The 2017 Annual Reading Challenge Discussion Thread - Page 10

issybird · 03-01-2017, 03:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pdurrant

Congratulations! A definite achievement.

My TBR is on the way down too - currently ten down on the start of the year!

I'm down only six, but at least it's in the right direction.

MickiTee · 03-01-2017, 04:53 PM

Achieved my goal again in Feb - 1 non fiction book read and 1 new author, Paige Shelton - more cozy mysteries.

Missed my third goal of reducing the number of books I re-read as I spent most of the month comfort reading David Eddings & Anne McCaffrey when I was feeling distinctly under the weather.

Back on track today as I started reading Krista Davis.

CRussel · 03-01-2017, 05:51 PM

Ah, I'm looking on re-reads as a way to cut down my drive to buy new books. For that it works well. But it's not helpful at reducing my TBR. Ah, well. I'm on track to read 150 books this year, and I think that's possible. Unless I get seriously overloaded at work again.

drjd · 03-02-2017, 04:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pdurrant

Congratulations! A definite achievement.

My TBR is on the way down too - currently ten down on the start of the year!

Thanks, pdurrant, it is an achievement for a careless person like me.

Earlier I have been buying the ebooks on a frenzy and adding up the pile of TBR when I did not keep a track of my annual readings. Now I have devised a workable method to put a check on my buying addiction -- "Don't buy any ebook unless you read it immediately." Instead, I add new books on my "Wish List" which I periodically check for discounts and offers. I'll go buy them if and only if I get a lucrative, jaw-dropping offer - 50% and above! That way I am able to keep my TBR within a respectable limit, and my wallet in comfort!

MickiTee · 03-02-2017, 04:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CRussel

Ah, I'm looking on re-reads as a way to cut down my drive to buy new books. For that it works well. But it's not helpful at reducing my TBR.

I agree, but I was doing nothing but re-reading existing books or reading the latest offering from favourite authors. At least with the challenge I'm making a conscious effort to try new authors even if I'm mostly sticking to cozy mysteries and crime novels for the moment.

bfisher · 03-02-2017, 09:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jbcohen

How far are you along in reaching your goals? At this point to be on track you need to be 1/6th to your goal, I am 1/2 way, in other words I am going along a lot faster than originally thought that I would go.

I'm 3/24ths there, but since my goal this year is to read the book club selections, I can't ever do any better than to tread water this year.

issybird · 03-03-2017, 10:07 AM

I'm deriving some entertainment from using the generic My Year in Books link at Goodreads set to 2017, as it gives me a little extra insight into my reading to date, without added effort on my part.

Most gratifying is the sharp uptick in my average rating at 3.3 stars, after last year's abysmal result when I barely nicked 3.0. Of course it had to be better this year, as thus far I've DNFed everything that was shaping up to be less than three stars. As I don't count them as books read, it means they don't affect my stats. I won't be able to keep this up indefinitely as sometimes there's a reason to finish a book I'm not enjoying, but I think this is a good discipline. So many books, etc.

Also of interest to me is that my average page count is just over 400 pages, which is much longer than last year's figure. It's tempting to think that length correlates at least a little to quality, for me. At some point I may do a minor regression on this.

One-sixth of the year in and I'm just barely ahead of my goals, so I have to stay focused. I'd like to develop a slight cushion. But overall, I'm pleased with how things are going.

sun surfer · 03-06-2017, 12:50 PM

issybird, I think I figured out who Scott Brick is on the Dune audiobook; he isn't the main narrator because I found that Simon Vance is. The character that I think Brick voices is the slowest-speaking one so I see your point, heh.

issybird · 03-06-2017, 01:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sun surfer

issybird, I think I figured out who Scott Brick is on the Dune audiobook; he isn't the main narrator because I found that Simon Vance is. The character that I think Brick voices is the slowest-speaking one so I see your point, heh.

Oh, I absolutely heart Simon Vance and I want to hear every dulcet syllable as voiced. Brick, however, feh. But he's OK if you play him much faster.

CRussel · 03-06-2017, 01:34 PM

In other books I've heard Brick narrate he hasn't been bad, though he's always rather slow. Playing at 1.25 seems to work about right.

issybird · 03-06-2017, 01:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CRussel

In other books I've heard Brick narrate he hasn't been bad, though he's always rather slow. Playing at 1.25 seems to work about right.

I think I went up to 1.4.

Wearever · 03-07-2017, 09:28 AM

March so far I've read a couple of historical fiction. The Outlaws of Sherwood by Robin McKinley , one of the best books I've read about Robin Hood so far. Also read One Corpse Too Many, by Ellis Peters, also enjoyed it.

MickiTee · 03-07-2017, 04:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wearever

March so far I've read a couple of historical fiction. The Outlaws of Sherwood by Robin McKinley , one of the best books I've read about Robin Hood so far.

Have to agree with you about The Outlaws of Sherwood. Also excellent is Rosemary Sutcliff's Chronicles of Robin Hood (available as an ebook) if you're looking for anything else on the subject.

Wearever · 03-08-2017, 10:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MickiTee

Have to agree with you about The Outlaws of Sherwood. Also excellent is Rosemary Sutcliff's Chronicles of Robin Hood (available as an ebook) if you're looking for anything else on the subject.

Thank's MickiTee !

You read my mind, I was looking for more Robin Hood books to read like this one. Rosemary Sutcliff's Chronicles of Robin Hood looks good too !

astrangerhere · 03-09-2017, 06:02 AM

I've had to update my substantive reading goals for the year.

Quote:

My numbers goal is 60 books, which is a little under my yearly average. But my substantive goal is to continue to diversify. I want to read more of the dead tree books my wife purchases and I want to read more "across the aisle" in genres or subjects I have avoided in the past.

UPDATE: This has morphed into me reading more non-American authors. Because I find myself living in 1984, I am having a hard time with the goal of reading cross-aisle perspectives. I guess living in post-truth/pre-fascisim kind of kills the desire to read about it.

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03-01-2017, 04:53 PM	#137
MickiTee Guru Posts: 863 Karma: 4097942 Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: London, UK Device: Sony PRS-505, Pocketbook TL3, TL4, TL5	Achieved my goal again in Feb - 1 non fiction book read and 1 new author, Paige Shelton - more cozy mysteries. Missed my third goal of reducing the number of books I re-read as I spent most of the month comfort reading David Eddings & Anne McCaffrey when I was feeling distinctly under the weather. Back on track today as I started reading Krista Davis.

03-01-2017, 05:51 PM	#138
CRussel (he/him/his) Posts: 12,296 Karma: 80074820 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Sunshine Coast, BC Device: Oasis (Gen3),Paperwhite (Gen10), Voyage, Paperwhite(orig), iPad Air M3	Ah, I'm looking on re-reads as a way to cut down my drive to buy new books. For that it works well. But it's not helpful at reducing my TBR. Ah, well. I'm on track to read 150 books this year, and I think that's possible. Unless I get seriously overloaded at work again.

03-03-2017, 10:07 AM	#142
issybird o saeclum infacetum Posts: 21,312 Karma: 234636059 Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: New England Device: Mini, H2O, Glo HD, Aura One, PW4, PW5	I'm deriving some entertainment from using the generic My Year in Books link at Goodreads set to 2017, as it gives me a little extra insight into my reading to date, without added effort on my part. Most gratifying is the sharp uptick in my average rating at 3.3 stars, after last year's abysmal result when I barely nicked 3.0. Of course it had to be better this year, as thus far I've DNFed everything that was shaping up to be less than three stars. As I don't count them as books read, it means they don't affect my stats. I won't be able to keep this up indefinitely as sometimes there's a reason to finish a book I'm not enjoying, but I think this is a good discipline. So many books, etc. Also of interest to me is that my average page count is just over 400 pages, which is much longer than last year's figure. It's tempting to think that length correlates at least a little to quality, for me. At some point I may do a minor regression on this. One-sixth of the year in and I'm just barely ahead of my goals, so I have to stay focused. I'd like to develop a slight cushion. But overall, I'm pleased with how things are going.

03-06-2017, 12:50 PM	#143
sun surfer languorous autodidact ✦ Posts: 4,235 Karma: 44667380 Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: smiling with the rising sun Device: onyx boox poke 2 colour, kindle voyage	issybird, I think I figured out who Scott Brick is on the Dune audiobook; he isn't the main narrator because I found that Simon Vance is. The character that I think Brick voices is the slowest-speaking one so I see your point, heh.

03-06-2017, 01:34 PM	#145
CRussel (he/him/his) Posts: 12,296 Karma: 80074820 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Sunshine Coast, BC Device: Oasis (Gen3),Paperwhite (Gen10), Voyage, Paperwhite(orig), iPad Air M3	In other books I've heard Brick narrate he hasn't been bad, though he's always rather slow. Playing at 1.25 seems to work about right.

03-07-2017, 09:28 AM	#147
Wearever Wizard Posts: 1,063 Karma: 10944084 Join Date: Jun 2014 Location: New England Device: Oasis 2,Voyage, Kindlle hdx 8.9, Ipad mini 4. Air 2	March so far I've read a couple of historical fiction. The Outlaws of Sherwood by Robin McKinley , one of the best books I've read about Robin Hood so far. Also read One Corpse Too Many, by Ellis Peters, also enjoyed it.

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