MobileRead Book Challenges discussion

Diversity Challenge

Goal: Read diversify my reading via new authors, countries and/or discovery from unusual places. Bonus points for reading out of comfort zone.

To Read List (potential)
The Other Half Of The Sky

Currently Reading/Read
Karen Memory

So far it's different...

DNF Graveyard Challenge: For those books that I’ve started reading and then quit but never took off the TBR list. This challenge is to assist me in making a final decision: read it or strike it off the TBR.


[4 Feb] Review: What Lies Beneath the Clock Tower by Margaret Killjoy ★★★
[9 Feb] Review: To Have and To Scold (The Sons of Johnny Hastings) by Mary Wehr ★★½
[19 Feb] Review: Librarian By Day by Paige Tyler ★★½
[26 Feb] DNF Review: The Knitting Circle Rapist Annihilation Squad by Derrick Jensen & Stephanie McMillan DNF
[22 May] Review: Bayou Moon (The Edge #2) by Ilona Andrews ★★★½
[19 Jun] Review: Two’s A Couple, Three’s The Law by Eve Langlais ★★½
[13 Jul] Review: The Debutante’s Dilemma by Elyse Mady ★★★★

2015 Purchase Challenge: This will be the most difficult challenge for me in 2015. The goal of this challenge is to try to limit my book purchases to no more than $20 a month. I did this same challenge in 2014 and…failed. 2015 will be a better year!

I have given myself a "Special Purchases" category: This will encompass those books that would normally bust my budget but I have prepared for them in advance. Books in this category include: Malazan Book of the Fallen series, the Kate Daniels series and special pre-orders.

January 2015 Totals:
Total Books Purchased: 3
Total Amount Spent: $6.37
Special Purchase Books Purchased: 0
(SP) Amount Spent: $0
(O) Amount Spent: $6.37
Potential Sales Abandoned: 0
Money Saved (Lost Sales): $0
January Budget Available (not including special purchases): $13.63
 

February 2015 Totals:
Total Books Purchased: 5
Total Amount Spent: $18.86
Special Purchase Books Purchased: 0
(SP) Amount Spent: $0
(R) Amount Spent: $18.86
Potential Sales Abandoned: 0
Money Saved (Lost Sales): $0
February Budget Available (not including special purchases): $1.14
 


March 2015 Totals:
Total Books Purchased: 4
Total Amount Spent: $20.93
Special Purchase Books Purchased: 1
(SP) Amount Spent: $8.85
(R) Amount Spent: $12.08
Potential Sales Abandoned: 0
Money Saved (Lost Sales): $0
March Budget Available (not including special purchases): $7.92


 
April 2015 Totals:
Total Books Purchased: 9
Total Amount Spent: $7.74
Special Purchase Books Purchased: 0
(SP) Amount Spent: $0
(R) Amount Spent: $7.74
Potential Sales Abandoned: 0
Money Saved (Lost Sales): $0
April Budget Available (not including special purchases): $12.26

 
May 2015 Totals:
Total Books Purchased: 3
Total Amount Spent: $12.67
Special Purchase Books Purchased: 0
(SP) Amount Spent: $0
(R) Amount Spent: $12.67
Potential Sales Abandoned: 0
Money Saved (Lost Sales): $0
May Budget Available (not including special purchases): $7.33

 
June 2015 Totals:
Total Books Purchased: 1
Total Amount Spent: $6.49
Special Purchase Books Purchased: 1
(SP) Amount Spent: $6.49
(R) Amount Spent: $0.00
Potential Sales Abandoned: 0
Money Saved (Lost Sales): $0
June Budget Available (not including special purchases): $20.00

 
July 2015 Totals:
Total Books Purchased: 4
Total Amount Spent: $21.52
Special Purchase Books Purchased: 0
(SP) Amount Spent: $0.00
(R) Amount Spent: $21.52
Potential Sales Abandoned: 0
Money Saved (Lost Sales): $0
July Budget Available (not including special purchases): -$1.52


 
 

 

2015 Year to Date
2015 Budget Allotted: $240.00
2015 Budget Remaining (less Special Purchases): $160.76

Books Purchased: 29 (avg $2.92 per book)
Total Amount Spent: $94.58
Total Special Purchase(s) Spent: $15.34
Amount Spent Less Special Purchase(s): $79.24
Lost Sales: 0
Total Amount Over (YTD) Budget: $0.00

Top Books of 2015!!!

These are the books I'd like to give to everyone in the WORLD.

The Rook
Written in Red
Master of Crows
The Martian
Sensation Comics Featuring Wonder Woman (2014-) #20

Reserved

:D

First!

:-D

So, I've been trying to think of a new challenge for 2015 - aside from the ones I'm still working on, that is.

Reading a DA post today I realized I should try to focus on diversity. Race is one way - look for more POC characters and authors. But what other ways can I do that?

I'm NOT going to focus on SPAs. Been there, done that, have the t-shirt. But maybe...try more books out of my comfort zone? IDK, still a thought in progress.

It took me five minutes to figure out POC and SPA. Haha.

Read different countries. It's the best way, and there are science fiction and fantasy options around the world outside of the self-published stuff.

There's lots of different ways to attack diversity. I think I'd go the genre route for me. My last few challenges really increased my potential reading sources for regions, time periods and even genres a bit.

Try something like read five science fiction or fantasy novels from Asia or Africa.

Great idea! I think I'll try that.

I also just heard of a new anthology that i think I will try as well: The Other Half Of The Sky .

I ran into this one based on the Requires Hate/Benjanun Sriduangkaew controversy thats heating up.

I found that even if I didn't modify what I read that much, trying to find new ways to find books and authors made me find a lot of undiscovered territory for reading. The year challenge was great for that and the geography challenge was equally good. So many writers I never would have found and so many books in my potential read list have come from those two challenges.

Homeinmyshoes wrote: "I found that even if I didn't modify what I read that much, trying to find new ways to find books and authors made me find a lot of undiscovered territory for reading. The year challenge was great ..."

This is great. !!

I'm going to try this...but I'm going to ask for lots of advice.

These are my tentative challenges for 2015. I'm still deciding:

2015 Purchase Challenge: This will be the most difficult challenge for me in 2015. The goal of this challenge is to try to limit my book purchases to no more than $20 a month. I did this same challenge in 2014 and…failed. 2015 will be a better year!

2015 TBR Decimation Challenge: The goal of this challenge is to try to read as many books off of my TBR (to be read) list as possible. Considering that my TBR list has grown to the point that I have dubbed it “Mt. TBR” I think I have a pretty large selection to choose from.

2015 Review Challenge: to review all the books read during 2015.

Flights of Fantasy Group Bookshelf 2014: Try to catch up with group reads that I didn’t read/complete in 2014.

DNF Graveyard Challenge: For those books that I’ve started reading and then quit but never took off the TBR list. This challenge is to assist me in making a final decision: read it or strike it off the TBR.

The “I’ll Try Anything Once” Challenge: Read at least one book/short story from each listed genre/category throughout the year.

Awesome!! I wish you the absolute best and much success in 2015!!!

Oh yea and First-ish! (Now that you've stated your actual goals! :D

First... time I've posted in this thread.

:D

lol

Umm...not the first time I posted in this thread.

Best of luck on the challenges.

Homeinmyshoes wrote: "Umm...not the first time I posted in this thread.

Best of luck on the challenges."

lol!


Thanks! Somethings are going to overlap, of course...

*fingers crossed*

Hopefully lots of overlap. I'm hoping to be done all my challenges by June and then focus on series.

Homeinmyshoes wrote: "Hopefully lots of overlap. I'm hoping to be done all my challenges by June and then focus on series."

I can't wait to see your series challenge.

DNF Graveyard Challenge - Book 1


[4 Feb] Review: What Lies Beneath the Clock Tower by Margaret Killjoy ★★★
http://bookslifewine.com/r-what-lies-...

DNF Graveyard Challenge - Book 2

[9 Feb] Review: To Have and To Scold (The Sons of Johnny Hastings) by Mary Wehr ★★½

http://bookslifewine.com/r-to-have-an...

DNF Graveyard Challenge - Book 3

[19 Feb] Review: Librarian By Day by Paige Tyler ★★½

http://bookslifewine.com/r-librarian-...

DNF Graveyard Challenge - Book 4

[26 Feb] DNF Review: The Knitting Circle Rapist Annihilation Squad by Derrick Jensen & Stephanie McMillan DNF

http://bookslifewine.com/r-the-knitti...

This one I COULD NOT get into. Not my cuppa.

You're making good progress on finishing off those zombies.

Homeinmyshoes wrote: "You're making good progress on finishing off those zombies."

Thanks!

I have another one that I'm dreading picking up again. Which tells me I should just stop trying. But I will try a few more pages and then either give up or finish the darn thing.

Is it paper? Is burying it in the backyard an option?

Homeinmyshoes wrote: "Is it paper? Is burying it in the backyard an option?"

Ha!

Sadly, it an ebook cluttering up my Kobo.

What a Fantastic February you had! Great job! :)

Nyssa wrote: "What a Fantastic February you had! Great job! :)"

Thanks!

2015 DNF Graveyard

[22 May] Review: Bayou Moon (The Edge #2) by Ilona Andrews ★★★½

Review: http://bookslifewine.com/r-bayou-moon/

2015 DNF Graveyard

[19 Jun] Review: Two's A Couple, Three's The Law by Eve Langlais ★★½

Review: http://bookslifewine.com/twos-a-coupl...

2015 DNF Graveyard

[13 Jul] Review: The Debutante's Dilemma by Elyse Mady ★★★★

Review: http://bookslifewine.com/r-the-debuta...

Updated list to show the 2015 Purchase challenge.

2015 Year to Date
2015 Budget Allotted: $240.00
2015 Budget Remaining (less Special Purchases): $182.28

Books Purchased: 24 (avg $2.77 per book)
Total Amount Spent: $66.57
Total Special Purchase(s) Spent: $8.85
Amount Spent Less Special Purchase(s): $57.72
Lost Sales: 0
Total Amount Over (YTD) Budget: $0.00

2015 Year to Date
2015 Budget Allotted: $240.00
2015 Budget Remaining (less Special Purchases): $160.76

Books Purchased: 29 (avg $2.92 per book)
Total Amount Spent: $94.58
Total Special Purchase(s) Spent: $15.34
Amount Spent Less Special Purchase(s): $79.24
Lost Sales: 0
Total Amount Over (YTD) Budget: $0.00

So what did you buy?

January 2015 Totals:
Total Books Purchased: 3
Total Amount Spent: $6.37
Special Purchase Books Purchased: 0
(SP) Amount Spent: $0
(O) Amount Spent: $6.37
Potential Sales Abandoned: 0
Money Saved (Lost Sales): $0
January Budget Available (not including special purchases): $13.63
 

01-Jan-2015: I have two pre-orders for this month - one for $0.09 and one for $7.99.

Book: The Light Within: A Winter's Tale (Master of Crows #1.7)
Author: Grace Draven
Cost: $0.99 (but I used a credit so it was $0.00)
Format: ebook
Date Purchased: 22-Jan-2015
Notes: Grace Draven strikes again!

 

 

Book: Bound by Flames (Night Prince #3)
Author: Jeaniene Frost
Cost: $6.28
Format: MMPB
Date Purchased: Pre-Ordered on 26-Nov-2014 - Received on 27-Jan-2015
Notes: Finishing up a series! (3/3)

 

 
Book: Wanting Mr Wrong
Author: Avril Tremayne
Cost: $0.09
Format: ebook
Date Purchased: Pre-ordered on 13-Nov-2014 - Received on 28-Jan-2015
Notes: Part of a huge RHA sale at Kobo in Nov 2014

Homeinmyshoes wrote: "So what did you buy?"

Let me pull that!

I'm up to 13 books in my TBR Graveyard Challenge!~!

[22 May] Review: Bayou Moon (The Edge #2) by Ilona Andrews ★★★½
[19 Jun] Review: Two’s A Couple, Three’s The Law by Eve Langlais ★★½
[13 Jul] Review: The Debutante’s Dilemma by Elyse Mady ★★★★
[19 Aug] Review: A Heart of Ice (Araneae Nation 0.5) by Hailey Edwards ★★★
[2 Sep] Box of 1Night Stands Anthology Review: D.L. Jackson, Taryn Kincaid, & Mahalia Levey ★★★
[9 Sep] Box of 1Night Stands Anthology Review: Heather Long, J.M. Madden and Virginia Nelson ★★★½
[16 Sep] Box of 1Night Stands Anthology Review: Jennifer Probst, Kate Richards, Rebecca Royce & Olivia Starke ★★★
[23 Sep] Box of 1Night Stands Anthology Review: Olivia Starke, Jessica E. Subject & Kali Willows ★★½
[18 Nov] Review: All You Need Is Kill by Hiroshi Sakurazaka ★★★