The 2020 Annual Reading Challenge Discussion Thread

[Roos]

Originally Posted by Luffy

Thank you Tarana! What I recommend to you are the first 8 books in the Jaine Austen series by Laura Levine. Alas, I had tried to read the Goldy Bear series, but I gave book 1 1 star and didn't finish the second. So in the same genre there are many grounds available to cover.

Among finished series I recommend the Donut Hole cozy mystery series by Susan Gillard. They are very short e-books and number in 60 instalments. Good luck and thank you.

I just checked and bought the first two book packages (1-5 and 6-10) for little money, the series now numers 74

[Luffy]

Originally Posted by Roos

I just checked and bought the first two book packages (1-5 and 6-10) for little money, the series now numers 74

Roos, the Donut Hole mysteries comprise 60 books. It's the Oceanside series (the sequel to Donut Hole) that has 74 books. Both series are written by Susan Gillard, and both series have the same main characters, give or take a few exceptions.

So please be careful before spoiling the story for yourself.

[jbcohen]

March is the one quarter of the way through 2020 and is every one 25% through their goals?

Personally I am probably 30% to the goal line. This will be a change from last year when I fell way short of my goals.

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by jbcohen

March is the one quarter of the way through 2020 and is every one 25% through their goals?

Personally I am probably 30% to the goal line. This will be a change from last year when I fell way short of my goals.

The end of March is one quarter of the way through the year. The start of March is just 1/6th of the way through the year.

But I confess that with the new books bought in the past few days, my TBR is back up to what it was at the start of the year. So no, not even 1/6th of the way to my goal.

[astrangerhere]

Through the end of February 2020:

Goals:

Length Goals:
Total Books: 50 (stretch goal of 75) | Total Pages: 25,000 | ETBR Reduction: 25 | PTBR Reduction: 10
Substantive Goals:
Read at least 51% non-American authors | Read more female/nonbinary authors than male | Read at least 52 short stories | Read at least 10 of the New Leaf Book Club/Literary Book Club selections

Cumulative 2020 Totals:

29 books - 58% of my goal (29% of stretch) - On Target
22 short stories - 42% of my goal - On Target
8,741 pages - 34% of my goal - On Target
51% female/nonbinary authors / 49% male authors - On Target
31% US authors / 69% non-US authors - On Target
ETBR Reduction: Reduced by 6 - 24% of my goal - On Target
PTBR Reduction: Reduced by 1 - 10% of my goal - On Target

Overall TBR Reduction - 12 - did not have a goal here, but happy with the number!

[Luffy]

I've decided to terminate my Reading Challenge for 1000 + pages books only. Apart from being quite narcissistic, it was also a difficult(which is what prompted me to make the challenge), miserable, and ridiculous challenge. I've switched my target from 7 books to 52. I'm currently 6 books behind according to GR.

[DrNefario]

That seems like a good change. If you're not enjoying a book that's 200 pages you can power through and finish it. If you're not enjoying a book that's 1200 pages you either drop it or you have a few miserable weeks ahead.

I do track my 5 longest books, and have a target for the total page count. It does come from a challenge a few years ago to read 5 long books, where I aimed for an average of 1000 pages per book, but that was mainly because I had 5 long books I wanted to read (and one of them - Lonesome Dove - was a little shy of the 1000). These days it's just for fun, and to make sure I don't pad out my list with super-short books.

[issybird]

Originally Posted by Luffy

I've decided to terminate my Reading Challenge for 1000 + pages books only. Apart from being quite narcissistic, it was also a difficult(which is what prompted me to make the challenge), miserable, and ridiculous challenge. I've switched my target from 7 books to 52. I'm currently 6 books behind according to GR.

Great decision. Reading is for love, not for misery. The point of challenges is to make reading even more fun, not to suck all the joy out of it.

Originally Posted by DrNefario

I do track my 5 longest books, and have a target for the total page count. It does come from a challenge a few years ago to read 5 long books, where I aimed for an average of 1000 pages per book, but that was mainly because I had 5 long books I wanted to read (and one of them - Lonesome Dove - was a little shy of the 1000). These days it's just for fun, and to make sure I don't pad out my list with super-short books.

I keep an eye on page total and average number of pages per book with the Goodreads tracker for the current year. My reading goal for the year is just a benchmark; just the same, as with you, watching pages read as well as books keeps it honest.

[Luffy]

Originally Posted by DrNefario

That seems like a good change. If you're not enjoying a book that's 200 pages you can power through and finish it. If you're not enjoying a book that's 1200 pages you either drop it or you have a few miserable weeks ahead.

I do track my 5 longest books, and have a target for the total page count. It does come from a challenge a few years ago to read 5 long books, where I aimed for an average of 1000 pages per book, but that was mainly because I had 5 long books I wanted to read (and one of them - Lonesome Dove - was a little shy of the 1000). These days it's just for fun, and to make sure I don't pad out my list with super-short books.

I thought I had all the odds in my favor. I took such care in choosing my books. What a rude awakening.

Originally Posted by issybird

Great decision. Reading is for love, not for misery. The point of challenges is to make reading even more fun, not to suck all the joy out of it.



I keep an eye on page total and average number of pages per book with the Goodreads tracker for the current year. My reading goal for the year is just a benchmark; just the same, as with you, watching pages read as well as books keeps it honest.

Thank you, issybird. You're awesome.

[Bookstooge]

My "official goal" is to read 52 books, but my "real" unofficial goal is to reach 100. Anyone else play those kind of mental games?

[issybird]

Originally Posted by Bookstooge

My "official goal" is to read 52 books, but my "real" unofficial goal is to reach 100. Anyone else play those kind of mental games?

Yup. And not just with books; my daily steps have an official goal and an aspirational goal also. But I figure it’s useful; sometimes the baseline is the best I can do and there’s no point in setting myself up for failure; it still works as a goad.

[jbcohen]

51% done, Yeah me.

[HLS]

I am on book 13 for the year. "Enter Night" by Michael Rowe. WOW is it ever good! Best vampire story since Salem's Lot! Good character development. Kills described elegantly and detailed. There is a good description of the afterlife here. It's brief. Will not tell details so as not to spoil it. I am 50% threw it the first day and so far story is very well told.

Before that I read "The Deep" by Alma Katsu. She likes to take a real-life history story and add a horror twist. It was not as good as "The Hunger" about the Donnor party. This is about the Titanic. I was not too happy with it for no real horror element that happened until you are 90% in the book. There are a few horror elements earlier but not at all worth mentioning. Now it was still a good book but just not as good as "The Hunger"

[Tarana]

End of March and I'm meeting one of my goals - at least 3,000 pages per month. 43 books so far. I moved my novellas and short stories to another section. I am mostly listening to audiobooks, so once I finish my current ebook, I'll move on to magazines for the rest of the month.

My TBR is up because of all the freebie deals due to stay-at-home from both companies and authors. Estories added 5 free credits with no mention, so got a couple of Stephen King and Lois Bujold McMaster books. Torn between the freebies on Audible US (Les Miserables and Roots) and listening to the stuff I bought. Both are pretty long books and don't know how long they will be there. I cancelled all my library requests to let those who are homebound without other options to make use of the ebooks/audiobooks available.

I'm listening/reading the Shannara series, the Dresden Series, Vorkosigan series and The Chronicles of St Mary's series. All are so enjoyable - some are rereads, some are books I never read before. I throw in the occasional detective novel. Getting a lot of downsizing and stitching done while on stay-at-home orders.

[jbcohen]

63% Yea Me again