The 2014 Annual Reading Challenge Discussion Thread!

[Tarana]

I rarely read anywhere I can update the list.

All of the books I have are ebooks. When I finish a book, I sort it into a COMPLETED shelf. Before I delete books off my ereader, I go through and make sure that I've updated my read lists. Most of the time, it's not a problem, but last year, I was only home every other weekend for 6 months and it was difficult to keep track.

I am happy to report that I was able to complete 2 books, so did get 10 done in March. Yay! Currently tackling A Fire In The Deep by Vernor Vinge. Then on to the next Dresden Files, White Night. With Friends Like These (Gillian Roberts) is my practice novel for Moon Reader Pro's TTS. So far, going ok. I still can't get Voice Dream , which was recommended for Apple products, on my Itouch to recognize any of my epub books. Not sure why, but I'll give it another shot tomorrow.

[CharredScribe]

Originally Posted by CRussel

Welcome to the challenge. I like your goal - it sounds a reasonable number, and the subgoal gives you focus within the overall goal.

Thanks for the welcome, CRussel.

I see from your list that you read Cockroaches by Jo Nesbo, and gave it a high rating. Have you read any of his other books? I like crime fiction and thrillers, and someone suggested his books but never given them a go. Is his Harry Hole series any good?

[CRussel]

Originally Posted by CharredScribe

Thanks for the welcome, CRussel.

I see from your list that you read Cockroaches by Jo Nesbo, and gave it a high rating. Have you read any of his other books? I like crime fiction and thrillers, and someone suggested his books but never given them a go. Is his Harry Hole series any good?

Yes, I like the Harry Hole books. They're the sort I can read only spread out a bit. The first in the series is The Bat .

ETA: That's The Bat, not The Rat. Sorry about that.

[CharredScribe]

Originally Posted by CRussel

Yes, I like the Harry Hole books. They're the sort I can read only spread out a bit. The first in the series is The Rat .

Thanks. I hear his books use the "women in peril" trope a fair bit. Since a lot of my work is about dealing with violence, and working with survivors, I try not to spend too much of my time reading about it as fiction. Maybe I'll give the first one a go this year, and see

[DrNefario]

It's The Bat, not the The Rat.

(I have two of them, but haven't read any yet.)

[CRussel]

Originally Posted by DrNefario

It's The Bat, not the The Rat.

(I have two of them, but haven't read any yet.)

You're right, of course, I was answering off the top of my head early in the morning before coffee and not at my computer.

They are a bit darker than I would usually read, but I find I like them despite that. I just don't read them back to back.

[CWatkinsNash]

I'm cruising right along in my Harry Potter re-read. Started #4 last night. And there's a book I started years ago, got interrupted by moving, now have as an ebook and I want to start that over but I can't remember the title and apparently labeled it with the wrong genre because I can't find it in calibre. Grrrrrr....

Edit - FOUND IT!!! It's Katherine of Aragon by Jean Plaidy. Duh.

Oh, and I found it by searching calibre for "wife". 256 results, but it was in there.

[Katsunami]

I've been busy enough to have fallen behind so far in my reading challenge that I actually don't have the courage to update post in the Challenge Thread...

[Nyssa]

Originally Posted by Katsunami

I've been busy enough to have fallen behind so far in my reading challenge that I actually don't have the courage to update post in the Challenge Thread...

No reason to be timid! Update it anyway, you may encourage others to do the same!! It may also help to reignite the reading spark in you too.

Its tough when RL gets in the way.

[Katsunami]

Originally Posted by Nyssa

No reason to be timid! Update it anyway, you may encourage others to do the same!! It may also help to reignite the reading spark in you too.

Its tough when RL gets in the way.

I'll update it when I get the Professor Challenger works done. I must have been "reading" that book for 5 weeks or so. I've never taken THAT long to read 500 pages. (Normally I would read a 500 page paperback in about a week...)

(Ironic, that I'm failling at my own challenge while reading the Challenger works.)

[jbcohen]

500 pages in a week is very good, if I concentrate on reading one particular book that week I think that I could probably get to 500 pages, however most likely I would fall just short of that at something like 470 pages. The biggest problem confronting us voracious readers is the cost of the ebooks, $8 per book is not bad however increase that to $10 per book and the increase in the cost can really add up.

[Katsunami]

Originally Posted by jbcohen

The biggest problem confronting us voracious readers is the cost of the ebooks, $8 per book is not bad however increase that to $10 per book and the increase in the cost can really add up.

I seldomly pay more than $6.95 for a book.

That will sometimes happen if I buy a series, using Kobo coupons, and Kobo is missing a book. Then I'll have to get it at full retail price somewhere else. Most of my books are easily between $1 and $3 however; with the most of them under $2.

I don't buy books all the time: I make lists and go on sprees when Kobo has coupons. The last few coupon runs have actually emptied my entire wish list. Now I have over 700 books (including 36 Delphi Classics, giving me all the classics I ever wanted, and more), and I'm not even counting the free stuff such as Baen CD's. I just don't know what to buy anymore.

I'm set for at least 10 years now, without buying a book in the mean time. The only thing I'll be doing, is keeping up with series of known authors.

Then again, even IF I would be paying full retail price for each book, then the price in Dollars would be lower than the one in Euro's; and thus, at the moment, it gets even lower for me after conversion. A full retail priced e-book in the US will turn out to be around 40% cheaper than I'd pay for a paperback in the Netherlands.

For me, the biggest issue as of now is TIME, not lacking money or books.

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by jbcohen

The biggest problem confronting us voracious readers is the cost of the ebooks, $8 per book is not bad however increase that to $10 per book and the increase in the cost can really add up.

I wait for bargains. I buy books I really want, but I wait for a good deal. I've only paid more than $5 for 1 in 10 of my ebook purchases.

[CRussel]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

I wait for bargains. I buy books I really want, but I wait for a good deal. I've only paid more than $5 for 1 in 10 of my ebook purchases.

I really need to get better at this. Or the BC Library needs to start carrying more books. I actually don't mind paying $10 for the latest Foreigner book, especially when that's $3 better than the release price. It's a book I really want, in a series I really like, and I will reread it. But it's the other books in the 5.99 to 8.99 range that I really need to curtail.

[HomeInMyShoes]

Pfft, real life.

Currently in Malaysia.