The 2022 Annual Reading Challenge Discussion Thread

[Rumpelteazer]

I'm doing better than expected so far this year. I had set myself a goal of 24 books for 2022 and yesterday I started my 24th book. I'm hoping to finish it before the end of the month.

January wasn't good, but then I was still recovering my an appendectomy which was followed by inflamed joints in my lower back. But since then I'm reading more. I'm not going to push myself like I used to do; I have more interests at the moment and I will need to divide my time appropriately.

Will I read 50 books? If I keep reading at my current speed I should make it. However, I got several longer books I want to read fairly soon so that might slow me down.

[Dazrin]

I was going at about double the pace I need to meet my goal through May but then June brought things to a crashing halt. I only managed to complete one short story in June.

Things should pick up a little here in July (I've already beat June) but I'm completely swamped with work so I don't know how much I'll be able to read. I am traveling a bit more this month so I should be able to get at least one audio book completed.

[Tarana]

My reading goals are still behind, but progress. According to Goodreads, I'm 4 books behind, but I should catch up with that this month. Listening to some shorter books and will add another doorstop after I catch up. Can I still call them doorstops when they are ebooks? At least 600 pages anyway.

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

It's the end of May! How are people doing with their challenges?

After a shaky April, I'm back on track in May, with four bought and seven read.

And having decided that some of Aprils purchases were a mistake (and removing them from my TBR pile), I now have 730 books on my TBR. Down 26 on the start of the year. If I can end the year with under 700, I'd be delighted. I guess I have to read more and but less.

[Rumpelteazer]

June started good, In the first two weeks I read two books. And then I started a Peter F. Hamilton book (The Abyss Beyond Dreams). I really enjoy his books, but they are long books and they are always slower reads for me. I'm hoping to finish it next week. After that I'll read a couple of quick and easy books.

[Bookstooge]

I am finding that I have no problems keeping up with my actual goal of reading, but keeping track is becoming the issue. I crosspost, automatically, at wordpress and blogspot. Then I copy/paste to Librarything. Then I also copy/paste to my "review" library in Calibre. Then I started trying to keep track here. I think I'm going to let here go and seriously consider letting Librarything go too. I don't understand how people who crosspost to like 6 different social media sites keep up with it...

[HLS]

Originally Posted by CAFlanny

My goals for 2022 are:

*Read more: I'm increasing my goal from 70 to 100 books read.

*Read about 80% from paid for TBR

Do you have a secret in reading so many a year? I can barely get 40-50 in.

[HLS]

Originally Posted by Bookstooge

I am finding that I have no problems keeping up with my actual goal of reading, but keeping track is becoming the issue. I crosspost, automatically, at wordpress and blogspot. Then I copy/paste to Librarything. Then I also copy/paste to my "review" library in Calibre. Then I started trying to keep track here. I think I'm going to let here go and seriously consider letting Librarything go too. I don't understand how people who crosspost to like 6 different social media sites keep up with it...

i keep track on the list thread. i add my book as soon as I start it

[issybird]

Originally Posted by HLS

Do you have a secret in reading so many a year? I can barely get 40-50 in.

If that’s what you can manage, that’s what you can manage.

The post wasn’t directed at me, but I’ll answer. Kind of.

First, it’s not a contest, other people’s books aren’t a benchmark, it’s only you and your reading. On top of that, there are so many factors that affect totals. Such as:

• Some read genre fiction, some read history.
• Some people work long hours, some are retired or semi-retired.
• Some have a lot of family responsibilities, some live alone.
• Some have a lot of hobbies or interests, for some, reading is their hobby.
• Some have community activities, some are loners.

You catch my drift. And this list isn’t an either/or although it’s presented as such. Obviously, for example, you can live alone and have family responsibilities.

So all of that said, here are a few suggestions to augment your reading time if you really want to. But maybe you don’t have a problem at that; 40 seems a very creditable number of books to me!

• Cut back on television.
• Cut back on video games.
• Cut back on social media.
• Always carry a book with you and get in some reading during down time.
• I’m not trying to restart the war on whether or not audiobooks constitute reading, but give audiobooks a try when driving or walking or doing chores or basically any time you’re on your own and hands and/or eyes are occupied.

[Uncle Robin]

Originally Posted by HLS

Do you have a secret in reading so many a year? I can barely get 40-50 in.

I think issybird's response nailed it, and I'm a good example. I work from home, and only part-time. 60-70% of my work is night shift work in a call centre type job that is not very busy, so I have a lot of time in which reading helps me stay awake. I also dislike noise (no audiobooks for me) and in consequence have been reducing the amount of TV I watch. So reading light fiction - mysteries and Regency romances mostly, has become my main leisure activity.

That, coupled with my slightly obsessive fixation with all the delightful stats on reading available at the StoryGraph have me about to reach 100K pages and 300 books for the year so far. It says nothing at all about my intellect, reading ability or character. All it says is that I have a lot free time and enjoy passing it in silence.

[CAFlanny]

Originally Posted by HLS

Do you have a secret in reading so many a year? I can barely get 40-50 in.

Basically, what issybird said. Before 2020, I was reading about 40-50 books a year. When quarantine hit, I had a lot more time on my hands. In the past couple of years, I've stopped watching TV as much. I like to read and listen to the audiobook at the same time, so I listen to the audiobook during my commute and read during my lunch break at work.

That being said, I'm about three books behind on my goal towards 100 books read. I'm trying to read shorter books to catch up. I'm also running out of variety in paid for books. I'm debating adding freebies to my TBR list. I may have to drop my second goal of reading 80% paid for books each month.

[astrangerhere]

Well, I haven't updated this since the spring, so here goes...

Length Goals:

• Total Books: 50 (stretch goal of 75)
• Total Pages: 15,000
• E-TBR Reduction: 25
• Read from Print-TBR: 10

Substantive Goals:

• Read at least 51% non-American authors
• Read more female/nonbinary authors than male
• Read at least 52 short stories
• Read each Poem of the Week (52) posted by The Guardian
• Read at least 10 books across all our collections that are selected by my wife. It's a great way to read things I would not ordinarily do, and I almost always end up enjoying them.

Cumulative Totals Through Middle of July:

• Total Books: 34 - 68% of goal, 45% of stretch goal - ON TARGET
• Total Pages: 9072 - 60% of goal - ON TARGET
• Gender Goal: 37% Female, 2% Nonbindary, 61% Male - OFF TARGET - UGH, gotta work on this one!
• Country of Origin Goal: 48% USA, 52% out of US - ON TARGET
• E-TBR Reduction: + - 5 - 8% of goal OFF TARGET
• Read from Print TBR: - 22 - 220% of goal GOAL MET!
• Short Stories: 11 - 21% of goal - OFF TARGET
• Poems 5 - 9 % of goal - ABANDONED
• Books Recommended by my wife: 7 - 70% of goal ON TARGET

[Tarana]

Sad showing this month - only 3 books. I knew this was going to happen this year due to family medical problems. However, I did notice that I'm doing way too much online time, so cutting that to an hour a day. Reading should pick up this month as I will have a little more me time.

[Rumpelteazer]

I've had a good month, eight books finished and over 2200 pages read. Though truth be told that I got to that number of books because I read a bunch of short stories and shorter novels.

I don't like it when my Kindle has too many books on it. Currently I've got over 60 books, which is pushing it for me. Instead of my normal wipe and starting again I decided that I can't put any new books on my Kindle until I've read at least 10 that are already on there. So I started with the shortest ones. I've read two short stories that are part of a series, released as teasers for a new full book. I'm not that fond of those types of short stories. And a read the 24th book in The Cat Who series. I hope to read the other seven in August.

[pdurrant]

Seven bought and 18 read (4430pp). A good month!