The 2017 Annual Reading Challenge Discussion Thread

[CRussel]

Originally Posted by issybird

(It's so easy to manage other people's challenges! )

Too true! And so hard to manage one's own sometimes.

[DrNefario]

Originally Posted by issybird

If the challenge has served its purpose, why not let it go now?

(It's so easy to manage other people's challenges! )

Because it was for a year, with a specific target I haven't yet met. Why make it a challenge at all if I'm just going to drop it when I feel like it?

(Plus, I do still have plenty of short stories to read, it's just that they are now in freebies I'm not so bothered about. It's still nice to be able to clear up some excess books.)

[issybird]

Originally Posted by DrNefario

Because it was for a year, with a specific target I haven't yet met. Why make it a challenge at all if I'm just going to drop it when I feel like it?

I figure the point of a challenge is to serve an end. If it's either served said purpose or is not serving its purpose, I wouldn't see the point of pursuing it, just for its own sake. Obviously MMV!

[Catlady]

I keep my goal simple, only to read more books than I read the previous year. Mission accomplished!

[Dngrsone]

Mine's simpler: read

[issybird]

My challenges are designed to give some structure to my reading; I'm not much concerned with the overall total so long as it doesn't go too low.

[Apache]

Originally Posted by Dngrsone

Mine's simpler: read

That has always been my goal too.
Apache

[Dngrsone]

Though my goal really should be: Write.

... haven't done much of that in recent years.

[DrNefario]

I admit I am inconsistent about my challenges (having abandoned one early on), but I do feel that if I'm nine months through an annual challenge, I might as well see it through.

I don't really need a challenge to read. That would be a bit like having a challenge to breathe, or eat.

My challenges are normally intended to make me try new things, or maybe to make me finish old things if I've been trying new things too much.

I guess the main point of my daily short story challenge was that I had accumulated a lot of collections and anthologies, and never seemed to make the time to read them. And yes, I have cleared all of the ones I paid for - including some paperbacks that went back decades - and several I didn't. I think I will carry on working on my freebies. I might discover something I like. There is a collection I'd like to borrow from my library when I'm ready (Lord Peter Views the Body by Dorothy L Sayers), and it's kind of nice to use my monthly Kindle Owner's Lending Library loan on short stories, since I then feel like I'm getting my money's worth from Prime without having to interrupt my other plans. And obviously it does help with my overall "TBR".

[CRussel]

Well, nothing like a bit of binge reading over a holiday weekend to bump the numbers up! I started Friday, and will finish tomorrow at this rate, re-reading the Ava Lee series from Ian Hamilton. What FUN! And now I'm on track to end the year right at my upper stretch goal of 160 books read. At some point, probably in either the Thrillers or Award Winners categories, I'm going to have to nominate one of these books for the Book Club. They're such fun, and will be something folks won't know and won't have run across, given that the author is Canadian.

[Dngrsone]

Well, now that I am listening to audio books during my daily (and weekly) commutes, I should definitely meet my goals for the year.

[onewiththeanswer]

I am not as a devoted reader as I used to be. Currently, the books that I have been reading are romance. I want to change that, so my goal for next year is to read more mystery and drama. Do you have any suggestions of books I should start with first?

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by onewiththeanswer

I am not as a devoted reader as I used to be. Currently, the books that I have been reading are romance. I want to change that, so my goal for next year is to read more mystery and drama. Do you have any suggestions of books I should start with first?

Perhaps you should start a thread on this topic in the reading recommendations forum. People will need to ask you questions about your tastes to be able to give sensible recommendations.

[Dazrin]

Originally Posted by onewiththeanswer

I am not as a devoted reader as I used to be. Currently, the books that I have been reading are romance. I want to change that, so my goal for next year is to read more mystery and drama. Do you have any suggestions of books I should start with first?

Welcome to MR!

Originally Posted by pdurrant

Perhaps you should start a thread on this topic in the reading recommendations forum. People will need to ask you questions about your tastes to be able to give sensible recommendations.

Completely agree with pdurrant, start a thread and give us a little more information to work with such as what types of drama/mystery interests you and example books you like and don't like.

You can also take a look at the recommendations by genre thread but it is more generic and won't be as personalized.

[sakura-panda]

I've slowed on my reading quite a lot. Goodreads says that at 72 books, I am 29 books behind schedule. I'm not concerned about not reaching my goal: my goal is 125, last year I read 149, and for several years before that, I only read about 80 or so books a year.

I'm concerned that I'm on track to have only one book completed this month. I typically average 5 - 12 books a month, so having only 4 last month and 1 this month is unusual for me. I will have to pay attention and see if I have accidentally substituted some other activity during my usual reading times!