The Reading Challenge Group discussion

If you want to tell the group a bit about yourself, you can post it here!

Hi everyone,

I'm Holly, and I'm hoping to start my English Literature degree next year in September. My main love is classics, and dystopian fiction. My favourite author is Margaret Atwood, who I think is utterly awesome!

I hope everyone has fun in the group!

Hi folks! I'm Faye, I'm from Canada, and I am obsessed with reading. I mostly read classics, especially those from the 19th century, and I also read a lot of non-fiction, but I'll dabble in almost any genre once in a while (except smoochy romance, YA vampires, and erotica... those are out altogether, I'm afraid).

Holly, I think it's great that you're going for an English Literature degree! And actually reading the books, which I've discovered that not all English Lit graduates do, and that makes me sad. I'm 33, but I'm still hoping to get me one of those shiny literature degrees myself someday. :)

I'm a writer, but not yet a published author, which is frustrating. In writing I lean more towards YA literature, mainly because I remember how hard it was for me at that age to find something to read that was geared to my age group but wasn't either horror or romance. I always wanted a meaty plot, which was why I turned to classics in the first place. Hopefully one day I'll have written some for the next generation to enjoy. :)

Hi Hello,

I'm Kirk and I'm mostly into sci-fi the type set in the future or time traveling stories. Ones that don't get into too much of the scientific explanations, I'm not a science/math type. I also enjoy humor Douglas Adams is one of my fave authors. I sometimes dabble in mystery and gravitate to the classics on occasion.

Welcome, Kirk! I'm sure you've heard all the Trek jokes a hundred times, so I will refrain from any lame attempts of my own...

I dabble in scifi on occasion, and Douglas Adams is definitely a name I reach for when the urge strikes. I wish more writers had just a fraction of his wit and imagination!

Hi guys, I'm Michael, the literary explorer. I try to read all genres but I do tend to focus more on Literary Fiction and Classics, as well as hard-boiled crime novels for some light reading.

I'm a book blogger and currently doing an English lit degree part-time. One of my major/lifetime reading goals is to read every book in the 1001 Books you must read before you die list but I'm pretentious like that.

Hi I am Julie, and from the UK but now living the expat life in Dubai. I have been a avid reader my whole life and a big 20th century literature fan. I was fascinated with the Lost and Beat Generation of writing.

Fitzgerald, Orwell and Hemingway are some of my all time favourite authors. Though my brush is very broad from Poe, Dickens and Austen to Slaughter, Evanovich to Cronin to name a few.

I also collect first editions and it's amazing feeling when you get your hands on some of your all time favourite works. I am a huge believer in books and not electronic devices. I have a Kindle but not by choice, and only ever use it if it is impossible for me to actually lay my hands on the book.

Welcome, Michael and Julie!

I've been chipping away at that 1001 Books list, too, Michael. I don't know if I'll ever read every one, since some of them really don't interest me, but I'm giving it a good shot!

Julie, I feel the same about e-readers. I prefer to shut off technology when I read, not use it instead of a book. I kind of miss the days when parents told their kids not to look at screens for too long or their eyes would go square - we really shouldn't be staring at them all day long!

I managed to get a large collection of free books on my Kindle ( around 3,500), so quite often the book I want to read is on there. If I can't get it from my school library, and I don't own it, I'll read it on my kindle. I'll always try get a physical version first. Ultimately, I think Kindles have their advantages (I use mine a lot on holiday, it saves our family a whole extra suitcase). If I didn't have all those books, I never would have got one though!

A whole extra suitcase! That sounds like my kind of holiday, haha!

I understand how they come in handy for a lot of people, but it makes me sad at the same time to see so few people carrying around a book nowadays. It was always fun to spot fellow readaholics by their bulging bags. ;)

I hate that people read ereaders in public; how am I suppose to judge them based on what they are reading?

LOL Exactly!

Michael wrote: "I hate that people read ereaders in public; how am I suppose to judge them based on what they are reading?"

Ha very funny, but true. I love to know what people are reading. Once or twice on the Tube in London I have spotted someone reading a book and actually looked it up, then went out and bought a copy myself.

That's a really cool thing to do Jools! I think you tell a lot about a person by what they read!

Hi, I'm Rebecca. I read a lot, but most of it is shorter fiction, like romance novels and cozy mysteries. I've read a few classics this year, but want to read more next year.

Welcome, Rebecca! :)

Pleased to meet you, too, Geoff!

My reading list seems to double in length every year, no matter how many books I read and cross off. Reading lists simply defy the laws of nature!

Hi,


I'm Dora and I'm 18 years old. I'm an avid reader of the classics, but I read pretty much anything except for horror, thriller and erotica. I'm off to England in July to study A-levels in English language, English literature, history and either German or music. After completing my A-levels, I'm hoping to study for an English degree at either Oxford or Durham. I aspire to become a linguist, a lecturer or even an author.

I understand how you're sad about young people reading ebooks instead of physical books, but don't forget about people with visual impairment. I'm blind myself, so I can read nothing but ebooks and audiobooks. Braille is a) hard to get, b) extremely heavy, c) very hard to read if it is not printed properly.)

I'm Carol
I'm planning to read a book a week. Every year for the past 10 years I have planned to do this but I was never able to read 52. Last year I read 33. But this year I'm about to meet my goal and it's all because of Goodreads. By using Goodreads I'm reading the books I really want to read not just the ones I found at the thrift store or picked up from the library because I liked the cover.

I like to read a variety of books. My bookshelves have a lot of historical fiction, fantasy and sci-fi and some classics. I just finished Ender's Game and now I'm reading Eighty Days: Nellie Bly and Elizabeth Bisland's History-Making Race Around the World

I'm also planning to read a book a week.:D

Carol wrote: "I'm Carol
I'm planning to read a book a week. Every year for the past 10 years I have planned to do this but I was never able to read 52. Last year I read 33. But this year I'm about to meet my ..."

Hi Carol, I'm planning a book a week as well. It is my first attempt and I have posted a thread about it here: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/....

Carol, you'll have to let me know what you thought about Enders Game. I absolutely loved it!

Hai, I'm Alie.
I love books of many kinda, mostly biographies, fiction, and the occasional supernatural.
I go on total reading binges and will read a few books a week sometimes.
I work at a beer, burbon and bbq place and I love it.
Oh, and I plan to marry T.Mills.

Welcome Dora, Carol, and Alie!

Dora - I would never forget about the visually impaired. Technology certainly has its place, and it's done wonders to improve the quality of life for millions of people. I'm glad to hear that you're one of them! :)

Also, your dreams are very similar to my own! Good luck!

Carol - I absolutely loved Eighty Days!

Holly wrote: "Carol, you'll have to let me know what you thought about Enders Game. I absolutely loved it!"

Yes I liked it too. I was surprised that I like it so well. I have read other Orson Scott Card books that I did not care for. I was totally smacked by the ending!

Hi Im Amber I used to be a huge reader but with more time spent on computer I find im reading way less....Im gonna shoot for a book a week...I read almost all kinds of fiction with Stephen King being my fav author

Welcome, Amber! A book a week is a very good goal. :)

Hi I am Sam from the UK am addicted to all things books. Love thrillers and crime books best but have read loads of books. Really enjoy belonging to and commenting on groups. Also totally addicted to social media especially GR and twitter.

I look forward to getting to know you all.

Welcome, Sam! :)

Hi, Jackie, welcome to the group! :)

Welcome Jackie

Hey guys, I'm Fatima, born and raised in Dubai. I've always been an avid reader, even from a young age. I'm going into my first IB year next year, so I'm trying to read as much as I can this year!

I'm mostly into adventure novels, only recently started romance (wasn't such a big fan before), love mythology, and wouldn't mind a a couple of the sci-fi type. Dystopian, thriller, horror, and mystery are great as well.

I don't really have a favorite author, I read anything that's good! I'm trying to get into classics. I LOVED Anne of Green Gables, Little Princess, Black Beauty, Swiss Family, the sort. I'm trying really hard to finish Emma, and I recently bought all the Sherlock novels.

Hopefully this group will allow me the chance of reading all my books, in an orderly fashion, without losing my mind, within the following yera.

:)

Welcome, Fatima!

Those were some of my favourite books when I was a kid! And Sherlock is so much fun.

We will certainly do our best to prevent you from losing your mind! :)

Hi all,
I'm Emad.
I love pizza:) I really do. But you know, I LOVE books too! I love them maybe even more than pizza:)
I love classics, romance, and fantasy. My favorite author is Mr. Fyodor Dostoyevsky - the first novel I've ever read was his "Crime and punishment".

I keep wondering :"who am I?"
But recently I figured out that I may be a spiritual being having a human experience:)

Hi, thanks to have sent me the invitation :)

I'm dely from Italy and I already know a couple of members met in other groups.

I hope to have time to give a deeper look to the group in the next days, I'm very busy in these days but I wanted to introduce myself and to thank for the invitation.
I hope also to do some interesting challenge next year but I'm not that into challenges because at the end I always pick up another book instead of the scheduled one.

Forgive my not perfect English!

Emad, I love pizza and Dostoyevsky too :D

Dely,
You're most welcome:)

Welcome, Emad and dely! It's great to have you both here. :)

Dely, your reading challenge can be anything you want it to be, not necessarily that you read certain books at certain times. Most of us are just setting ourselves a set amount of books to read, or perhaps challenging ourselves to read books out of our comfort-zone genre, or something along those lines. Any personal challenge at all will do. As long as we're reading, it's all good!

Dostoyevsky rules. :D

Emad wrote: "I keep wondering :"who am I?"
But recently I figured out that I may be a spiritual being having a human experience:) "

That's a beautiful way to look at life, Emad.

Hi, I'm Melissa, I'm 28 and I just kind of stumbled upon this group..I hope that's alright! I love YA, non-fiction and true crime books.
My reading goal for this upcoming year is to read at least 75 books..5 of those HAVE to be adult fiction, I'm making myself branch out.

Hi there!
I'm Francine and I live in the U.P. of Michigan. Besides reading, I enjoy cooking, photography, being outdoors and board games. It's hard to nail down my favorite genre of book. I love Agatha Christie mysteries, classics, WWII history and now dystopian (Thank you, Hunger Games! :))

My personal reading challenge for the next year is not so much a number, although I have one in mind, it's more reading down my massive stack of unread books that I have at home! Nearly every time I go into a second hand store/bookstore/any-stores-with-books-in-them I come out with an armful. I cannot for the life of me keep up!

I'm looking forward to getting to know you all and also learning all about the books that are going to be read in the following year.

Welcome, Melissa! Of course it's alright - everyone's welcome here. :)

Welcome, Francine! I know what you mean about having a massive stack of unread books that only seems to grow, haha. And yet I keep bringing stacks home from the library as well! It's a sickness, it really is. :)

Welcome everyone!

I hope you all enjoy it here. 2014 is coming up worryingly fast!

Hey everyone,

I'm Ruchi, from India. I going to 10th std/grade next year so I probably won't have much time to read books but I'm so glad something like this exists!! Would be fun to keep track and post about all books I'll be reading next year:)

Hi everyone,

I'm Liân, from the UK. I love reading most genres, although I do tend to gravitate mostly towards the classics, sci fi and fantasy. I really want to expand my reading horizons beyond what I seem to have fallen into by habit rather than any conscious choice. That's part of the reason behind me joining a group like this - a way for me to give more thought to what I am reading, and seeing what others are reading in different genres. I'm rather expecting 2014 to be filled with lots of fun reading times for me!

Welcome, Ruchi and Lian! :)

Hello my name is Kisha. I just joined today because I like the idea of a challenge group. I actually got the groups like through a question posed on a moderators group. I am an avid reader and am also a moderator of my own group.

Welcome, Kisha! :)

thank you

Hi everyone! I am hoping that when I cancel cable that my number of books read will increase. I primarily read mysteries and historical fiction and anything else that catches my interest as well as recommendations from my friends here on Goodreads.

Welcome Lisa! I get your tv issue. I always find it hard to read when I have TV shows to watch!

You'll have to recommend some historical fiction to me. I really need to read more!

Welcome, Lisa! :)