Austen Lovers TBR Challenge 2021 discussion

Challenge will begin January 1, 2021 and end December 31, 2021. People may join at any time.

Anyone is welcome.

What counts:
-any medium of book (paper, electronic, audio)
-published or advanced reader copies or on-line stories
-works of Jane Austen, works about Jane Austen, works about the Jane Austen period, Jane Austen Fan Fiction, Austenesque (pretty much anything the reader feels has an Austen flavor)


Readers need to choose their challenge level and share choice in their introduction comment. Readers may progress to a new level at any time.

Level One Charlotte Heywood: 1-5 books
Level Two Marianne Dashwood: 6-10 books
Level Three Anne Elliot: 11-20 books
Level Four Catherine Morland: 21-50 books
Level Five Mr. Knightley: 51-75 books
Level Six Fanny Price 76-100 books
Level Seven Colonel Brandon: 101-150 books
Level Eight Emma Watson: 151-199 books
Level Eight Mr. Darcy's Library 200+ books

Set up a location to track your reading challenge. This can be by creating a specific shelf here on GoodReads or on your blog. For your convenience, an optional Challenge Tracker section is located at the bottom of the page where you may also choose to track your challenge books instead of a separate location.

Another option for tracking your challenge is to go to the right top of the group page, click 'Challenges' and 'Create a challenge' You will be asked to fill in two boxes. Once this is set up, it will track your books read when you add them to your designated shelf.

After challenge begins, go into your chosen reading level here and update either with a list of the books you have read or a link to your update posted elsewhere. I would recommend updating on a monthly basis.

Readers are encouraged to review each book read so other readers can see what you thought of the book, but this is not mandatory.

Readers are also encouraged to cheer on each other, comment or ask about books other challengers have read.

Recommendations may be added to the BookShelf. Please only add personal recommendations and not use this as a place to promote.

Share about the challenge with your book buddies and feel free to cross promote this group elsewhere.

General question: I have not received any Goodreads mail today, including my daily update of friends' activities. Anyone else having this problem? Has anyone heard of a systemwide issue?

I am not having a problem.

Thanks, Sheila. The mystery deepens.

Maybe all your newsfeed and email settings reset on you. I've had it do it to me. Argh!

I went in and looked at them and they seemed okay, but maybe I needed to reconfirm. At least I’m hearing from you and Sheila!

I have received my usual e-mails from GR today

Abigail wrote: "I went in and looked at them and they seemed okay, but maybe I needed to reconfirm. At least I’m hearing from you and Sheila!"

Maybe try signing out completely and then signing back in. Sometimes that shakes loose the gremlins when GoodReads has been working on updates. But, glad you're getting some of your notifications. Oh, check spam, maybe? Maybe the email filters tightened up on you and sent it all there?

Thanks for the input and advice, Wose and Sophia!

Abigail, I just sent you a message to check your e-mail functionality.

Here is another something to look at Abigail. When you click on the 2021 Challenge there is a notice that says you are a member and then it has an option to Edit Membership:
Click on that and at the bottom of the page is an option to
Edit group discussion updates... click on that
Topics I'm Following:
It will show how you are receiving your feeds...
digest and other options.

I hope this helps.

Good point, Jeanne. I don't see that as the moderator so I didn't know everyone had that option. :)

I hope I've given the steps correctly. Maybe others [especially the new folks] can relate whether it helped or not. We appreciate all you do for us, Sophia. You really work hard and have all our love and devotion for you. Blessings...

Thanks, Jeanne.

:-)

It's easy with all of you helping, too, Jeanne. :) But, thank you!

:-)

Does anyone have a particularly good Sense and Sensibility edition they could recommend?

There are two that are highly regarded, though I believe both are expensive. One is the annotated edition by John Shapard and the other is the Belknap/Harvard University Press edition, which is also lavishly illustrated. That one’s edited by Patricia Meyer Spacks.

Make that David Shapard and I say ditto to Abigail's suggestions, Julieta. :)

Thanks, Sophia! I am rudderless without my books to consult! Hopefully by the end of March everything will be done and I can have my books back.

Abigail wrote: "Thanks, Sophia! I am rudderless without my books to consult! Hopefully by the end of March everything will be done and I can have my books back."

I remember a few times we moved and my books had to stay in storage for some time before I had them handy. Sympathies!

Than you Abigail and Sophia, these both look like lovely editions!

Sophia wrote: "Challenge will begin January 1, 2021 and end December 31, 2021. People may join at any time.

Anyone is welcome.

Sophia, this isn't book or technical related. I just wanted to tell your how lovely the Group Home header page artwork is again this year. Each time I've gone to it to find where I want to head off to, I think about it but haven't said anything yet. So, thank you for that as well as all you do for us. :D

MichelleH wrote: "Sophia wrote: "Challenge will begin January 1, 2021 and end December 31, 2021. People may join at any time.

Anyone is welcome.

Sophia, this isn't book or technical related. I just wanted to tell ..."

You're a peach, Michelle! I have a good time picking a new banner and thumbnail for the group page each year to help set the mood of the group. :)

Interesting?? Laugh at myself...there have been times of too much book counting....but sooo many other times(here and other places) that are priceless...looking at you East Room :)

https://www.theguardian.com/books/boo...

Interesting article. A good reminder to to not lose sight of the enjoyment from books and chatting books. Thanks, Kirk!

im curious what other reading apps there are that was referred to in article

I try to keep a healthy relationship with Goodreads. This is the only group in which I count books, in fact; in all my other groups, I simply join the group reads or not, never participate in challenges. I do notice in myself a base craving for those “likes” on my reviews, but I’m happier when the reviews spark conversations instead.

I shall always be grateful to Goodreads for providing me with a feeling of community during the years when I was trapped at home with a demented person and had no social life!

Kirk wrote: "Interesting??

https://www.the..."

I just read this article, thank you for sharing it. This part stood out for me:

I find myself glancing towards the corner of the page to see how much I’ve read. I compare the thickness of the read pages I hold in my left hand to the unread ones in my right. Even when absorbed in the climax of a story, one eye is always on my proximity to the end

LOL! I have been doing that all my life!

Without goodreads I would not have found and vetted new books to read. I find the reviews from people I choose to be invaluable.

Absolutely! Even Jane Austen did that: “The telltale compression of the pages suggests that all is hastening toward a happy end” or however the quote goes.

Abigail wrote: "Absolutely! Even Jane Austen did that: “The telltale compression of the pages suggests that all is hastening toward a happy end” or however the quote goes."

What an honor to be validated by Jane! Thanks!

I've struggled with balance a bit. I am unable to stay awake for very long at all at bedtime, and that's the only time I read. So I needed to reduce the number of reviews and group messages I read. But I love Goodreads. When I start to notice an imbalance, or something isn't working out, I re-evaluate what I'm doing on Goodreads.

With children I don't wonder at your limited time on Goodreads. When mine were young I rarely did anything like Goodreads, I never wrote reviews and I only read a few pages before going to bed.

It's hard to read and review. I'm perpetually behind with no hope of catching up. :-)