2017 Reading Challenge discussion

Welcome to the 2016 challenge!

The main goal is for everyone to read books that they might not otherwise choose, thus expanding beyond their comfort zone. Members of the 2015 group worked together through discussion and voting to come up with list of categories, and most of them allow for plenty of flexibility. We've also added a wild card category, because everyone reads books that just don't fit one of the categories - and those should count too!

We also found in 2015 that reading 52 books isn't realistic for everyone, so this year we have a two tier challenge.


Tier One

Read 36 books selected from the categories. Up to four may be "wild card" books of your choice.

Tier Two

Read a book from each of the 43 categories, plus 9 "wild cards" for a total of 52 books.

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The Categories

Read a book that takes place on each continent, or is written by an author from that continent (fiction or non-fiction)

1. North America
2. South America
3. Africa
4. Antarctica
5. Europe
6. Asia
7. Australia

8. A banned or challenged book
9. An award winning book (Pulitzer, Hugo, Man Booker, etc.)
10. Memoir/Autobiography/Biography
11. A dead author's last book
12. A book with LGBT matter or character(s)
13. A book your favorite author loves
14. A retold fairytale
15. A Young Adult book
16. A history book (fiction or non-fiction)
17. A book where you have seen the movie, but not read the book
18. A book from the NYT Bestseller list
19. A book with the point of view of an immigrant
20. A controversial book
21. The first book you see when you walk into a library or bookstore
22. A classic
23. A debut novel
24. Published this year (2016)
25. Based entirely on the cover
26. Own but never read
27. A book by an author you never read before
28. A book recommended to you by a friendly librarian
29. A book by a Nobel Prize winner
30. Mythology (not just Greek)
31. A book written by someone born the same year as you
32. Dystopia
33. Reread of a favorite book
34. A book about books
35. Book published the year you graduated high school
36. A book a child/teen/someone younger than you loves
37. A book about/set by the sea
38. A book with two authors
39. Author from your own state, province, or country
40. A book about a trip (road, cruise, around the world)
41. A book with the name of a person in the title
42. Science Fiction
43. Fantasy
44. Wild card
45. Wild card
46. Wild card
47. Wild card
48. Wild card
49. Wild card
50. Wild card
51. Wild card
52. Wild card

Finished 2015 challenge and looking forward to the New Year. Thanks for time spent on our new 2016 Challenge.

this is my first year trying the challenge. My daughter suggested I try this. I am a Librarian in a small library and hope to find most of the books on my shelves. I will not read the books in order. I also belong to a book club that is run by our library so have those books to read as well. It is a good thing that I really like to read.

We are having a huge debate in my family...do books on tape count or do you have to READ the book?

Neils wrote: "We are having a huge debate in my family...do books on tape count or do you have to READ the book?"

Audiobooks totally count! Audiobooks are a great way for people who have to spend a lot of time in a car or on a bus to enjoy books they might not have time for. An audiobook can be a very different experience, too, if the reader is exceptional or it's a full cast.

Half the books I've read this year have been audiobooks. I wouldn't even be close to making the challenge if it weren't for those.

I also enjoy audiobooks very much. I commute by train and I prefer to read, but if I find something I love, I get the audible version for my husband to listen to in the car.

I count them button my blog I also delineate between books I read vs books I listened to.

http://www.literatureandleisure.com/r...

I joined Audible this fall hoping that it would get me and keep me on my treadmill. Hasn't worked yet, but I will re-commit after the New Year. Audiobooks totally count.

Anne wrote: Audiobooks totally count! Audiobooks are a great way for people who have to spend a lot of time in a car or on a bus to enjoy books they might not have time for."

Also, for us visually impaired (etc.) folks, audiobooks are reading, full stop. I mean, I could have the screen reader do it, but it's a lot less pleasant. ;D

So we've established audiobooks do count, but what about comics and graphic novels?

I hope so! I just ordered a graphic novel to read for the Banned/challenged book category.

Comics and graphic novels absolutely count. I read several of them a year!

And movie/play scripts. And poetry.

I wish to add a suggestion for wild cards!! A book by a person of color!!

This challenge sounds like fun! I can't wait to see where it takes me! :D

Ian wrote: "I have posted this group's challenge to my FB to see if I can get any of my friends to join in."

I did as well. I am also going to pass it out to my book club when we meet in January.

Share as much as you want! We're almost to 1,000 members! So many new people in the last few days.

Neils wrote: "We are having a huge debate in my family...do books on tape count or do you have to READ the book?"

Neils wrote: "We are having a huge debate in my family...do books on tape count or do you have to READ the book?"

I would never have gotten through last year's challenge without audiobooks as I spend much of my time in the car. It's also a great way to experience books who's category may not be something you enjoy (for me it was classic romance.)

Jenni wrote: "Neils wrote: "We are having a huge debate in my family...do books on tape count or do you have to READ the book?"

Neils wrote: "We are having a huge debate in my family...do books on tape count or..."

I also drive a lot! They totally count!

I intended to do this challenge lst year, but I didn't really put much effort into it. This year I'm actually going to make the effort.

I'm really excited about the categories!

I was really committed to reading last year, & then lost steam as the months rolled along. I am hoping to give the challenge another try this year (I'm considering last year a practice run, LOL!). I suffer from debilitating migraines, though, so I too must sometimes depend upon audiobooks to help me keep up the pace... That is, if I can't read, but can still tolerate sound. There is something very soothing about being "read to" when one isn't feeling well. I highly recommend it! :)

Kerry wrote: "I wish to add a suggestion for wild cards!! A book by a person of color!!"

Kerry I totally agree. I might even suggest specific nationalities such as "West African" Literature or Central American authors as several of these authors may not be well known and this may help others to branch out of their comfort zone :)

I have decided to read 100 books this year! I love this reading challenge! Any tips for using this template to read 100 books? Should I just read 2 books for certain categories or add some more categories? Is there a template for 100 books all in one Tier?

Melissa wrote: "I have decided to read 100 books this year! I love this reading challenge! Any tips for using this template to read 100 books? Should I just read 2 books for certain categories or add some more cat..."

If you have 2 that fit into a category, I would go with that idea. I just bought a book today in the checkout line and she was an author from my state. I already had chosen "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" for the challenge, so I will probably just read them both. I have set my goal at 70 books, since I read 60 this year. Good luck, 100 would be really impressive!

Melissa wrote: "I have decided to read 100 books this year! I love this reading challenge! Any tips for using this template to read 100 books? Should I just read 2 books for certain categories or add some more cat..."

I would check out last year's reading challenge for some ideas... it's never too late (You could complete both this year)! ;)

QueenAmidala28 wrote: "Kerry wrote: "I wish to add a suggestion for wild cards!! A book by a person of color!!"

Kerry I totally agree. I might even suggest specific nationalities such as "West African" Literature or Cen..."

Ooh I totally love that!

Heather wrote: "Melissa wrote: "I have decided to read 100 books this year! I love this reading challenge! Any tips for using this template to read 100 books? Should I just read 2 books for certain categories or a..."

Absolutely! And check out some other reading challenges! I found one recently from Book Riot. There's a lot of overlap with this challenge, but I've pasted their list below:

-A book written by someone when they were under the age of 25
-A book written by someone when they were over the age of 65
-A collection of short stories (either by one person or an anthology by many people)
-A book published by an indie press
-A book by or about someone that identifies as LGBTQ
-A book by a person whose gender is different from your own
-A book that takes place in Asia
-A book by an author from Africa
-A book that is by or about someone from an indigenous culture (Native Americans, Aboriginals, etc.)
-A microhistory
-A YA novel
-A sci-fi novel
-A romance novel
-A National Book Award, Man Booker Prize or Pulitzer Prize winner from the last decade
-A book that is a retelling of a classic story (fairytale, Shakespearian play, classic novel, etc.)
-An audiobook
-A collection of poetry
-A book that someone else has recommended to you
-A book that was originally published in another language
-A graphic novel, a graphic memoir or a collection of comics of any kind (Hi, have you met Panels?)
-A book that you would consider a guilty pleasure (Read, and then realize that good entertainment is nothing to feel guilty over)
-A book published before 1850
-A book published this year
-A self-improvement book (can be traditionally or non-traditionally considered “self-improvement”)

Kerry wrote: "Heather wrote: "Melissa wrote: "I have decided to read 100 books this year! I love this reading challenge! Any tips for using this template to read 100 books? Should I just read 2 books for certain..."

Thanks for the suggested categories! This will help me get to 100!

Margo wrote: "List completed except one - I realized I had a duplicate. I reserve the right to change my mind and I certainly will not read 52, even 18 will be a stretch.
Tier one: 0/36 Tier two: 0/52
Book that..."
I do believe you posted this in the wrong thread.

Yeah, the checklist template thread is the right place for those lists.

ok....so i am not too good with posting templates...
do i just post what i read from what catagory as i go along to my own pzge?

Steve wrote: "ok....so i am not too good with posting templates...
do i just post what i read from what catagory as i go along to my own page?"

You just go to the following thread: Discussion > Generalities > 2016 Reading Challenge : - here's a shortcut link. Open a new comment then paste in the checklist template.
You can edit this post list later with your plans / the books you read etc by clicking 'edit' below the bottom right of your message. Hope this makes sense.

Hi, I have a question... Is it okay to use one book for multiple categories? For example, I can read Homicide: A Year on the Kiling Streets and it would count for a book published the year I graduated from high school, a book turned into a TV show, AND a book I've already read. Or should it be one book = one category?

I understand this would affect the number of total books read--it would be one book for three categories instead of three books for three categories.

Thanks. :)

Elise wrote: "Hi, I have a question... Is it okay to use one book for multiple categories? For example, I can read Homicide: A Year on the Kiling Streets and it would count for a book published the year I gradua..."

That is completely up to you. Some people read 52 different books and others combine them.

Kerry wrote: "Margo wrote: "List completed except one - I realized I had a duplicate. I reserve the right to change my mind and I certainly will not read 52, even 18 will be a stretch.
Tier one: 0/36 Tier two: ..."
Oops - sorry - I'll move it.

Hi,

I was going to fill in my template and found that three of the four categories I've read so far aren't in the template - nonfiction, a trilogy, and a book recommended by a friend. Any chance they could be added in, or should I just add them into my own template?

Thanks. :)

Pat wrote: "this is my first year trying the challenge. My daughter suggested I try this. I am a Librarian in a small library and hope to find most of the books on my shelves. I will not read the books in orde..."

I don't see why your book club books shouldn't count as challenge books as well! With so many categories, they're bound to fit in somewhere!

Elise wrote: "Hi,

I was going to fill in my template and found that three of the four categories I've read so far aren't in the template - nonfiction, a trilogy, and a book recommended by a friend. Any chance t..."

Hi Elise,

Some of those sound like last year's categories. You can use them as "wild cards" this year!

I'd also say that you might be able to shoehorn them into categories for this year. Where is the author from? (That'll cover some of the first seven categories) Did your nonfiction book cover history in any way?

Does that make sense?

I just have to say that this year feels completely different for me. Last year at this point, I think I was at five books and I was trying to plan my whole year of reading which just made it feel like a giant mountain to climb. This year I'm already 12 books in and I've only planned one or two more books. Feels really good. Still planning on finishing last year's challenge, but I'll add those three to this year's list. I'm also changing categories I don't like.

For #18. A book from the NYT Bestseller list; does it have to be on this year's list (2016) or just been on the list at some point?

Stephanie wrote: "For #18. A book from the NYT Bestseller list; does it have to be on this year's list (2016) or just been on the list at some point?"
I'm going with it just being on the list at some point

Melissa wrote: "Stephanie wrote: "For #18. A book from the NYT Bestseller list; does it have to be on this year's list (2016) or just been on the list at some point?"
I'm going with it just being on the list at so..."

Thanks, that is what I was going with but just wanted to see what others thought. I know that the checklist is meant to be flexible. :-)

By any chance, do you have this somewhere that you could send me the list so I could check them off for myself? I tried to copy and paste and it won't let me!! :(

Whoops, you can disregard that. It's Bc I was on the ap and not on the regular site. :)

Cristine wrote: "Whoops, you can disregard that. It's Bc I was on the ap and not on the regular site. :)"

The app doesn't always play nice...

Hahaha that's for sure. :)

Are you allowed to change the category of a book you've read after you posted it? So for instance if you read two books of one category (e.g young adult) and realize one also fits another category (e.g LGBT) can you move it? I seem to have lots of books that fit more than 1 category.

It's your list. Do whatever makes you happy with it. I've even changed a few categories I didn't like.