I Am 22 Books Behind on the Reading Challenge: Here’s How I’m Going To Meet My Goal
Earlier this year, I lost my head. While working on deadline to finish writing my third novel, Book3, and then to complete edits and revisions, I signed up for the Goodreads Reading Challenge. I pledged to read 50 books by the end of the year.
As of the end of this week, Goodreads shows that I have read only 56% of the books I pledged to read (which is 28 out of the 50) -- and there's only 14 days of the year left. The situation, however, is not as bleak as it looks but Goodreads doesn't know that.
So, from time to time it has sent me an email with an incentive. For example, directing me to view which of my Goodreads "friends" has surpassed his/her number of pledged books (which is many of them). Or it will email a helpful suggestion of what to read next.
I don't need either an incentive to read (when I am not writing, or playing tennis, that's all I do.) Nor do I really need any helpful suggestions of what to read next. I have 72 books on my "want to read" shelf. And, I really, really want to read them. Dozens of those are actually already in my Kindle Library just waiting to be opened. And, I add new ones almost daily depending on Bookbub deals.
Read — But Not Reviewed
Anyway, I have read more than 28 books as of last count. On my website blog where this post originally appeared ( https://www.joannaelm.com/my-goodread... ) I included a screenshot of the additional 12 books that I have finished, but have not checked off yet as having read because I have not had the time to write a review for them. The twelve include the latest thrillers by Megan Abbott and Karin Slaughter and Hank Phillippi Ryan. Since then, I finished reading two more books, The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty and The Affair by Lee Child . So, in fact I have read 42 of 50 books.
Reading is the easy part. For example, three of the books I devoured in virtually one sitting. I started reading When Breath Becomes Air on a Saturday night, and was still reading it at 5a.m. on Sunday morning. Louise Doughty's 2013 bestseller, Apple Tree Yard was also mostly a one-sitting read (on a flight from Florida to New York with a "perfect" one-hour delay!) And, I more or less polished off Lee Child’s The Affair on the return flight, two days later. But the reviews are yet to be written.
I know Goodreads does not require a review to count the book as read, but I feel authors depend on reviews and that a reader shouldn't chalk up another book towards completing your challenge if you deprive the author of your review — even if it is only a line or two. After all, GR posts a publisher/author book description which precedes reviews and ratings.
Reviews TK (I Promise, Watch Me)
I do not anticipate a problem with reading another eight books before the end of the year. I have a good selection queued up in my Kindle, and I just added two more to my list. No surprise (see my review of Lee Child’s The Affair), they are both Jack Reacher thrillers
Nor do I really feel pressured by the thought of writing reviews for all the books I've finished reading for the Challenge. I have notes I made about most of them as I was reading. Anyway, it's a really nice change of pace to be assessing another author's work rather than sweating over one's own.
Give me a couple of weeks, and then, please feel free to check back to see if I succeeded in reading -- and reviewing-- the 50 books I pledged to read. I'm curious myself!
This is an excerpt of my blog and screenshots which I posted on my website at https://www.joannaelm.com/my-goodread...
As of the end of this week, Goodreads shows that I have read only 56% of the books I pledged to read (which is 28 out of the 50) -- and there's only 14 days of the year left. The situation, however, is not as bleak as it looks but Goodreads doesn't know that.
So, from time to time it has sent me an email with an incentive. For example, directing me to view which of my Goodreads "friends" has surpassed his/her number of pledged books (which is many of them). Or it will email a helpful suggestion of what to read next.
I don't need either an incentive to read (when I am not writing, or playing tennis, that's all I do.) Nor do I really need any helpful suggestions of what to read next. I have 72 books on my "want to read" shelf. And, I really, really want to read them. Dozens of those are actually already in my Kindle Library just waiting to be opened. And, I add new ones almost daily depending on Bookbub deals.
Read — But Not Reviewed
Anyway, I have read more than 28 books as of last count. On my website blog where this post originally appeared ( https://www.joannaelm.com/my-goodread... ) I included a screenshot of the additional 12 books that I have finished, but have not checked off yet as having read because I have not had the time to write a review for them. The twelve include the latest thrillers by Megan Abbott and Karin Slaughter and Hank Phillippi Ryan. Since then, I finished reading two more books, The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty and The Affair by Lee Child . So, in fact I have read 42 of 50 books.
Reading is the easy part. For example, three of the books I devoured in virtually one sitting. I started reading When Breath Becomes Air on a Saturday night, and was still reading it at 5a.m. on Sunday morning. Louise Doughty's 2013 bestseller, Apple Tree Yard was also mostly a one-sitting read (on a flight from Florida to New York with a "perfect" one-hour delay!) And, I more or less polished off Lee Child’s The Affair on the return flight, two days later. But the reviews are yet to be written.
I know Goodreads does not require a review to count the book as read, but I feel authors depend on reviews and that a reader shouldn't chalk up another book towards completing your challenge if you deprive the author of your review — even if it is only a line or two. After all, GR posts a publisher/author book description which precedes reviews and ratings.
Reviews TK (I Promise, Watch Me)
I do not anticipate a problem with reading another eight books before the end of the year. I have a good selection queued up in my Kindle, and I just added two more to my list. No surprise (see my review of Lee Child’s The Affair), they are both Jack Reacher thrillers
Nor do I really feel pressured by the thought of writing reviews for all the books I've finished reading for the Challenge. I have notes I made about most of them as I was reading. Anyway, it's a really nice change of pace to be assessing another author's work rather than sweating over one's own.
Give me a couple of weeks, and then, please feel free to check back to see if I succeeded in reading -- and reviewing-- the 50 books I pledged to read. I'm curious myself!
This is an excerpt of my blog and screenshots which I posted on my website at https://www.joannaelm.com/my-goodread...
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