The 2014 Annual Reading Challenge Discussion Thread! - Page 53

Luffy · 10-03-2014, 07:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

I'm right on track (maybe slightly ahead) with my self-imposed Goodreads challenge. First time I ever "officially" declared one. It will likely be my last as well. [...] Back to free-range reading for this cat next year.

Quote:

Originally Posted by CRussel

I can understand completely. I don't really take the challenge all that seriously, but more use it to enforce some tracking. But I'm finding even that more than I really need to be doing, so I may well decline to join the challenge next year. We'll see.

I concur. Next year will be busier for me. I'll have less time for reading. I'm going to sensibly decrease my Goodreads challenge. I also want to read many big books(500 pages or more). Those two reasons have prompted me to aim for a measly 25 books next year.

The reasons for reading bigger books is that the best ones are very easy to pick out. It's great to keep on reading the same book for a week or three, enjoying it thoroughly and not worrying what to read after two days'. Not that I don't like to choose a new book, but reading thick books that behave like page turners is an attraction altogether new, and too exciting to turn down.

HomeInMyShoes · 10-03-2014, 10:01 AM

My challenge(s) next year will be small in comparison to this year.

Five countries left. I can smell the finish line.

CharredScribe · 10-05-2014, 12:10 PM

I should make my 50 book target but not the 15 books in a specific genre (African fiction). A few months into the year, I decided to read all the DCI Banks books by Peter Robinson. I also decided to reread all of Robert Goddard's books as I have not read some of them for many years. Those two things skewed my reading to two authors, two genres (mystery, and historical fiction) and one continent (Europe). That's actually pretty unusual for my reading patterns (I seldom read more than 3 books by the same author in one year, and I usually mix things up in terms of both genre and location). But I'm not concerned - I like to read by mood, so I've enjoyed just tracking my reading.

jbcohen · 10-13-2014, 06:51 PM

:I may be able to meet my 2013 goal this year, I failed to meet the goal in 2013. Needless to say I am doing much better this year than I did last year.

Geralt · 10-14-2014, 01:50 AM

I'll definitely meet my goal with number of books I've set out to read, however I think I might fall short of 15000 pages by a 1000 or 2000.

Katsunami · 10-14-2014, 03:40 AM

I'll probably meet my subshallenges, but will fall short of number or pages (14.600, custom counting) by a few... thousand....

DrNefario · 10-14-2014, 08:28 AM

I have finished my SF&F sub-challenges, from Worlds Without End. (I still have a couple of challenges open there, but they run into next year.) I need to do a bit of catching up on my crime challenge, which I should now have time to do, and I'm slightly behind on my overall TBR challenge.

I think I've already read more than ever before.

Hampshire Nanny · 10-16-2014, 12:14 AM

I have not been reading as much in October as I had expected. I attended a conference last week and have had company this week -- and those have cut into my free time for reading.

Today when I finished book #128, The Gauguin Connection, that put me at 85% of my 150 book goal and 9 books ahead of "schedule". In my 50,000 page-count goal, I'm at 80% which is barely 500 pages ahead of schedule. I'm sure I'll meet both of my goals by the end of the year.

Recently read:
126. The Pattern Ship by Tobias Roote
127. The Undead Pool by Kim Harrison
128. The Gauguin Connection by Estelle Ryan

HomeInMyShoes · 10-16-2014, 10:24 AM

I finished book number 70 and country number 67. Only three countries to go. Ukraine, Algeria, and Portugal.

orlok · 10-16-2014, 04:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HomeInMyShoes

I finished book number 70 and country number 67. Only three countries to go. Ukraine, Algeria, and Portugal.

I admire your fortitude. Has it been worth it?

BelleZora · 10-21-2014, 12:10 PM

On Oct. 1 I was 13 books behind schedule to meet my challenge, but having read 22 books so far this month I am now two ahead of schedule. I was assisted in this by having had a total knee replacement four weeks ago.

I had also challenged myself to adhere to a book budget of $40 monthly and have failed spectacularly. But Barnes & Noble has done me the favor of requiring me jump through hoops to retain any books I might buy from them in the event of the company's demise. Fictionwise, Diesel, and Books on Board taught me valuable lessons. Also, ADE 2 quit working for me and I do not have the interest (or the lack of books) to solve the problem, although [a drm-removal plugin] has enabled me to continue buying from Kobo.

I am actually not saddened (much) that my single option for buying books is eroding to Amazon only. This month I spent only $5 on books.

HomeInMyShoes · 10-21-2014, 01:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by orlok

I admire your fortitude. Has it been worth it?

Yes. There's been a few duds, but I know more about the world now and feel good about the whole thing. While Latvia was an absolute dullard of a read, it's also probably the book that makes me understand more about what how the Ukraine happens than any news story would. I've come to love non-crime writing from Scandinavia and even discovered a couple of Nobel Laureates that are quite entertaining.

Definitely the journey over the goal and I'll be sure to keep adding more countries to my reading in the future.

jbcohen · 10-22-2014, 07:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HomeInMyShoes

Yes. There's been a few duds, but I know more about the world now and feel good about the whole thing. While Latvia was an absolute dullard of a read, it's also probably the book that makes me understand more about what how the Ukraine happens than any news story would. I've come to love non-crime writing from Scandinavia and even discovered a couple of Nobel Laureates that are quite entertaining.

Definitely the journey over the goal and I'll be sure to keep adding more countries to my reading in the future.

I know what you mean about duds, with Kindle Unlimited I pay per month rather than per book so there is no penalty for duds so I simply return them to the library and select a new one. One of my two current novels I was a little warry of the book at first, however it has turned out well. I have also managed to meet my 2013 goal this year, which I failed to meet in 2013.

HomeInMyShoes · 10-22-2014, 10:02 AM

And then there were two. Finished Ukraine last night. Only Algeria and Portugal remain.

jbcohen · 10-23-2014, 01:51 PM

I am braging a bit here, I signed up for Kindle Unlimited three months ago, since then each time I download a book from the library I look at the print price for that book then keep a running total of what it would cost me to download the books that I have read outside the Kindle Unlimited program and this month I downloaded a personal record for me $177 worth of books all for $10. So yeah Kindle Unlimited was a great idea for me.

10-13-2014, 06:51 PM	#784
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	:I may be able to meet my 2013 goal this year, I failed to meet the goal in 2013. Needless to say I am doing much better this year than I did last year. Last edited by jbcohen; 10-13-2014 at 09:21 PM.

10-21-2014, 12:10 PM	#791
BelleZora Wizard Posts: 1,442 Karma: 25151986 Join Date: May 2012 Location: Seattle, US Device: Kindle Paperwhite, Kobo Libra 2, Pocketbook Verse Pro Color	On Oct. 1 I was 13 books behind schedule to meet my challenge, but having read 22 books so far this month I am now two ahead of schedule. I was assisted in this by having had a total knee replacement four weeks ago. I had also challenged myself to adhere to a book budget of $40 monthly and have failed spectacularly. But Barnes & Noble has done me the favor of requiring me jump through hoops to retain any books I might buy from them in the event of the company's demise. Fictionwise, Diesel, and Books on Board taught me valuable lessons. Also, ADE 2 quit working for me and I do not have the interest (or the lack of books) to solve the problem, although [a drm-removal plugin] has enabled me to continue buying from Kobo. I am actually not saddened (much) that my single option for buying books is eroding to Amazon only. This month I spent only $5 on books. Last edited by pdurrant; 10-28-2014 at 04:59 AM.

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10-03-2014, 10:01 AM	#782
HomeInMyShoes Grand Sorcerer Posts: 19,226 Karma: 67780237 Join Date: Jul 2011 Device: none	My challenge(s) next year will be small in comparison to this year. Five countries left. I can smell the finish line.

10-05-2014, 12:10 PM	#783
CharredScribe Addict Posts: 266 Karma: 959704 Join Date: Mar 2014 Location: South Africa Device: Kobo Aura HD, Aura ONE	I should make my 50 book target but not the 15 books in a specific genre (African fiction). A few months into the year, I decided to read all the DCI Banks books by Peter Robinson. I also decided to reread all of Robert Goddard's books as I have not read some of them for many years. Those two things skewed my reading to two authors, two genres (mystery, and historical fiction) and one continent (Europe). That's actually pretty unusual for my reading patterns (I seldom read more than 3 books by the same author in one year, and I usually mix things up in terms of both genre and location). But I'm not concerned - I like to read by mood, so I've enjoyed just tracking my reading.

10-14-2014, 01:50 AM	#785
Geralt Witcher Posts: 933 Karma: 7321117 Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Swamp. Slaying Drowners. Device: Kindle PW2	I'll definitely meet my goal with number of books I've set out to read, however I think I might fall short of 15000 pages by a 1000 or 2000.

10-14-2014, 03:40 AM	#786
Katsunami Grand Sorcerer Posts: 6,111 Karma: 34000001 Join Date: Mar 2008 Device: KPW1, KA1	I'll probably meet my subshallenges, but will fall short of number or pages (14.600, custom counting) by a few... thousand....

10-14-2014, 08:28 AM	#787
DrNefario Wizard Posts: 2,207 Karma: 12029046 Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: UK Device: Kindle, Kobo Touch, Nook SimpleTouch	I have finished my SF&F sub-challenges, from Worlds Without End. (I still have a couple of challenges open there, but they run into next year.) I need to do a bit of catching up on my crime challenge, which I should now have time to do, and I'm slightly behind on my overall TBR challenge. I think I've already read more than ever before.

10-16-2014, 12:14 AM	#788
Hampshire Nanny Guru Posts: 615 Karma: 8064562 Join Date: Aug 2009 Device: Sony PRS-505, Kindle 3 KB, iPad2	I have not been reading as much in October as I had expected. I attended a conference last week and have had company this week -- and those have cut into my free time for reading. Today when I finished book #128, *The Gauguin Connection, that put me at 85% of my 150 book goal and 9 books ahead of "schedule". In my 50,000 page-count goal, I'm at 80% which is barely 500 pages ahead of schedule. I'm sure I'll meet both of my goals by the end of the year. Recently read: 126. The Pattern Ship* by Tobias Roote 127. *The Undead Pool* by Kim Harrison 128. *The Gauguin Connection* by Estelle Ryan

10-16-2014, 10:24 AM	#789
HomeInMyShoes Grand Sorcerer Posts: 19,226 Karma: 67780237 Join Date: Jul 2011 Device: none	I finished book number 70 and country number 67. Only three countries to go. Ukraine, Algeria, and Portugal.

10-22-2014, 10:02 AM	#794
HomeInMyShoes Grand Sorcerer Posts: 19,226 Karma: 67780237 Join Date: Jul 2011 Device: none	And then there were two. Finished Ukraine last night. Only Algeria and Portugal remain.

10-23-2014, 01:51 PM	#795
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	I am braging a bit here, I signed up for Kindle Unlimited three months ago, since then each time I download a book from the library I look at the print price for that book then keep a running total of what it would cost me to download the books that I have read outside the Kindle Unlimited program and this month I downloaded a personal record for me $177 worth of books all for $10. So yeah Kindle Unlimited was a great idea for me.