Reading with Style discussion

When you start thinking about your 2017 reading goals, please post them here. We like to take them into consideration as we plan our challenges.

1. Read at least 10 different Canadian women. Read at least 10 women I've previously read; this could overlap with the Canadian women. Read 30 women total. [Can - 10/10; Rep - 13/10; Tot - 30/30]
2. Reduce my on hand unread books to fewer than 180. (Giving myself a lot of leeway on this one.) [205/180] Epic Fail!
3. Read at least 5 titles by Anthony Trollope. (I fell down on my Trollope goal last year, but would really like to exceed this.) [ 4/5]
4. Not measuring these, but extend my completion of Balzac titles and WWI reads. Putting them here to be mindful of them. [Balz - 1; WWI -7]

5. Long Term: Each year of 20th C (I'll use 1900-1999) for women authors, but count starts 1/1/17. [11/100]
6. Long Term: Each year of 19th C (I'll use 1800-1899) for all authors, but count starts 1/1/17 [14/100].

Okay, I think I have a better idea of what I'd like to do. First, amount:

1. Read 36,000 pages
I've been avoiding long books to reach x books a year, which is a shame, really. This way I can read whatever I like with no guilt.

The rest of my goals concern breadth:

2. Have 30%+ of my reading be by authors who are people of color or otherwise diverse (LGBTQIA*, people with disabilities, ethic/religious minorities, etc.)
I was right around 30% for 2016 and I'd like to maintain if not improve on it.

3. Add at least five titles to my ongoing 20th Century list
It'll be nice to make progress and it'll keep me from getting stuck in frontlist land.

4. Add at least five titles to my ongoing Dewey list (hopefully 10+)
I've currently read 76 of 908 sections... a lifetime effort, to be sure.

I'm going to keep track of library categories on Overdrive and how many books are translations but that's for fun more than goals.

✔[1] Complete all 30 challenges in each season of RwS
✔Winter 2017: 30 of 30;✔Spring 30/30;✔Summer 30/30;✔Fall 30/30
✔[2] Read at least 139 books in 2017.
171/139 as of 12/17/17. (Also 36 Children's books not credited toward my goal.)
✔[3A] A new goal (to get me moving)- get at least 50 hours of walking while listening to books. 50:00/50:00 = 100%
[3B}- NEW Goal...starting May 1, 2017.... since Reading so much has made me so sedentary...and is one of the many factors causing me to gain weight, my goal is to lose 15 pounds by the end of the year.
7.9 pounds as of 12/31/17=52.6%

✔[4] Also...30 of the 44 missing years for books published 1900 to the present. (I completed 73 of them in 2016). 31/30 as of 12/17/17
✔[5] Read at least 39 books on the Boxall's 1001 Books You Must Read list. 50/39
1. Notes from Underground by Fyodor Dostoyevsky
2. If on a Winter's Night a Traveler by Italo Calvino
3. Flaubert's Parrot by Julian Barnes
4. Roxana by Daniel Defoe
5. The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
6. August Is A Wicked Month by Edna O'Brien
7. Bunner Sisters by Edith Wharton
8. Ulysses by James Joyce
9.Far from the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy
10. The Book of Evidence by John Banville
11.Nicholas Nickleby by Charles Dickens
12.The Passion by Jeanette Winterson
13.The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
14. Life and Times of Michael K by J.M. Coetzee
15. The Wasp Factory by Iain Banks
16. The Time Machine by H.G. Wells
17.Jealousy by Alain Robbe-Grillet
18. The Call of the Wild by Jack London
19. Cat's Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut Jr.
20. The End of the Affair by Graham Greene
21. On The Black Hill by Bruce Chatwin
22. The Lost Honor of Katharina Blum by Heinrich Böll
23. The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
24. The Black Dahlia by James Ellroy
25. Surfacing by Margaret Atwood
26. Blood Meridian, or the Evening Redness in the West by Cormac McCarthy
27. The Poor Mouth: A Bad Story about the Hard Life by Flann O'Brien
28. Passing by Nella Larsen
29. Bonjour tristesse by Françoise Sagan
30. The Driver's Seat by Muriel Spark
31. The Girls of Slender Means by Muriel Spark
32. Rameau's Nephew and First Satire by Denis Diderot
33. Cold Comfort Farm by Stella Gibbons
34. Love's Work: A Reckoning with Life by Gillian Rose
35. Oroonoko by Aphra Behn
36. Wittgenstein's Nephew by Thomas Bernhard
37. Kokoro by Sōseki Natsume
38. The Castle of Otranto by Horace Walpole
39. Exercises in Style by Raymond Queneau
40. The Invention of Curried Sausage by Uwe Timm
41. Back by Henry Green
42. The Vicar of Wakefield by Oliver Goldsmith
43.To Have and Have Not by Ernest Hemingway
44. Casino Royale by Ian Fleming
45. The Secret Agent by Joseph Conrad
46. Beloved by Toni Morrison
47. The Return of the Soldier by Rebecca West
48.The Nose by Nikolai Gogol
49. Howards End by E.M. Foster
50. Crome Yellow by Aldous Huxley

(Total =244)

[6] Read more than 34,238 pages. (my highest year was 2015 with 35,131).
36,389/34,238= 106.3%

✔[7 (A)] -Another new challenge to reduce my total excess of my backlog of magazines and community newspapers...complete at least 100 magazines & newspapers in the year.
✔140/100
✔[7 (B)] -At least 25 different magazines. (For some magazines like the New Yorker and National Geographic- this means reading cover to cover.** For others, like AARP and the community newspapers, it means skimming.*)
64/25
Time*-8; Mission Times Courier*-13; City Beat* -8; Westways*-6; AARP*-11; Adelante*-1; San Diego Reader*-14; American Heritage**-1; Awareness*-1; Natural History**-1; Swerv*-2; USD Magazine-5*; Pix*-3; Pulp*-2; Saudi Aramco World**-1; Archaeology**-1; Biblical Archaeology**-1; Americas** - 1; Los Angeles Magazine*-1; Expedia Travels**-1; New Yorker**-3; Ad-Visor*-1; Mission Valley News*-1; Indian**-1; California Blade*-1; Rage*-2; Gay San Diego*-6; POZ*-1; The Bottom Line*-1; LGBT Weekly*-4; San Diego City News*-1; Zenger's*-1; Cybersocket*-1; Plus*-1; Q Vegas*-1; Frontiers*-1; San Diego Jewish Journal*-1; San Diego City Beat*-1; San Diego Troubadour*-1; Virtuoso Traveler*-3; San Diego Downtown News*-1; The Star News*-1; East County Californian*-1; San Diego Family*-1; San Diego Uptown News*-1; The Alpine Sun*-2; Lambda Legal Impact*-1; Audubon**-2; Rutgers Magazine*-3; Out & About*-1; The Upside of Outside*-1; AFSCME Works*-1; GQ*-1; La Mesa Courier*-1; Mercator's World**-1; George Magazine**-2; Bingo Bugle*-1; Book Page*-2; Gaming Guide*-1; AFAR Magazine**-1; Phi Alpha Delta Reporter-1*; American Way-1*; Entertainment*-1; Los Angeles Magazine*-2; Archaeology Odyssey**-1; San Diego Magazine-1*

✔[8] Keep track of male & female authors with a goal to not finish the year with less than 40% of either gender.
Male-201 Female-158
56.0%- 44.0%

✔[9 ] Virtual Travels- Virtually Visit through my readings at least 60 different countries or imaginary places or outer space locations)
Total Countries= 116
144- USA; 92- UK; 9- South Africa; 5-Egypt; 36- France; 2-Liechtenstein; 7- Switzerland; 5- Unspecified Africa; 2-Kenya; 2-China; 2-Indonesia; 4-Japan; 2-Antarctica; 2-Zimbabwe; 1- Ataguitania*(S.America); 1- Ircania*; 5- Greece; 6-Russia; 1-Cimmaria*; 11-Italy; 4-Netherlands; 5-India; 12-Germany; 4-Israel; 1-Croatia; 1-Bulgaria; 5-Turkey; 3-Syria; 10-Canada; 5-Australia; 5-Ireland; 1-Sierra Leone; 5-Spain; 2-Iraq; 2- Sri Lanka; 2- Gibraltar; 2-Poland; 1-Vatican; 2-Denmark; 1-Colombia; 1-Unspecified Central America; 1-Unspecified Asia; 2-Wonderland*; 1- Asteroid B-612*; 1- Asteroid 325*; 1-Asteroid 326* 1- Asteroid 327*, 1-Asteroid 328*, 1-Asteroid 329*; 1-Asteroid 330*;2-Norway; 3-Austria; 1- Norway;; 6-Mexico; 1- Ecuador; 2- Brazil; 1-Cameroon; 1-Equatorial Guinea; 1-Jamaica; 2-Haiti; 1-Honduras; 1-Bhutan; 1-New Zealand; 1-Tunisia; 1-Ghana; 1-Surinam; 1-Peru; 1-Nauru; 1-Kiribati; 1-Chile; 1-Greenland; 2-India; 1-Cook Islands; 1-Solomon Islands; 3-Morocco; 1-Lesotho; 1-Swaziland; 1-Guyana; 1-Benin; 1-Togo; 1-Nigeria; 1-Kyrgyzstan; 3-Cuba; 1-Dominica; 10-Fiji; 15-Romania; 20-United Arab Emirates; 1-Kuwait; 1-Venezuela; 1-Afghanistan; 1-Pakistan; 1-Palestine; 1-Libya; 2-Hungary; 1-Puerto Rico; 1-Thailand; 1-Cote D'Ivoire; 1-Martinique; 1-Dominican Republic; 1-Serbia; 1-Slovenia; 1-Xanadu*; 1-Oz*; 1-Munchkinland*; 1-Emerald City*; 1- Quadling Country*; 1- Winkie Country*; 1- Heaven*; 1-Eden*; 1-Nod*; 1-Republic of San Lorenzo*; 1- Unspecified Southern USA; 1-Atlantis*; Potatoland*; 1-Paradise*; 1-Hell*; 1-The Isle of Struay*; 1-unspecified Polynesian island.
*imaginary place

USA States= 45- CA; 9- FL; 40- NY; 10- OH; 5-TX; 8-LA; 5-GA; 8-WV; 1-WY; 7-TN; 9-IL; 3-ME; 3-OR; 3-MT; 4-WA; 5-MO; 7-PA; 1-MS; 12-NJ; 2-MN; 1-WI; 1-OK; 3-KS; 3-IA; 4-MI; 7-MA; 3-NC; 3-DC; 1-AK; 3-IN; 1-KY, 2-AL; 3-MD; 1-NV; 4-AZ ; 3-HI; 3-SC; 2-VA; 1-CT; 1-DE; 1-NH; 1-VT; 1-CO; 1-unspecified Carolinas; 1-unspecified New England.

Although, I use the current political boundaries for Virtual Visits above.... I'll also keep a tally of former countries virtually visited:

2-West Germany
2-Ottoman Empire
1-Zulu Kingdom
1-Roman Empire
1-Principality of Taranto
1-East Germany
1-Spanish Morocco
1-Yugoslavia

✔[10] Varied Authors- Read authors associated with at least 40 different countries.
40/40;
88-UK; 5- Ireland; 3-Russia, 3- Egypt, 1- Italy, 112-USA; 9-France; 4-Germany; 5-Australia; 2-Norway; 1- Denmark; 1-Sweden; 1- Sierra Leone; 1-Greece; 1-Chile; 4- South Africa; 3-Canada.; 1- Cameroon; 1-New Zealand; 1-Peru; 1-Lesotho; 1-Israel; 1-Guyana; 1-Austria; 1-Cuba; 1-Antigua & Barbuda; 10-Fiji; 2-Japan; 1-Kyrgyzstan. 15-Romania; 21-United Arab Emirates; 1-Venezuela; 1-Argentina; 1-Cote D'Ivoire; 1-Morocco; 1-Zimbabwe; 1-Martinique; 1-Turkey; 1- Nigeria.
(CONTINUED in posts #27 & #31)248.3

I will carry on with trying to read all of Dickens, and something by each Nobel Literature Laureate (although not sure about 2016's!)

My goals for 2017 are still in formation.

1. Finish old games (Pick-a-Shelf games): LOST 2014 - 2 books, Scat - 7 books, Pursuit Round 4 - unknown number of books.
2. Read books from prior uncompleted sub-challenges (Reading with Style): Dominoes - 7 books, 5 years - 4 books, HnH - 3 books

My goals will be:

1. Bring down my TBR again. This is the books I own, including ebooks. It is currently at 191 and should be lower by the end of the year, so let's say to 160 in 2017.

2. Read at least 25 more books from the 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die list.

3. Complete Around The Year in 52 Books challenge.

For sure I want to do the A-Z Classic author challenge again.

Other than that..... TBD!

More formalized goals:

1. read 100 books (I am always well over this goal, but this year I think I will add a jumbo classic which will decrease my overall number read)
2. read at least 1 big fat classic (potentially The Count of Monte Cristo)
3. the A-Z classic author challenge
4. read at least 12 of the piled up books (there are 30 or 40 that can't fit on my real life shelves) **AND** donate to spring book sale
5. series:
a) catch up with most recent installments in Jussi Alder-Olsen Dept. Q series, Elly Griffiths Ruth Galloway series, Alan Bradley Flavia de luce series (if any)
b) read books 7 to 16 of Alexander McCall Smith No. 1 Ladies Detective agency
c) get back to Louise Penny
Chief Inspector Armand Gamache series
6. read at least 1 non- fiction per quarter (this is carried over from 2016, where it worked so well that I doubled my nf read!)

My goals for 2017 (actually for Dec 2016-Nov 2017)

1. Read at least 50 books from series I have already started.
2. Read at least 10% books by non-Western authors.
3. Read at least 10% books by Australian authors.
4. Read another 10% (not counting 2) books translated into English.
5. Read at least 40% female and 40% male authors.

I am not going to set formal goals for 2017. I signed up for some year-long challenges in 2016 and had some defined Chinese literature goals, but after my reading crash and burn in the summer I just don't want to work at that level of long term detail. I would like to read at least one book per month of each of the following:

Continue reading the Hugo/Nebula award winning science fiction novels I've been collecting from used book stores.

Continue reading works in translation or works that for some other reason expand my understanding of cultural groups and peoples that I have little direct experience with.

I don't generally set formal reading goals. Generally I set a goal of reading a book a week, although frequently I exceed that (I've lost count of this year because I stopped adding books to my list I keep, but I will update it at some point later this month; somewhere over 90, so not as prolific as some readers, but much better than when my kids were younger).

That said, I may choose some unofficial goals during 2017.

Here is a list of 16 Jumbos that have either defeated me in the past, or I've never yet tried. I would like to read at least one each challenge. Anything that bores me gets dumped, life is too short for that!

✔ 1. Les Misérables by Victor Hugo
2. The Hunchback of Notre-Dame by Victor Hugo
3. The Cloister and the Hearth by Charles Reade
4. The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas
5. Blonde by Joyce Carol Oates
6. Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes
Saavedra
7. Bleak House by Charles Dickens
8. Harlot's Ghost by Norman Mailer
9. House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski
10. 1Q84 by Haruki Murakami
11. Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke
12. Middlemarch by George Eliot
13. A Suitable Boy by Vikram Seth
14. Underworld by Don DeLillo
15. The Collected Stories of Sean O'Faolain by Seán Ó Faoláin
16. Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace

I recommend The Hunchback of Notre Dame. I also read Les Miserables. Les Miserables was a LONG book. I read the unabridged version and it was 1462 pages.

D wrote: "Here is a list of 16 Jumbos that have either defeated me in the past, or I've never yet tried. I would like to read at least one each challenge. Anything that bores me gets dumped, life is too shor..."

Wow! That's quite the list! I went through and decided to bit the bullet and add about 4 to my TBR list - ones that I thought I'd be interested in. If I undertake to read one (or 2) I'll try to make it work with my A-Z classic challenge.

The descriptions and reviews for a couple of your books put me in mind of Gravity's Rainbow - a classic 'door stopper" of a book that is a very confusing read.

Jayme(the ghost reader) wrote: "I recommend The Hunchback of Notre Dame. I also read Les Miserables. Les Miserables was a LONG book. I read the unabridged version and it was 1462 pages."

I read Hunchback this year too, and really enjoyed it (apart from the architecture bits!).

I read A Suitable Boy when it first came out, and I remember it reduced me to tears at the end. You might have inspired me to reread it in 2017. I just wish A Suitable Girl would get published.

I started Les Mis but only got about 100 pages in before one of the footnotes SPOILED THE ENDING! Why?! I was so mad that I couldn't keep going, and I've never picked it back up.

One of my goals for next year is definitely going to include jumbos though. I have lots of long books on my shelves that I avoid because of their length, but I'd like to read at least a couple next year.

Jayme(the ghost reader) wrote: "I recommend The Hunchback of Notre Dame. I also read Les Miserables. Les Miserables was a LONG book. I read the unabridged version and it was 1462 pages."

Jayme, thanks for the recommendation! I might try Les Miserables first since it will work for CiV.

Valerie wrote: " Wow! That's quite the list! I went through and decided to bit the bullet and add about 4 to my TBR list..."

Valerie, I hope at least some of the 4 prove to be worthwhile. It is quite the list. Very intimidating, definitely a long-term project!

Lagullande wrote: "...I read A Suitable Boy when it first came out, and I remember it reduced me to tears at the end. You might have inspired me to reread it in 2017. I just wish A Suitable Girl would get published."

Did you find the characters hard to keep track of, and does it require a lot of knowledge of the political situation? I'm worried that I'll be lost and clueless. I've been hearing rumors about A Suitable Girl, hope it happens! Thanks for the encouragement!

While the conversation is wonderful, let's move it to the socializing thread. This Personal Goals thread is more for our goals and updates.

Sam wrote: "I started Les Mis but only got about 100 pages in before one of the footnotes SPOILED THE ENDING! Why?! I was so mad that I couldn't ..."

How rotten! I've quit reading forewords, especially in the editions that seem aimed at college students, because they are usually full of spoilers. But I would never have expected that in a footnote. That's really sad, when you were so close to the end!

For 2016, one of my goals was to reduce my own tbr by a certain percentage = Epic Fail! So I decide to make it so that if I reached a certain number, I shall have to give away some books Unread... I think the threat of having to give away books unread works better for me so that's what I'm going to do for 2017 with a lesser number.

IF my own tbr is 280+ by Feb 1 OR reached that number at any time during the year thereafter & stayed above 280 for more than 2 weeks, I shall have to giveaway 10 books. Am currently on 290 so I have 1.5 months to read 10, achievable right? Except that I've borrowed about 10 books from the library over the weekend :O

I also would like to get to some big classics since I've really enjoyed David Copperfield last season and am loving Crime and Punishment atm. Currently, I'm looking at:

Martin Chuzzlewit -I already own a copy
The Hunchback of Notre Dame -been thinking about picking this up for the last couple of years
War and Peace -just because it's a really intimidating one to me... maybe if I get a pretty copy, I'd be happy to actually read it lol

Of course, let's not forget the dozens of challenges I've signed myself up for. Ok, maybe more like half a dozen :D

Tien, I have The Hunchback of Notre-Dame scheduled for SRC this season. And, I noticed it on someone's LOST list also. Seems like this book has come up several times recently. Maybe it is its turn to be read.

My own plan is to work on completing old games in which I once participated for two of the three groups (RwS and PAS) I belong to. I still have LOST 2014 (2 books), Scattergories 2014 (1 book) and Pursuit 2015 (Round 4 - 74 books) for this group. Maybe I can work those books into the 2017 games!

I also want to complete the plans I made for Dominoes (7 books) and Five Years (4 books).

Bea wrote: "My own plan is to work on completing old games in which I once participated for two of the three groups (RwS and PAS) I belong to. I still have LOST 2014 (2 books), Scattergories 2014 (5 books) and Pursuit (Round 3 - 6 duplicates + 4 slices) for this group. Maybe I can work those books into the 2017 games!"

Like a dog with a bone, Bea, & you've done very well this year. I've 2 left from last Scattershelves but I feel like I'm cheating if I include them in this year's lol

Tien wrote: "I've 2 left from last Scattershelves but I feel like I'm cheating if I include them in this year's lol."

Aw shucks! I didn't even think about using them with the 2017 game...only generically PAS games.

In 2017 I'll continue to work my way through the historic counties of the UK, and the historic regions of France. It seems like I've read a bunch of books set in London, Paris, and Provence for book groups. Now I want to read more books set in the countryside.

I also try to read some of the monthly group reads for some other GR groups. One group reads Southern Lit. Another group reads works either set in 1900-1945, or published during those years. That era deals with the two world wars and the interwar period, and I often read the nonfiction choice to learn more about the history of that time.

I'm continuing to read Anthony Powell's series, "The Dance to the Music of Time". Six books down, six more to read.

I also belong to two library book groups, and enjoy their monthly selections which are usually historical or contemporary fiction.

I ran out of space in post 4..so, to continue here and in post #31:
:
✔︎[11] Complete The 2017 Around the World in 52 Weeks Challenge List- https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...[

52/52
✔ 1. A book from the Goodreads Choice Awards 2016- Hamilton: The Revolution by Lin-Manuel Miranda
✔2. A book with at least 2 perspectives (multiple) points of view)- book: [book:Akhenaten: Dweller in Truth|5497] by Naguib Mahfouz
✔3. A book you meant to read in 2016- Framley Parsonage by Anthony Trollope
✔ 4. A title that doesn't contain the letter "E"- Roxana by Daniel Defoe
✔5. A historical fiction- When the Tree Sings by Stratis Haviaras
✔︎6. A book being released as a movie in 2017 - Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie(same as Pop Sugar #37) or Three to Kill by Jean-Patrick Manchette
✔7. A book with an animal on the cover or in the title- Flaubert's Parrot by Julian Barnes
✔8. A book written by a person of color- [book[author:Chris Bohjalian|3509]:A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier|43015] by Ishmael Beah
✔9. A book in the middle of your To Be Read list- The End of the Affair by Graham Greene
✔10. A dual-timeline novel- The Invention of Curried Sausage by Uwe Timm
✔11. A category from another challenge- Unlikely Friendships : 47 Remarkable Stories from the Animal Kingdom by Jennifer S. Holland
✔12. A book based on a myth- The White Steamship by Chingiz Aitmatov
✔13. A book recommended by one of your favorite authors- The Saddest Pleasure: A Journey on Two Rivers by Moritz Thomsen- recommended by Paul Theroux
✔14. A book with a strong female character- August Is A Wicked Month by Edna O'Brien
✔15. A book written or set in Scandinavia (Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Iceland)- A Doll's House by Henrik Ibsen
✔16. A mystery- The Book of Evidence by John Banville
✔17. A book with illustrations- The Graphic Canon, Vol. 1: From the Epic of Gilgamesh to Shakespeare to Dangerous Liaisons by Russ Kick
✔18. A really long book (600+ pages)- Nicholas Nickleby by Charles Dickens
✔19. A New York Times best-seller- Born a Crime: Stories From a South African Childhood by Trevor Noah
✔20. A book that you've owned for a while but haven't gotten around to reading-Ulysses by James Joyce
✔21. A book that is a continuation of a book you've already read- In the Shadow of Young Girls in Flower by Marcel Proust
✔22. A book by an author you haven't read before-Road Story by Julienne van Loon
✔23. A book from the BBC "The Big Read" - Far from the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy
✔24. A book written by at least two authors- Lionboy by Zizou Corder which is actually a psedonym for 2 people
✔25. A book about a famous historical figure- The Woman on the Orient Express by Lindsay Jayne Ashford
✔26. An adventure book- The Sign of Four by Arthur Conan Doyle
✔27. A book by one of your favorite authors- Bunner Sisters by Edith Wharton
✔28. A non-fiction- perhaps Silver Screen Fiend: Learning About Life from an Addiction to Film by Patton Oswalt
✔29. A book published outside the 4 major publishing houses (Simon & Schuster; HarperCollins; Penguin Random House; Hachette Livre) - check all the editions- The Woman Who Wouldn't by Gene Wilder- St. Martin's Press
✔30. A book from Goodreads Top 100 YA Books (link)- The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie
✔31. A book from a sub-genre of your favorite genre- perhaps The Passion by Jeanette Winterson- historiographic metafiction- a subgenre of historic fiction
✔32. A book with a long title (5+ words, excluding subtitle)- The Story of a Seagull and the Cat Who Taught Her to Fly by Luis Sepúlveda
✔33. A magical realism novel-If on a Winter's Night a Traveler by Italo Calvino
✔34. A book set in or by an author from the Southern Hemisphere- Life and Times of Michael K by J.M. Coetzee- if I read another book for this week, I can switch this to week #2.
✔35. A book where one of the main characters is royalty- Oroonoko by Aphra Behn
✔36. A Hugo Award winner or nominee- Cat's Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut Jr.
✔37. A book you choose randomly- perhaps Roman Blood by Steven Saylor
✔38. A novel inspired by a work of classic literature- Allusions in Ulysses: An Annotated List by Weldon Thornton
✔39. An epistolary fiction- The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon
✔40. A book published in 2017-perhaps Big Book of Who: Baseball: The 101 Stars Every Fan Needs to Know by The Editors of Sports Illustrated Kids
✔41. A book with an unreliable narrator- Notes from Underground by Fyodor Dostoyevsky
✔42. A best book of the 21st century (so far)- Eats, Shoots & Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation by Lynne Truss https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/7... list
✔43. A book with a chilling atmosphere (scary, unsettling, cold)- The Snow Spider by Jenny Nimmo
✔44. A recommendation from "What Should I Read Next" (link)- Passing by Nella Larsen
✔45. A book with a one-word title- Nemesis by Philip Roth
✔46. A time travel novel- The Time Machine by H.G. Wells
✔47. A past suggestion that didn't win - A script (play or TV or movie)- Cat on a Hot Tin Roof by Tennessee Williams
✔48. A banned book- Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss
✔49. A book from someone else's bookshelf- The Wasp Factory by Iain Banks- on Valerie Brown's TBR shelf
✔50. A Penguin Modern Classic - any edition- Seize the Day by Saul Bellow
✔51. A collection (e.g. essays, short stories, poetry, plays) - The Middleman and Other Stories by Bharati Mukherjee
✔52. A book set in a fictional location - The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum

My 2017 goal is to read less!

That means:

Read my big books.
Focus on RwS and don't obsess over lots of challenges - just enjoy!
Don't obsess on the quantity and speed of getting through books.
Read books I own and use the library.

I may come back with more goals later in the year, but for now, here they are:

1) Read 10 books that have been on my shelves since joining Goodreads.

2) Read 5 books in French.

3) Finish 3 series that I've started that are completed.

4) Catch up on 2 series in progress where I'm at least 2 books behind.

5) Read 5 books over 700 pages.

6) Read 10 non-fiction books.

I am going to stick to reading the books I own or can get from the library.
I have a few series to get through as well.

Filled up Post 27 too..so here is the the third list of my 2017 goals:
✔[12] Complete the 2017 Popsugar Ultimate Reading Challenge:
52/52
✔1. A book recommended by a librarian- perhaps Kokoro by Sōseki Natsume- from this list https://www.nypl.org/blog/2016/08/31/...
✔2. A book that's been on your TBR list for way too long- perhaps The Driver's Seat by Muriel Spark- 128p.-1001 list
✔3. A book of letters- Anacaona: Golden Flower, Haiti, 1490 by Edwidge Danticat
✔4. An audiobook- The Woman Who Wouldn't by Gene Wilder
✔5. A book by a person of color- The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
✔6. A book with one of the four seasons in the title- Summer by Edith Wharton
✔7. A book that is a story within a story- If on a Winter's Night a Traveler by Italo Calvino
✔8. A book with multiple authors- Lionboy by Zizou Corder
✔9. An espionage thriller- Casino Royale by Ian Fleming
✔10. A book with a cat on the cover- perhaps The Story of a Seagull and the Cat Who Taught Her to Fly by Luis Sepúlveda
✔11. A book by an author who uses a pseudonym- Cat on a Hot Tin Roof by Tennessee Williams
✔12. A bestseller from a genre you don't normally read- The Wasp Factory by Iain Banks-horror
✔13. A book by or about a person who has a disability- Nemesis by Philip Roth
✔14. A book involving travel- The Voices of Marrakesh: A Record of a Visit by Elias Canetti
✔15. A book with a subtitle- same as 52 wks #28- perhaps Silver Screen Fiend: Learning About Life from an Addiction to Film by Patton Oswalt
✔16. A book that's published in 2017- Big Book of Who: Baseball: The 101 Stars Every Fan Needs to Know by The Editors of Sports Illustrated Kids
✔17. A book involving a mythical creature- perhaps The Snow Spider by Jenny Nimmo
✔18. A book you've read before that never fails to make you smile- The Prince and the Pauper by Mark Twain
✔19. A book about food- The Invention of Curried Sausage by Uwe Timm
✔20. A book with career advice- Free for All: Oddballs, Geeks, and Gangstas in the Public Library by Don Borchert 240p.
✔21. A book from a nonhuman perspective- The Call of the Wild by Jack London
✔22. A steampunk novel- The Time Machine by H.G. Wells
✔23. A book with a red spine- The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon
✔24. A book set in the wilderness- Surfacing by Margaret Atwood
✔25. A book you loved as a child- [ book:Pudd'nhead Wilson|682793] by Mark Twain
✔26. A book by an author from a country you've never visited- A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier by Ishmael Beah
.✔27. A book with a title that's a character's name- Life and Times of Michael K by J.M. Coetzee
✔28. A novel set during wartime- When the Tree Sings by Stratis Haviaras
✔29. A book with an unreliable narrator- Notes from Underground by Fyodor Dostoyevsky perhaps also The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie- 288p-1001 list
✔30. A book with pictures- Unlikely Friendships : 47 Remarkable Stories from the Animal Kingdom by Jennifer S. Holland
✔31. A book where the main character is a different ethnicity than you- Respected Sir by Naguib Mahfouz
✔32. A book about an interesting woman- The Woman on the Orient Express by Lindsay Jayne Ashford- about Agatha Christie same as 52 weeks #25.
✔33. A book set in two different time periods- The Sandcastle Girls by Chris Bohjalian
✔34. A book with a month or day of the week in the title- August Is A Wicked Month by Edna O'Brien
✔35.A book set in a hotel- Seize the Day by Saul Bellow
✔36. A book written by someone you admire- Born a Crime: Stories From a South African Childhood by Trevor Noah
✔︎37.A book that's becoming a movie on 2017- Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie
✔38. A book set around a holiday other than Christmas- Picnic at Hanging Rock by Joan Lindsay (Valentines Day)
✔39. The first book in a series you haven't read before- Roman Blood by Steven Saylor
✔40.. A book you bought on a trip…. Memento Mori by Muriel Spark
and then the Advanced list:
✔41. A book recommended by an author you love- The Saddest Pleasure: A Journey on Two Rivers by Moritz Thomsen- recommended by Paul Theroux-same as 52 weeks #13
✔42. A bestseller from 2016- The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie on NYT soft cover Y.A. list- maybe same as 52 weeks #30
✔43. A book with a family member term in the tit]e- Bunner Sisters by Bunner Sisters
✔ 44. A book that takes place over a character's life span- Roxana by Daniel Defoe
✔45. A book about an immigrant or refugee- The Arrival by Shaun Tan
✔46. A book from a genre/subgenre you've never heard of- The Passion by Jeanette Winterson- historeographic metafiction
✔47. A book with an eccentric character- perhaps The Book of Evidence by John Banville
✔48. A book that's more than 800 pages- Nicholas Nickleby by Charles Dickens
✔49. A book you got from a used book sale- On The Black Hill by Bruce Chatwin or The Floating Opera by John Barth13]
✔50. A book that's been mentioned in another book.- Ulysses by James Joyce mentioned in The History of the Siege of Lisbon by José Saramago
✔51. A book about a difficult topic- Jealousy by Alain Robbe-Grillet
✔52. A book based on mythology- The White Steamship by Chingiz Aitmatov

✔[13] Complete the A to Z challenge using the initials of novel authors for pre 2006 and keep track of post-2006 fiction books and Non-fiction as well without expecting to complete the last two:
Pre-2006 books (Fiction): 26 of 26

A-(7)Arthur Conan Doyle-The Sign of Four; Anthony Trollope- Framley Parsonage; Atwood, Margaret- Surfacing; Aphra Behn- Oroonoko; Adan, Matin- The Cardboard House; Almotov, Chingiz- The White Steamship; Adolfo Bioy Casares- The Invention of Morel; Achebe, Chinua- Man of the People.
B-(6) Barnes, Julian- Flaubert's Parrot; Banks, Iain- The Wasp Factory; Bellow, Saul- Seize the Day; Boll, Heinrich- The Lost Honor of Katharina Blum. Bruce Chatwin- The Viceroy of Ouidah; Bertolt Brecht- Edward II.
C- (7)-Charles Dickens- Nicholas Nickleby; Coetzee, J.M.- The Life and Times of Michael K.; Connelly, Marc- The Green Pastures; Chatwin, Bruce- On the Black Hill; Collins, Wilkie- The Frozen Deep; Conrad, Joseph- The Secret Agent; Christie; Agatha- Murder on the Orient Express.
D-(3)- Defoe, Daniel - Roxana; Denis Diderot- Rameau's Nephew and First Satire; Danticat, Edwidge- Anacanoa.
E- (4) Edith Wharton- The Bunner Sisters; Eugene O'Neill- Strange Interlude; Ellroy, James- The Black Dahlia; Ernest Hemingway-To Have and Have Not.
F-(4)Fyodor Dostoevsky- Notes From Underground; Fuller, Charles- A Soldier's Play; Francoise Sagan- Bonjour Tristesse; Forster, E.M.- Howard's End.
G-(6)Green, Paul- In Absalom's Bosom; Glaspell, Susan- Alison's House; Graham Greene- The End of the Affair; Grivalda, Anna- I Wish Someone Were Waiting for Me Somewhere; Gibbons, Stella- Cold Comfort Farm; Garmendia, Salvador- Memories of Altagracia.
H-(6)-Henrik Ibsen- A Doll's House and Hardy, Thomas- Far From the madding Crowd; Haddon, Mark-The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time; Hatcher Hughes- Hell Bent Fer Heaven; Howard, Sidney- They Knew What They Wanted.; Harris, Wilson- Palace of the Peacock; Henry Green- Back.
I- (4) - Italo Calvino- In On A Winter's Night, A Traveler; Ibsen, Henrik- Hedda Gabler; Ian Shepherd- Three Cheers for Lucia!; Casino Royale by Ian Fleming.
J-(6)James Joyce- Ulysses; John Banville-Book of Evidence; Jill Murphy -The Worst Witch (children's book); Jack London- The Call of the Wild; Joseph Kesselring- Arsenic and Old Lace; Jan Struther- Mrs. Miniver; John Kendrick Bangs- Oursuit of the House-boat.
K-(6)-Kelly, George- Craig's Wife; Kaufman, George- Of Thee I Sing; Kaufman, George S.- Animal Crackers; Katherine Mansfield- Prelude; Khaled Hosseini- The Kite Runner; Konigsburg, E.L.- The View From Saturday.
L-(6)-Luis Sepulveda-The Story of the Seagull and the Cat Who Taught Her to Fly; L. Frank Baum- The Wonderful Wizard of Oz; Lindsay, Joan- Picnic at Hanging Rock; Lois Lowry- Number the Stars; Lois Lowry-The Giver; Leo Tolstoy- The Devil.
M-(9)-Monrow, Debra- The Source of Trouble; Mukherjee, Bharati- The Middleman and Other Stories; Morrison, Toni- The Bluest Eye.; McCarthy, Cormac- Blood Meridian. Mahfouz, Naguib- Fountain and Tomb; Miller, Herta-Nadirs; Muhammed al-Murr-Dubai Tales; McCarthy, Tom- Remainder; Morrison, Toni- Beloved.
N-(5)-Naguib Mahfouz- Respected Sir; Nimmo, Jenny- The Snow Spider; Nella Larsen- Passing; Naquib Mahfouz- Akhenaten; Natsume, Soseki-Kokoro; Nikolai Gogol- The Nose.
O- (5) O'Brien, Edna- August is a Wicked Month; Owen Gould Davis- Icebound; O'Brien, Flann- The Poor Mouth. Oyono, Ferdinand- Houseboy; Oliver Goldsmith-The Vicar of Wakefield.
P-(4)-Proust, Marcel - In the Shadow of Young Girls in Flower; Poe, Edgar Allan- The Complete Poems and Stories of Edgar Allan Poe Volume 1; Patrick Chamoiseau- Childhood; Pamuk, Orhan- The White Castle.
Q-Queaneau, Raymond- Exercises in Style.
R-(5) Rice, Elmer- Street Scene; Robbe-Grillet, Alain- Jealousy; Rose,Gillian- Love's Work: A Reckoning with Life; Reinaldo Arenas- Singing From the Well; Rebecca West- Return of the Soldier.
S-(7)-Simon, Neil- Lost in Yonkers; Startis Haviaras- When the Tree Sings; Simon, Neil- Brighton Beach Memoirs; Steven Saylor- Roman Blood; Spark, Muriel- The Driver's Seat; Spark, Muriel- Girls of Slender Means; Subramani- Fantasy Eaters: Stories From Fiji; Spark, Muriel -Momento Mori.
T-(8) Tennessee Williams- Cat on a Hot Tin Roof; (Tan, Shaun- The Arrival-graphic novel); Thomas Mofolo-Chaka; Thomas Bernhard- Wittgenstein's Nephew; Twain, Mark-The Prince and the Pauper; Tennessee Williams- The Glass Menagerie; Taia, Abdellah- Salvation Army; Twain, Mark- Pudd'nhead Wilson.
U-Uwe Timm- The Invention of Curried Sausage
V-(2)Van Loon, Julienne- Road Story; Vonnegut, Kurt- Cat's Cradle
W-(7)- Winterson, Jeanette- The Passion; Wells, H.G.- The Time Machine; Wagner, Jane - The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe Whittington, Barbara- Ezra and Other Stories; Williams, Tennessee- The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone; Wharton, Edith-Summer; Walpole, Horace- The Castle of Otranto.
X-(2)-The Mystery of the Yellow Room by Gaston LerouX; Crome Yellow by Aldous HuXley
Y-Yvonne Vera- Butterfly Burning
Z- Zizou Corder- Lionboy

that is alot of goals

Jayme(the ghost reader) wrote: "that is alot of goals"

Yes..I know. I self-diagnosed myself with OCD. LOL

Well...part of the fun is searching for books that meet several different challenges at the same time.

I am currently in two challenges.

January Progress Update on my goals (in posts 4, 27 & 31)

[1] Complete all 30 challenegs in each season of RwS
Winter 2017: 24 of 30
[2] Read at least 138 books in 2017.
7/138
[3] Get at least 50 hours of walking while listening to books.- No Progress
[4] 30 of the 44 missing years for books published 1900 to the present.- No Progress
[5] Read at least 39 books on the Boxall's 1001 Books You Must Read list. 6/39
[6] Read more than 34,238 pages.
1392/34,238
[7](A)-Complete at least 100 magazines & newspapers in the year.
24/100
[7](B)-At least 25 different magazines. 16/25
[8] Keep track of male & female authors with a goal to not finish the year with less than 40% of either gender.
Male-7 Female-1
[9 ] Virtual Travels- Virtually Visit through my readings at least 60 different countries or imaginary places or outer space locations)
Total Countries= 20
[10] Varied Authors- Read authors associated with at least 40 different countries.
7/40
[11] Complete The 2017 Around the World in 52 Weeks Challenge List- 6/52
[12] Complete the 2017 Popsugar Ultimate Reading Challenge:
5/52
[13] Complete the A to Z Author challenge- 5/26
[14} Read at least 30 books on the 1001 Children’s Books I Must Read Before I Grow Up List. 1/30
{15} Just for fun, I want to track movies and plays I watch that are based on books.- 2

Loose plan (95% of my plans are "loose"):

* Join a reading group for challenges (check - yay!)

* read a number of books about Italy or Italians, including fiction and non-fiction, with bulk referencing the 20th century

* read a number of books on the topic of "the emerging church"

* read Crime and Punishment

* read Aeschylus (Tragedies) and Sophocles (Tragedies)

*continue reading great literary fiction

* read at least 60 books

February Progress Update on my goals (in posts 4, 27 & 31)

[1] Complete all 30 challenegs in each season of RwS
✔Winter 2017: 30 of 30; Spring 0/30; Summer 0/30; Fall 0/30
[2] Read at least 138 books in 2017.
12/138 as of 2/24/17.
[3] Get at least 50 hours of walking while listening to books.- No Progress
[4] 30 of the 44 missing years for books published 1900 to the present.- 3/33 as of 2/4/17
[5] Read at least 39 books on the Boxall's 1001 Books You Must Read list. 8/39
[6] Read more than 34,238 pages.
3773/34,238= 11%
[7](A)-Complete at least 100 magazines & newspapers in the year.
27/100
[7](B)-At least 25 different magazines. 20/25
[8] Keep track of male & female authors with a goal to not finish the year with less than 40% of either gender.
Male-16 Female-7
69.6%-30.4%
[9 ] Virtual Travels- Virtually Visit through my readings at least 60 different countries or imaginary places or outer space locations)
Total Countries= 30
[10] Varied Authors- Read authors associated with at least 40 different countries.
12/40
[11] Complete The 2017 Around the World in 52 Weeks Challenge List- 13/52
[12] Complete the 2017 Popsugar Ultimate Reading Challenge:
10/52
[13] Complete the A to Z Author challenge- 10/26
[14} Read at least 30 books on the 1001 Children’s Books I Must Read Before I Grow Up List. 11/30
{15} Just for fun, I want to track movies and plays I watch that are based on books.- 5

March Progress Update on my goals (in posts 4, 27 & 31)

[1] Complete all 30 challenegs in each season of RwS
✔Winter 2017: 30 of 30; Spring 15/30; Summer 0/30; Fall 0/30
[2] Read at least 138 books in 2017.
29/138 as of 3/31/17.
[3] Get at least 50 hours of walking while listening to books.- No Progress
[4] 30 of the 44 missing years for books published 1900 to the present.- 4/30 as of 3/31/17
[5] Read at least 39 books on the Boxall's 1001 Books You Must Read list. 12/39
[6] Read more than 34,238 pages.
8150/34,238= 23.8%
[7](A)-Complete at least 100 magazines & newspapers in the year.
28/100
[7](B)-At least 25 different magazines. 20/25
[8] Keep track of male & female authors with a goal to not finish the year with less than 40% of either gender.
Male-26 Female-30
47.3%-53.6%
[9 ] Virtual Travels- Virtually Visit through my readings at least 60 different countries or imaginary places or outer space locations)
Total Countries= 46/60
[10] Varied Authors- Read authors associated with at least 40 different countries.
15/40
[11] Complete The 2017 Around the World in 52 Weeks Challenge List- 27/52
[12] Complete the 2017 Popsugar Ultimate Reading Challenge:
17/52
[13] Complete the A to Z Author challenge- 14/26
[14} Read at least 30 books on the 1001 Children’s Books I Must Read Before I Grow Up List. 13/30
{15} Just for fun, I want to track movies and plays I watch that are based on books.- 7

April Progress Update on my goals (in posts 4, 27 & 31)

[1] Complete all 30 challenegs in each season of RwS
✔Winter 2017: 30 of 30; Spring 28/30; Summer 0/30; Fall 0/30
[2] Read at least 138 books in 2017.
45/138 as of 4/30/17.
[3A] Get at least 50 hours of walking while listening to books. 01:40/50:00 = 3.3%
[3B}- NEW Goal...starting May 1, 2017.... Lose 15 pounds by the end of the year.
[4] 30 of the 44 missing years for books published 1900 to the present.- 6/30 as of 4/30/17
[5] Read at least 39 books on the Boxall's 1001 Books You Must Read list. 16/39
[6] Read more than 34,238 pages.
11861/34,238= 34.6%
[7](A)-Complete at least 100 magazines & newspapers in the year.
43/100
✔[7](B)-At least 25 different magazines. 26/25
[8] Keep track of male & female authors with a goal to not finish the year with less than 40% of either gender.
Male-40 Female-32
55.6%-44.4%
[9 ] Virtual Travels- Virtually Visit through my readings at least 60 different countries or imaginary places or outer space locations)
Total Countries= 55/60
[10] Varied Authors- Read authors associated with at least 40 different countries.
16/40
[11] Complete The 2017 Around the World in 52 Weeks Challenge List- 37/52
[12] Complete the 2017 Popsugar Ultimate Reading Challenge:
27/52
[13] Complete the A to Z Author challenge- 18/26
[14} Read at least 30 books on the 1001 Children’s Books I Must Read Before I Grow Up List. 17/30
{15} Just for fun, I want to track movies and plays I watch that are based on books.- 7

Ed wrote: "April Progress Update on my goals (in posts 4, 27 & 31)

[1] Complete all 30 challenegs in each season of RwS
✔Winter 2017: 30 of 30; Spring 28/30; Summer 0/30; Fall 0/30
[2] Read at least 138 book..."

You're doing well, Ed! I like the new goal - that's one of my goals too. :)

Valerie wrote: "Ed wrote: "April Progress Update on my goals (in posts 4, 27 & 31)

[1] Complete all 30 challenegs in each season of RwS
✔Winter 2017: 30 of 30; Spring 28/30; Summer 0/30; Fall 0/30
[2] Read at lea..."

Yeah...I had to do something...I've been so sedentary.

Filled up Post #31...so.... putting these three tasks are here now:

✔[14} Read at least 30 books on the 1001 Children’s Books I Must Read Before I Grow Up List.
1. [book:The Little Prince|157993] by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
2. Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss
3. Curious George by H.A. Rey
4. The Cat in the Hat by Dr. Seuss
5. The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein
6. The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams
7. The Ugly Duckling by Hans Christian Andersen
8. The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter
9.The Happy Prince by Oscar Wilde
10. Jumanji by Chris Van Allsburg
11. Linnea in Monet's Garden by Christina Björk
12. The Story of a Seagull and the Cat Who Taught Her to Fly by Luis Sepúlveda
13. The Snow Spider by Jenny Nimmo
14. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon
15. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum
16. The Arrival by Shaun Tan
17. The Worst Witch by Jill Murphy
18. Sarah, Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLachlan
19. Number the Stars by Lois Lowry.
20. The Call of the Wild by Jack London.
21. The Shrinking of Treehorn by Florence Parry Heide.
22. Meg and Mog by Helen Nicoll
23. The Keeping Quilt by Patricia Polacco
24. The Battle of Bubble and Squeak by Philippa Pearce
25. Picnic at Hanging Rock by Joan Lindsay
26.The Giver by Lois Lowry
27. The Prince and the Pauper by Mark Twain
28. Love You Forever by Robert Munsch
29.Lend Me Your Wings by John Agard
30. Katie Morag Delivers the Mail by Mairi Hedderwick
31.Anastasia Krupnik by Lois Lowry
32. Not So Fast, Songololo by Niki Daly
33.Drac and the Gremlin by Allan Baillie
34. Lost and Found by Oliver Jeffers
35. Doctor De Soto by William Steig
36. A Bad Case of Stripes by David Shannon
37.The Night Before Christmas by Clement C. Moore
38. Jamela's Dress by Niki Daly
39. I Will Never Not Ever Eat a Tomato by Lauren Child
40. The Secret Lives of Princesses by Philippe Lechermeier
41. The View from Saturday by E.L. Konigsburg

{15} Just for fun, I want to track movies and plays I watch that are based on books. (Excluding performances of plays.)
1. Travels with my Aunt based on Graham Greene's novel.-1/21/17
2. Breakfast at Tiffany's based on Truman Capote's novella- 1/27/17
3. Matilda:The Musical (play) based on Roald Dahl's childrens' book- 2/5/17
4.Churchill's Secret based on Stewart Harcourt's book "The Churchill Secret: KBO"2/9/17
5. Gigi based on Colette's novella "Gigi". 2/13/17
6. Freaky Friday (play) based on Freaky Friday by Mary Rodgers- 2/18/17
7. Far From the Madding Crowd based on Thomas Hardy's novel- 3/2/17
8. Guys and Dolls (play)- based on stories and characters of Damon Runyon.
9. Ken Ludwig's Robin Hood- based on the numerous writings of many authors on the English legend.
10. Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (movie) based on the play by Tennessee Williams.
11. Casino Royale (2006 movie)- based on novel by Ian Fleming
12. Shopgirl (movie) based on Steve Martin's novella.
13. The Secret Agent based on Joseph Conrad's novel.
14. A Christmas Story based on In God We Trust: All Others Pay Cash by Jean Shepherd
15. Howard's End based on the novel by E.M. Foster Howards End

✔[16]- Joined the Pick-A-Shelf 12 Tasks of Christmas Challenge on June 27:
✔Round 1 progress= 12 of 12
Round 2 progress= 10 of 12 tasks and
✔Easy 12 of 12
Moderate Odd: 35 of 36
✔Moderate Even: 42 of 42
✔Hard: 78/78

Filled up post #31 above...so putting this portion of Goal#13 here:
Non-Fiction books: 17 of 26
A
B- Burroughs, Augusten- You Better Not Cry: Stories for Christmas
C-(2)-Carl N. McDonald - Paradise for Sale: A Parable of Nature; Campbell, Jen- Weird Things Customers Say in BookstoresDown and Out in Paris and London
D- Don Borchert- Free for All: Oddballs, Geeks, and Gangstas in the Public Library
E-Elias Canetti- The Voices of Marrakesh: A Record of a Visit
F- Fadiman, Anne- Ex Libris: Confessions of a Common Reader;
G-George Orwell- Down and Out in Paris and London
H-(2)- Holland, Jennifer S. - Unlikely Friendships : 47 Remarkable Stories from the Animal Kingdom; Holt, Jim-Stop Me If You've Heard This: A History and Philosophy of Jokes
I- Ishmael Beah- A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier
J- Johnson, Kim Howard- Monty Python's Tunisian Holiday: My Life with Brian
K
L- Lin-Manuel Miranda- Hamilton: The Revolution
M- Moritz Thompsen- The Saddest Pleasure: A Journey on Two Rivers
N- Noah, Trevor- Born a Crime: Stories From a South African Childhood
O-Oswalt, Patton- Silver Screen Fiend: Learning About Life from an Addiction to Film
P
Q
R
S (2)-Stern, Elizabeth Gertrude- My Mother and I; Sedaris, David- Theft by Finding: Diaries 1977-2002
T- (2) Thornton, Weldon- Allusions in Ulysses: An Annotated List; Truss, Lynn- Eats, Shoots & Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation
U-
V-Van Vechten, Carl- Generations in Black and White: Photographs from the James Weldon Johnson Memorial Collection
W-(2)- White, Charles- The Life And Times Of Little Richard; Williams, Tennessee-Memoirs
X
Y
Z

May Progress Update on my goals (in posts 4, 27, 31 & 42)

[1] Complete all 30 challenegs in each season of RwS
✔Winter 2017: 30 of 30; ✔Spring 30/30; Summer 1/30; Fall 0/30
[2] Read at least 138 books in 2017.
57/138 as of 4/30/17.
[3A] Get at least 50 hours of walking while listening to books. 05:08/50:00 = 10.3%
[3B}- NEW Goal...starting May 1, 2017.... Lose 15 pounds by the end of the year. (Traveling...haven't had a scale to weigh myself.)
[4] 30 of the 44 missing years for books published 1900 to the present.- 8/30 as of 5/31/17
[5] Read at least 39 books on the Boxall's 1001 Books You Must Read list. 16/39
[6] Read more than 34,238 pages.
14,538/34,238= 42.5%
[7](A)-Complete at least 100 magazines & newspapers in the year.
59/100
✔[7](B)-At least 25 different magazines. 35/25
[8] Keep track of male & female authors with a goal to not finish the year with less than 40% of either gender.
Male-47 Female-38
55.3%-44.7%
[9 ] Virtual Travels- Virtually Visit through my readings at least 60 different countries or imaginary places or outer space locations)
Total Countries= 59/60
[10] Varied Authors- Read authors associated with at least 40 different countries.
16/40
[11] Complete The 2017 Around the World in 52 Weeks Challenge List- 39/52
[12] Complete the 2017 Popsugar Ultimate Reading Challenge:
28/52
[13] Complete the A to Z Author challenge- 22/26
[14} Read at least 30 books on the 1001 Children’s Books I Must Read Before I Grow Up List. 19/30
{15} Just for fun, I want to track movies and plays I watch that are based on books.- 7

For this challenge, my goal is to read as many of the Group Reads as I can

June Progress Update on my goals (in posts 4, 27, 31 & 42):

[1] Complete all 30 challenges in each season of RwS
✔Winter 2017: 30 of 30;✔Spring 30/30; Summer 17/30; Fall 0/30

[2] Read at least 139 books in 2017.
72/138 as of 6/26/17. (Also 14 Children's books not credited toward my goal.)

[3A] A new goal (to get me moving)- get at least 50 hours of walking while listening to books. 05:08/50:00 = 10.3%

[3B}- NEW Goal...starting May 1, 2017...lose 15 pounds by the end of the year- unfortunately I gained .3 of a pound.

[4] Also...30 of the 44 missing years for books published 1900 to the present. (I completed 73 of them in 2016). 12/33 as of 6/26/17

[5] Read at least 39 books on the Boxall's 1001 Books You Must Read list. 21/39

[6] Read more than 34,238 pages. (my highest year was 2015 with 34,238).
17,876/34,238= 52.2%

✔[7 (A)] -Another new challenge to reduce my total excess of my backlog of magazines and community newspapers...complete at least 100 magazines & newspapers in the year.
✔103/100

✔[7 (B)] -At least 25 different magazines. 54/25

[8] Keep track of male & female authors with a goal to not finish the year with less than 40% of either gender.

Male-60 Female-39
60.6%-39.4%

✔[9 ] Virtual Travels- Virtually Visit through my readings at least 60 different countries or imaginary places or outer space locations)
Total Countries= 61

[10] Varied Authors- Read authors associated with at least 40 different countries.
17/40;

[11] Complete The 2017 Around the World in 52 Weeks Challenge List- 43/52

[12] Complete the 2017 Popsugar Ultimate Reading Challenge:
33/52

[13] Complete the A to Z challenge using the initials of novel authors for pre 2006 and keep track of post-2006 fiction books and Non-fiction as well without expecting to complete the last two:
Pre-2006 books (Fiction): 22 of 26;
Post-2006 books (Fiction): 5 of 26
Non-Fiction books: 5 of 26

[14} Read at least 30 books on the 1001 Children’s Books I Must Read Before I Grow Up List. 20/30

{15} Just for fun, I want to track movies and plays I watch that are based on books.: 7

Ed wrote: "[3B}- NEW Goal...starting May 1, 2017...lose 15 pounds by the end of the year- unfortunately I gained .3 of a pound."

I have empathy. Last fall, at my annual physical, I was determined I would lose 10 pounds by this year's exam. Seven months later, it is a glorious, robust ... two pounds. I haven't revised my goal, but acknowledge I might not make it. :-(

Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "Ed wrote: "[3B}- NEW Goal...starting May 1, 2017...lose 15 pounds by the end of the year- unfortunately I gained .3 of a pound."

I have empathy. Last fall, at my annual physical, I was determined ..."

Yeah...it's tough. Has always been tough for me to lose weight....and now it is more difficult because I'm taking medication which tends to make you gain weight.

My six month update (yea easy math!):

1. Read 36,000 pages
I'm just shy of halfway there with 17,753 pages. I was hoping to read a little more than half by now but I'll take it.

2. Have 30%+ of my reading be by authors who are people of color or otherwise diverse (LGBTQIA*, people with disabilities, ethic/religious minorities, etc.)
Currently at 33% - so far, so good.

3. Add at least five titles to my ongoing 20th Century list
I've added one... on a technicality. Eep.

4. Add at least five titles to my ongoing Dewey list (hopefully 10+)
Two here, so not too behind.

I've been in a slump lately so I'm surprised how on pace I am, considering!

My update:

1. Finish old games (Pick-a-Shelf games): LOST 2014 - 2 books, Scat - 1 books, Pursuit Round 4 - 27 books. No progress on LOST but nearly finished Scat. Slow progress on Pursuit.
2. Read books from prior uncompleted sub-challenges (Reading with Style): Dominoes - 6 books, 5 years - 2 books Slight progress on Dominoes & 5 Years. Finished Half & Half.

July Progress Update on my goals (in posts 4, 27, 31 & 42):

[1] Complete all 30 challenges in each season of RwS
✔Winter 2017: 30 of 30;✔Spring 30/30; Summer 25/30; Fall 0/30

[2] Read at least 139 books in 2017.
89/138 as of 6/26/17. (Also 16 Children's books not credited toward my goal.)

[3A] A new goal (to get me moving)- get at least 50 hours of walking while listening to books. 05:08/50:00 = 10.3%

[3B}- NEW Goal...starting May 1, 2017...lose 15 pounds by the end of the year- unfortunately I gained .3 of a pound. no progress

[4] Also...30 of the 44 missing years for books published 1900 to the present. (I completed 73 of them in 2016). 13/33 as of 6/26/17

[5] Read at least 39 books on the Boxall's 1001 Books You Must Read list. 31/39

[6] Read more than 34,238 pages. (my highest year was 2015 with 34,238).
21,137/34,238= 61.7%

✔[7 (A)] -Another new challenge to reduce my total excess of my backlog of magazines and community newspapers...complete at least 100 magazines & newspapers in the year.
✔111/100

✔[7 (B)] -At least 25 different magazines. 58/25

[8] Keep track of male & female authors with a goal to not finish the year with less than 40% of either gender.

Male-71 Female-47
60.2%-39.8%

✔[9 ] Virtual Travels- Virtually Visit through my readings at least 60 different countries or imaginary places or outer space locations)
Total Countries= 70

[10] Varied Authors- Read authors associated with at least 40 different countries.
18/40;

[11] Complete The 2017 Around the World in 52 Weeks Challenge List- 47/52

[12] Complete the 2017 Popsugar Ultimate Reading Challenge:
38/52

[13] Complete the A to Z challenge using the initials of novel authors for pre 2006 and keep track of post-2006 fiction books and Non-fiction as well without expecting to complete the last two:
Pre-2006 books (Fiction): 23 of 26;
Post-2006 books (Fiction): 6 of 26
Non-Fiction books: 8 of 26

[14} Read at least 30 books on the 1001 Children’s Books I Must Read Before I Grow Up List. 22/30

{15} Just for fun, I want to track movies and plays I watch that are based on books.: 9