UK Amazon Kindle Forum discussion

Well, I enjoyed 2020's themes (probably the only bit of 2020!) so much I'm going to stick with them, so I am going to do 10 themed months, and 2 ‘wild card’ months, in case I need to catch up on 12+4, or if I’m really enjoying one theme and want a bit longer! I’m not going to fix months, just in case, I’ll either see how I feel, or pick a theme out of a tub! I’m just going to stick to themes rather than numbers within them, although I may track at the end of each month. Again, these themes help my 12+4. I'm still excited to read these books, and still can't stop buying them (bought one today, although quite glad now the Tier announcement just depressed me!). Mind you, we can't do much, so might as well!

So, am hoping that I can continue with the extra time I've found for reading this year, so going to take an average of the past few years

No of books

59/55

No of pages

23,979/15,000

Even though I might only just scrape through in 2020, I'm hopeful for a better year!

12 + 4

16/16

I don't feel that I'll do a good job at this, due to the restrictions with my paid books, so I'm not going to officially do this, but monitor it to see if it is something I could officially do.

Motley Challenge

1. An action/adventure
2. Book with a four word title.
3. Book set in the winter.
4. Book by an author from Mexico or Canada.
5. Book you chose for the cover.
6. Book you heard about on line.
7. Book that starts with the letter M.
8. A book from your TBR list.
9. Book by an author you never read.
10. A book published in 2021.
11. A book made into a movie.
12. Book with a green cover.
13. Book that’s part of a trilogy.
14. A book published over 50 years ago.
15. Book translated from another language.
16. A stand alone book.
17. A debut novel.
18. Book by an author with a pen name.
19. A LOBA pick. https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
20. Book everyone has read but you.
21. Book from the modern library top 100 list. https://www.modernlibrary.com/top-100...


Choose any 4 books from this list:

1. Book with a lion, witch, or wardrobe in it.
2. A book written by Dr. Seuss.
3. Book with an animal sidekick.
4. A book you started and never finished.
5. A book with the word “Haunted” in the title.
6. Book written by an actor.
7. A fairytale/retelling.
8. A childhood classic.
9. Book of short stories or poetry
10. A book your friend picks out for you.

I enjoy this challenge, so will see how many over 12 I can get again this year

Colour Challenge

January - White or Black: The Coroner
February - Burgundy or Pink
March - Gold or Yellow: Lambing, Almost Live
April - Tangerine or Lime: Killing Floor
May - Lavender or Dark Gray: Hell
June - Green or Navy: Moonflower Murders; The Partner, Brass Ring
July - Blue or Silver: The Allingham Casebook
August - Rust or Gray: Westwind
September - Yellow or Purple
October - Orange or White or Black
November - Brown or Fuschia
December - Red or Silver Killing Eve, Trouble

Male Authors: 5

Female Authors: 7

First In Series: 5

Continuing Series: 3

Serial Eyes: 3

This year I've chosen Val McDermid's Wire In the Blood Series

Standalone 3

As last year, this is authors I only own one book of, and the more challenging to pick in advance, due to my book buying addiction - some I won't buy more of though till I've seen if I like the author's style, so they should be safe

Paperbacks: 3

New authors: 2

Non fiction: 5

Classics: 5.5

Starting with Standalone, got 3 lined up

Desley,

Speaking as an author I was pleased to see the concept of your challenge; namely, that the reader actually chooses the book and pays for it. Of course paying for it helps the author, but it also helps the reader as it concentrates the mind - 'do I really wants to spend money on this book?' One gets the feeling that rather too many on goodreads only go for that which is free, and an absence of price is not a good criteria for either the reader or author.

Good luck with your challenge in 2021.

Thanks Leslie - I am guilty of owning hundreds of freebies, but to be fair, some have then been good enough for me to go on to buy books from those authors. Now if only I could stop buying books and focus on what I already own!

Wow this is so organised Desley - I'm afraid I have to muddle through with my approach of picking something off the shelf and reading particular authors but switching to something else when I get authored-out!

I don't know how I'd sift through 400 books to find what to read without a system!

First book finished, only 3*, shame as I was looking forward to reading it, but hopefully I'll carry on at the same pace, although maybe not as my neighbour is having back surgery on Thu, so will have to do some running round for her.

Finished my second book on Sun, it was an enjoyable book, but I did keep having moments as things were different from the TV series that I'd watched. As this is getting a common theme, I might have to stop watching things first, or reading books they make shows/films out of! However, I may have bought more books than I've read already.

Finished my third book on Fri, NOS4A2, given it 5* seeing as I read 995 pages in 2.5 weeks as I struggled to put it down. February is New Authors month, have 3 lined up, hopefully I will read more this month, I've been watching TV more this year.

Being naughty this month, I am eyeing up 14 books, but my budget is £10, but figured there isn't much else to spend my money on. Am 60% through my 4th book, I have been very good this week at making time each day to read

4th book finished, Raven Black seem to be on a roll of reading books that have been made into shows/films. A few alterations in this, but I managed to just be curious why rather than annoyed, and will buy more of series.

Another book finished, and 14 bought!! I actually bought one for £3.32 this week, one of the most expensive I've bought - good job it was a bonus! At least it finishes off the series, without having to keep going round charity shops in the hope of finding it - although I do still want to wander round charity shops when we are allowed. March is non fiction month, although I'm going to finish one of Feb's PIFM choices first, so have 6 on the list for March, but I have 4 days annual leave, one of them is going to be a reading day. Oh, and it's new book day tomorrow, I will try and be good and stick to my budget, but not like there is much to spend my money on

Yes I used to get a lot of books from there too and donate them too.

I have piles waiting to be donated!! I could be strict and stick to my budget, but there a few I wouldn't mind trying, so might buy £13.

Another one finished, and the book I relegated to the bathroom is now on the charity pile, I got about 200 pages in and realised I really didn't care, and have so much to read, I don't want to waste time on a rubbish book. Unfortunately there were 13 I wanted to try in the monthly deal, so still buying more than I'm reading, but should have a bit of time to read this week, have a hospital app, so might have a wait there, and am off for the day, will need to chill after it.

Another one finished, and half way through a second, so am on track at least. Think I might even squeeze an extra non fiction book in this month. Happy with my progress though, between my app and having fatigue after my Covid jab, I did get to read more this week.

I nearly abandoned one earlier this month, read something totally different in between, then went back to the first and discovered it picked up a lot after the point where I'd left it. But I agree you can't waste time when you're not enjoying something. I only re-tried this one as it was book 4 in a 5 book series where I had already read the first three and knew there were revelations to come, which has been set up in those books.

I finished The Five: The Untold Lives of the Women Killed by Jack the Ripper - I found it very hard to read, it went into a lot more detail than I expected, like how the victims parent's met, but I felt I had to give it 4* as it completely changed my perceptions of what we have been told about the victims, and I felt very sad at the end of it, and relieved that I'm living in these times.

I did read a very good post on another group the other day about giving up on books, an author commenting on how many books there are in the world and how we don't have time to waste on reading something that doesn't entertain us.

Another one finished Lambing, almost live. - I do enjoy these collections, although this isn't my favourite - ironically, as it is themed around a year of lambing, and I do like animal stories. 1 ahead and hoping to finish another 2 this month

A busy weekend reading, finished my last two non fiction books, and read a whole paperback (admittedly, only 160 pages!!), so I might have to find another paperback to read this month. Am 2 books ahead, which is nice.

Well done, Desley. I'm managing to keep up now myself.

Thanks Pam

Another paperback finished, Killing Floor - bit confused by something that happened, as I'm sure there was something different in one of the later books.

Last paperback finished, only 3 this month, well down on last year (but I was furloughed for last years paperback month) and I did have a couple of DNF books too, so a few more off the pile! May is first in series books, got 4 lined up, two should be fairly short and easy though.

I am over my book budget again this month although only by 1, which is the best this year, so I'm just going to do it regardless.

First in series is going quite well, just finished my second. The Lincoln Lawyer was a bit of a slow read, hope the rest aren't like that as he's another author I've bought a few of without reading any!! Just finished The Talented Mr Ripley, really enjoyed it and will read the others if they come on at a decent price. Nearly half way through my 12 + 4 challenge and getting close to halfway through my page challenge too.

That's good progress Desley

Yeah, I am getting better at making the time to read

Another one finished - Private - an OK read, but not one of the stronger series, wouldn't be in a rush to read the rest of the series.

I felt like that about the Becca Andre books I found on my Kindle .... first one was the best and after that they were such whistlestop action and violence with not much character that I lost interest. Won't be bothering to buy the rest of the series.

What a shame. I've picked wildcard month for June, which is a freedom month, I decided not to do my PIFM, and just pick my own books for a month

First in series has gone well, 5 books read, 1748 pages, finished two books today, both 3*, although I did enjoy one enough to get two more of the series while they were 99p The Crow Trap and Hell - this was better as a dip in and out book, didn't enjoy the last 26% that I read in a block as much.

Nearly half way through my challenge and over half way through my page numbers, and am 2 books ahead!

Went to the local town for a market today, there was a new resource centre that are letting you take up to 3 books/DVD's/CD's for free once a day, I got one book and one DVD, but did put £2 in the donation box. Annoyingly they had the book I'd been searching for and had to buy off e-bay in March, I knew I'd end up seeing it in a charity shop once I'd given up and bought it online.

Another finished Moonflower Murders, afraid it is only a 3* read, as I didn't like the 'book within a book' format, especially as the within book was based on characters from the original story, so was a bit confusing.

Another two finished, one on Fri evening and the second over the weekend, very happy with reading 518 pages in two days, and enough time to read 50 pages of a third. So I'm now 5 books ahead and over half way through my challenge.

Oh well done Desley. I'm over half way through mine too. Very pleased after the struggle I had last year.