The 2014 Annual Reading Challenge Discussion Thread!

[ccowie]

I expected to lose some ground through March due to heavy work commitments, but actually exceeded my monthly goal.
But April; what was I thinking? Playoffs start soon, baseball season begins, Game of Thrones Season 4. It'll be a miracle if I keep up.

[treadlightly]

Originally Posted by ccowie

But April; what was I thinking? Playoffs start soon, baseball season begins, Game of Thrones Season 4. It'll be a miracle if I keep up.

Yep, and as the snow (finally) melts, my bike and kayak start begging to get out.

[HomeInMyShoes]

May, June, July and December are my usual crappy months for progress.

[Tarana]

$8 per book is not bad however increase that to $10 per book and the increase in the cost can really add up.

I totally agree, so I have been pretty stingy at completing series. I'm not that voracious of a reader these days, and can usually wait. That, of course, is the goal of the wishlist. Put it on the list in the hope that it will come on sale before you can't stand it anymore, or reach that point in the series, and need to buy it. Unfortunately, the geographic restrictions have sortof interfered with some of that, but thanks to mobilereads, I now know I can get around some of that, so am not so badly compelled.

I got all but 2 Dresden Files at great discount. I'm still holding out for those two, but was able to get them from the library and continue the series. Eventually, I will have all the 87th precinct books - Amazon puts different ones on sale for .99 each (or less) several times a year. Sure, I might eventually have to pay full price, but I won't reach book 20 for awhile yet.

[Tarana]

Almost half the month is over now, and I might finish a second book by the 15th. My progress is SO slow this month. I have a couple of books that are not very long, but I can't see getting my usual 10-12 done this month.

[DrNefario]

I've read three books already this month.

...For a total of about 440 pages.

To be fair, I think that's possibly undercounting all three, but most especially Jhereg by Steven Brust, which has enormous pages. I suspect the original non-omnibus version had at least 50% more pages.

And if I'd known The Time Machine was so short, I probably wouldn't have left it so long. (Actually, it's one of those I wasn't sure whether I'd read or not. I don't think I had.)

The book I've just started is probably still longer than all three put together, even if they are undercounted.

[HomeInMyShoes]

^That's why pages and books are such lousy indicators of progress. In the end the challenges are about keeping track of what I'm reading for the most part. I just finished two books. Malaysia and Vietnam and I am now in China. Malaysia was 340 pages and Vietnam was 289 pages. Comparing the books, Malaysia was really around 500 pages and Vietnam about 250 pages. In the end it usually balances out unless one is reading door-stopper fantasy.

I have finished 28 of 70 countries now. Well on my way and keeping up a reasonable pace.

[sun surfer]

Since I've finished my half-year goal already, I've decided to add a little more to it. It's not much really, but I often read books for both book clubs here at MR, yet I often see so many nominations that don't win that pique my interest that I never get around to. So I've added the goal of reading one book by the end of June that was a 2014 book club nomination, originally nominated by someone other than me, that made it to the vote but didn't win.

[Tizzalicious]

I'm doing great with my 75 books this year goal, and 2 1001-list books a month is no problem either, but with all the discount codes for Kobo, reading all books on my ereader is going to be a problem. I got them down to 32, but now I am back up to 56 or so. Oops.

[pdurrant]

Just finished my 75th book for the year. Unfortunately, I've also just bought my 150th book of the year...

[DrNefario]

Well, you'd just be within my target, of buying no more than twice as many as I read, which I'm not, although my figures are approximately 1/3 of yours.

[jbcohen]

Originally Posted by HomeInMyShoes

May, June, July and December are my usual crappy months for progress.

I hear you well. As long as I am going to and from the office I still make a lot of progress. So as the Disney Dwarves say "I owe, I owe so its off to work I go." At least I have a job to go to.

My understanding of these forums is evolving, I think that I have gotten pretty good at the sig lines.

[HomeInMyShoes]

Still progressing like wildfire through Asia right now, but I fear the Stans will slow me down. Just finished Russian Federation to make country number 32.

Canada, United States, Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Barbados, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Ecuador, Peru, Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, Brazil, Venezuela, Trinidad and Tobago, Angola, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, South Africa, New Zealand, Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, China, South Korea, Japan, Russian Federation...

[CRussel]

Well, the month is almost over, and I'm at 47 books read, not counting several shorter works. I don't think I'll have any trouble making my 120 goal, even though I've felt like I haven't had much time to read. And, so far, I'm mostly managing to keep the list up to date. Though when I have a slip and forget to put one in right away, it's easy to lose track of it completely.

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by CRussel

And, so far, I'm mostly managing to keep the list up to date.

Congratulations! I think you'll find it's been worthwhile at the end of the year, to be able to look back at all the things you've read.