My thoughts exactly, Michelle. The group shouldn't be inclusive or exclusive.

Abraham wrote: "I don't see the reason for a fuss. You could stock up on Dr. Seuss if you'd like and no one here would stop you. Like others have said: read what you like.

Besides, this group is for a certain kin..."

I completely agree. Reading is such a personal experience and I think the challenge lies within the individual. The group is just a guideline. This will be my first year doing this challenge, but I would hate to see people deterred from attempting this because they feel the books they choose are not "challenging" enough. Anything that gets people reading, in my opinion, is a step in the right direction.

I use this group to challenge myself to keep reading. I actually don't pay any attention to what others are reading unless I am specifically looking for new suggestions.

for someone who reads classic, i think this is a challenge. .

Everyone has their OWN approach to this challenge, however, since I was real sick this year, I am just not able to read anything difficult. But, the brain will heal. I try to read anything I can get ahold of, but reject some and that is a matter of taste. But, ya gotta try to read some Mark Twain, Steinbeck and/or Ernest Hemingway, Louisa May Alcott, Jane Austen at some point in your life.

Carol wrote: "Connie wrote: "Carol wrote: "I guess I never thought about it before but I have been somewhat of a book snob in the past. I don't remember my high school English teacher making us read classics li..."

Carol, I do not like Hemingway. I read the Nick Adams stories last year and a collection of his short stories this year and really just felt that his writing was incredibly Boring with a capital B. So I think I'm going to pass on Hemingway, at least in 2010. I have several classic lit books on my shelves that I hope to get to at least a couple of them in 2010. I hope to get to East of Eden by John Steinbeck, The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck, and I have a couple of books by the Bronte sisters Wuthering Heights and I'm not sure what else. Also I'd like to finally read A Tale of Two Cities. I have The Brothers Karamazov (sp?) and Crime & Punishment by Dostoyevsky, I'm not sure if I'll get to them this year, but they are on my shelf and my TBR list, as well as a couple of Mark Twain novels and I think I have Pride & Prejudice on my Kindle and downloaded the World's Greatest Novels Vol. I-XIII on my Kindle as well and I'm not sure all the novels that are included in them, but I'd like to at least get through a couple.

It's hard to get through the classics when there are still so many new books published that you want to read as well. I always love the next couple of months when all of the "Best of ____" lists for books comes out.

Walden, or Life in the Woods by Henry David Thoreau was a book I wanted to make sure that I read this year. It's proving to be a tough go. The Handmaid's Tale was part of my attempt to get some exposure to Canadian authors. It was a surprisingly positive experience.

Connie wrote: "Carol wrote: "I guess I never thought about it before but I have been somewhat of a book snob in the past. I don't remember my high school English teacher making us read classics like Faulkner or ..." Connie, what are some of the books that you think you might 'allow yourself to read' now? Someone recommended 'The Sun Also Rises' as a first Hemingway book...I think it was Scott. I will think about this a little, too, as the list for me might be a little long.

Carol wrote: "I guess I never thought about it before but I have been somewhat of a book snob in the past. I don't remember my high school English teacher making us read classics like Faulkner or Hemingway...in..."

Carol, it's funny that you brought that up about not having to read classics in school. I thought my high school was the only lame one. The only books I remember having to read for my 3 years of English in H.S. were two books by Steinbeck. I am trying to make up for that now, like you, just to see why these books seem to stand the test of time.

I guess I never thought about it before but I have been somewhat of a book snob in the past. I don't remember my high school English teacher making us read classics like Faulkner or Hemingway...in fact I don't think our particular class read much of anything, as I don't remember any books particularly standing out. As a result, I have not read 'those type of books' as an adult...but never thought of it as snobbery.

I have to say, though, that because I've been exposed to book titles, authors, and am reading many synopses now, I am being nudged into reading some of the more weighty ones that I wouldn't have been attracted to in the past, if only to find out WHY they are considered classics. That definitely is a result of the "50 Books A Year" blog. So thanks, blog.

Connie wrote: "Tim wrote: "Connie wrote: "I try to mix it up. This year I did try to tackle some harder books like 2666 and The Sound & The Fury. I try to read a few non-fiction and biographies a year, some class..."

Hehe...I use my iPod to read on the bus sometimes. For the older books on Gutenberg. Light in August was one of the three that I read this year. Ouch...very ouch. Now having said that at least I have exposure to Faulkner now and that's something I wouldn't have had without this years challenge.

Tim wrote: "Connie wrote: "I try to mix it up. This year I did try to tackle some harder books like 2666 and The Sound & The Fury. I try to read a few non-fiction and biographies a year, some classical lit, an..."

I agree with you on the Faulkner, but I have one more of his books at home to read "Light in August" I think it's called. I don't know when I'll get to that though. I use my Kindle to read on the bus and if I have any spare time at work (lunch, breaks etc.) so I usually have at least 2 books going at once too. I still like to get books from the library.

Connie wrote: "I try to mix it up. This year I did try to tackle some harder books like 2666 and The Sound & The Fury. I try to read a few non-fiction and biographies a year, some classical lit, and then some contemporary lit. But I do mix in the "light reading." I always know I can crank out a James Patterson book in a day or two. "

I've been reading at least two books at a time. I try and have one paperback that I can read on the bus, and one hardbound that I leave for reading at home. This lets me mix it up quite a bit. (Just say no to Faulkner!)

Jessi wrote: "Am I the only one who doesn't feel like it's actually a *challenge* unless you're mostly avoiding YA books, books by authors like Nicholas Sparks, and so on?"

That's an honest question. I know that with my own list I will not add in any graphic novels I read during the same time period. I keep a separate list for that sort of thing. When I first challenged myself...and let's face it, this is a personal challenge that we are indulging in here, I had decided to make this about exposing myself to books that I had either never finished, or authors that I had never read along with books that I had been wanting to read.

I don't think that it's snobbish if you stick to the rules you have made for yourself, and as long as you're not down on someone for reading in a different way.

Recently my daughter, who has never been a reader in a house full of books and readers, read the Twilight series. I groaned inwardly but I smiled outwardly. It turns out that at the very least she finally has an interest in reading after 22 years!

Books are gifts we get to open over and over.

Kelley wrote: "I am a middle school teacher and I have a ten year old cousin who stays with me. I have been keeping track of the books I read for between 9-11 years. I count everything I read, whether it be a nov..."

As a fellow middle school teacher, I agree with you completely.

I agree. I'm pretentious and snobbish about book lists.
With that said, I did read a handful of YA books this year. I did need a few books to be shorter or easier to read after some long-winded novels that I read. I would say that there are about 10 YA books on my list and I read over 100. So 1-10 isn't bad. But I agree that they should not ALL be YA or "easy to read" books if you are over the age of 18 and have the reading ability to do more.

MB wrote: "....what Random and Carol said!
I joined this book club so that I could steal good recommendations for future reading. I am always looking for new authors to try and I have found some great 'find..."

Agreed. I'm not a counting person. I really am not the type to keep track of what I read, what books I own, etc. I'm doing so this year as a way to keep from falling into rereads and using groups to help me find books/authors I may not have run across on my own.

....what Random and Carol said!
I joined this book club so that I could steal good recommendations for future reading. I am always looking for new authors to try and I have found some great 'finds' this year!

I'm not reading more this year...I've always read this much. What I am doing is less re-reading. It is great to have a constant supply of new books to try. I've found some wonderful new ones this year thanks to GoodReads and all of you other readers out there.

People read books that suit their life circumstances and their personalities. If you don't like YAs, or prefer graphic novels, or don't like romances, or prefer capital-L Literature...then good for you! This isn't school. It's meant to be fun, not a chore.

Random wrote: "I think the main point is that this isn't a competition to see who can read the most or the highest quality. It's about encouraging each other to read more of whatever we prefer to read. It's to ..."
And along the way, we peek over onto another's plate and see things that intrigue us, (titles, reviews, authors), that look good and sound good, and we say "Oh wow! I want some of that!" and so something gets added to our life that wasn't there before, a new dimension that could open up like a chasm, or maybe just a narrow trail, but it could open up a whole new world to us...one we wouldn't have if someone hadn't shared the source.

I think the main point is that this isn't a competition to see who can read the most or the highest quality. It's about encouraging each other to read more of whatever we prefer to read. It's to help encourage the joy of reading, the love of books, and, most important to me, the exercise and expansion of one's imagination.

What if you are actually a young adult? I guess that might not be an excuse, or so my sister says (she is only a couple years older then me but she has a thing for classic russian lititure and read books like war and peace and the brothers karamazov.)

While me I am more of the kind of person that reads just about anything that interests me. from YA to biographies and back again.

Krista wrote: "Maybe I'm taking this too personally, but when you look at some of the YA lit that's posted, you will see that it really is phenomenal literature. For instance, The Book Thief... The Golden Compass (as well as the other two books in the trilogy)... A Wrinkle in Time... These are all YA novels, and while some of them are longer than others, the quality of what is written is incredible." I totally agree with these words. I've read some pretty amazing YA novels (two words "Tiffany Aching" amazing series.). I don't think it matters if it is considered a classic or if it is a thousand pages long with size six font. I truly believe that just about all books have a moral lesson to learn. That it is not always about the complexity that the words make but what you make of the words. You might totally disagree with me but since I was young after I went home from watching "Finding Nemo", or "Mulan", or even "Spy Kids" my dad would ask me "what did you learn?" Every time I read I book I ask myself the same question.

I do infact think YA books are easy to read, I've read many of them myself, but I don't think that just because they are short and easy that you can't learn anything from them

I disagree with you, 150%. It's a personal challenge, and while I don't think I'd be happy with myself if I "just" read 50 YA books... 50 books is still 50 books, and for some people 50 YA books, or even 50 more challenging children's lit books, is quite an accomplishment. The point of a group like this should never be for people to get on a high horse and think, "Well, I'm reading 1000+ page books, so clearly my reading is more substantial than that person's and it means when when I achieve the goal than when they do." Absurd.

Maybe I'm taking this too personally, but when you look at some of the YA lit that's posted, you will see that it really is phenomenal literature. For instance, The Book Thief... The Golden Compass (as well as the other two books in the trilogy)... A Wrinkle in Time... These are all YA novels, and while some of them are longer than others, the quality of what is written is incredible.

The same goes for chick lit. If someone told me that they read 50 chick lit novels this year, or some combination of 50 chick lit books/lighter "dime" novels, I would think, "What a waste, not reading the classics or books with hundreds of pages." I'd think, "Wow, good for you."

I'm the kind of snob where I think people who only read classics or books because they're lengthy and "deep" are missing out on so, so much in the world of literature.

Jessi wrote: "Am I the only one who doesn't feel like it's actually a *challenge* unless you're mostly avoiding YA books, books by authors like Nicholas Sparks, and so on?

I look at lists sometimes, and I say..."

I kind of agree with you. I don't know if I'd consider Nicholas Sparks or James Patterson as YA authors, I think they are more of "light reading." I try to mix it up. This year I did try to tackle some harder books like 2666 and The Sound & The Fury. I try to read a few non-fiction and biographies a year, some classical lit, and then some contemporary lit. But I do mix in the "light reading." I always know I can crank out a James Patterson book in a day or two.

Abraham wrote: "I don't see the reason for a fuss. You could stock up on Dr. Seuss if you'd like and no one here would stop you. Like others have said: read what you like.

Besides, this group is for a certain kin..."

Yeah I like Abraham's view point as well. I've never kept track of how many books I've read in a year and people are always commenting on the fact that I am a quick reader so I want to see how many I naturally read a year and then improve upon that number. My biggest qualm is when I am forced to read books which is why I try to read classics before I have to read them for school because reading them for a class just sucks all the fun out of it for me.

Angie wrote: "Sara wrote: "I completely agree with you. I still don't understand this whole 'Avoid YA' movement. Maybe they should reconsider the way in which -they- approach the material?"

There are variables..."

I disagree with you on the 'intelligence' factor. Time, certainly. I'm not saying I disagree with selecting a variety of books or that someone shouldn't incorporate 'adult' reads into the challenge. I just don't agree with you that YA books require less intelligence. A different kind, sure, but in no way less.

I don't see the reason for a fuss. You could stock up on Dr. Seuss if you'd like and no one here would stop you. Like others have said: read what you like.

Besides, this group is for a certain kind of person, who finds finishing fifty books in one year to be a challenge. If you, or anyone else, thinks they can read a lot more, there are other groups -- for 100 and 150 books, I believe -- and you could always start another.

Personally, I mostly ignore numbers. I simply use this group/challenge to motivate myself and to read new things. I have participated in this challenge for two years straight and have really stretched my reading tastes as well as the number of books I read on average.

So I guess the moral is: try to enjoy yourself.

Jayme wrote: "Maybe it's because I am technically a Young Adult, but I feel that by saying that if a person only reads YA books and is able to complete the 50 book challenge then their accomplishment isn't as gr..."

I completely agree with you. I still don't understand this whole 'Avoid YA' movement. Maybe they should reconsider the way in which -they- approach the material?

I am a middle school teacher and I have a ten year old cousin who stays with me. I have been keeping track of the books I read for between 9-11 years. I count everything I read, whether it be a novel, technical teaching books, books I read in school or books I read to my cousin as long as it is not something I have read before. There are certain books I read to or with the kids at school but it only counts the first time. I think anything that is read for whatever reason should be counted.

Jayme wrote: "Maybe it's because I am technically a Young Adult, but I feel that by saying that if a person only reads YA books and is able to complete the 50 book challenge then their accomplishment isn't as gr..."

I agree, Jayme. Just because a book is YA doesn't mean it doesn't have value. (I'm not YA-over 50 with masters in Spanish language).I read all types of books, YA, pop lit, classics ( in English, Spanish and French) and enjoy them all. For me, it depends on my mood; sometimes I want to relax and reading is like watching tv for me( pure entertainment) ...or sometimes I feel like studying and annotating books.It depends if I feel like Spanish ( Don Quijote, Neruda, García Márquez, Quiroga, Bécquer,Larra, etc.), French ( Candide, Les Fleurs du mal, Rimbaud), English classics,non-fiction,poetry, mysteries, YA or Harry Potter(I teach book one this in Spanish)... All I can say is the snobs are missing out on a lot and are limiting themselves!

Maybe it's because I am technically a Young Adult, but I feel that by saying that if a person only reads YA books and is able to complete the 50 book challenge then their accomplishment isn't as great as someone who has read mostly classic literature. While most YA books are beach reads there are actually quite a few that you have to really dig into to get the whole meaning out of. I love YA books because I feel like the authors focus more on the meanings and the feelings of the book rather than on trying to entertain adult audiences with lots of action and sexy scenes. (I do like these kinds of books as well though) YA books can be and are just as note worthy as some classic literature and some adult literature and saying otherwise is very insulting not only to the author but to the people who read those books and get something out of them.

Well in defence of myself when I was first starting out on thie challenge, I was taking a course in Children's Liteature, so YA books were required reading for me. But some YA books I think can be really quite well done and enjoyable but in my usual reading I do not genreally read a lot of them, only a few here and there which catch my interest. But I think in my list the YA books are balanced off nicely by a good chunk of classics.

My snobbery tends toward anything Western although I have read a few brainless romantic Harlequins with a Western theme...and I also concede that there may be some superior Western writers (Louis L'Amour for one) and I just haven't taken the time to weed them out. Oh, I have to take that back...one of my favorite mystery writers, Bill Pronzini, has a series set in the 1800's West and wrote a book in conjunction with his wife, Marcia Muller in which his main character is involved in a mystery in the past that doesn't get solved until her character in the present does more digging...that format was very interesting and didn't involve horses, sheep, goats etc or riding the range as the primary narrative.

I don't read YA or Nicholas Sparks, but I do read e-books and chapbooks, which are often very good and worthwhile, but short. At the same time, I've read some very lengthy books this year, so not feeling bad. 50 is doable as long as it's not 50x Tolstoy.

I think if I just read YA and graphic novels during a challenge my sense of accomplishment would be greatly diminished. Same goes for most chick lit. I am however all for peppering a few here and there to cleanse the mental palate after reading some of the weightier tomes.

I'm trying to mix it up - long and short; serious and light. In part to take breathers from the longer stuff, and in part just so I try new things. I'm not obsessed with length but I have a rule for my personal challenge that it must be more than 100 pages to count.

Adding some shorter/lighter ones does allow me to add some very long ones - I would quickly become overwhelmed if I didn't, and then it's not fun for me so why bother?

Apart from that I'm not concerned with genre or any of the rest.

if you think about it, the small books are a good way of relaxing from the long books. when you are getting frustrated by something in the book, just switch to one you have previously read.

Its also my own opinion that assuming because a book doesn't take long to read, its not good is rather odd. Many great novels such as Lord of the Flies, Animal Farm, Of Mice and Men, Catcher in the Rye or the plays of Shakespeare are quick reads, but are very much considered good literature and it would be a great crime to pass them over because of their length.

You can always leave the quick reads off of your list if you're concerned they make the challenge too easy for you and up the ante a bit! It would be a shame to avoid them altogether if you enjoyed them.

Amanda wrote: "I like to mix and match. To read 50 books in one year, one would have to read an average of one a week and those of us with busy lifestyles can hardly consume a book 1000+ page tome like Lord of t..."

i agree with you. it is good to mix between YA or adult books. like lord of the rings, it took me 3 and a half days to read it (i do have a lot of free time on my hands). but james patterson novels take me about 3 hours to read. the current books ia m reading now is Tom Clancy's Politika and james patterson's novel Run for Your Life. i read some of the tom clancy novel and i switch to james patterson.

I like to mix and match. To read 50 books in one year, one would have to read an average of one a week and those of us with busy lifestyles can hardly consume a book 1000+ page tome like Lord of the Rings, or War and Peace in a mere seven days (not unless you had a lot of spare time on your hands)! One can, however, dedicate several weeks to a larger book whilst perhaps cheating a little by reading a few quicker reads along the way. It would be a shame to miss out on these heftier books just to reach a target...

I do kind of agree with you - it seems to be a bit of a trend at the mo to read these books. On the other hand really you should read what you want. But noif you are a 'real' adult and all you're reading is YA then it doesn't seem a challenge. each to their own though!

Am I the only one who doesn't feel like it's actually a *challenge* unless you're mostly avoiding YA books, books by authors like Nicholas Sparks, and so on?

I look at lists sometimes, and I say to myself, "Well, I could do that. If all I read were young adult books and books by James Patterson, I'd be able to finish over a hundred in a year, easily."

Maybe it has to do with the fact that I don't find most of those kinds of books to be worth my time regardless, or maybe I'm just a book challenge snob :)