Due to recent events in the Bargains forum, I've had to increase the number of books in my Kindle Freebies Decimation Challenge and add a Harlequin Decimation Challenge to this year's goals. I'm hopeless. :D

lol!!

I think I've done something unique by having the covers. But if there is a limit to how many I can have, can I use a second message to continue the list?

Sorry Jon, but its one post per person. I do like your cover idea, though.

I would suggest that if space becomes an issue, you only keep/include the covers of your "five star" or "favorite" reads.

I suppose I could start a new thread and post a link to the new message.

That sounds like a plan!

I think I'd phrase that "I'm adaptable."

I'm having a hard time finishing Black Rain because I'm reading four books at once. I had my first nightmare I could remember in a while last night and I hope it's not related. Only 50 pages left.

I like the way you think. :thumbsup:

I finished up The Trial by Franz Kafka.

I love this stuff. Just so many levels to read this on.

I finished the first Sherlock Holmes book "A Study in Scarlet". I will probably try to finish the series this year since I liked it enough, but it won't be all in one pass.

Just finished Down Among The Dead Men An interesting read about Life as a Mortuary technician. A little gory in places so not for those with weak stomachs.

Shall now try & catch up with The Iliad, currently on Book IV

My goal is to read 26 books in 2012. That may not sound like much, but in the last few years I've read maybe half a dozen books per year. Since getting an ereader a year ago that number went up to probably 20 or so (I wasn't counting), but I've also discovered there are LOTS of books out there I really want to read, and my "to-read" list keeps growing. So a book every two weeks this year seems manageable.

First book: "The Nerdist Way," Chris Hardwick (finished Jan 11, 2012)

Next book I'll probably finish will be "1Q84" by Haruki Murakami, which I started in October.

I just finished "Transfer of Power", very good book. Now I'm reading "The Third Option", "Les Miserables" and "The World According To Clarkson". I find it easier to read when I have a few books on the go as you can see :rolleyes:

Are you using any special techniques/tactics to achieve goals like "reading 100 books in a single year" ? Is it about reading each time, when you have extra 10-20 minutes, which accumulates over time?

I'm working on a reading app for smartphones - http://getmobilereader.com/ - with the main goal of creating a useful tool for readers while overcoming small screen constraints, so that 'small letters' are not an issue anymore.

The first version has been out for a few weeks, I'm working on adding handling more file formats and various ways of importing the content so that it's quick and easy.

The app is using techniques borrowed from speed reading, so showing big letters is one factor, but it can also increase reading speed, as long as you are used (or get used) to this type of text presentation.

I'm curious if using this app might actually help in the "Annual Reading Challenge" for any of you; would love to learn your thoughts and get some feedback on it.

thanks
Mark

I read for around 2 hours before I go to sleep at night, but when I just have a few minutes to read I'll read "The World According To Clarkson" which is a bunch of short newspaper articles written by Jeremy Clarkson. And those few minute reading sessions are starting to add up because I'm about half done.

Just finished I am Legend by Richard Matheson. Amazing book. I was surprised to see that he wrote it in 1954!

Well, so much for a racing head start. A week with the flu did me in, and my book had to be returned before I could finish it.

I will be reading 1Q84 next, though, when I get my mojo back! Hopefully I can catch up on my e-pages goal with that one (it is long!)

I had a plan
 

Well, the plan was to read more classics, and spread out what I read, while not buying so many books. As one or another famous general is reputed to have said, "no plan survives contact with the enemy". Certainly mine hasn't. So far, I've managed to buy fewer books than I read, which is good. But I've also aquired additional books via library or freebies and I'm falling behind in those, making my TBR bigger than when I started. And the mix is still way too heavy on the fluff, and too light on the classics. OTOH, I'm enjoying what I read, so that's a good thing. Only one book so far that I haven't finished (and I'm not done with it yet, I think I'll be able to pick it up and finish it. )

Have read:

1. Battle Cry by Nick Poletta
2. Wretched Earth by Victor Milan
3. Nuclear Storm by John Helfers

Working on:

1. Shadow Strike by Nick Poletta
2. Mission of Honor by David Weber.

To be read:

1. Mutineers Moon by David Weber
2. Beautiful Friendship by David Weber
3. Another book that suits my fancy

I've not found anything to hold my interest too well this year. :(

^John Steinbeck's Cannery Row. It's brilliant!

I just finished A Portrait of the Young Man as an Artist by James Joyce. Joyce is infuriating. So hard to read some times, so dull in places, but then he goes and writes just little brief moments of brilliance. I find myself just reading the words for the joy of words themselves.

<sigh> My sentiments exactly. Here it is more than half through the first month, and I have little to show for it. Technical issues did me in, a lack of interest in the MR Book Club selection, and household time constraints were more slow downs. It's downright appalling and completely out of character.

However, part of my 2012 challenge was to read each MR BC selection, broaden my genres and authors, and so I have persevered. And I have figured some minor work-arounds for technical and other issues, so hope lives on for my 2012 challenge...haven't quite made it to the realm of the paper tiger to clear out p-books, though. Hmmmm.

Well, can't sit around here all day--time to read something! :)

What sort of books do you like?

Fantasy (NOT SF), romance, erotic romance, murder mystery and the occasional thriller. I throw in some classics & non-fic here and there.

Try Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld. I recently finished it. Quite good. It's alternate history/steampunk and it is not heavy. It's a trilogy. I'll have book 2 ready to go when I am done with a few other books.

You are so right. The Trial is one of my favorite books. Looks like I'm gonna have to add it to my list to re-read. (there goes my plan to try and only read books I haven't read already. I wonder if I can count it as not read before if I last read it over 30 years ago. :) So far out of the 12 books I've read this year seven are re-reads (gotta update the ticker). I'm gonna head over to the Illiad thread and maybe join in that reading. That's one I've never read before (at least not entirely).

Have you read the Parasol Protectorate series by Gail Carringer? Alternate reality/romance/steam punk all rolled into one and hysterically funny to boot. Victoria is a young queen of England. Vampires, werewolves and ghosts are "out" in society. Main character is "soulless" which means something quite different from what you usually find. I thoroughly enjoyed them and am waiting eagerly for the fifth book in the series.

Also the Temeraire series by Naomi Novik. The Napoleonic Wars fought in the air as well as on land and sea. Aerial Corps of dragons. Good stuff.

Thanks for the rec! I'll check it out.

I 've read book 1 and I thought it was great! I'm just having an issue getting started in 2012...

Had George Passant on my TBR, and got ~25% into it, but just couldn't get into it at all. I'm dropping it off the TBR, though I might come back to it later if I have a period with a lot of time to read without interruptions.

Instead, read three short stories from Sharon Lee and Steve Miller (Quiet Magic). Enjoyed them, left me wanting more.

Overall, I'm staying about even on my TBR. At least it's not growing.

For Victorian style steampunk I enjoyed Infernal Devices by KW Jeter.
For mysteries the "locked door" style of John Dickson Carr.
For good warm-all-over feeling there is The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Haddon.

+1 for the Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time.

Thanks for the recs!

So far I have read um... 10 unread books. I think. ( But downloaded 30 freebies from Amazon :rolleyes: )

Last night, I finished Deadly Obsession by Katie Reus. It was a chilling romantic suspense. And really, really good. ( But I stayed up 2 am finishing it, which was a bad idea since I slept badly.)
I also tried to read Charmed ever after by Gabriella Hewitt, but it didn't work for me. So, a DNF. In fact, I think I'll delete it from my Calibre library.

With January quickly coming to a close, I wonder how you all feel about your chosen challenges.

After waffling back and forth I finally decided, the other day,that I will once again reach for that elusive 100 books mark.

That being said, I've already made one misstep: The Iliad. I've put it on the back burner. I just couldn't keep up due to my wanting to read other things (namely, The Dresden Files). I do plan on returning to it at some point (probably the summer).

As to the rest of my challenge, I'm leaning towards reading the Percy Jackson series once I'm done with Dresden, and I think I'm going to move Rachel Morgan to the end of my series list. I'm not ready to reread her, again.

I'm still happy with my challenges. I designed most of my series challenges as "try it and see" so that I wouldn't feel locked in to reading those. My Amazon Freebies Decimation challenge isn't making much progress, but I knocked quite a dent in the Harlequin Decimation challenge.

I've read 15 total books so far. I know I won't be able to maintain my current pace for long (especially since there might be a new job on the horizon) so I'm happy I came out of the gate at top speed. It'll help later. :)

15! Nice!!! Those freebies will get you every time! :D I've just stopped looking at them, for fear my hard drive wiill expolde! :rofl:

Good luck and congratulations on the (possible) new job. I'll be cheering for you.:thumbsup:

Well, the overall reading volume is OK -- I doubt I'll have any difficulty reaching 100 books, though that wasn't really a specific goal.

I'm doing only so-so on reducing the TBR. I haven't bought many books, but I have gotten several from the library so my overall TBR is actually up a bit. And I'm definitely not doing as well as I'd planned on reading more classics. It's hard, I've got too many exciting things in myTBR.

Sounds like your "Classics" challenge is closer to the "I should" category, than the "I want" category at the moment. Just give your self time...I'm sure if its a real "want", you'll get in the mood to read a few of them. :)

Reducing one's TBR feels almost impossible with so many freebies and library options available. You might have to make a specific list and stick to it, to get that to work.

Continued luck! :thumbsup: