The 2016 Annual Reading Challenge Discussion Thread

[issybird]

Originally Posted by Dngrsone

Last year, I had a month-long slump because I had read The Silmarillion followed by LoTR and couldn't bear to read anything after that, How can you reasonably follow literature of that quality?

When I'm coming off something great, I try to change gears for just that reason. Changing genres is mandatory and a switch from fiction to non-fiction or vice versa is even better. It also helps that I'm always reading more than one book, so I'm in the middle of somethings already when I come to a reluctant end of something else.

And I finished yet another two-star book last night! Sheesh, this is getting to be a draggola.

[Dngrsone]

Originally Posted by issybird

When I'm coming off something great, I try to change gears for just that reason. Changing genres is mandatory and a switch from fiction to non-fiction or vice versa is even better. It also helps that I'm always reading more than one book, so I'm in the middle of somethings already when I come to a reluctant end of something else.

And I finished yet another two-star book last night! Sheesh, this is getting to be a draggola.

I am doing that constantly (changing genres)... and sometimes I will begin another book before I finish the one I am currently on, if things stall or my mood shifts.

Sucks that you are picking up all these crappy books, though. Or maybe you are as spoilt as I am by reading a few epic books of epicness?

[astrangerhere]

I did well in January. Eight books and 14 short stories. Due to the demands of a new semester, January and February are hard for me, even though I love to read in winter because I am so dashed busy.

January:

1. Shinto the Kami Way by Syoko Ono (8/10)
2. Stray God v. 1 by Adachitoka (7/10)
3. Confessions of a Mask by Yukio Mishima (6/10)
4. The Lady Astronaut of Mars by Mary Robinette Kowal (7 of 10)
5. Betrayal: The Crisis in the Catholic Church: The findings of the investigation that inspired the major motion picture Spotlight by the Investigative Staff of the Boston Globe (8/10)
6. Career of Evil by Robert Galbraith (aka JK Rowling) (6/10)
7. Stray God v. 2 by Adashitoka (7/10)
8. Sanctuary by Edith Wharton (6/10)

[HomeInMyShoes]

Book number eight cleared off.

Books: 8/40
Countries: 7/25
Genres: 7/25

[Fbone]

I'm doing well so far this year; 3 novels and 3 shorts/novellas read.

If it isn't too late to add a challenge for 2016, I will attempt to finish series I started.

[HomeInMyShoes]

^It's never to late to add a challenge. Or modify a challenge. Or halt a challenge. Some of us are sticklers, but its all in fun to get us reading and to get us recording what we read.

[HomeInMyShoes]

An update for my subchallenges.

Here are the filled out BINGO cards so far.

Spoiler:

[CRussel]

I'm not doing at all well on my challenge this year. I'm behind in total read, but more importantly, I'm finding it difficult to keep track of all my buying/reading. This needs to improve dramatically or I'll get to the point where the only solution is to simply abandon the attempt.

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by CRussel

I'm finding it difficult to keep track of all my buying/reading.

Just don't buy so much! .

But yes, it is tricky. Although email receipts should make sure you can get your bought lists up to date. For the read list, only delete the read book from your reader once you've recorded it.

[CRussel]

Problem is I count "free" books, such as library and KU books, as "bought" books. (I'm less concerned about the actual $$ spent, though I do track it, than with the net number of books over the year (bought less read). And I don't get receipts for those books. Means I need to keep track carefully.

And yes, I do buy too many, especially if you count bought the way I do.

[Hampshire Nanny]

Originally Posted by CRussel

Problem is I count "free" books, such as library and KU books, as "bought" books. (I'm less concerned about the actual $$ spent, though I do track it, than with the net number of books over the year (bought less read). And I don't get receipts for those books. Means I need to keep track carefully.

Periodically I go to the Amazon "Manage your Content and Devices" page and then look at the KU books and borrowed books. It helps me keep my lists current.

[CRussel]

Originally Posted by Hampshire Nanny

Periodically I go to the Amazon "Manage your Content and Devices" page and then look at the KU books and borrowed books. It helps me keep my lists current.

Yup, that covers the KU books. But I get a fair number of books from the BC public library. And there's no record of them. Worse, they don't stay in Calibre after the loan, so it's a nuisance to keep track of them. And there's no apparent record of them on the library's OverDrive site. I have to remember to put them in while I have them. Other years it hasn't been that hard, but this year, it's not going well.

[BookJunkieLI]

Originally Posted by CRussel

Yup, that covers the KU books. But I get a fair number of books from the BC public library. And there's no record of them. Worse, they don't stay in Calibre after the loan, so it's a nuisance to keep track of them.

What you might do is create a duplicate empty book record at the time that you borrow the book and then tag it as a book borrowed from the library so you know why there's no actual book file later on. That would be one way to help keep track.

[CRussel]

Originally Posted by BookJunkieLI

What you might do is create a duplicate empty book record at the time that you borrow the book and then tag it as a book borrowed from the library so you know why there's no actual book file later on. That would be one way to help keep track.

Yes, I've considered that. Though actually, now that I start thinking about it, all I really have to do is leave the original record in place and delete all the formats. (Because of the limited choices in Canada for Library eBook formats, I _do_ strip the DRM from my library books, and convert them to Kindle format. But then delete the books when they come up for return. I use ADE to monitor that.) I already mark them in Calibre as Library books, so I think that's probably the best way to handle it. I've just been deleting the entire book, but it's almost as easy to just delete all formats.
Thanks,

[Hampshire Nanny]

Originally Posted by CRussel

Yup, that covers the KU books. But I get a fair number of books from the BC public library. And there's no record of them. Worse, they don't stay in Calibre after the loan, so it's a nuisance to keep track of them. And there's no apparent record of them on the library's OverDrive site. I have to remember to put them in while I have them. Other years it hasn't been that hard, but this year, it's not going well.

If you get Kindle books via Overdrive, then they are also listed in the "Manage My Content and Devices". If you download into the Overdrive application or ADE, then you'd have to use those (or the library's page) to know what books you've recently received. One thing that I do is insist on rating each library book that I borrow. Then they show up on the Lists page in Overdrive.