On The Same Page discussion

Well, I failed at thinking of a better title! Pretty much same structure as the last couple of years, except I don't have enough classics and non fiction for a whole month, so I'm combining them.

So, as yet again I've been able to increase my target 3 times, I'm going to go with 52, an even book a week. ETA - realised in June I was getting very close to my target, so increased to 75. Then in Dec had to reduce it back to 70!

72/70

I've under estimated this in recent years, so going a bit higher this time

25,803/20,000

Tome Challenge

I'll do my usual and start at 5 without checking books

7/5

Colour Challenge

I enjoy this but been really bad this year, so will try better

JANUARY white or blue: 6
FEBRUARY pink or light gray
MARCH navy or rose gold
APRIL teal or bronze
MAY tan or hot pink
JUNE yellow or grape
JULY brown or light blue
AUGUST silver or lavender
SEPTEMBER dark gray or mustard yellow
OCTOBER orange or black or red
NOVEMBER rust or gold
DECEMBER emerald green or purple

Male Authors: 5

Female authors

First in Series

Continuing series: 9.5

Serial Eyes 6.5 (10 in total, finished rest in Continuing Series month)

Decided I'm going with Peter James this year

New Authors

Classics/non fiction

Paperbacks: 5.5

Standalone

Looks like you'll get an excellent mix with these challenges. I enjoy Peter James. Hope you do too.

Thanks Bill - I do like Peter James, went to a talk he did for the release of Absolute Proof. I'm going to start the Roy Grace series from the beginning, although have read some, part of the reason I figured I could increase my page target!

Nice mix of challenges! Have fun & happy reading!

Looks like you have some good variety. Have fun with your choices!

Thanks

I like your title. For one thing, it keeps you focused on your goal!

Good luck, Desley. I think the title is fine! I need more NF, as well; but let me tackle these series first.

Good for you with increasing your goal!! Woot-woot!!

Jennifer wrote: "I like your title. For one thing, it keeps you focused on your goal!"

Except for the fact I can't stop buying books - bought one today in fact!!

I've deleted my 12+4 challenge, just can't get a list together! And annoyingly I then noticed that I missed a challenge - did wonder why I had an extra placeholder!! So have had to amend one of them!

1st book down, took slightly longer than I'd hoped, given I was off work, but was quite slow to get into - I know I'm supposed to be reading male authors this month, but I had one female left on my KU selection. I did try reading a paperback, but gave up after 30 pages, finding it a struggle - it's a classic, so I'll try again for classic month.

End of January update: really pleased with January, my target works out at 1 book per week, and I've read 6 this month (1 kind of DNF, I will try again later in the year), so ahead of my challenge, and 2,521 pages, so possibly ahead there too? And all 6 of my books had some element of white/blue, I'm classing 3 for my colour challenge at the moment, unless the person who looks after that challenge says more count. And mainly 4 star reads, which is rare for me, think my favourite might have been the one I finished yesterday, The Executioner

February is paperback month, and one of my PIFM books is one I've wanted to read for ages, and it took me months to get a copy at a reasonable price, so looking forward to that! In fact, looking forward to all bar one of my choices.

Congrats on your excellent start to 2023.

Great progress, Desley!

I have the Chris Carter books on my TBR. They look good.

Sorry the 12+4 was not flowing; but the individual challenge is always a keeper. :D

I think you'd really enjoy Chris Carter Alondra, very dark. I hope the rest of the year goes like January, I'm just about to read for an hour actually!

Feb catch up, 5.5 books (thought I had long enough to read an extra book, but things went crazy and only got halfway through it!). A good selection though, will read more of The Thursday Murder Club, another DNF with Change of Heart. March is new authors, started well with 39% of a book read in one day. I was very pleased with myself on Friday, one of the charity shops were giving books away, I did go in, but came home empty handed - however, I had got two from the book swap table in the local shop on Tue and have bought about 10 kindle books this week, although I was under my allowance for monthly book deal.

Desley (Cat fosterer) wrote: "Feb catch up, 5.5 books (thought I had long enough to read an extra book, but things went crazy and only got halfway through it!). A good selection though, will read more of [book:The Thursday Murd..."

Great progress, Desley. I hate DNF's, but they will eventually happen. *sigh*

I think I have Thursday murder club on the old tbr.

I have never been interested in Jodi Picoult, so, no loss for me. 🙃🤦🏾

Decided to go to the library the other day, as I keep getting cravings to go there, and was pleasantly surprised, it's much more of a community space than it used to be, they are currently offering a warm space (you can go and get a free hot drink and use the wifi), and they allow people to go and work there, if they don't have a decent setup to work from home, they don't care if you are there from when they open to when they close, as they just want it to be used so it's seen as a valuable resource. There were loads of activities on, and even though I mainly read on my kindle now, I could go and sit in there and read my book without anyone minding, I think I might try it for a bit this week. Just seen there is a walking group, seeing if a friend will come with me.

6 books by new authors read, I had hoped for an extra one due to having more time, but I really struggled with one of them. Three were new series and all ones I'd happily continue. I did read reviews of the one I struggled with (Under Her Care) and apparently it isn't a reflection of her style, so I might try her again.

April will be Serial Eyes, even though I have read some of the Peter James books previously, I am going to start at the beginning, as it will be a long time since I read some of the older ones.

I kind of miss going to the library to browse which I used to do all the time. Now it's mostly to pick up books I've put on hold & go to book clubs. Both good things, but I do miss those serendipitous encounters with books!
The Thursday Murder & its sequel are two I read with my Mystery Book Club. Both fun reads & great for book clubs. Hope to read the third soon.
Happy Reading!

Yes, I do too Patricia, I used to go most Saturdays and must have had a bit of a reputation when I was working my way through the true crime non fiction shelf! I do think I'm going to sit there and read occasionally

Desley (Cat fosterer) wrote: "Decided to go to the library the other day, as I keep getting cravings to go there, and was pleasantly surprised, it's much more of a community space than it used to be, they are currently offering..."

I love when libraries do this. Our hometown library has almost been a community hub. With sections that were more open, but also nooks & crannies for those wanting privacy/quiet space. The big tables for research; computers, kids section, etc.

Me too, I'm hoping to get a job in mine, I've asked if I can job shadow to see how much I like it, waiting to hear back from them.

Desley (Cat fosterer) wrote: "Me too, I'm hoping to get a job in mine, I've asked if I can job shadow to see how much I like it, waiting to hear back from them."

Good luck, Desley. I don't have a degree in Library Science. If I had only known, I would have went to school for that. I wasn't looking at the bigger picture.

Me neither, so over here I can only get a job as a Library Assistant, my council manage 16 libraries and apparently are understaffed.

So, it turns out being unemployed helps a lot with book reading! I've read 6.5 of the Peter James books, and at least 3 are over 600 pages! Luckily May is continuing series month, so might get another one in! I do have some good books lined up, so looking forward to May.

Desley (Cat fosterer) wrote: "So, it turns out being unemployed helps a lot with book reading! I've read 6.5 of the Peter James books, and at least 3 are over 600 pages! Luckily May is continuing series month, so might get anot..."

Great job!!

Which ones do you have on deck for May?

Thanks. May is continuing series, started with The Pearl Sister, got my PIFM books and then hoping to read some more Grace, I finished the 7th book yesterday and I have the first 10 in an omnibus, so would be nice to read the last 3 (I tracked them separately as I didn't know how many I'd get through and didn't want a 4398 page book being classed as 1!), a nice selection actually and I'm looking forward to it.

Just looked back, my library don't offer job shadowing, I did try reading in one, but found it very distracting, kept looking at the bookshelves! There was also one book that was in the wrong place, I fixed that before I left!

Well, being unemployed and good weather continues to help my reading - 12 books read in May, which does include 2 audio books (but not the one I gave up on partway through, as I got the kindle version on offer) and an 86 page novella I got as I didn't want to miss a day of reading! 3 of them were over 500 pages, one was 700 pages which I read in 5 days. I've pretty much managed to stick to my Continuing Series theme while using KU. I'm glad I had an Audible Trial, but it did get cancelled this morning, I really couldn't get into audio books, the last one was the most enjoyable, a Poirot series narrated by Hugh Fraser and David Suchet (although not David Suchet in all of them). I'm doing 'free books' in June, so I can read anything from KU that takes my fancy, definitely going to try another Lucinda Berry book and while looking through the new monthly selection, I noticed quite a few that sounded quirky were on KU, so might try some of those, like one that involves a cat detective. Having my bathroom replaced next week, and it's supposed to be nice weather, so might spend more time sat outside somewhere reading to get away from the noise, the cats will all likely hide and ignore me.

Desley (Cat fosterer) wrote: "Well, being unemployed and good weather continues to help my reading - 12 books read in May, which does include 2 audio books (but not the one I gave up on partway through, as I got the kindle vers..."

You had an excellent reading month. Sorry about the being unemployed. Good luck there.

Yes, think it's my best month ever! Didn't even read that much when I was furloughed! Thanks, have applied for a few school library jobs, like the sound of working term time only!

Desley (Cat fosterer) wrote: "Well, being unemployed and good weather continues to help my reading - 12 books read in May, which does include 2 audio books (but not the one I gave up on partway through, as I got the kindle vers..."

Wow; great progress Desley!!

I hope you get a school librarian job, that would be cool. I like working a few days a week. I do what I want.

Thanks Alondra, I'd love to be able to afford to work part time, although I am saying that when the weather is nice and I can do cool things like go for a walk and feed goslings, ducklings and cygnets, might not be as much fun in the winter!

June was another good month, 8 books read so I decided to increase my target to 75, as I didn't have a job then and got a holiday next month. I do however start a new admin job next week, it's only a 6 month temp job, but in the same building as the library, so when the weather is too bad to get out at lunch, I can just walk from the third floor to the first floor and sit there and read! Ironically yesterday I saw that the full time library assistant job that I've been waiting for has been published, so need to apply for that!

Desley (Cat fosterer) wrote: "June was another good month, 8 books read so I decided to increase my target to 75, as I didn't have a job then and got a holiday next month. I do however start a new admin job next week, it's only..."

Congrats on the job. 🤗🤗

Thanks