a tablet are those books that are highly graphical and/or require color. Otherwise, I find that the other apps on the tablet are too much of a temptation. I stick with my eInk readers when I want to READ instead of play.

Originally Posted by sakura-panda

3. For when I'm eating lunch (we all read when we eat alone, right?)

Doesn't everyone?

Originally Posted by sakura-panda

I do try to make all the books different, so that if I'm in the mood for something in particular, or not in the mood for something I've started, I can read something else without starting something new.

I know that some people have trouble reading more than one book at a time. That's not a problem for me as long as I make sure the books are different in genre and style. Otherwise, I can get confused.

Originally Posted by pdurrant

Not at all. I have a long-term plan is to reduce my TBR to about six months of reading. In my case, that means down to about 100 books.

If I include all the freebies that I've picked up over time as well as the classics I've downloaded from the MR library, I can't live long enough to reduce my TBR to 100 books.

I'm still thinking about my 2016 goals. Definitely going to drop my book goal a little bit. It's been too stressful trying to keep up with the big goal I set for 2015. I've blown out my page goal (50K) but making the book goal (200) is still uncertain.

I liked the Eclectic Book challenge that I joined in 2015, so I'm pretty sure I'll pick up a similar challenge for next year.

[issybird]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

Not at all. I have a long-term plan is to reduce my TBR to about six months of reading. In my case, that means down to about 100 books.

I reckon that's going to take me until at least 2022....

But then I've been at MobileRead since 2007, perhaps some long-term plans are in order.

You're a braver man than I (I guess you'd have to be ); I have no idea (well, I have some idea *shudder*) how many unread books, physical and virtual, I have. I have no plans to put a definitive number to it. That said, I have a long-term plan to grapple with the unread paper books around here and not to buy any more! This last is part of my 2016 goals, so I've brought it around to topic.

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by Hampshire Nanny

If I include all the freebies that I've picked up over time as well as the classics I've downloaded from the MR library, I can't live long enough to reduce my TBR to 100 books.

I still pick up some freebies, but I don't add them to my TBR list. My 'Read' column in calibre is three valued - books I've read, books I haven't read but that I still intend to read (my TBR list), and books that I've added to calibre but that I have no definite plans to read.

There are rather a lot on that third list.

[HomeInMyShoes]

Originally Posted by issybird

Is it silly that now I've set my 2016 goals, I'm starting to plan tentatively for 2017?

What is this tentatively you speak of? How about 2020?

Originally Posted by Andie Luke

...Have you read Mo Yan's The Red Sorghum? Granted it's not the same flavor as Murakami though. I read it in college in conjunction with Ha Jin's Waiting and both left a deep impression. It was an interesting and brilliant choice by the professor to assign both books at the same time as both touch on complex human relationships (very easy reads though), but tell them in such different ways.

Reading The Red Sorghum was like a roaring thunderstorm, while Waiting was like a gentle river in pacing. I wasn't surprised when Mo Yan was named Nobel laureate recently.

I should read Red Sorghum, I've read a couple of other Mo Yan titles and enjoyed them. I've read a couple of Ha Jin books as well, but not Waiting. Those are two books that have been on and off my potential reading list for a while. Maybe once I get through my challenges.

[sakura-panda]

Originally Posted by Hampshire Nanny

The only thing I *read* on a tablet are those books that are highly graphical and/or require color. Otherwise, I find that the other apps on the tablet are too much of a temptation. I stick with my eInk readers when I want to READ instead of play.

Ironically, I *bought* the NOOK HD+ to be a cheap Android tablet for play, but I enjoyed reading on it so much that the only apps I have installed on it are Kobo and Kindle. Then I bought a cheap Windows tablet (HP Stream 7) to play with, and for *that* one I have installed only Kobo, Nook, Kindle and Book Bazaar Reader (epubs).

I have an iPad too, but I don't read on it (much). I really like the 3:2 aspect ratio of the other two tablets over the 4:3 of the iPad and even my e-ink Sony. Somehow in my head it seems more comfortable for reading.

[Dngrsone]

Originally Posted by sakura-panda

Ironically, I *bought* the NOOK HD+ to be a cheap Android tablet for play, but I enjoyed reading on it so much that the only apps I have installed on it are Kobo and Kindle. Then I bought a cheap Windows tablet (HP Stream 7) to play with, and for *that* one I have installed only Kobo, Nook, Kindle and Book Bazaar Reader (epubs).

I have an iPad too, but I don't read on it (much). I really like the 3:2 aspect ratio of the other two tablets over the 4:3 of the iPad and even my e-ink Sony. Somehow in my head it seems more comfortable for reading.

I have a powerful (to me) Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 7.0; I use it almost exclusively for reading ebooks...

For whatever reason, Samsung decided that seven inch tablets didn't need OTG, and that hurts me a bit: I could do so much more with this machine if I could plug tools into it, such as my thermal camera. But it's good for reading on, and the occasional foray onto the internet when breaking out the laptop is inconvenient.