The 2014 Annual Reading Challenge Discussion Thread!

[Dazrin]

My projected pages for the year has plummeted since January, but I am still on track to hit my goal quite early (September) so I haven't decided whether or not I should increase my goal. I will wait for another month and see if things level out. I am supposed to have lots of travel this month, so that may drastically change things one way or the other depending on how much down time I can make.

[CRussel]

So far, 34 books for the 3 months, slightly ahead of target for my 120 books, and that does NOT count several shorter works in the 60-120 page range. Overall, I'm pleased, and especially pleased that I've managed to keep my list up to date as I went.

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by CRussel

and especially pleased that I've managed to keep my list up to date as I went.

Well done! I've found it soon became second nature to update my list after finishing a book.

I finished the first quarter of the year having read 63 books, and I removed 119 items from my TBR pile (because two of the books were calibre-made collections of short stories from Fictionwise).

Unfortunately, I also bought 144 books for a total of $188.25, going $68.25 over budget.

But, provided there aren't any more amazing kickstarter offers, or 90% off multi-use coupons, or too-goo-to-miss Amazon offers, I expect to make it out of April only adding a hand full or fewer books to my list. I only have one subscription item coming in this month, and I'm not buying the Baen Monthly bundle this month (since Baen books have now become available, and couponable, at Kobo, and I'm only really interested on one of the books in this month's bundle).

If I'm very frugal for the next nine months, I should still make my goal of not spending more than $480 on ebooks this year.

[sun surfer]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

Well done! I've found it soon became second nature to update my list after finishing a book.

I agree; I actually enjoy updating my list. Although, with your list being just below mine, I may have noticed that you have, ahem, slightly more books than me to update. But only slightly.

[CRussel]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

Well done! I've found it soon became second nature to update my list after finishing a book.

It's difficult sometimes to remember, mostly because I rarely read anywhere I can update the list. And if I forget or get overloaded and a day or two goes by, I lose track. I did well in 2012 with it, but got totally behind and abandoned last year. So a big part of my goal this year was just being regular about it.

Originally Posted by pdurrant

If I'm very frugal for the next nine months, I should still make my goal of not spending more than $480 on ebooks this year.

That's really good, considering that one coupon. I'm recording what I spend, but not really tracking it this year. I also need to think about how I record bundles. Currently I'm just dividing the cost by the number of new books in it. Which is certainly one way. But it really doesn't reflect reality. Some books in the bundle I would never buy, and using them to offset the cost isn't really playing fair. If I bought the bundle this month, I'd really be buying one book for $18, or maybe two books for $9/ea. That doesn't make sense. OTOH, if I only consider the books I would definitely have bought, I'm not reflecting the very real probability that I might well find a new author in one.

[treadlightly]

I've had to adjust my challenge to aim for an unread book balance below $100, instead of the original $50. Sigh. There have been too many good coupons lately.

[Dazrin]

Originally Posted by CRussel

I also need to think about how I record bundles. Currently I'm just dividing the cost by the number of new books in it. Which is certainly one way. But it really doesn't reflect reality. Some books in the bundle I would never buy, and using them to offset the cost isn't really playing fair. If I bought the bundle this month, I'd really be buying one book for $18, or maybe two books for $9/ea. That doesn't make sense. OTOH, if I only consider the books I would definitely have bought, I'm not reflecting the very real probability that I might well find a new author in one.

Personally, I would allocate the cost to the book(s) that caused me to purchase the bundle and consider everything else a freebie. Even if one of the "freebies" ends up being good, I still didn't spend the money for that book, I spent it to get the one(s) I knew I wanted.

[sun surfer]

Originally Posted by CRussel

That's really good, considering that one coupon. I'm recording what I spend, but not really tracking it this year. I also need to think about how I record bundles. Currently I'm just dividing the cost by the number of new books in it. Which is certainly one way. But it really doesn't reflect reality. Some books in the bundle I would never buy, and using them to offset the cost isn't really playing fair. If I bought the bundle this month, I'd really be buying one book for $18, or maybe two books for $9/ea. That doesn't make sense. OTOH, if I only consider the books I would definitely have bought, I'm not reflecting the very real probability that I might well find a new author in one.

You could compromise and count the books you definitely wanted in the bundle as one each, and all other books in the bundle as one total. So if you only wanted one book in the bundle, you'd count the bundle as 2, and if you only wanted two books in the bundle, you'd count it as 3.

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by sun surfer

I may have noticed that you have, ahem, slightly more books than me to update. But only slightly.

Quantity isn't important. Only the enjoyment.

And I have found my enjoyment has been increased by keeping track of my reading.

[CRussel]

Originally Posted by Dazrin

Personally, I would allocate the cost to the book(s) that caused me to purchase the bundle and consider everything else a freebie. Even if one of the "freebies" ends up being good, I still didn't spend the money for that book, I spent it to get the one(s) I knew I wanted.

Originally Posted by sun surfer

You could compromise and count the books you definitely wanted in the bundle as one each, and all other books in the bundle as one total. So if you only wanted one book in the bundle, you'd count the bundle as 2, and if you only wanted two books in the bundle, you'd count it as 3.

I've thought of both of these, and I suspect one or the other may end up being my solution. Of course, it's rarely as clear cut as all that. If I'm going to buy the bundle, there is at least one definite anchor book. A book I'd buy regardless, at full release price of $10. And then there are 2-3 others that are "yeah, that would be nice to have, I might read it." that I might buy when they hit their paperback price and especially if I had a coupon. And then there's all the rest. Out of which a real gem sometimes emerges, as it did with the Frank Chadwick books. His books are now in the anchor book or nearly so category.

Hmmm. Well, for the moment I'm not going to change. But I think I will have to by and by.

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by CRussel

Currently I'm just dividing the cost by the number of new books in it.

Which is how I've accounted for them in all my records too. But you're right that it's not really accurate.

However, now that they're appearing at Kobo, and are couponable, I think I might be getting fewer of the bundles. They are about 75% off if you want and don't have any of the books in the bundle. But after you've been buying for about a year, only four books are usually new books. If Kobo keep on with 50% off coupons and contents and such, it will have to be a very good bundle to justify buying direct.

[CharredScribe]

Hi all. Just joined this year's challenge: 50 books, at least 15 in the genre of African fiction. I'm counting from March onwards. I hope I remember to update each time! At least my Kobo will help with tracking that.

I'm looking forward to seeing what everyone is reading.

[Yapyap]

Sigh. Definitely behind on the buying challenge, thanks to that Kobo coupon. Still, counting omnibuses as single purchases instead of each book separately, this puts me at 50 ebooks bought this year (10 in January, 7 in February, 33 in March) which is really only 14 behind where I should be, so... barring a lot of excellent deals every month for the rest of the year, my goal of no more than 120 bought ebooks this year should still be doable.

I'm eight books ahead in my main reading challenge - goal is 120 books, I've read 37.

And I've been keeping up with all my sub-challenges, too (at least one DTB every month, at least one Doctor Who book/story a month (largely because I have a backlog of unread ones), at least one book outside my usual preferred genres a month).

So, all in all, not too bad. Now it's just to stay on the right tracks and especially to be careful about buying more!

[CRussel]

Welcome to the challenge. I like your goal - it sounds a reasonable number, and the subgoal gives you focus within the overall goal.

[Fbone]

Doing well myself because I set a very doable goal of 18 books. I've read 9 books so far but I have several doorstops staring me in the face. Still confident I'll surpass my goal.