The 2018 Annual Reading Challenge Discussion Thread

[pdurrant]

I can't say I'm doing well this year. Sigh.

[CRussel]

It's early days, Paul. Time to right the ship. It just takes focus. I know that's my position, and I'm sticking to it!

Seriously, recognizing one has a problem is the required first step to solving it. And I know in my case I've been buying too many books, so I'll need to watch that closely as we go forward. Thankfully, I haven't been spending a lot of money on them (UK ebook prices are now substantially cheaper that US ones, especially for WhisperSync values!)

[PurpleStar]

I've been very bad as well. I blame the Kobo sales. I would hope I'm done buying for awhile.

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by CRussel

Seriously, recognizing one has a problem is the required first step to solving it.

Unfortunately, I've been on that first step for six and a half years.

But I haven't bought a book today! Perhaps I can keep that going for a while.

[orlok]

Originally Posted by CRussel

On reading books in the New Leaf Book Club, I'm also doing well, having read both the final MR Book Club selection, and the February selection for the new club. Plus a bonus book, two of the nominated books for February that didn't get selected. So doing very well on this.

I seem to have missed something here. I've subscribed to the New Leaf Book Club and Welcome to the New Leaf Book Club threads, but haven't seen any notifications for the February selections?

[pdurrant]

It looks like the second post was edited to give links, but no new post was made to announce. The nominations have closed, and the voting has finished. February's book is Passing by Nella Larsen.

I'll make the suggestion that nomination threads and voting threads should be announced with new posts.

[orlok]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

It looks like the second post was edited to give links, but no new post was made to announce. The nominations have closed, and the voting has finished. February's book is Passing by Nella Larsen.

I'll make the suggestion that nomination threads and voting threads should be announced with new posts.

Thanks.

[Dazrin]

You can also subscribe to the forum as a whole, you would get notifications for both the New Leaf Book Club and the Literary Club that way.

[CRussel]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

Unfortunately, I've been on that first step for six and a half years.

But I haven't bought a book today! Perhaps I can keep that going for a while.

One day at time, Paul, one day at a time.

[orlok]

Originally Posted by Dazrin

You can also subscribe to the forum as a whole, you would get notifications for both the New Leaf Book Club and the Literary Club that way.

Good suggestion. I was subscribed to the Reading Recommendations forum, but I've subscribed to the Book Club sub-forum now.

[drjd]

I have read six crime fictions of different writers so far in this month, and not a single one worth praising or rating to 3 or 4 stars. This is called a bad start of an year. I'll take two days' break from the reading and start afresh with a non-fiction, hard science book pending consideration since last year.

[pdurrant]

My change from commuting by train to commuting by car share has really cut into my reading time. I have read under 160 books a year since I started recording numbers, and my overage is about 200. But this year, if January is any guide, I'll be lucky to make it to 100!

[Dngrsone]

Do you listen to audiobooks, mouse? They make my drive go a little faster than just listening to music, but I only listen to rereads, so I am not too distracted trying to follow the plot.

[pdurrant]

I don't have audiobooks, and I'm not inclined to spend money buying them. I have considered text to speech, but the best voices seem to be unavailable for Android 6.0

[CRussel]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

I don't have audiobooks, and I'm not inclined to spend money buying them. I have considered text to speech, but the best voices seem to be unavailable for Android 6.0

If you're going to have to commute by car, it might be time to reconsider. Seriously, they can make almost any commute tolerable. I know there's some upfront cost, but you can easily get around at least some of that if your library has audio books. And if you do it right, you can get almost all of your books as WhisperSync deals, which in the UK are still quite good. (Lately, from what I've seen, £3.99 seems to be the upper end for a WS deal. )