The 2012 Annual Reading Challenge - Discussion Thread!

[Nyssa]

Originally Posted by MikeOxlittle

I'm a slow reader and I have a short attention span so my goal is to read 52 books in 2012.

I'm fickle when it comes to what holds my attention and can start a book, but if it doesn't 'hook' me in the first few chapters I tend to abandon it and start another.

I think I abandoned more books than I actually finished this past year.

Still one book a week would be pretty good for me so that's my goal .. should be fun.

Have fun reading everyone!

Originally Posted by jessicalynn

I signed up for the 100 books in 2011 challenge and didn't even get halfway there! I've read 35 books so far this year. So next year, I'm going to challenge myself to read 50 books. And also, I want to clear out the 10 or 11 unread dead tree books that I have laying around (I'm not sure if I'm going to read them all though-there are a few I don't think I'm interested in that I might just take to the used bookstore.)

Mike & Jessica, Glad to hear you'll be joining us for 2012! I hope you both grab spots over on The 2012 Annual Reading Challenge – List Thread! , and share your reading lists with us.

I can't wait to get started. I have my first 4 books (and a few bonus stories) all lined up rearing to go. I'm just waiting for the outcome of the Book Club vote.

Continued Happy Holidays & Happy Reading.

~Nyssa

[CWatkinsNash]

Just wanted to say hi and welcome those who are joining in for the first time for 2012! As we are now several pages into this discussion, I also wanted to remind everyone that we also have a group on Goodreads: MobileRead Book Challenges. It's a great place that gives us room to spread out a little, and we've got personal challenges, group challenges, discussion, and general silliness going on. It makes a nice home base if you're thinking about using Goodreads to assist in tracking your 2012 reading.

I'm so antsy to get going with next year, I'm having trouble finding things to read this week. "Oh, no, I want to save that book for next year." I'm not sure what that's all about.

[orlok]

Originally Posted by CWatkinsNash

I'm so antsy to get going with next year, I'm having trouble finding things to read this week. "Oh, no, I want to save that book for next year." I'm not sure what that's all about.

Ha! I'm finding exactly the same problem - I want to save stuff for next year's challenge, so I don't know what to read. I'm actually reading a DTB which I got for Christmas - the first DTB this year - so that I won't have to infringe on my growing list on my Kindle.

[jbcohen]

Originally Posted by Kevin2960

To Read Non UK, US, and Australian Mystery Writers,

At least half the MR Book Club Reads for 2012 and more than 1 of the MR Literary Book Club reads too,

To read at least 30 previously unread Authors,

Not less than 1 Book every Week,

And a Classic at least 1 a month,

Oh and at least 2 NON fiction books,

And to at least finish 1 of my current writing projects,

That's some goals you have there I don't think I could reach that, one book a week.

Since the books I have now are not likely to finish by the end of the year I am starting a tad early on the reaching 15K pages, thus far I am closing in on 14K but have not reached that point as yet.

[Kevin2960]

Hey it's very very unlikely I'll get anywhere near all the goals, but this is what I'd LIKE to achieve,

By way of explanation, I am retired due to health issues and largely housebound so have LOTS of time on my hands ... Of course I still don't find enough reading time

I just want really to MAKE more of my reading time, and to get even more than I already do from my reading

Truth is I rarely achieve ANY goals ... So maybe this time ... Right ???

BTW ... Good Luck on Your Goal,

Wish me luck

Originally Posted by jbcohen

That's some goals you have there I don't think I could reach that, one book a week.

Since the books I have now are not likely to finish by the end of the year I am starting a tad early on the reaching 15K pages, thus far I am closing in on 14K but have not reached that point as yet.

[issybird]

Thanks to pdurrant for all the lovely titles.

[mikaelalind]

Originally Posted by orlok

Ha! I'm finding exactly the same problem - I want to save stuff for next year's challenge, so I don't know what to read. I'm actually reading a DTB which I got for Christmas - the first DTB this year - so that I won't have to infringe on my growing list on my Kindle.

I have already started with next years goals. It wasn't planned, but I read Magic Bleeds, and then I started at the beginning. Oh well. There are plenty of other books for me to read. Like the 200 () unread books I have in Calibre.

[Rumpelteazer]

I've just got my replacement Kindle (old one developed hairline cracks in the bezel) and I'm now waiting for the indexing to be done. Hopefully I make Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman last until Saturday because, like others, I wouldn't know what to read.

I'm already having problems with my set goal of not starting a new series before finishing two I'm currently reading. I need to finish one more series before I can start a new one at the moment but there are several series I want to start asap.

[JSWolf]

I've started on Hogfather today. I plan to finish it before 2012 and I'll just wait until 2012 to start anything else. What it might do is give me some time to sort out what's next.

[Xanthe]

Finished my 100 for 2011 - yay!

[orlok]

Originally Posted by Xanthe

Finished my 100 for 2011 - yay!

Congrats!

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by issybird

Thanks to pdurrant for all the lovely titles.

Thanks!

I think that anyone can edit their post's title even if I'm the one who added it. If I'm wrong, just ask me by PM and I'll happily set your post's title (in the list thread) to whatever you like.

[Dazrin]

So, I mentioned in the 2011 challenge thread that I use Google Docs to track things for me....if anyone wants to play with what I have done, here is a public link. (Read only of course, save a copy if you want to use it.)

Spreadsheet V5, September 2012: REMOVED

Mini Spreadsheet (Mini V5), October 2012: REMOVED. This version has most of the analysis stripped out and is a little faster to use. I will probably not update this version as often as the other since it is feature complete as-is. It does not include the yearly progress charts for inclusion in a signature, but those could be created if desired.

Please let me know if you use one of these! I would love to know what people think.

I am an engineer, so I have liked having more information than Goodreads gives. I also (so far) don't care about publisher/published date/etc, so those things (and anything else I don't care about) are missing.

I have left my information in for 2011 and 2012 to have data and show what the charts should look like, but 2013 is blank. Just delete the current 2011/2012 sheets and duplicate/rename the 2013 sheet to enter your own books.

There is an instructions sheet, but it is minimal. I have used this as a means to learning Google Docs Spreadsheets, so not everything is done as efficiently as possible and I am not going to provide tech support. (Exceptions at my discretion. )

Edit 5/23/12: I had included a "progress bar" for inclusion into a MobileRead signature, but it has been having problems. It appears that unless the spreadsheet is open somewhere the bar does not always work. I have removed this feature for now. Of course, since I tested it while editing the spreadsheet I never saw this until today. Doh.
Edit 6/25/12: I updated this to account for some changes on Google's end that broke some functionality. Should be easy to import from V3 to V4.
Edit 9/13/12: Updated to V5 with additional functionality and bug fixes.
Edit 9/25/14: I removed the links to the files since they are very out of date. Send me a PM if you want access to a working and updated file.

[GA Russell]

I read 30 books in 2010, so my goal for 2011 was 31.

I have fallen woefully short, as there were a number of months when I didn't read any books for various reasons.

I have decided to change my goal for 2012: I will read at least four evenings a week at least forty weeks in 2012.

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by GA Russell

I have decided to change my goal for 2012: I will read at least four evenings a week at least forty weeks in 2012.

This is an interesting take on the challenge. It seems like an excellent idea to me, to deliberately set aside time for reading, instead of just hoping to find time.

I must admit that with me it's sometimes a case of setting aside time for other things apart from reading...