Anything Goes discussion

what are you going to challenge yourself for the new year

I've chosen some books for the Book Addicts and Book Lovers groups, but haven't got the lists around at the moment - I'll put a list on here soon.

I have a 6 book challenge I'll be working through on another site; http://whatsinaname4.blogspot.com/201...

Other than that, I will join in the the monthly group reads that interest me and then catching up on the TBR. If I commit to more than that, it feels like I have lost free-will.

Good luck to everyone with a challenge

I agree, my TBR pile has started to look huge. I hope I can reduce that somewhat this year.

12-2011
READ-THE-SEASON WINTER CHALLENGE: I-N-V-E-R-N-O
2011 A-Z Author Challenge
Read Around the USA Challenge
2011 A-Z Character
Read the season - WINTER
2011 A-Z Female Character
2011 A-Z Male Character
Phew!
Sure glad there is no time limit for the USA challenge.

shirley you can add those kind of threads if you really want to

They are already on threads in other groups. Just a list of my insane endeavor will do for me. There is a Killer Series challenge that I think might be doable from what I have or maybe adding no more than a couple more books. Might add that one too. Why Not???? Just call me crazy for 2011.

My commitment for the new year is to reduce the volume of my "to-be-read" shelves. The challenge I have set forth for myself is to read the alphabet....starting with A, of course, each month I must pick a book from my tbr starting with successive letters (then start over?!?). I will not make a list, just pick as I go. Will be picking "A" in just a few days now. Hoping this will be fun.

Jan, I'm doing a similar challenge based on author last names, ABC Indie Fiction Challenge.

You read 24 books in the year. It's cool because you have to pick by the author's last name so that you are introduced to authors you might not read otherwise. It's all Indie authors, including myself, some are free and some are not and are listed under separate headings.

Take a look, I think it's cool.

http://quillsandzebras.wordpress.com/...

I've joined the Group Reading Challenge in Book Addicts - that's to read 12 books in 2011 that I've had for over a year. I've also set a personal challenge in Book Lovers - I've included my 12 books from the other challenge and set out to read 3-5 books a month.I've chosen several that I've had for years, some that I got from a swapping website and some borrowed from my daughter.Have also left gaps for any Book Club reads.
I've no idea if I can stick with this; last year, I read 61 books, so the amount is do-able, but we'll just have to wait and see.

I challenged myself to read 50 books this year. I didn't keep up with how many I read last year, but 50 seemed like a reasonable round number.

This is my first year of challenge participation and I like having reading goals.
I have always meant to read the Bible and tried online last year but this year got a hard copy of the Bible meant for a one year read.
So far so good.

I have tried to read the bible before, and still mean to finish it. I only have about half of the OT left, I just can't seem to get back to it.

I've invented my own challenge. I'd really like to do the ABC indie authors challenge, but I have so many books waiting to be read that I can't justify a challenge which involves getting more (sorry Indie authors!). So I compromised by challenging myself to read 24 authors who are new to me, but whose books I've either got or can get from the library. I've checked my groaning bookshelves and found that I can do 21 authors from my stash of unread books, and at least one more from among the books I want to read, but haven't actually got yet.

Jackie wrote: "I've invented my own challenge. I'd really like to do the ABC indie authors challenge, but I have so many books waiting to be read that I can't justify a challenge which involves getting more (sor..."

Sounds like a good idea. Might try something like that next year.

Shirley wrote: "This is my first year of challenge participation and I like having reading goals.
I have always meant to read the Bible and tried online last year but this year got a hard copy of the Bible mean..."

I've read all of the New Testament and great chunks of the Old, but haven't really checked to see what I haven't read. Some of it is just wonderful; other parts are inspiring, but some of it is very tedious!
All the best with it this year, Shirley.

Angela wrote: "Shirley wrote: "This is my first year of challenge participation and I like having reading goals.
I have always meant to read the Bible and tried online last year but this year got a hard copy of..."

Thanks.... this version seems to be easier to read and I can catch up when I get behind.

I have challenged myself to 50 books this year but think I may have given myself an easy target! Since I stopped working with MS I read pretty much constantly! Read 4 already this year!

This year i have challenged myself 999 books

So how is everyone doing? I've read 2 new authors, which means I'm on target to meet my challenge (24 authors who are new to me this year).

I have finished 14 books this month....can't believe it myself. I am working on 2 more
Down River by John Hart



and finishing story 3 in
That Summer Place: Old Things\Private Paradise\Island Time by Susan Wiggs

JackieB wrote: "So how is everyone doing? I've read 2 new authors, which means I'm on target to meet my challenge (24 authors who are new to me this year)."

Hi Jackie
My challenge was a bit vague since I'm quite contrary and if I set myself a specific reading plan, I would almost certainly go off and do something else immediately! However I did commit to 100 books, which is more or less the number I read last year, and so far I have managed 14 for January!
I'm interested in ghost stories right now, so if you know any good ones, let me know. (Loved the Susan Hill - the small hand - I couldn't wait to see if it was chosen for one of the February reads).

im going to read 50 books this year im on 4 outta 50

My challenge was a bit vague since I'm quite contrary and if I set myself a specific reading plan, I would almost certainly go off and do something else immediately! However I did commit to 100 books, which is more or less the number I read last year, and so far I have managed 14 for January!
I'm interested in ghost stories right now, so if you know any good ones, let me know. (Loved the Susan Hill - the small hand - I couldn't wait to see if it was chosen for one of the February reads).

Have you tried Appartment 16 by Adam Neville? A really intriguing read. Maryxx

Hi Mary
Apartment 16 looks good, there is a kindle version so I've added it to my wishlist. Thanks for the tip
Chris

My challenge for 2011 is to donate more books to the library, both here in Cambridge and On holiday in Gozo. I think I managed 6 last year, the rest I kept to read in my retirement ! I have noticed that my local libraries seem to have less new stock nowadays -another sign of austerity.

That's a good idea, I've got a few books I can't keep any more. It would be lovely if they were in my local library. I think I'll take them around tomorrow.

2 books ready - just got to decide if there will be luggage space ! 1 Book in the to-be-read file will be travelling overseas as that is where I borrowed the first book.

Bridgette wrote: "what are you going to challenge yourself for the new year"


Last year my son challenged me to read 100 books as I usually read about 84 a year. I keep a list in my diary. I decided that was too tough so this year I think I listed about 74 on the goodreads challenge.

Ice wrote: "My challenge for 2011 is to donate more books to the library, both here in Cambridge and On holiday in Gozo. I think I managed 6 last year, the rest I kept to read in my retirement ! I have noticed..."

I donate them to Goodwill as the Colorado Springs library will not accept them! Every year they sell big bags of books for one dollar at their annual clearance.

Lady OT Lavender wrote:....."

Checked the Goodwill website - a little too far for me ! For the last few years I have donated to charity collections, I note how many readers use them as a source of supply. I take your point about libraries, with so many closing in the UK I cant help thinking that there might be a growing mountain of books somewhere waiting to be discovered.

My local library (in the UK) will take donations, but they are honest about the fact that they have to pick and choose what they take. I think it's because they often have to get several copies of a new bestseller to meet the demand, but as the demand dies away, they sell off the extra books. So they might already have enough of the bestsellers. I generally take any books that are not bestsellers to them and they can make use of them. Other wise I pop the books into one of my local charity shops.

I keep changing mine as I dont know a realistic goal for me. help?

how is everyones challenges getting along?

I've read 4 of the A-Z challenges & 2 of the SPRING. I found the titles for the mini-challenges so now I have to go read.

My simple challenge is between 1/3 and 2/3rds complete but not yet delivered - probably September.
Meaning 2 books read and ready for the library, 2 books to be read and then pass on, and 2 to find.
Keeping Way of the Kings though.

I've also read 71 of my 200 book challenge but only 2 of my 12+2 challenge (though I'm more than halfway through the third). That's the challenge I'm most worried about completing.

Bridgette wrote: "how is everyones challenges getting along?"

This year I keep starting books and then not finishing them. I move on to something else.

I've read three out of my 12+2 challenge - also half way through Bleak House which is part of that challenge. There's a list of books on Book Lovers - I think it's the Books I Own Challenge and I think I'm 1 and a half behind on that. But.... apparently, I'm 3 books ahead on my 50 this year challenge!
For some reason or another, I'm finding it quite hard to concentrate on reading this year, so feel I'm struggling! Then I tell myself, it's really all about enjoying what you read, so stress not! :)

I didn't actually set a challenge, since I'm so contrary, the moment it's set, I'll sabotage it. But I'm with Angela, reading is all about enjoying what you read and not stressing out about whether you hit a target. We have enough targets and deadlines in our school and working lives.

I have to say, I really enjoyed looking through the books I own to pick out what I'd focus on during the year.

I set two challenges this year. The first was to read 100 books in the year. I'm about 2 behind on that at the moment. I regret setting this one now, because like Angela and Chris, I think reading is about enjoyment. I really don't care how many books I get through. I don't think I'll set a goal like this next year.
The other one is to read through the alphabet chosing authors I've not read before. Actually, I'm aiming to read 24 new authors so that I have some flexibility when it comes to the difficult letters like Q and Z. I'm enjoying this challenge, because I think I was in a bit of a reading rut before and finding new authors is fun. I might do something like this again next year, maybe based around reading different genres, or books I've been meaning to get around to, but I think it's a bit early to be thinking about next year's challenge!

JackieB wrote: "I set two challenges this year. The first was to read 100 books in the year. I'm about 2 behind on that at the moment. I regret setting this one now, because like Angela and Chris, I think readi..."

Hi Jackie
I'm quite interested in trying something else next year - I fancy the A-Z one. This year is a learning curve for me, I suppose; choosing 12+2 is OK but specifying what I'm going to read each month is so restricting! There are so many interesting books that are "presenting" themselves to me, but I can't fit them in - just not enough hours in the day! I'll probably finish this year's challenges off though, as don't like to give up, but go for more flexibility next time round.

I am stuck between a choice of 'Meeting the educational gaps' - those books I should have read but haven't and 'TBR 11 demolition' taking my tbr at the end of the year and completing them over 12 months. At present these targets overlap. But I agree with myself (all of us !) that we always have the flexibility to move the goal posts.

Hi Angela,

I like the A to Z challenge because it's clear what I'm going to achieve, but I choose the books as I go, so I've got flexibility in that way. I think if I had decided the authors in advance it wouldn't be as much fun. I noticed on some thread or other that in January some people had worked out their reading list for the whole year. I couldn't do that. New books are being published all the time. I want to be able to read some of those, as well as some on my TBR mountain. This way I can do that.

JackieB wrote: "Hi Angela,

I like the A to Z challenge because it's clear what I'm going to achieve, but I choose the books as I go, so I've got flexibility in that way. I think if I had decided the authors in..."

The Year's reading list is my undoing I think! It looks good on paper - oh yes, by the end of the year, I'll be able to clear those from my shelves! - but in practise, it's too much of a straight jacket. I think my biggest stumbling block has been Bleak House, which I kidded myself I could read in March! Definitely should have remembered that I don't read classics quickly! Have slotted other stuff in, but am now at the stage of "what the ****! I'm just going to enjoy my books!"

I have had a similar problem this year with starting more books that I haven't finished than ever before that I remember. I start here and put them here on goodreads and in my diary but then have to delete them. I started a page in my diary for books started but not finished. I don't really think its the books but more my ability to focus on them.

Chris wrote: "I didn't actually set a challenge, since I'm so contrary, the moment it's set, I'll sabotage it. But I'm with Angela, reading is all about enjoying what you read and not stressing out about whether..."

Thanks the laugh. I am prone to sabotage things too. My stepfather used to say to my Mom "Mary, Mary quite contrary" as she was so prone to this type behavior.
Glad not to be alone on this! Quite often now I tell myself..."I don't have to read this as I am only reading for pleasure" and I quit also.

so does anyone have plans on reading challenges next year? do you think that this group should have some reading challeges if so please suggest here!

Passed my challenge - so far 16 books read and donated to the library.