A good selection of books, I have not yet decided which ones to read.

Great list. I have a copy of How the One-Armed Sister Sweeps Her House can't wait to read it.

I’m afraid I don’t understand the very concept of this list.
Why would anyone want to “crush” their reading challenge?
It sounds like people no longer read books to get something out of them. It’s as if books were just another commodity, just another item to buy or, better be given for free to review for many here on GR.
The intrinsic value of books should be what makes you want to read a book and enjoy that book. And yet that’s now been pushed to the background and it’s all about reading more more more.

I used to feel like I must be missing something or be a crap reader when I saw that other GR members had read over 500 books, or even over 200 books in a year.
But then I asked myself - what, if anything, are these people getting out of their 200-500+ books? Do they even remember each of these books? Do they spend time pondering over the contents, the message, the philosophy of the book, and thinking about why what they read was written in the way it was written? Why those choices? Why not a different ending? What does that ending mean? How could it have been different? How would that have impacted the overall story? (These questions obviously only apply to fiction. I didn’t always know that people included ALL books, including short stories, comic books that would take you 5min to read, or personal development books, etc. I was silly (to not say stupid) in that I assumed people would read the same type of books I read and enjoyed.
And yet, even if I were to read a book on personal development (or isn’t called something like “self improvement” or even “personal betterment”, or something akin to that, these days??!) I would still ask all these questions while reading and upon finishing the book.
Maybe I’m just ‘weird’ in that respect. But I usually need time to savour what I’ve read. To go back to the book and re-read certain passages that truly resonated with me.
I simply need to think about it for a while.
Unless the book was pure shite, in which case I’d rather move on immediately.
And sure, I’ve been known to read two books in one day. But I wouldn’t do it to “crush” my reading challenge. To me, that does not make sense. Honestly. No sense whatsoever.

Could anyone explain to me what this is all about? Because I really feel like I’m from another planet …

Isn't it a bit neurotic of a message to make people read shorter (even if interesting) stories to "crush" the challenge and tick off more boxes for the sake of it? Let's start marking a 5-page magazine articles as books too

Anna wrote: "I’m afraid I don’t understand the very concept of this list.
Why would anyone want to “crush” their reading challenge?
It sounds like people no longer read books to get something out of them. It’..."

Yes, someone said it finally🙏
I understand that this border is pretty thin, like if you are a fast reader, why not read a lot obviously. Or if you like more "guilty pleasure" books that you won't remember in a year maybe, you do you.

However, Good Reads challenge often turns it into some kind of race. Is marking a short story or a poem on the same level as a huge novel fair enough? Is an audio-book that you listen to in the car the same as its' printed version? Who says that a person who read 100 books per year connected to stories more than a person who read 5 and vice versa?

There are no answers to this but Goodreads surely pushes the agenda of reading more and more even if the quality of literature is obviously not so high and thus sharing more and more further. It is a social media after all and any social media needs more data and needs to feed on your feeling of not "catching up".

Anna wrote: "I’m afraid I don’t understand the very concept of this list.
Why would anyone want to “crush” their reading challenge?
It sounds like people no longer read books to get something out of them. It’..."

I am not sure I can explain it, though I wholeheartedly agree with your sentiments.
Let me try anyway... No apologies for offending people here, since I don't know any of you and the people I am friends with in the real world understand and respect my viewpoints.

Like many things that social media gets its tentacles wrapped around, "reading" has become a way to say something about your self, though I am not entirely sure what it is many people are barking about so loudly. GR members can show off their amazingness and erudition by not only adding books to their shelves, they can read books and post reviews. Not entirely a bad thing, mind you, but like most good ideas things go awry rather unnoticed for a bit.

Then we get what we have now... The problem I have - and it seems you do also - is the idea that quantity has subsumed quality for far too many people here. I won't question anyone's ability or willingness to read large quantities of books, but, like you, I can have issue with "filling your quota" or "crushing your challenge" (WTAF is that supposed to mean?!?!?) because that looks entirely too much like digital braggadocio and not anywhere near enough like reading books for enjoyment (and learning and insight and understanding and knowledge...). Is this another way people feel bad about themselves, when they don't "crush their challenge", because I see too many people on this site moaning and groaning that they won't be able to read enough books this year. That is so fucked up and wrong. Maybe take a break from posting your life to the interweb and do some introspect-ing, or more reading and less talking about reading. Life is not a series of things to check off a list, peeps.

Don't even get me started on the people who "read" audiobooks (and please do not chime in on ableism and the like, this refers ONLY to people who could read a physical book or an ebook but choose to "read" audiobooks while they cook, clean, feed the dogs, do laundry, drive to work, etc.). Reading a book and listening to a book being read to you (while you are multitasking... so maybe do some reading about how almost no one is very good at multitasking when they are evaluated on the tasks they are trying to accomplish, multiply) are entirely different and in almost no way equivalent - Watching a Shakespeare play is not in any way the same as reading one. Never will be. Or think about how many people comment "the book was nothing like the movie!". Duh, consider what senses and what mental faculties are engaged when reading versus listening/watching. Audiobooks have skyrocketed in popularity because social media encourages people to post to their digital life that they "read" and people like to "crush their challenge". And who doesn't want to seem like they read a lot on a book-reading site???

Don't even get me started on the GR members who have 2397 friends... Riiiight.

So I share your frustration, for lack of a different term that may assume things I should not about what you mean. I don't understand why so much of what used to be private has become social media fodder and chest-thumping, or just another way to feel inadequate by comparing your life to a stranger's. I'm not saying readers didn't talk to other readers about books before the interweb - and this site opens up great vistas for finding new books, which I love - but if all people are doing is checking off certain books and/or certain quantities of books for show then they are wasting their (reading) time.

I came across a reader here who made her Reading Challenge goal one book. She said she loved seeing that she read 23000% of her goal (or whatever number it got to) every year. THAT was funny!

To each their own. To those looking to "crush their challenge", I say go for it. There are hundreds - thousands even! - of toddler books I am sure you can cram in by December 31st!! And I am sure your 3-year old and their friends would love to discuss the books with you and have you read your reviews to them too. Just don't forget the cookies, GoGurt, and juice boxes. And nappies!

Or ask yourself this: what would you read if no one else knew about it?

I like me some epics such as The Passage or Pillars of the Earth. I want the "directors cut". The more the better. These small books are ok when inserted/part of a series.

Isn't the Challenge set by that person alone? Whether it is 20 books a year or 100 books a year - it's whatever you can/want to do so this is rather pointless.

I rather see a list of books that would get you out of your reading slump - I am struggling!

Is this the section where I put forth my outrage at the idea of people reading to complete a challenge, rather than for some other reason, so I can gain some unearned moral superiority?

If so,...

How dare they care about people completing a challenge rather than read books how I want books read!!!!!

Anna wrote: "I’m afraid I don’t understand the very concept of this list.
Why would anyone want to “crush” their reading challenge?
It sounds like people no longer read books to get something out of them. It’..."

Think of it more as a goal than a challenge. I'm sure some people decide where to set their "challenge" at based on other accounts, but it's just an interesting way to track how many books you're able to read and push yourself to read more, if that is your goal. My goal was 21 books this year. I haven't read for enjoyment in so long and I was nervous to "challenge" myself to read this amount. I took two months off reading this year and I have already "crushed" this goal with still two months left to go! This isn't me trying to brag, it's simply me sharing my story. I was so amazed that I was able to hit this goal so easily, so clearly next year I need to set my goal to something a little higher. I may finish some books I don't enjoy, but if it's bad enough I will DNF.

My point here is that I enjoy this reading challenge as a way of testing my own limits. I have so many books I want to read and sometimes it feels like I don't have enough time to read them! I felt a sense of personal achievement when I hit my goal and I was proud of myself. I'm also trying to be an author myself, and reading the bad books can be just as insightful and helpful as reading the good books, if not more. I often do take a day or two off between books to sit with it and ponder how the author helped me to feel this way, etc., but not all books require this. It's similar to binging TV shows. Now I know I'm not setting a 200 or 500+ reading goal - those are definitely ridiculous, but hey if it makes that person feel good let them have it their way.

There are actual reading challenges, not goals, that people participate in. These challenges are trying to get people to broaden out and read different types of books. Maybe they'll discover they love a certain genre they were once intimidated by, or that they hated something they thought they might love. It helps people discover books they may not have heard about or learn something they might never have if not for the challenge. It just boils down to what type of reader you want to be, but you can have quality and quantity. It doesn't have to be exclusive.

No offense meant by any of this, but hopefully I was able to offer some insight into the appeal of challenges or goals like the GR one.

Kylie wrote: "Anna wrote: "I’m afraid I don’t understand the very concept of this list.
Why would anyone want to “crush” their reading challenge?
It sounds like people no longer read books to get something out..."

Well stated, Kylie :)

I'm so glad there are people that want to read because they enjoy it, not to make a statement or finish a challenge. It has seemed like the fun has gone out of reading because it's another competition so to speak.
I hardly see good books get the attention they used to, now it's just because they fit a certain agenda. It's disheartening to promote reading just to "prove" something, not to absorb and get lost for awhile.

Can't believe this has not even one Murderbot story... #inconceivable

I can't believe there's an argument over this. Some of us like having reading challenges because it motivates us to read more. I find personal satisfaction in meeting my reading goal for the year. Lists like this are nice because they give people an idea of short books they may want to consider. Short books are also great for busting reading slumps.

Mara wrote: "I can't believe there's an argument over this. Some of us like having reading challenges because it motivates us to read more. I find personal satisfaction in meeting my reading goal for the year. ..."

Agree.

Why is an opinion that is not yours immediately labeled an argument? The person asked a question and people have answered it in a variety of ways. Agreement was not requested, nor was consulting with you a prerequisite for posting.

Jim wrote: "Why is an opinion that is not yours immediately labeled an argument? The person asked a question and people have answered it in a variety of ways. Agreement was not requested, nor was consulting wi..."

Agreed. I think people here were pretty respectful in stating their personal point of view and there were no targeted insults. Most were explaining what works or doesn't work for them so I really see no problem here, it is rather a discussion than an argument or even "outrage". Everyone still understands that if we were all the same we would all keep reading the same book on a loop over and over again or comment "oh, how splendid"—"yes, indeed"—"I triple that!".

I would highly recommend Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982 which is 176 pages on the Kindle, but it packs a powerful punch! The Book of Mother (211 pages) was also a captivating book!

I think it’s completely possible to both love reading and love setting and meeting goals for yourself. I don’t need to understand how and why others read, I just know it’s something I’ve enjoyed since I was a child and it’s nice to talk to others who enjoy it as well.

I have an idea let's play the "Hands up if you are a morally superior narcissist game".

Here are the rules...
1. You pretend not to have the capacity to see how someone else's method of reading might be different than yours, while at the same time virtue signally how your way of reading is obviously superior.
2. You take take offence when someone points that out.

I'll go first.

Oh no. I did not win!

Lisa of Troy wrote: "I would highly recommend Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982 which is 176 pages on the Kindle, but it packs a powerful punch! The Book of Mother (211 pages) was also a captivating book!"

Thanks for your recommendations Lisa

Neil wrote: "I have an idea let's play the "Hands up if you are a morally superior narcissist game".

Here are the rules...
1. You pretend not to have the capacity to see how someone else's method of reading m..."

Brilliant! Yes!

Lisa of Troy wrote: "I would highly recommend Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982 which is 176 pages on the Kindle, but it packs a powerful punch! The Book of Mother (211 pages) was also a captivating book!"

Thank you for an actual recommendation!

I suppose people view the reading challenge in different ways. Personally, I like doing it to keep me in the habit of reading regularly and that’s very rewarding for me. I also like looking back at the list at the end of the year to reminisce on the books I’ve read. Sometimes, shorter books can jumpstart my reading routine when it’s been lagging and I’ve been distracted by other things. Sometimes I like settling in for a long read. I guess for some crushing the goal is the main thing, and for others being mad at those people is the main thing. People are strange

Mara wrote: "I can't believe there's an argument over this. Some of us like having reading challenges because it motivates us to read more. I find personal satisfaction in meeting my reading goal for the year. ..."

Agreed. I prsonally read becuase I enjoy it, not to show off how many books I have read. But I like the challenge becuase it motivates me to read a certain number of books. But becuase I am a slow ready, I set the challenge for relatively low. (I reada lot this year becuase I read a lot of children's books, which kind of feels like cheating.)

Jessica wrote: "I think it’s completely possible to both love reading and love setting and meeting goals for yourself. I don’t need to understand how and why others read, I just know it’s something I’ve enjoyed si..."

100% this.

Inna wrote: "Can't believe this has not even one Murderbot story... #inconceivable"

Utterly inconceivable!

Double Plus I have never felt so represented by a first person narrative.

I would like reading challenges based off of pages instead of books. Feels like you have more freedom to decide what you want to “sink your teeth into” rather than just trying to read enough books. I want it to push me to be reading more, not turn it into a chore or a thing on the to do list. Encourage the love of reading… ❤️

Katie Marie Carlaw wrote: "I would like reading challenges based off of pages instead of books. Feels like you have more freedom to decide what you want to “sink your teeth into” rather than just trying to read enough books...."

That is a neat twist!
I do love reading, and the "challenge" thing is OK, but I would be just as happy if GR got rid of it altogether.
Maybe they could put more effort into getting a half-star rating option, or quickly closing down obvious spam and bot accounts.

these comments are so pressed

ooh, Urban Dictionary terminology!
so dope!
dope af!
supadope!

People read for many different reasons and participate on Goodreads for different reasons. What does it matter if some people get excited about “crushing” their goal? Let them be excited. And that snarky audiobook comment near the top is some straight up bullsheet. Stop being so elitist. Audiobooks are reading. Full stop. And, in the case of, say, a celebrity memoir read by the author, hugely entertaining!

(I listen to like five audiobooks a year but by God I’m not gonna let people trash them or make those that go that route often feel less than.)

Also, this is actually a pretty enticing book list. Perfect for Novellas in November.

Katie Marie Carlaw wrote: "I would like reading challenges based off of pages instead of books. Feels like you have more freedom to decide what you want to “sink your teeth into” rather than just trying to read enough books...."

Me too! While I love the reading challenge (to motivate me), reading a 1000 page book is not the equivalent as reading a 200 page book! I also keep track of how many pages I read. Too bad that the page count on GR is often very wrong. Plus they also count the index, etc.

Neil wrote: "I have an idea let's play the "Hands up if you are a morally superior narcissist game".

Here are the rules...
1. You pretend not to have the capacity to see how someone else's method of reading m..."

I love this.

Also! I read some very long Stephen King books earlier this year so I'd say my Books Read is totally off balance and I'm due a few quick-but-good-reads but hey ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ I listen to audiobooks so I'm probably stupid.

kudos to the people replying with respectful comments because I’m this close to commenting with as much snark as they did.

using all my muscles to not comment "it's not that deep" on the novel-length comments (maybe I could use those comments to crush my reading goal??) written to bemoan the existence of *checks notes* people having goals

I read a lot and the Goodreads challenge really motivates me. Even though I don't need this list, I appreciate it. Setting up a certain number every year really encourages me. So, seeing people commenting here and judging makes me sorta sad. It's not anyone's business how people read, or why. If you read because you love to read, great, If you read and you love just simply reaching a certain goal, good for you. No judgement here. It doesn't matter if you read 5 or 500 books a year. You do you. Readers should let other readers read whatever they want and however they want and for ever reason they want. Just saying.

Anna wrote: "I’m afraid I don’t understand the very concept of this list.
Why would anyone want to “crush” their reading challenge?
It sounds like people no longer read books to get something out of them. It’..."

We are apparently from the same planet. I despise this measuring myself against others or even myself! I used to be awed by people reading 500 books a year until I figured out they count every children’s book they read to their kiddos in their total! So lame!
Nevertheless , happy reading to you.

I look for these lists because my book club takes up so much of my reading time that I sometimes need shorter books to interpose… so “crushing goals” not so much… but being able to read more stories A+

This is too funny, I can't.
Despite of all the replies, I appreciate that, and I appreciate this list so much because it helps me to read book with minimum period of time.

"Maybe I’m just ‘weird’ in that respect. But I usually need time to savour what I’ve read. To go back to the book and re-read certain passages that truly resonated with me. I simply need to think about it for a while."

Anna, you are not weird, you are an intelligent reader who works with the author in a complementary relationship. Intelligent authors want you to do that. Keep it up. Readers like you are becoming more and more rare, and literature suffers for it.

Laila wrote: "People read for many different reasons and participate on Goodreads for different reasons. What does it matter if some people get excited about “crushing” their goal? Let them be excited. And that ..."

"Audiobooks are reading."
That's not even a grammatically correct sentence.
Audiobooks are listened to, not read.
Full stop.

Jim wrote: "Laila wrote: "People read for many different reasons and participate on Goodreads for different reasons. What does it matter if some people get excited about “crushing” their goal? Let them be exci..."

Jim, it is obvious to everyone that you are deliberately being obtuse, because it is equally obvious what Laila meant.

Does this make you smart or something else?

I for one am undecided.

Question Mark

LIfe hack: set your reading challenge to 1 book over your current total for the year. Repeat periodically to get more confetti.

I read almost everything - children's books, cookbooks, graphic novels - challenges are fun, but I don't keep track for the challenges - I keep track because of the amount of books I read and don't want to go back to re-reading a book unless its one I buy to keep for my collection, Working in a library and belonging to 3 bookclubs keep my numbers way up. Also this list needs revamping - there are a number of books on this list that are over 200 pages.

Let's see, what are we upset about these days? checks comments Ah, people are reading too much. Got it. How dare they!

People like to say things like "reading books makes you smart" but then we get people who for whatever reason cannot fathom that some people like to set goals and challenges for themselves- cannot even fathom the very concept of this list!

I also love the comments that go "I used to feel so bad when I saw other people read (made up number) books a year, then I realized a way to make them the stupid ones and me smart and superior, which goes to show how much better I am than them."

Marc *Dark Reader of the Woods* wrote: "LIfe hack: set your reading challenge to 1 book over your current total for the year. Repeat periodically to get more confetti."

Marc, I love this!

I currently have my reading goal set to 1. I'm 1900% done with my challenge! Never before have I succeeded so hard at something. But I only got the confetti once. Maybe I need to use your strategy.

Reading is reading is reading is reading. Read what you want to. Don't let snarky comments from people who think their reading habits are superior for some unknown reason bully you into their habits. You don't have to read what other people deem "intelligent books" to benefit from it. Read all the "guilty pleasure" books you like - it's still better to read 100 erotica novels/graphic novels/audiobooks/etc. etc. than to scroll mindlessly through social media for hours. I say the benefit is still all there!

If I read The Green Mile, does that count as 1 or 6 books?

Read what you want and stop stressing about what other people are reading to the point that you feel the need to write long-winded comments about it. Doesn't affect you! I think this list is great. I have trouble sometimes reading longer stories (short attention span) so I appreciate this list :)