Challenge Yourself discussion

My challenge is to read 50 books from the Sai-King Recommends Bookshelf by the end of next year.

To read 5 doorstoppers.

To read 5 non-fiction books.

To read 20 mysteries.

To listen to 5 audio-books.

To read 25 mysteries set in different state.

To read 15 mysteries set in different locations which represent the first 50 United Nation members.

To read 5 books by Haruki Murakami

To read 6 Classics from my B4-I-Die shelf.

To read 15 GoodReads Authors.

To read 100 books from my own home library.

To do 150 reviews.

To read 10 books written in the series I've started.

To gather as many points as I can for my Seasonal Reading Challenge Plan.

To complete the tasks for my You'll Love This One Challenge as detailed here

To read a 5 books on which movies or television shows are based, then watch the production.


What's yours?

I like your challenge! I may do something like that, or perhaps I'll just start with something short term. hmmmmm gotta think on this!

P.S. - You are crazy to take on one more thing to do/moderate! lol

Hi Almeta!
Thank you for setting up this group - a genius idea!

I've found that one consequence of the reading challenge (and setting myself a challenge that has been really challenging for me) I've been avoiding longer books over the second part of the year as I've slipped off the pace. So my challenge is called 'doorsteps' - to read some longer books. I'm still working on criteria, thinking about a qualifying page number (600 pages comes to mind)

Also I had epic fail in my challenge to read particular books I own this year - I'd picked out about a dozen to read in 2011, and managed less than half that number. Must do better in 2012!

Darkpool wrote: "I've been avoiding longer books over the second part of the year as I've slipped off the pace. So my challenge is called 'doorsteps' - to read some longer books...."

LOVE your challenge. I'm going to set it up for you. Let me know what rules you decide upon and I will edit the criteria.

OK, so I'll stick to 600 pages as the guideline, but reserve the right to add a book with, say 598 pages if I feel it deserves to be there; for instance I want to read Lionheart, but if the edition I get from the library is the one with fewer than 600 pages, I'm counting it anyhow. Because I also listen to audiobooks, I'm going to include audiobooks over about 16 hours in length (which I doubt I'll have any, but you never know.)

I don't do reading challenges because reading is like a rich desert for me. To Rush it or put extraneous conditions on it takes away from my reading. I have often thought of leaving my book group of book club reading ladies just because I have to read a particular book by a particular time. Yet I stay with them and we only read one book per month.
In the Basically Books Group during November we each put down one thing we liked from a predetermined list to help get to know each other. It really forced me to make sure I remembered everyday to check in with the group and read others responses and post my small part. I really enjoyed that! Small insignificant, but manageable!
Some Ideas I do to challenge myself is learn a new word everyday.
I signed up to Dictionary dot com and they E-mail me a word, its' definiton, and where it comes from in the World of Words or its history. I don't remember all of them all of the time, but I do read through them and add them manually to a word document, which now is several, and that's my growing dictionary. With improved vocabulary I become a better writer and reader!
Maybe people could suggest a book day.
People could post about a favorite character in a book per day.
Share a bit of knowledge per day whether from personal knowledge, training from your life experiences, or your work, One tid bit of advice per day.
Maybe people could post one thing they are thankful for everyday! I have found the best way to feeling better about myself and the world is to be thankful for something and all of a sudden your spirit brightens up a bit. That would be a very positive thirty day challenge and make people feel good.

Share a friend, tell about a friend, ask about a friend, and share one friend each day.
What ever challenge make it easy but effective, manageable, and fun!
We want people feeling good about themselves and proud to be a part of one of the best sites in the world of the internet, not stressed, rushed, and feeling like they are failing because they are trying to do too much. Sound like and moderators you know?
I would love to do more here, but between reading, writing novels (Plural), working full time in an exectutive position, raising three kids (2,4, and 21) while trying to keep my wife from kicking me out. I have enough on my plate. If this glorious site is still kicking years from now when I retire to stay home and write full time I will probably jump in both feet to help out some.
Thomas

I'm really digging this! My challenges for next year are: A Book a Week and 15,000 Pages. That way if I don't hit one I'll probably hit the other :)

I'm doing this because there's plenty of Murakami staring at me from my bookshelf as well as the ASoIaF series to hit up & those are long~.

Thomas wrote: "I don't do reading challenges because reading is like a rich desert for me. To Rush it or put extraneous conditions on it takes away from my reading. I have often thought of leaving my book group..."

Thomas, I can see that you have a very busy life!

I don't like being put under pressure either, but I do find that if I set goals I tend to stay more focused, and actually get more done.

I like every one of your suggestions for a more positive outlook on life. Try as I might, I can't get one of them to fit into the GoodRead Challenge application. These challenges depend on a known book and a "date read", in order to work.

Wish it was a bit more flexible. I know that "counting tasks" has been suggested several times in the Beta testing feedback. Maybe we will get it!

Bex wrote: "I'm really digging this! My challenges for next year are: A Book a Week and 15,000 Pages. That way if I don't hit one I'll probably hit the other :)..."

I think counting pages has been suggested in the Beta testing feedback. I will double check that. (I see you've already commented on it!) It would actually make more sense than number of books wouldn't it? Or number of words!☺) )Especially if you read that thousand pager!

Bex wrote: "I'm really digging this! My challenges for next year are: A Book a Week and 15,000 Pages. That way if I don't hit one I'll probably hit the other :)

I'm doing this because there's plenty of Murakami staring at me from my bookshelf as well as the ASoIaF series to hit up & those are long~...."

Yeah, I hear you. The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle is always sticking its tongue out at me! :P

Great Group! Great idea!

My challenge for next year is to read 10 books by HG Welles and 10 books by Jules Verne, in addition to all the books I receive from friends and keep up to date on my reviews!

Almeta wrote: "Yeah, I hear you. The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle is always sticking its tongue out at me! :P"

Yup, same! & 1Q84 is a monster that I'm excited to get to.

There's a livejournal community dedicated to the 15k challenge that has inspired me to get to it & fingers crossed it'll turn up here officially :)

Rick wrote: "Great Group! Great idea!

My challenge for next year is to read 10 books by HG Welles and 10 books by Jules Verne, in addition to all the books I receive from friends and keep up to date on my revi..."

Hey Rick, I'm adding an author challenge right now.

Good idea.

I'm up on your 'Climb Every Mountain' now - Thank You!!

Cheryl in CC NV wrote: "I'm up on your 'Climb Every Mountain' now - Thank You!!"

Yeah!!! Welcome.

Currently have just one chosen (Climb Every Mountain) and set it at 70 books. Might bump that up to 80; still not sure. This should be fun!

Anki wrote: "Currently have just one chosen (Climb Every Mountain) and set it at 70 books. Might bump that up to 80; still not sure. This should be fun!"

Great to have you with us, Anki.

I've chosen "Goodreads Authorization." Not sure on the number, beginning with 10, until after I peruse the 30,000+ names!

Kim wrote: "I've chosen "Goodreads Authorization." Not sure on the number, beginning with 10, until after I peruse the 30,000+ names!"

Welcome Kim!

I know what you mean, my number will probably change also.

I also decided on the "Goodreads Authorization" challenge. There are so many great authors I have yet to read! I'm starting with 12, but I'm sure it will be more, too.

Elizabeth wrote: "I also decided on the "Goodreads Authorization" challenge. There are so many great authors I have yet to read! I'm starting with 12, but I'm sure it will be more, too."

This is great, Elizabeth! We should all keep each other informed about which Goodreads authors we like.

Ooh, Ooh... Just spotted the Serial Eyes challenge. That's another one for me.

Darkpool wrote: "Ooh, Ooh... Just spotted the Serial Eyes challenge. That's another one for me."

Just added it today.

Glad you are joining me!!!

Think of any others???

Non fiction? or a genre challenge? Audiobooks? (Hmm, seems the coffee has kicked in.) I'd be up for the non fiction and the audiobooks, maybe not a genre challenge but some might like it.

Darkpool wrote: "Non fiction? or a genre challenge? Audiobooks? (Hmm, seems the coffee has kicked in.) I'd be up for the non fiction and the audiobooks, maybe not a genre challenge but some might like it."

I'm on it!

Its All Too Real
That’s Unreal!
Hear Ye, Hear Ye

to follow.

My challenge is to read 100 books this year. I managed it just barely this past year so I'm gonna try to reapeat that success.

Flora wrote: "My challenge is to read 100 books this year. I managed it just barely this past year so I'm gonna try to reapeat that success."

I didn't make my 2011 goal of 150. Still, I read a lot more than i had in previous years.

I'm going for 150 again for 2012!

My challenge is to read 15 books from the una stanza tutta per sé Bookshelf (female writers) by the end of next year.

To read 30 books from my own home library

To read 3 doorstoppers.

To write 30 reviews.

Happy New Year!

These are exclusive categories:
To read 50 books I already own.
To read 50 audiobooks.
To finish my books of the world (about 36 books).

For a total of at least 150 books.

Patty wrote: "My challenge is to read 15 books from the una stanza tutta per sé Bookshelf (female writers) by the end of next year.

To read 30 books from my own home library

To read 3 doorstoppers.

To write 30 reviews..."

Hey, it looks like that "home library challenge" is going to be a hit. I'm doing the others as well.

Sho wrote: "These are exclusive categories:
To read 50 books I already own.
To read 50 audiobooks.
To finish my books of the world (about 36 books).

For a total of at least 150 books."

Sho, I recently viewed your bookshelves...not being noisy, but trying to find the possible book that wasn't updating your challenge information (per a previous discussion).

Anyway, while there I noticed that you just finished an over 500 page book on January 2nd...You should enter the Doorstop Challenge!!! Some of us are counting from 500 pages and up, not 600 pages.

That's the book, and the shelf is tbr-reduction-challenge.

Hitting up the doorstoppers challenge too! So that puts me at:
52 books/15,000 pages including~ 10 book to screen, 5 over-500's & 25 that I own a physical copy of (though I'm not counting that on a separate shelf).

Hmm... What have I let myself in for?

65 on the site-wide challenge; lower than this year because I found it distorted my reading patterns too much trying to complete.

10 on the climb every mountain/home alone challenge. I should change climb every mountain to 11, as I'm already one book in credit there from something I read in November.

10 doorstoppers

10 Goodreads Authors - planning on keeping it to Goodreads authors I've not read previously, and not counting anyone more than once

15 Serial eyes. There must be at least 15 series I need to continue...

6 non fiction. This is an increase on this year, but should be doable

24 audiobooks. I did 28 this year to my huge surprise, and I'm already one up as I've just finished one started before the new year.

Some of these are going to be quite easy, others quite difficult I think. Looking forward to it!!

You should enter the Doorstop Challenge!!!
:-) I'm still hoping to read 183 books one of these years, but it's the big honking novels that have kept me from achieving it. Curse you, George R.R. Martin!

My challenges so far...

To read 12 classics, 6 classic scifi for the genre challenge, and 9 doorstoppers.

Oh, and my personal challenge that's not on here- to keep my TBR list smaller than my read shelf.

Sho wrote: "I'm still hoping to read 183 books one of these years, but it's the big honking novels that have kept me from achieving it. Curse you, George R.R. Martin!! ..."

I feel your pain. ☺

Darkpool wrote: "Hmm... What have I let myself in for? ..."

Yep, me too. Our eyes are bigger than our stomach, as they say.!

Beth A. wrote: "Oh, and my personal challenge that's not on here- to keep my TBR list smaller than my read shelf. ..."

I don't think that I could ever accomplish THAT goal. ☻

I just looked at your profile Almeta. It does look pretty impossible. :)

Apparently I'm my own worst enemy. I've gone for 5 in the media challenge too.

The following are my 2012 challenges. No set number other than they should total goal 1 and I can go over.

1. 2012 Reading Challenge 140 books
2. Kindle Clean Up Challenge= Read as many books on my kindle
3. Short Stories Challenge= on my kindle (currently 32)
4. 100 pages or less Challenge= Books on my Goodreads TBR List
5. Published in 2012 Challenge= Trying to read books in my list that are being published in the current year.
6. Author Challenge= Neil Gaiman, Nicholas Sparks, Paulo Cohelo, Kresley Cole
7. Series Challenge= A Song of Ice and Fire by George R.R. Martin
8. Published in 2011 Challenge= Read at least 20 books from this list.

These will be a combination of kindle, book books :-) and audiobooks.
I am pretty good about writing/typing a review but I would like to start a blog and start leaving reviews on Amazon.com. A lot of the books on my kindle are by new authors or non well known authors. It'd be nice to have them in the lime light if their books are good.

Mirely wrote: "The following are my 2012 challenges. No set number other than they should total goal 1 and I can go over.

1. 2012 Reading Challenge 140 books..."

You have a great list of Challenges. I know I will be challenging myself to similar goals. I hope you will join us in recording some of them with the group.

Almeta wrote:

You have a great list of Cha..."

Thank you Almeta! I will definitely record them in the group. Just have to figure out how to do it. :-) I haven't had time yet to do it. I should be able to later tonight or tomorrow.

Mirely wrote: "Thank you Almeta! I will definitely record them in the group. Just have to figure out how to do it. :-) I haven't had time yet to do it. I should b..."

Use the Challenge Catalog to view the list of challenges available. Be sure to click on Mirely's Short Cut!

OH WOW!! Thank you Almeta!!! A challenge has been named after me!!! Yeah I'm happy. The little things...

:-)

Hello, my 2012 challenge is:
- to read 50 books from my own home library (home alone challenge);
- to join the Mirely's Short Cut Challenge, reading 15 books;
- to read 12 non-fiction books;
- to write some reviews.

My personal challenge: to read some french books in the original version.

Yay Luisa!!!

Almeta- Thank you so much for your techy skills! Is there any way to join challenges but not have to add shelves? Is it possible for the books to be deducted from shelves we've already created. I have way too many shelves and have had to add a few to join in on the challenges from our group. Let me know. Thanks!

I know I want a challenge to read a certain amount of books on my Nook. I'm still thinking on all I want to do in 2012! Maybe this week, I'll get a handle on what challenges I want!