The 2013 Annual Reading Challenge - Discussion Thread! - Page 16

pdurrant · 03-29-2013, 10:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DrNefario

So if I cook the figures in one particular way, I'm doing okay.

I cook my figures by not (usually) counting free ebooks. But I might decide to count the Andre Norton freebies, which would certainly put my TBR back about the total at the start of the year.

DrNefario · 03-29-2013, 10:40 AM

I felt that the distinction between free and not free was a bit arbitrary, given that most of my non-free books were bought because they were near enough free.

I bought two "meaningful" books from a charity shop today, one of which was an omnibus and therefore counts as four, so even my fiddled figures didn't last too long. On the plus side, I have more books.

Xanthe · 03-30-2013, 03:01 PM

I'm ahead of myself right now, and if I keep up the pace I'll actually read more than 100 books this year - which will be an improvement over last year. I'm at 33 now. I've been reading a lot of series - one author had been leading to another.

My rule is that if it is a book or a novella or a collection of short stories, I will count it. I make no distinction between free and paid, paper or electronic, fiction or non-fiction when counting an item as being read. I just don't count a single short story as a book.

pdurrant · 03-31-2013, 04:43 AM

The June Analog and Asimov's have just appeared on my iPhone, so that takes March's bought total up to 12! Rather ahead of target.

On the ply side, this means that April's bought total might stay at 5. It rather depends whether the July issues arrrive in April or May.

sun surfer · 03-31-2013, 08:55 AM

I was having a problem with counting pages that I've finally resolved.

Before, I had the Sony 950 which kept all page counts static, so it was easy to count them. Late last year, I switched to the iPad mini, which re-configures page counts based on text size. That's a dilemma when one is basing one's goal on page count.

Finally I've hit upon using a page count average from Goodreads from a few of the most popular editions of a book. I feel satisfied now that page counts for different books I read will not only be generally correct but also have an easy consistent methodology, even if in practice it means that a book that I thought was going to count as 500+ pages now will count for less than 350.

Since I'm doing a half-year challenge, this is the midway point for me. With the new methodology implemented, my page count total has taken a hit of a few hundred pages from what it would've been before, but either way I'm still behind a bit. The next three months will be interesting!

Dazrin · 03-31-2013, 07:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sun surfer

I was having a problem with counting pages that I've finally resolved.

Before, I had the Sony 950 which kept all page counts static, so it was easy to count them. Late last year, I switched to the iPad mini, which re-configures page counts based on text size. That's a dilemma when one is basing one's goal on page count.

Finally I've hit upon using a page count average from Goodreads from a few of the most popular editions of a book. I feel satisfied now that page counts for different books I read will not only be generally correct but also have an easy consistent methodology, even if in practice it means that a book that I thought was going to count as 500+ pages now will count for less than 350.

Since I'm doing a half-year challenge, this is the midway point for me. With the new methodology implemented, my page count total has taken a hit of a few hundred pages from what it would've been before, but either way I'm still behind a bit. The next three months will be interesting!

Random page numbering changes was why I decided to use the mass market paper back page count as my "standard". There is such a large difference in page number depending on how it is printed that I started using MMPBs. They are generally fairly close to the same word count/page so it feels a little more consistent to me. Also, since most of what I read prior to my Kindle was a MMPB, I have a better feel for what a "page" takes to read and use that count when available.

jbcohen · 04-01-2013, 07:28 AM

That's all fine and nice dazrin but where do you get the information from. I find very little page counts with the electronic books I tend to buy.

treadlightly · 04-01-2013, 08:20 AM

We are 25% through the year and 25% of my goal would be 37 books, and I'm at 33. I'm still confident that it will all work out in the end.

pdurrant · 04-01-2013, 08:25 AM

One quarter of the way through the year, and in that quarter I bought 48 books out of my target of 120 for the year. That means I must buy no more than 8 (on average) in each of the remaining nine months.

And I've already bought 5 in April....

But I think I can make it.

Loosheesh · 04-01-2013, 09:18 AM

Well, first quarter is officially done and I've already spent 1/3 of the money budgeted for ebooks for 2013

HarryT · 04-01-2013, 11:05 AM

I have no budget - I have lots of money, and can spend essentially however much I want on ebooks. However, as a matter of principle I try to restrain myself and only buy 4 ebooks a week, plus the monthly Baen Webscription for that month.

I'm so far on 30 books for the year (21 read casually, 9 proof-read for the MR library).

BelleZora · 04-01-2013, 11:19 AM

I seem to have almost quit reading - spring fever, no doubt, as well as anticipation of cataract surgery today.

jersysman · 04-01-2013, 11:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BelleZora

I seem to have almost quit reading - spring fever, no doubt, as well as anticipation of cataract surgery today.

Good luck with the surgery!!

Loosheesh · 04-01-2013, 11:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

I have no budget - I have lots of money, and can spend essentially however much I want on ebooks. However, as a matter of principle I try to restrain myself and only buy 4 ebooks a week, plus the monthly Baen Webscription for that month.

I'm so far on 30 books for the year (21 read casually, 9 proof-read for the MR library).

I can go a whole month and buy only one book, and turn around and buy more than 10 books in a day. I need help

Quote:

Originally Posted by BelleZora

I seem to have almost quit reading - spring fever, no doubt, as well as anticipation of cataract surgery today.

Hope your surgery goes well

Rumpelteazer · 04-01-2013, 01:11 PM

I've read 40 books this year, however, this includes one short story of 28 pages and twelve "episodes" of Yesterday's Gone, each between 72 and 143 pages long. I've read 10830 pages, this time last year I'd read 9550 pages, so I'm just over a 1000 pages ahead. For page count I use the number of pages listed on my Kindle (I convert all my ebooks in Calibre so, hopefully, the page count is reasonably consistent).

My classics challenge is on track and my 2-year challenge of reading a book for every year since I've been born is also on track.

03-30-2013, 03:01 PM	#228
Xanthe Plan B Is Now In Force Posts: 1,894 Karma: 8086979 Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Surebleak Device: Aluratek,Sony 350/T1,Pandigital,eBM 911,Nook HD/HD+,Fire HDX 7/8.9,PW2	I'm ahead of myself right now, and if I keep up the pace I'll actually read more than 100 books this year - which will be an improvement over last year. I'm at 33 now. I've been reading a lot of series - one author had been leading to another. My rule is that if it is a book or a novella or a collection of short stories, I will count it. I make no distinction between free and paid, paper or electronic, fiction or non-fiction when counting an item as being read. I just don't count a single short story as a book. Last edited by Xanthe; 03-30-2013 at 03:03 PM.

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03-29-2013, 10:40 AM	#227
DrNefario Wizard Posts: 2,207 Karma: 12029046 Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: UK Device: Kindle, Kobo Touch, Nook SimpleTouch	I felt that the distinction between free and not free was a bit arbitrary, given that most of my non-free books were bought because they were near enough free. I bought two "meaningful" books from a charity shop today, one of which was an omnibus and therefore counts as four, so even my fiddled figures didn't last too long. On the plus side, I have more books.

03-31-2013, 04:43 AM	#229
pdurrant The Grand Mouse 高貴的老鼠 Posts: 74,059 Karma: 315160596 Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Norfolk, England Device: Kindle Oasis	The June Analog and Asimov's have just appeared on my iPhone, so that takes March's bought total up to 12! Rather ahead of target. On the ply side, this means that April's bought total might stay at 5. It rather depends whether the July issues arrrive in April or May.

03-31-2013, 08:55 AM	#230
sun surfer languorous autodidact ✦ Posts: 4,235 Karma: 44667380 Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: smiling with the rising sun Device: onyx boox poke 2 colour, kindle voyage	I was having a problem with counting pages that I've finally resolved. Before, I had the Sony 950 which kept all page counts static, so it was easy to count them. Late last year, I switched to the iPad mini, which re-configures page counts based on text size. That's a dilemma when one is basing one's goal on page count. Finally I've hit upon using a page count average from Goodreads from a few of the most popular editions of a book. I feel satisfied now that page counts for different books I read will not only be generally correct but also have an easy consistent methodology, even if in practice it means that a book that I thought was going to count as 500+ pages now will count for less than 350. Since I'm doing a half-year challenge, this is the midway point for me. With the new methodology implemented, my page count total has taken a hit of a few hundred pages from what it would've been before, but either way I'm still behind a bit. The next three months will be interesting!

04-01-2013, 07:28 AM	#232
jbcohen Wizard Posts: 3,032 Karma: 11196738 Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Where am I? Device: Kindle Paperwhite Signature edition and a Samsung S24 Ultra	That's all fine and nice dazrin but where do you get the information from. I find very little page counts with the electronic books I tend to buy.

04-01-2013, 08:20 AM	#233
treadlightly Wizard Posts: 1,370 Karma: 6957792 Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Ottawa, ON Device: Kobo H2O	We are 25% through the year and 25% of my goal would be 37 books, and I'm at 33. I'm still confident that it will all work out in the end.

04-01-2013, 08:25 AM	#234
pdurrant The Grand Mouse 高貴的老鼠 Posts: 74,059 Karma: 315160596 Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Norfolk, England Device: Kindle Oasis	One quarter of the way through the year, and in that quarter I bought 48 books out of my target of 120 for the year. That means I must buy no more than 8 (on average) in each of the remaining nine months. And I've already bought 5 in April.... But I think I can make it.

04-01-2013, 09:18 AM	#235
Loosheesh Wizard Posts: 1,680 Karma: 3137505 Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Jianghu Device: PW1, PW5, iPhone SE 2016, iPhone 13 Pro, iPad Pro 9.7, iPad Pro 2021	Well, first quarter is officially done and I've already spent 1/3 of the money budgeted for ebooks for 2013

04-01-2013, 11:05 AM	#236
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,557 Karma: 93980341 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	I have no budget - I have lots of money, and can spend essentially however much I want on ebooks. However, as a matter of principle I try to restrain myself and only buy 4 ebooks a week, plus the monthly Baen Webscription for that month. I'm so far on 30 books for the year (21 read casually, 9 proof-read for the MR library).

04-01-2013, 11:19 AM	#237
BelleZora Wizard Posts: 1,442 Karma: 25151986 Join Date: May 2012 Location: Seattle, US Device: Kindle Paperwhite, Kobo Libra 2, Pocketbook Verse Pro Color	I seem to have almost quit reading - spring fever, no doubt, as well as anticipation of cataract surgery today.

04-01-2013, 01:11 PM	#240
Rumpelteazer Grand Sorcerer Posts: 5,341 Karma: 27919658 Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Utrecht, the Netherlands Device: Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition	I've read 40 books this year, however, this includes one short story of 28 pages and twelve "episodes" of Yesterday's Gone, each between 72 and 143 pages long. I've read 10830 pages, this time last year I'd read 9550 pages, so I'm just over a 1000 pages ahead. For page count I use the number of pages listed on my Kindle (I convert all my ebooks in Calibre so, hopefully, the page count is reasonably consistent). My classics challenge is on track and my 2-year challenge of reading a book for every year since I've been born is also on track.