The 2021 Annual Reading Challenge Discussion Thread

[frailtyy]

Finally came back and updated my post. Met both the goals I had of reading at least 52 books and reading the Power Broker. Now just to keep going for the stretch of 100

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

Three quarters of the way through the year, and my TBR stands at just 789. A good year so far, both in terms of reading and in terms of only buying books I really want that are on special offer.

Only two months to go, and I'm felling pretty good. My TBR was just 783 at the end of October. Only five books bought, one freebie added, and nine read. (& a couple discarded).

And even better, I'm enjoying the vast majority of the books I'm reading - nearly all from my TBR.

How's your reading year going?

[issybird]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

And even better, I'm enjoying the vast majority of the books I'm reading - nearly all from my TBR.

How's your reading year going?

As I commented in t’other thread, my reading satisfaction has plunged this year. I’m easily on track to outstrip my reading totals for the last two years (only five more books to go) and they were at a decades-long all time high level at that. And therein lies the issue; I’m reading a lot more junk than I used to and I don’t enjoy it as much. A lot of that did have to do with the pandemic, but things are near normal again as far as my reading time goes and I still haven’t pulled myself from the abyss.

Obviously I’m trying to whip myself into a resolve to start doing better!

[Tarana]

Met none of my goals this month. I completed only 1 book plus a novella and bought 1 ebook. Too many interruptions due to Mom's broken foot to concentrate on the story. At least my TBR did not go up, so I'm happy about that. BTW, Mom is walking in shoes now and starts physical therapy tomorrow.

Another thing that has been taking up my time is marathoning shows on two Brit TV channels. I bought the subscriptions for my Mom, but thought it was about time I actually completed some of the series that I had started. The cost per month isn't bad, but I may have to cut back next year.

[Uncle Robin]

After reaching my pages goal, in order to complete the last two remaining elements of my Challenge, I now need only to finish Il Gattopardo, start and finish La forma dell'acqua (Montalbano 1) and read 3 other books. That is, assuming I don't somehow buy 160+ books between now and the end of the year!

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

Only two months to go, and I'm felling pretty good. My TBR was just 783 at the end of October. Only five books bought, one freebie added, and nine read. (& a couple discarded).

And even better, I'm enjoying the vast majority of the books I'm reading - nearly all from my TBR.

How's your reading year going?

One month to go, and only four books bought in November. My TBR is down to 770.

My best year ever, I think, in terms of TBR reduction.

[DrNefario]

I am reasonably confident of meeting all my targets this year. Although it was around this time that I blew it last year.

One challenge is still technically behind schedule (I've finished 8 of 10 books) but I am part-way through several more books - pretty much one per device: one on my old ipad, two on my new ipad, one on my nook, one on my kobo - so I think I should be able to finish it.

The one that will remain on a knife-edge until the last second is starting 80% of what I buy. A christmas purchase or two could easily make me miss that target.

[Uncle Robin]

Having reached my 80,000 pages goal, the only two goals left for me are to read two more books to reach my 225 book goal and read 2 more books for the "multilingual dreams" challenge at The StoryGraph. I'm 40% through Il Gattopardo after which there's La forma dell'acqua, so I hope to finish with a clean sweep.

[issybird]

I’ve already read 13 more books than I did in 2020 and 2019. This is not a good thing.

I need to muster my wits and make some serious resolutions for next year and I think the first will be to set a maximum number of books I can read. Probably break it down into months and let unread books roll forward.

[spacepope]

Originally Posted by issybird

I’ve already read 13 more books than I did in 2020 and 2019. This is not a good thing.

I need to muster my wits and make some serious resolutions for next year and I think the first will be to set a maximum number of books I can read. Probably break it down into months and let unread books roll forward.

Maybe an easier thing to do is to plan/set goals for things you want to do (e.g. exercise, travel, social activities), on a daily, weekly or monthly basis. Try to crowd out your reading time with things you want to do?

Unless you want to read more slowly, in which case can't help you there.

[issybird]

Originally Posted by spacepope

Maybe an easier thing to do is to plan/set goals for things you want to do (e.g. exercise, travel, social activities), on a daily, weekly or monthly basis. Try to crowd out your reading time with things you want to do?

Unless you want to read more slowly, in which case can't help you there.

It’s not that I have too much reading time or read to the exclusion of everything else, but that my reading this past year has been overly at the light/trash end of the spectrum. I want to be reading fewer but better (i.e., longer and more challenging) books again.

[astrangerhere]

Originally Posted by issybird

It’s not that I have too much reading time or read to the exclusion of everything else, but that my reading this past year has been overly at the light/trash end of the spectrum. I want to be reading fewer but better (i.e., longer and more challenging) books again.

Me too.

I am ending my year with Ada Palmer's Terra Ignota series which is philosophy disguised as science fiction. This is probably some of the most challenging I've read since the summer. But because of how engaged I am in the philosophy, I will be moving on to Jostein Gaarder's Sophie's World in the new year.

[Tarana]

Didn't make any goals in November. Mom is doing better with her healing broken foot, so I'm able to concentrate more. I expect to be close to my usual 9-14 books this month!

[Dngrsone]

A work assignment allowed me to meet and exceed my goal this year... I will likely set that same goal next year.

[bookaho!ic]

I have reached my goal of 125 books read this year (i will not put a goal on how many books i am allowed to buy lol) and still 2 weeks left for binge reading