The 2013 Annual Reading Challenge - Discussion Thread!

[Nyssa]

Welcome to the 2013 Reading Challenge Discussion Thread

Maybe you would like to read 15,000 pages, finish 50 books, concentrate on a specific genre or deplete your ever-growing TBR list.
Maybe you’re looking for ideas or you just want to see how far you can go…

This is the thread where we can share our personal goals and strategies or ask for suggestions and support.

The Annual Reading Challenge is neither a race, contest, nor an "exclusive club" Anyone can join! This is just a fun activity that some of us have enjoyed doing in the past. Many of us have found reading challenges to be an entertaining way to set goals for ourselves, get ideas for books, and see what others are reading.


You are welcome to keep track of the books you have read in the "List Thread", here: 2013 Annual Reading Challenge List Thread

Plus, to discuss a particular book please participate in the Hey!! Let's get some action going! What are we reading? thread and share your thoughts about the book with others.

[Nyssa]

It took two years, but I've learned my lesson: K.I.S.S.

In 2011 I aimed for 100 books (getting nowhere close). My 2012 challenges sounded easy enough, but were all over the place. So this year, I will follow my instincts and keep my goals simple:

52 novels (1 book a week)
15,500 pages

EDIT: (January 4th 2013) Yeah, remember how I said K.I.S.S.? Ha.
I've just complicated my life with The I'll Try Anything Once... Challenge. The goal is to read 1 book from each category (see spoiler) throughout the year. [Credit to MrsJoseph for this great idea!]


Categories:

Spoiler:

Adventure
Auto-Biography/Biography
Chick-Lit
Childrens Book
Classics
Cyberpunk
Drama
Dystopian
Educational
Erotica
Espionage
Fantasy
Graphic Novels
Gothic
Hard-Boiled
Historical Fiction
Horror
Humour
Literary Fiction
Magical Realism
Mystery
Noir
Non Fiction
Paranormal
Philosophical
Poetry
Post-Apocalyptic
Romance
Science Fiction
Steampunk
Supernatural
Thriller
True Crime
Urban Fantasy
Victorian
Young Adult

Just a Reminder to myself:

Spoiler:

My 2012 Experiment & the results.

[DrNefario]

I'm not going for a specific goal in 2013. I felt I was favouring short books too much this year, to make sure I got my 50. My main aim is for my TBR to go down instead of up.

As a subsidiary goal, I think I'm going to try to finish off the list of Hugo winners. I originally decided to read the whole lot 3 or 4 years ago, at which time I'd already read half of them. I now have just 9 to go, and when I've finished my current book, none of them will be "blocked", so I think I ought to be able to fit them all in, along with 2013’s winner.

I'm also planning to start on my Detectives A-Z list (see other thread), which is so far mostly undecided, but I think I'll just try to read, say, 8 of them, rather than all 26.

[Loosheesh]

I reserved a spot on the list thread, though I did the same this year and didn't update it at all Maintaining a list at Goodreads and here is a little much for me but I want to actually give it a fair go in 2013.

I have no concrete 2013 challenges (I learned my lesson the hard way this year: having too specific reading goals is not a motivator for me ) but I have a few ideas on where I want my reading to go this year that I'm still fleshing out. If all fails, I'll just read whatever comes to hand, and maintain a list as usual

What I really want this year, which is not a reading goal, is to seriously curb my spending on ebooks. My ongoing TBR Decimation challenge has been helpful (though I'm totally ignoring the rules!) but I need to step it up. I only count my paid books as my true TBR [ebook] list (everything else I consider as unread; less pressure that way ), and of that I have over 300 books. And that's not counting ebook bundles/collections and print books (which I still buy a few of throughout the year). I've budgeted how much I want to spend in 2013 and set up gift credit at both Amazon and Kobo (my two most frequented ebook stores); I've allocated 3/4 of my budgeted amount at these two stores and the final 1/4 will be for elsewhere. I think this is a good starting point.

So, for 2013, I'm hoping for more structured reading, exploring new-to-me genres/subgenres, and spending way less on books

[haydnfan]

I've noticed that I read more horror than science fiction, fantasy and mystery/suspense/thriller. I intend for those numbers to be roughly equal by the end of the year. In particular my favorite type of scifi is space opera and I plan on reading Banks' Culture series and Donaldson's Gap series. Also on fantasy I wish to finish my great reread of the Wheel of Time and read the final novel. I also wish to start rereading Malazan Book of the Fallen. I had quit in the middle because I got confused with all of the characters and subplots.

[jersysman]

This year I found that I read a lot of classics, which tend to be longer books. So I think I might lean to tracking pages along with books. That would give me a better picture of exactly what I did. I'll keep thinking of it for a few days.

[ucfgrad93]

I'm setting a goal of 50 books this year.

[Dazrin]

Thanks Nyssa!

[Catlady]

In 2011, I forced myself not to reread any books. In 2012, I mostly reread old favorites. For 2013, I'd like to keep a better balance. I would like to try to read more classics--maybe at least one per month. I'm also going to do some housekeeping and clear out all the freebies I'll probably never read--at least archive them so they're not cluttering up my e-reader.

[jbcohen]

My 2013 goal posts will be exactly where I wound up 2012 at, unless something drastic happens, my 2013 goal will be 84 books up one from the 2013 goal of 83 books. It seems the in the final two weeks of 2012 I not only reached the goal posts but sprinted past them further down the road just a tad. I am working on the 85th book of 2012 which I doubt will get done so will be book number one for 2013.

[paola]

guys, I've no idea how you do it (and I thought I was a fast reader!), but in 2012 I will manage around 30 books or so - so I will join you in setting myself a challenge and see whether this whips me forward when I slack

[jessicalynn]

I have two goals this year. I want to read 52 books, and I want to read at least 18 books from the ebooks I've already bought (I have 28 purchased but unread ebooks right now). I'm also not going to purchase any more full price books unless I plan to start reading them right away. I will continue purchasing discounted books at random though.

[hidari]

Hi. I will go for a 100. Read 50 books many times..but never near a 100... Does anyone know where I can join the ticket/book counter that people have at the bottom of their signature?

[Nyssa]

Originally Posted by hidari

Hi. I will go for a 100. Read 50 books many times..but never near a 100... Does anyone know where I can join the ticket/book counter that people have at the bottom of their signature?

TickerFactory.com

I suggest scrolling down to the "Crafts/Hobbies" section and choosing the " Objects/Actions Counter".

[yakuzaboss]

My goal for 2013 is simple...just read and enjoy what I'm reading.

By the end of this year, my book total will be a paltry 14, maybe 15. In 2011, I managed to read exactly 100 books, which I thought was fantastic. I had hopes of topping that total this year but a family tragedy put a dead stop to those goals and my concentration for any reading was done.

This year will be better. Just read and enjoy.