VT Christian Reading Challenge discussion

Is there any rule against doubling up? I just finished a book for example that was written by a woman and about relationships and had a nice cover.

I think the only rules are those that you make for yourself. It sounded like some people were allowing doubling for themselves and some were not.

It's supposed to be a different book for each category. However, anyone can do the challenge in a way that suits himself. There are no prizes given out so there are no official rules, and this is not an official group for the challenge (although the list creator is a member). However, the list creator, Tim Challies, did make it clear that he meant a different book to be used for each (see http://www.challies.com/resources/the... ). If you use the tracker that you can create through this group, your count on that will be the number of books on your VT Challenge shelf that have a date read given to them.

I'm planning on "doubling up" or overlapping books so that some books can be counted for two or three different challenges (not categories in this challenge). Otherwise, I'll never make my goal.

A few other reading challenges:
1) http://www.readingtoknow.com/2016/01/...
2) https://thegreenmockingbird.wordpress...
3) http://peggyannspost.blogspot.com/201...

I'm using the list to push myself to read books that I'd likely not read otherwise, while still enjoying books that I'd probably read anyway. To that end, I'm choosing to count a book in just one category.

Now I want to know how few books you can read and tick all the boxes.

So I am on the see how far i can go, no pressure plan. I am reading a Jane Austen novel to check the classic novel category ( as i desired to read it for other reasons as well) but if I do well, later this year i might come to the read a Jane Austen book box, and I think will read a different classic novel to replace the doubles category one. But if I don't make it that far I will forgive myself.

Whoa whoa whoa...doubling up? I'm sorry...that's just WRONG. :-)

I could see switching books around in categories if you end up wishing you'd counted one book for something else, but to me doubling up defeats the purpose. I mean, lots of books have nice covers, but I think the idea behind that is maybe either choosing a book based on its cover, or at least allowing that to be a major reason for your attraction to the book... otherwise it seems it's not much of a challenge if you're just reading what you already would anyway.

Alexander wrote: "...I am reading a Jane Austen novel to check the classic novel category..."

Which one did you pick? I'm hoping to read The Annotated Northanger Abbey this year, but I want to read The Mysteries of Udolpho first, since it should increase my enjoyment and understanding of Northanger Abbey. However, that book is around 700 pages in most editions, and it's not very interesting (yet?), so I'm moving through it slowly.

Laura wrote: "I could see switching books around in categories if you end up wishing you'd counted one book for something else..."

It's a good chance that I'll be switching books around some, since I did that with the Popsugar challenge.

I won't be using any book more than once in this challenge. If I didn't follow the rules, I would feel like I cheated. However, if this challenge gets someone to read more books and more of a variety if he can bend the rules but he would just not attempt the challenge and stay in a reading rut if he couldn't bend them, I'd rather he join it and bend the rules to make it work for him. (sentence edited in the part Deon quoted in next message).

AlegnaB wrote: "I'd rather he join it and bend it to make it work for him.

Agree!


Any book that helps a child (or adult) to form a habit of reading, to make reading one of his deep and continuing needs, is good for him.–Maya Angelou

Natalie wrote: "Whoa whoa whoa...doubling up? I'm sorry...that's just WRONG. :-)"

I agree :) It is really just lying to yourself.

Not to hijack the thread, okay maybe a little, but if you all find doubling up wrong, what about counting a book that you have read before? I originally did a lot of soul searching to determine about the doubling up. I am also reading a few books that I read before that because they satisfy the challenge and I already had them in my mind to read again soon. I would imagine that some consider that just as horrifying as doubling up.

Cynthia wrote: "Not to hijack the thread, okay maybe a little, but if you all find doubling up wrong, what about counting a book that you have read before? I originally did a lot of soul searching to determine abo..."

I am doing this to help me broaden the scope of my reading. So there is no rereading or doubling and I have access to tons of books.
But, it would certainly be better to reread than to not read at all.

I'm rereading a book now. I'm listening to The Swiss Family Robinson (#3, classic novel). I read it 18 years ago to my oldest sons when they were little, and I saw it on the OneClickdigital site, so I decided to listen to it again. I'll also be rereading Little House on the Prairie (#10, book for children). I read the series 35 years ago, but I want to read the books again. I'll also be rereading Northanger Abbey (#19, at least 400 pages), but I'll be reading an annotated version this time,The Annotated Northanger Abbey, so there are oodles of notes I've never read before. Almost everything else I read will be new to me, though.

I also think that counting a book you have already read in the past defeats the purpose of the challenge. I'm sure most of us have already read books that fit in most of the categories at some point in our lives, so that doesn't really push us toward something new.

I won't be doing any re-reads this time around, but I can totally see the appeal... some books are just so great, and if you got a lot out of them the first time, it's great to be reminded of it again and discover something new too. :-) Do it in the way that works for you!

Right. I chose to re-read only specific ones that I had in mind before I accepted the challenge. All other books will have to be new.

AlegnaB wrote: "Alexander wrote: "...I am reading a Jane Austen novel to check the classic novel category..."

Which one did you pick? I'm hoping to read The Annotated Northanger Abbey this year, b..."

Emma, I recently read an introduction to a collection of Rex Stout's Nero Wolfe stories, in it Stout commented that it was one of the few books good enough to re-read and made it a point to do so in his twilight years.

I came to see this thread and was shocked at the amount of strong comments in the negative toward the original poster. Elena, "you do you" as the kids say. It certainly wouldn't be wrong or sinful or anything for you to approach the challenge in that way. For the Popsugar challenge last year I allowed a book to count for up to 3 categories and I STILL read 50 books and STILL read oodles of books that I wouldn't have otherwise, which was the heart of the challenge for me. This is your challenge and if you want to do it like that, DO IT!

Sarah wrote: "I came to see this thread and was shocked at the amount of strong comments in the negative toward the original poster...It certainly wouldn't be wrong or sinful or anything for you to approach the challenge in that way..."

Actually, there weren't any comments in the negative toward the original poster, but there were some strong negative comments made about her idea. That's a big difference. Also, nobody said anything about it being sinful. In regards to this, being wrong doesn't equate with being sinful.

As to my comment about cheating in message 9, I was careful to word it so as not to accuse other people of cheating; I was talking only about myself. I tend to be a rule follower, but I don't care if other people are following the rules for something as trivial as this. It seems that some other people here tend to be rule followers, too.

Elena wrote: "Is there any rule against doubling up?"

Elena, the creator of the list gave rules for the challenge, but he also gave rule-bender/breaker ideas to make the challenge work for anyone who wants to participate. Here's the one that you'll like: "Discard all the rules and choose books from any plan in any order. Use the 2016 Reading Challenge as a guide to diversifying your reading." And at the end, he added this: "Have fun with it!" So, just do it however you want and don't worry about what anyone else thinks about how you choose to do it.

Alexander wrote: "Emma...Stout commented that it was one of the few books good enough to re-read and made it a point to do so in his twilight years."

Mortimer Adler and the publishers of Great Books of the Western World would probably have agreed with Stout, since Emma is the JA novel that was included in the collection. I love that novel, and George Knightley is my favorite Austen hero.

Wow, this thread for really long. I enjoyed the differing takes on it too and no offense taken. I read 100 books last year so I'm not ashamed to be a little more flexible with my reading challenges this year. So far I think I've only checked off one book! I will definitely be doubling up and who knows if I'll finish but I wanted to read somethings outside of my usual mystery and historical fiction categories.

You know the "extra credit" at the end of the challenge? I think it would be neat to add one: See how many categories you can cover with one book.

reading this thread shows that there are both legalists and antinomians in the group, that's for sure!!

Good idea, Michelle!

Hahahaha, KB!

Jane wrote: "Hahahaha, KB!"

:)