The 2017 Annual Reading Challenge Discussion Thread - Page 18

jbcohen · 07-04-2017, 08:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pdurrant

I'm a bit behind my goal. I need to buy fewer books in the second half of the year.

I remember discussing exactly this issue in previous years, and you said exactly the same thing in previous years.

pdurrant · 07-04-2017, 09:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jbcohen

I remember discussing exactly this issue in previous years, and you said exactly the same thing in previous years.

This is true. Just because I recognise the problem doesn't mean I'm able to fix it.

OTOH, I'm doing better than last year at this time.

Dngrsone · 07-08-2017, 08:42 AM

I'm lagging this year.

Of course, there are reasons... but aren't there always?

Is fine, this is more of a way to keep track of what I read. I am not in competition with myself nor anyone else.

jselby · 07-08-2017, 04:30 PM

Well... I've met my initial goal for this year. This is the first year I've kept track of the books I've completed, and the first year I've set any kind of reading goal. I really had no idea how much I typically read, but I knew my reading ebbs and flows throughout the year. When I set my goal I just went with a "1 book per month" goal to start with.

I'm amending my goal to 24 novels this year. I'm loosely defining "novel" as > 150 pages and will not include technical books I read related to my job.

pdurrant · 07-09-2017, 03:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jselby

Well... I've met my initial goal for this year. This is the first year I've kept track of the books I've completed, and the first year I've set any kind of reading goal.

Congratulations! Have you found keeping track of the books rewarding?

jselby · 07-10-2017, 10:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pdurrant

Congratulations! Have you found keeping track of the books rewarding?

It has been interesting. I've also been using goodreads to keep track of progress (when i remember to) just to see how that goes.

Wearever · 07-12-2017, 08:36 PM

I think I'm on track with books read. My challenge was to first record all books read, and so far I have. Also read more Non Fiction & Biography's. I can see I'm doing well in the Non Fiction so far, but need to add more Biography's. So I'll add more of those to my challenge.

Wearever · 07-18-2017, 05:28 PM

Another Non fiction WW2 book read, " The ZOOKEEPERS WIFE " by Diane Ackerman. Great book and soon to be made movie. I don't know why but I seem to be reading more WW2 books that are true accounts. Another that was similar in intensity was " Five Days That Shocked the World ", by Nicholas Best. Not easy books to read. I have another lined up but it's fiction. Still not an easy book to read in the same time period. I won't read it for a while though. I need cozy books now.

Dazrin · 07-19-2017, 03:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by issybird

If you like thrillers, I suspect Ken Follett's Eye of the Needle holds up well. I think it's his best. If you like YA, The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin is a lot of fun.

Thanks for the recommendation. The Eye of the Needle was very good and completed my list. Now to start going backwards... only a few more years till I have read a book from every year since my father was born.

astrangerhere · 07-30-2017, 01:52 PM

Seven months in! I'm not going to finish any current reads before tomorrow night, so I am posting this now.

I had a nice rebound from a somewhat stagnant June. 1865 pages in June and 4384 in July. I'm also continuing to chip away at the non-American author goal. As of today, 56% of my reads this year have been from Americans. That's down from 2/3 in June.

How's everyone else doing?

(Geeky images attached)

Rumpelteazer · 07-30-2017, 03:34 PM

I also won't be finishing another book before August 1. July has been a good month, again I've read a little bit more pages than on average, which means that I'm now 2500 pages ahead of average (not bad for a reading challenge gap year). I've read seven books and one short story. Two books were longer than 500 pages (573 pages and 1337 pages) and one book that was 497 pages. So that's a good score and increased the average page count per book nicely (386 pages). The trend of rereading books is continuing, I've reread two books in July and I'm still in a horror and paranormal phase.

During the last five months of last year I had a bit of a reading dip, only one month I managed to read more than 3000 pages. I'm curious how I will end this year.

JSWolf · 07-30-2017, 04:14 PM

I'm just 1 book ahead of my goal so far. I need to do more reading. I've not been reading enough recently.

pdurrant · 07-31-2017, 03:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pdurrant

My TBR is on the way down too - currently ten down on the start of the year!

Quote:

Originally Posted by pdurrant

I currently have a net reduction of 14 in my TBR. That puts me on course for a TBR reduction of 68, and my goal is 47. So I'm on target so far! My 'stretch' goal would be 63, so I'm even on target for that.

Quote:

Originally Posted by pdurrant

An omnibus or two, and my TBR reduction is down to 13.

Quote:

Originally Posted by pdurrant

I've lost ground on my challenge in April. I shall have to do much better in May.

Quote:

Originally Posted by pdurrant

I actually finished May with my TBR down by 12 over the start of the year. (I finished another book last night.)

Quote:

Originally Posted by pdurrant

I'm a bit behind my goal. I need to buy fewer books in the second half of the year.

So it's been a bit down and up this year for me. But here we are at the end of July, and my TBR is down 15 on the start of the year, which is the best it's been this year. But with only five months left to go, my goal of a reduction of at least 47 looks unlikely. I'd need to reduce my TBR by over six books per month!

We shall see.

DrNefario · 07-31-2017, 08:12 AM

A relatively quiet month for me - my lowest total books read, and page count - but that's mainly because I've been banking pages against next month, rather than that I've been reading less.

Another decent month in terms of not buying much, though - just 3 purchases - so I'm nicely up on my TBR goals.

CRussel · 08-01-2017, 03:08 PM

I'm right on target for 150 books this year, well up into my 'stretch' goals. That part is going well. And I've taken steps to control my audio book spending, by spending a chunk at AudibleUK to buy 24 credits. Will bring my per book credit cost way down. Of course, it means I'm actually buying MORE audio books, so it's perhaps not such a great cost savings.

The other goal, of keeping close track of my reading and purchasing here? Not so good. This is always a problem area, and I just don't get around to actually entering in the books. Which leads to forgetting things, making it harder to track against my other goals. Sigh. Well, just have to keep on keeping on, and try harder.

07-30-2017, 01:52 PM	#265
astrangerhere Professor of Law Posts: 3,640 Karma: 65925980 Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Chapel Hill, NC Device: Kobo Elipsa, Kobo Libra H20, Kobo Aura One, KoboMini	Seven months in! I'm not going to finish any current reads before tomorrow night, so I am posting this now. I had a nice rebound from a somewhat stagnant June. 1865 pages in June and 4384 in July. I'm also continuing to chip away at the non-American author goal. As of today, 56% of my reads this year have been from Americans. That's down from 2/3 in June. How's everyone else doing? (Geeky images attached) Attached Thumbnails

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07-08-2017, 08:42 AM	#258
Dngrsone Almost legible Posts: 1,457 Karma: 4611110 Join Date: Dec 2013 Location: In a high desert, CA Device: Galaxy Note 9, Galaxy Tab A (2017), Likebook P78	I'm lagging this year. Of course, there are reasons... but aren't there always? Is fine, this is more of a way to keep track of what I read. I am not in competition with myself nor anyone else.

07-08-2017, 04:30 PM	#259
jselby Zealot Posts: 103 Karma: 400000 Join Date: Jun 2016 Location: Arkansas, US Device: Voyage \| Samsug GT4	Well... I've met my initial goal for this year. This is the first year I've kept track of the books I've completed, and the first year I've set any kind of reading goal. I really had no idea how much I typically read, but I knew my reading ebbs and flows throughout the year. When I set my goal I just went with a "1 book per month" goal to start with. I'm amending my goal to 24 novels this year. I'm loosely defining "novel" as > 150 pages and will not include technical books I read related to my job.

07-12-2017, 08:36 PM	#262
Wearever Wizard Posts: 1,063 Karma: 10944084 Join Date: Jun 2014 Location: New England Device: Oasis 2,Voyage, Kindlle hdx 8.9, Ipad mini 4. Air 2	I think I'm on track with books read. My challenge was to first record all books read, and so far I have. Also read more Non Fiction & Biography's. I can see I'm doing well in the Non Fiction so far, but need to add more Biography's. So I'll add more of those to my challenge.

07-18-2017, 05:28 PM	#263
Wearever Wizard Posts: 1,063 Karma: 10944084 Join Date: Jun 2014 Location: New England Device: Oasis 2,Voyage, Kindlle hdx 8.9, Ipad mini 4. Air 2	Another Non fiction WW2 book read, " The ZOOKEEPERS WIFE " by Diane Ackerman. Great book and soon to be made movie. I don't know why but I seem to be reading more WW2 books that are true accounts. Another that was similar in intensity was " Five Days That Shocked the World ", by Nicholas Best. Not easy books to read. I have another lined up but it's fiction. Still not an easy book to read in the same time period. I won't read it for a while though. I need cozy books now.

07-30-2017, 03:34 PM	#266
Rumpelteazer Grand Sorcerer Posts: 5,100 Karma: 24047426 Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Utrecht, the Netherlands Device: Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition	I also won't be finishing another book before August 1. July has been a good month, again I've read a little bit more pages than on average, which means that I'm now 2500 pages ahead of average (not bad for a reading challenge gap year). I've read seven books and one short story. Two books were longer than 500 pages (573 pages and 1337 pages) and one book that was 497 pages. So that's a good score and increased the average page count per book nicely (386 pages). The trend of rereading books is continuing, I've reread two books in July and I'm still in a horror and paranormal phase. During the last five months of last year I had a bit of a reading dip, only one month I managed to read more than 3000 pages. I'm curious how I will end this year.

07-30-2017, 04:14 PM	#267
JSWolf Resident Curmudgeon Posts: 73,983 Karma: 128903378 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Roslindale, Massachusetts Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kobo Aura H2O, PRS-650, PRS-T1, nook STR, PW3	I'm just 1 book ahead of my goal so far. I need to do more reading. I've not been reading enough recently.

07-31-2017, 08:12 AM	#269
DrNefario Wizard Posts: 2,099 Karma: 11315768 Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: UK Device: Kindle, Kobo Touch, Nook SimpleTouch	A relatively quiet month for me - my lowest total books read, and page count - but that's mainly because I've been banking pages against next month, rather than that I've been reading less. Another decent month in terms of not buying much, though - just 3 purchases - so I'm nicely up on my TBR goals.

08-01-2017, 03:08 PM	#270
CRussel (he/him/his) Posts: 12,160 Karma: 79742714 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Sunshine Coast, BC Device: Oasis (Gen3),Paperwhite (Gen10), Voyage, Paperwhite(orig), Fire HD 8	I'm right on target for 150 books this year, well up into my 'stretch' goals. That part is going well. And I've taken steps to control my audio book spending, by spending a chunk at AudibleUK to buy 24 credits. Will bring my per book credit cost way down. Of course, it means I'm actually buying MORE audio books, so it's perhaps not such a great cost savings. The other goal, of keeping close track of my reading and purchasing here? Not so good. This is always a problem area, and I just don't get around to actually entering in the books. Which leads to forgetting things, making it harder to track against my other goals. Sigh. Well, just have to keep on keeping on, and try harder.

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