UK Book Club discussion

So what plans do you have for 2024?
Are you going to set yourself a Goodreads challenge goal? Will you be joining any group challenges this year? Or do you have unfinished business and need to complete a challenge before you move on to the next one?

I will be setting my Goodreads target at 40 books. I'd like to do 50 but not sure how realistic that would be. I have 17 USA states to find and 8 Counties. I also need another 7 A-Z animal names in titles. In addition to finishing those challenges I will be joining the Time Traveller challenge which will be starting the 17th Century in January. And the ever popular monthly genre challenge which is starting with graphic novels.
I think that's plenty to be getting on with!

How about you?

I read 105.5 books in 2023 (I’m retired) but there’s no way I will be able to repeat that in 2024, having taken on a major volunteer challenge relating to the U.S. election. Shooting for 50 books this coming year, and many of those will be lighthearted fiction—stocked up on Furrowed Middlebrow titles to that end.

I have resolved to participate in fewer Goodreads group reads, but that’s one resolution that will inevitably be broken because there will always be too many books that intrigue me and even more that I feel I ought to read.

Kate wrote: "So what plans do you have for 2024?
Are you going to set yourself a Goodreads challenge goal? Will you be joining any group challenges this year? Or do you have unfinished business and need to comp..."

Kate wrote: "So what plans do you have for 2024?
Are you going to set yourself a Goodreads challenge goal? Will you be joining any group challenges this year? Or do you have unfinished business and need to comp..."

Kate wrote: "So what plans do you have for 2024?
Are you going to set yourself a Goodreads challenge goal? Will you be joining any group challenges this year? Or do you have unfinished business and need to comp..."

Kate, you mentioned a Time Traveller Challenge. Since I write time travel historical fiction novels, I'm interested to know more about the challenge.

Hi Donna,

The Time Traveller Challenge is great fun! The info is here: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/group...

Every 3 months we move on to a different era. For Oct-Dec we were in the 16th Century and now for Jan-March we are moving into the 17th Century.

Just to clarify, the Time-Traveller Challenge is not about time travel, it’s about reading books set in various eras.

Kate wrote: "Hi Donna,

The Time Traveller Challenge is great fun! The info is here: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/group...

Every 3 months we move on to a different era. For Oct-Dec..."

Thank you, Kate!

Donna

Abigail wrote: "Just to clarify, the Time-Traveller Challenge is not about time travel, it’s about reading books set in various eras."

Thanks, Abigail. Time travel doesn't need to be in the challenge, I just add it to my novels to visit past eras. 😁 Will still check it out.

Donna

I’m probably going to set my goal for 75 again( this year I read 87, a few over my goal) . I like longer books so it allows for this ..
No groups as I am usually rubbish at participating…

I will aim for 40 books this year. I have loads of challenges to juggle too: the genre challenge, the time traveller challenge, the dusty bookshelf challenge and I'm still adding the occasional book to my round the world challenge!

I hope to read 120 books in 2024. I have a few challenges. I plan to read most, if not all, of the Ursula K. LeGuin books I've got and I also plan to focus on an author a month to try and get through some of the books I've got on my shelf by them. January will be Agatha Christie. I also will work on other series and non-series and finally try to read at least 10 tomes (books over 500 pages) My first is Eve: How the Female Body Drove 200 Million Years of Human Evolution by Cat Bohannon

Abigail wrote: "I read 105.5 books in 2023 (I’m retired) but there’s no way I will be able to repeat that in 2024, having taken on a major volunteer challenge relating to the U.S. election. Shooting for 50 books t..."

105 is a huge achievement Abigail! 50 books sounds more realistic though if you have a big venture ahead. Good luck with it all.

MaryE wrote: "I’m probably going to set my goal for 75 again( this year I read 87, a few over my goal) . I like longer books so it allows for this ..
No groups as I am usually rubbish at participating…"

Good luck with your 75 MaryE sounds doable if you surpassed that number in 2023.
Don't feel you have to commit to a group challenge but they are worth checking out as you can dip in and out. You can also take as long as you like with the individual ones - I think round the world took me 4 years!

Liz wrote: "I will aim for 40 books this year. I have loads of challenges to juggle too: the genre challenge, the time traveller challenge, the dusty bookshelf challenge and I'm still adding the occasional boo..."

Liz I'm in awe of your dusty bookshelf list! Good luck with that alone!

Bill wrote: "I hope to read 120 books in 2024. I have a few challenges. I plan to read most, if not all, of the Ursula K. LeGuin books I've got and I also plan to focus on an author a month to try and get throu..."

Wow Bill that's quite a challenge you've set yourself!
I'll join you when you reach Earthsea as I need to tackle book 4 soon!
I love the idea of an author a month. Agatha Christie is a great choice. We had an Agatha Christie themed dinner party a couple of weeks ago. My course was the starter and I did pigeon salad and made a cat shaped loaf of bread to represent Cat Amongst the Pigeons! It was good fun.

Yes, do mention it when you get to Earthsea, Bill; I’ve only ever read the first book, and that was when I was a teen. I sense a buddy read coming on. . . .

Abigail wrote: "Yes, do mention it when you get to Earthsea, Bill; I’ve only ever read the first book, and that was when I was a teen. I sense a buddy read coming on. . . ."

See below to Kate, Abigail. 😃

Kate wrote: "Bill wrote: "I hope to read 120 books in 2024. I have a few challenges. I plan to read most, if not all, of the Ursula K. LeGuin books I've got and I also plan to focus on an author a month to try ..."

I'm starting with the first Hainish book, Rocannon's World and then my next will be #4 in the Earthsea series, Tehanu. I've enjoyed the first three recently. Agatha Christie is always a favorite.

Ah, well, I’d start at the beginning of the series so no buddy read in the offing. Probably just as well—I’m always assigning myself more reading projects than I have time for!

Kate said “ Good luck with your 75 MaryE sounds doable if you surpassed that number in 2023.
Don't feel you have to commit to a group challenge but they are worth checking out as you can dip in and out. You can also take as long as you like with the individual ones - I think round the world took me 4 years!
Thanks ! 2022 was more , I am quite capable to read more but have decided the only competition I want is with myself . Plus I read many heavier in topic and very old books ( not top sellers etc) so like to take my time . As for groups , they’re wonderful for those who love them but I’m quite a loner …. :)

Abigail wrote: "Ah, well, I’d start at the beginning of the series so no buddy read in the offing. Probably just as well—I’m always assigning myself more reading projects than I have time for!"

I know the feeling. Enjoy the series.. Kate is interested in starting Earthsea.

I recently finished book 3 of Earthsea so I'll be onto book 4 Tehanu next. Let me know when you're ready Bill and I'll join you. :)

Kate wrote: "I recently finished book 3 of Earthsea so I'll be onto book 4 Tehanu next. Let me know when you're ready Bill and I'll join you. :)"

Will do

My review of Rocannon's World by Ursula K. Le Guin 3.5 stars

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Starting my next Le Guin novel next the 4th book in the Earthsea stories, Tehanu

I'm with you on that Bill. I should be able to start tomorrow. Just a couple of chapters of my current read to go first.

How are you doing with Tehanu Bill?
I've reached chapter 10. The more I read of Earthsea the more I can see how Ursula Le Guin set a precedent for a lot of the fantasy that has followed. I never realised what a game changer it was!

Kate wrote: "How are you doing with Tehanu Bill?
I've reached chapter 10. The more I read of Earthsea the more I can see how Ursula Le Guin set a precedent for a lot of the fantasy that has followe..."

I finished it yesterday, Kate. It was a slow start but it really built at the end. Such an excellent series. Tales of Earthsea will be my next Earthsea story.. I'm reading The Beginning Place now... Oh when you finish Tehanu, here is my review.. I'll be interested in your thoughts.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I finished Tehanu today. It all ended in a bit of a rush and I thought there'd be more! I have enjoyed Earthsea and I think I would read more by Ursula Le Guin. I'd have to check out the books in advance though. I get the feeling Earthsea is like DiscWorld and I could get sucked in - probably in the wrong order if I'm not careful!
I liked your review Bill, you give a good overview. I normally only give a sentence or two unless I'm really struck with a book.

Hello All .. My 2023 reading (and 2022 for that mater) was shocking so as long as I improve and dedicate more time to reading, I will be happy. I bought a new Kindle Paperwhite and took my old Kindle Touch to work, for lunch time reading.

So far so good! although I need to buy/collect less books in 2024 as 2023 was really bad (Bought 40 books and only read 10!! (shocking)) and this year so far I have bought 9 and read 3 (not much better so far)

I am also trying to read more New UK author/settings..

Now we are half way through the year how are you all doing with your reading goals?

I set my Goodreads challenge to 50 and I've read 23 so I'm a bit behind. I've read 1 county and I'm currently reading Wyoming for the USA States challenge. I really need to start checking my challenges to see if a book fits!

What goal did you set and what's your progress like?

My reading challenge is almost done, set at 70 and just finished number 67.
I have found several this year that I have read from start to finish in a day. Not done that for a while.

That's good going Lynne! Can you recommend some of the shorter ones? It'd be good to finish one in a day and get nearer my target!

Well done Lynne. I'm on track at 27 out of my goal for the year of 40. I'm not doing so well with my dusty bookshelf challenge though. I'm juggling that along with the monthly group read, the genre challenge, the time traveller challenge and my in person book club! The pressure's on...