The 2014 Annual Reading Challenge Discussion Thread!

[Nyssa]

Originally Posted by Dazrin

Which is why I went to a page count goal instead of a book count. (Of course there are other issues with that, like how do you determine page count, etc...)

I would at least list it in your challenge, maybe in a different list, or as an unnumbered bullet, or with a notation, so you don't lose track. Something like this:

1. Book 1
2. Book 2
   • Short Story 1
3. Book 3
4. Book 4

Dazrin, that's Brilliant! I am stealing your idea! Much Karma to you! Thank you for sharing!!

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by CRussel

OK, so what to do with today's read -- an 18 page short story. I'd like to record it, but I hardly think it's a full book's worth of reading. I usually group a bunch of short stories together, but that doesn't always work out and today's is like that. Well, I think I'll leave it off the list. But keep it in the back of my head and use it to count towards a full book when I get some other shorts to add to it.

Again, I would count that as a book - it would have been on my TBR as a book. Considering the number of 800+ volumes on my list, it evens out in the end.

[Katsunami]

I do my challenge in page counts, but I count short stories as a book, just as I count a 300 or 1200 page novel as one book.

[samhy]

I've updated the Challenge progress thread with the three books that I've already read. I'm not sure if The Secret History can be seen as a best seller though. It seems so, but I can't find any sure proof of that. Well, that category will be a loose one then

[Tarana]

I'd like to record it, but I hardly think it's a full book's worth of reading.

I wanted to do the same, so I have short stories and novellas in a separate category in a 'spoiler'. Same thing for magazines such as Asimov's SF or Ellery Queen magazines. They certainly count for a page read goal, but a separate list will help you keep track and count them later. I actually had a goal to read 100 short stories and novellas (not part of a magazine or anthology) this year just because I tend to collect them (many from the Classics Podcast) and then never listen or read them.

[CRussel]

Originally Posted by CRussel

Hmmm. I think I actually like Dazrin's suggestion here. I'm not going to go to a page count, but at least having it on the list somewhere works. Maybe a separate list completely? Or Dazrin's interspersed list. Not sure which, but I think I'll do it.

Thanks for the suggestions.

Just to close the loop on this (and THANKS for all the comments and suggestions), I've gone with Darzin's sublist suggestion. Since it's more about keeping track of what I've read than meeting or beating some magic number, that seems the best solution.

And, BTW, the story that triggered this was A Gift of Music, a free story from Sharon Lee set in Archer's Beach. And it's an excellent story, giving me a real shiver. Highly recommended.

[Stephjk]

I'm still reading November's literary selection.......not a good start to the year!

[Bookpossum]

Too much yachting, not enough reading! Good luck with catching up.

[Yapyap]

8 books (incl. one short story) read so far (should be ten a month to satisfy the main challenge), all sub-challenges for this month satisfied, three books bought - I'm on track with all parts of my challenge.

[Stephjk]

Originally Posted by Bookpossum

Too much yachting, not enough reading! Good luck with catching up.

Lol!

[HomeInMyShoes]

Finished country number 7. I'm now in Barbados and only have a few titles to get me into South America.

[pdurrant]

Two weeks to go, and I'm still well under budget for January! ($30.53/$40)

And I'm not going to be buying the March Baen Bundle, so I should be well under budget in February too.

I've even managed to reduce by TBR pile my two so far this month!

A good start to my 2014 challenge.

[CRussel]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

Two weeks to go, and I'm still well under budget for January! ($30.53/$40)

And I'm not going to be buying the March Baen Bundle, so I should be well under budget in February too.

I've even managed to reduce by TBR pile by two so far this month!

A good start to my 2014 challenge.

Well done, pdurrant. Very well done indeed. Now, you just need to keep it going.

I, on the other hand, have not done as well as I'd hoped. Bought several new books, including the February bundle. All were within the scope, since they were either favourite authors or, in one case, back fill for a series that I am starting to be quite impressed with. (Jo Nesbo's Harry Hole series).

[Xanthe]

I'm ahead of my reading rate, at 10 books so far. I took a pause from the Linda Castillo books - I needed something a little less graphically violent, especially since I usually read the most right before bed - lol.

Of course, all my reading has meant that other things have slid in my home - like my Christmas tree that's still up. One good sneeze and most of the ornaments and needles will fall off...

[Nyssa]

I'm currently 1.5 books ahead of schedule. Here are my 2014 Challenge Books so far.

Weeks #s 1-3

Totals:

Novels / Full Length Stories: 4

Short Stories: 1

It would be cool if we could use decimals on the TickerFactory Counter.