On The Same Page discussion

As we get closer to November, I've begun to look at what I'm reading and how I plan to finish off my challenges before the end of 2024. I was wondering what the rest of you are going to do. Or have you even thought about it? Do you usually plan our the final months of the year?

This is what I've been thinking:

1. First, keep working on my 2025 challenges. I do have one planned for sure.

2. I've got 10 books on the go at the moment. Of course, I plan to finish those by the end of the year. Some will be easier than others.

3. I plan to adjust my last two monthly focus challenges from specific authors to more generic challenges - November will be graphic novels (I've got so many) and December will, I think, be young adult / children's books

4. I plan to finish my 12 +4 challenge (Ursula K. Le Guin books) and my 12 +0 challenge - Science Fiction novels.

So that's what I'm thinking for myself. I'd be interested in your plans.

At some point in November I will start trying to make progress in my rather large pile of Christmas books. I just can't start them before Halloween. Most are chick lit so by the time I get to the end of December I am so ready for a change of pace.

My 12+4 challenges probably aren't going to be completed. I've read 10 in 1, 9 in the other. Fairly good progress but with my Christmas book plan, I don't think I'll be completing either. We'll see what happens. For 2025 I think I will just stick to 1 challenge again. Whilst I want to read all the books, I've been distracted by new discoveries or new releases. There are just so many books vying for my attention!

Decisions, decisions, decisions....

1. Book club books:
Nov for Perspectives: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
Nov for Daytimers: Remarkably Bright Creatures
Nov for A Good Yarn: locations that start with S. Already have read West With Giraffes (San Diego), but a couple more I'd like to get to are Lady Macbeth (Scotland) and fits some other challenges, and Behind Closed Doors (Switzerland) and fits some other challenges...
Dec for Perspectives - I'm leading the discussion and have already read the book...
Dec for Daytimers: Lessons in Chemistry
A Good Yarn probably won't be meeting in Dec, and then we are disbanding, but if I come up with a T location, I'll do it...

2. Focusing on completing my big Pyramid Challenge because I think it is actually within my reach to complete it this year! Titles that can fill more than one slot will have priority, and ditto if they fit a cover color challenge or are a "B" title.
One from each list - need 2: these are the most likely choices:
The Beacon at Alexandria
A Sacred Storm - dups as the Oct. cover challenge, but I haven't gotten to it yet...
Lady Macbeth - another good Halloween possibility?
One for Sorrow - ooh, that could also be an Oct. cover

Themes - need 2:
The Ice Swan - started back in January and would really like to get back to it!
Behind Closed Doors - also an "S" location for A Good Yarn.
The Door - also needed for Translations (see below)

Leftovers - need 5! Why is this category always so difficult, when these are the books I MOST want to get read!
The Summer Queen
Queen By Right
...And Ladies of the Club - working on this one through December!
Ygerna: A Pendragon Chronicles Prequel Novel
The Fall of Atlantis

Titles that start with B - need 2:
Behind Closed Doors
The Beacon at Alexandria

Non-fiction - need 1:
Among the Janeites: A Journey Through the World of Jane Austen Fandom - started this for one of our Daytimers reads and still need to finish it!
Wanderland

Translations - need 2:
A Faraway Island - started, need to finish!
The Door
I could also use The Iliad and The Odyssey for this one and was hoping to get to them this fall, but so far not....

3. The genre challenges for Nov and Dec (don't know what they are yet...

4. The cover color challenges for Nov. and Dec. (and Oct. for that matter....)

5. The Reading Through Time monthly and quarterly challenges (this is a LibraryThing group...)
Oct theme is adultery - I plan to read Hester but haven't gotten to it yet.
Nov theme is a biography or memoir. I might use Wanderland for this....
Dec. is reader's choice and I have a bunch of titles with "winter" in them that I want to read. Another online group is reading Gingerbread and that just might do too, if I throw in "holiday"-themed titles.
The 4th Quarter theme is early medieval and Vikings, so I think I will start Lady Macbeth today....

6. Then of course, there are all the things I'm currently reading, and or wanted to read throughout the year that somehow I want to squeeze in, but will probably end up being next year's Leftovers...

Vikki wrote: "At some point in November I will start trying to make progress in my rather large pile of Christmas books. I just can't start them before Halloween. Most are chick lit so by the time I get to the e..."

I probably shouldn't have started a 2nd 12 + challenge until I'd finished my first. I still hope to finish them both though. I may have a couple next year...

Laurel wrote: "Decisions, decisions, decisions....

1. Book club books:
Nov for Perspectives: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
Nov for Daytimers: [book:Remarkably Bright Creatures|587..."

Wow... It left me breathless just reading it.

My plans for the rest of the year:

1) I have 1 prompt (author from Canada, NZ, or Australia) left for a 52 book challenge in a different GR group. I’m struggling with what to read even though I have lots of choices. I may go with Fifth Business by Canadian author Robertson Davies. I think it’s on one of my 12+4 challenges.

2) Nov and Dec sci-fi book club reads - Yiddish Policeman’s Union and Paper Menagerie and Other Stories. Paper Menagerie is a reread so I may not read all of it. It’s one of my favorite books so I’m looking forward to rereading some of the stories.

3) I have a A-Z title challenge that I’m almost done with but that’s my last priority, if I can work something in.

4) I have ambitious plans to read a long Latin American classic, Conversation in the Cathedral by Mario Vargas Llosa. I may not get to it until December.

5) I’ve been doing a lot of 2025 planning this month and just need to stop planning and get back to reading!

Pam wrote: "My plans for the rest of the year:

1) I have 1 prompt (author from Canada, NZ, or Australia) left for a 52 book challenge in a different GR group. I’m struggling with what to read even though I ha..."

I have that problem too, the planning vs reading problem that is. I read Fifth Business in university in a Canadian Lit course. It was quite different from my normal reading back then. The whole trilogy was pretty good, with as usual, the 2nd book being the weakest. (As I recall anyway. That was back in the 70's... LOL)

Plans?? What are those??

Truly, I never plan out once I create the 12+4. I really just fly by the seat of my pants and read whatever calls to me.

I need to finish my 12+4, and will do so; but I will be cutting it close due to my taking a break for a Halloween challenge in another group.

I've done better than expected with my states and ATW challenges and overall reading. I haven't read as many graphic novels as I usually do. I've also really put a dent in my kindle books!

Alondra wrote: "Plans?? What are those??

Truly, I never plan out once I create the 12+4. I really just fly by the seat of my pants and read whatever calls to me.

I need to finish my 12+4, and will do so; but I ..."

So many excellent graphic novels to read... My shelf is starting to bow under the weight of my graphics...

Bill wrote: "So many excellent graphic novels to read... My shelf is starting to bow under the weight of my graphics......"

I have a bunch on my tbr, but haven't picked them up. Maybe Christmas I will get a few gift cards so i can spend all willy-nilly

Alondra wrote: "Plans?? What are those??

Truly, I never plan out once I create the 12+4. I really just fly by the seat of my pants and read whatever calls to me.

I need to finish my 12+4, and will do so; but I ..."

You are my people, Alondra. 2024 threw us some curveballs. I think I'm getting back into the swing of things now, but June-August were not great reading months here. I'm behind on all my challenges, but hoping to get back on track. I still have time! :)

Denise wrote: "Alondra wrote: "Plans?? What are those??

Truly, I never plan out once I create the 12+4. I really just fly by the seat of my pants and read whatever calls to me.

I need to finish my 12+4, and wi..."

Good luck with your challenges for the rest of the year, Denise.

Bill wrote: "Denise wrote: "Alondra wrote: "Plans?? What are those??

Truly, I never plan out once I create the 12+4. I really just fly by the seat of my pants and read whatever calls to me.

I need to finish ..."

Thank you! I'll do my best. 😉

I was able to finish my 12 plus 4 2024 challenge but still have several on the Motley challenge. I may not complete that one as the categories left just don't appeal to my right now. It's fall here now and I'm more into historical and older fantasy reads.

Bonnie wrote: "I was able to finish my 12 plus 4 2024 challenge but still have several on the Motley challenge. I may not complete that one as the categories left just don't appeal to my right now. It's fall here..."

Perfect fall reading.

Denise wrote: "You are my people, Alondra. 2024 threw us some curveballs. I think I'm getting back into the swing of things now, but June-August were not great reading months here. I'm behind on all my challenges, but hoping to get back on track. I still have time! :).."

We have 60 days!!! I know I can finish at least 2 books on my 12+4. I feel like my days of completing all 16 are behind me. My reading moods have been all over the place.

I think I will have to keep series on any list I make for next year, though. It really helps me out.

Well, I do try to make plans but I can't say I follow through too well. I won't read all 16 of my 12 &4, but should finish the challenge and will probably finish at least 14.
I'm in 2 book clubs & plan to read the books for those. For mystery book club: Mother-Daughter Murder Night (reading now) & for December-The Last Devil to Die.
For my other book club, I'm now reading The Frozen River & next month is: The House Is on Fire.
I'm doing a buddy read with Lea, so plan on starting Ruthless Vows soon. Of course, I also just had 2 books come in at the library that were on hold for weeks. I'll try to fit them in somehow as well as Mina's Matchbox with a Japanese Lit group here on goodreads. I think I may have overplanned, but we'll see.

Patricia wrote: "Well, I do try to make plans but I can't say I follow through too well. I won't read all 16 of my 12 &4, but should finish the challenge and will probably finish at least 14.
I'm in 2 book clubs &..."

Sounds like an excellent plan.

1. read 3 holiday books that fit the December color challenge
2. read 1 non-fiction book that is humorous (chose Marley & Me) for in person December book club
3. set up my 2025 color challenge as soon as I get the schedule!! Can't wait to see what colors have been chosen.
4. Finish off all meditation and devotionals by the end of the year.

Rhonda wrote: "1. read 3 holiday books that fit the December color challenge
2. read 1 non-fiction book that is humorous (chose Marley & Me) for in person December book club
3. set up my 2025 color challenge as s..."

An interesting plan.

I need to finish: Our Share of Night , Symphony of Secrets and Blackouts for the 12+4 Challenge. I have all these books, so think I will finish.

Then Motley, still need to finish Are You There God? It's Me; Margaret for A Children’s Classic, A Nordic Noir am finishing up right now, Snow/Winter in Title~have to Decide have several that fit, an Animal on Cover: Blackouts works here, Add On: Start with Pet’s Name: J so use James here. Usually, always Finish Motley, a little more Challenging this Year, but want to Do It!

Definitely, busy Reading these books. 📚😊

Kristine wrote: "I need to finish: Our Share of Night , Symphony of Secrets and Blackouts for the 12+4 Challenge. I have all these books, so think I will finish.

Th..."

I miss Judy Blume!

Alondra wrote: "Kristine wrote: "I need to finish: Our Share of Night , Symphony of Secrets and Blackouts for the 12+4 Challenge. I have all these books, so think I ..."
I know. I got the original book I read as a kid. 😊

Kristine wrote: "Alondra wrote: "Kristine wrote: "I need to finish: Our Share of Night , Symphony of Secrets and Blackouts for the 12+4 Challenge. I have all these bo..."

I used to have mine, and a few others. I think I either gave them away or my daughter snagged them.

Great question, I think I am just going to read and listen to Holiday novels.

Madeline wrote: "Great question, I think I am just going to read and listen to Holiday novels."

Sounds excellent.