Fai wrote: "reading challenges should count pages or words instead of books. That would equalize this problem of long books only count for 1. Maybe audiobooks count for half the pages."

I read books of all different lengths, so I also keep track of pages, something I can't properly do on GR (I notice that GR page counts are usually very off).

Iris wrote: "I agree! It’s a silly concept that someone at GR thought was a good marketing ploy. To what end? Selling more books? It’s mystifying. "

You answered your own question. It's not mystifying. The site owned by the biggest retailer in the universe would very much like to sell books, all the books. I'm not mad at their goal, to be honest, particularly since I can take the list and shop elsewhere. Like an independent book store. Or a brick and mortar. Or a secondhand source.

But we should all want books and bookstores to be profitable. Maybe not THAT one, but the more books sold, the better for readers.

Personally I love the idea of a 200-300 page book. I think a 400-500 page book is just too long and usually want to get on with the plotline and see how it ends. There is usually too much angst or repetition in long books as if the author is paid by the word! I don't care how many books I read although I did set a challenge for the fun of it. This year I read TOO much because I traveled TOO little and attended TOO few social or cultural events. I think I will try a few of these suggestions. I see they are largely international authors which is interesting to me!

Neil wrote: "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,......"

Well and succinctly said Sir.

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 100% agree with you. You should enjoy your books. It’s not a contest. Having said that I always challenge myself to 100 books a year but don’t care if I reach it. I read 70 last year. It’s mainly keeping track of what I read.
I’m glad you spoke up because that was my first thought also. Why am I getting this email? Why do I want to read shorter books? I just read what I want regardless of how many pages if it’s good. 😊

How do you manage to participate in the challenge, know first hand that it's not about competition, and yet "100% agree" with the person saying people in the challenge are in the wrong?

You couldn't pay me to read most of the books on this list.

I am currently reading a 91 page book but not because it is a short book. The topic interested me.

And I do wish GR would quit closing books on my kindle just because I haven't finished it in one sitting!!!! My challenge shows me 5 books from my goal. However, it includes 7 books (multiple times) that GR is counting as read on their own initiative. It is not appreciated.

I never pick a book by the number of pages.

I love reading. I read ALL the time. I usually have at least 4 books going at a time. I sometimes read a book while also listening to an audio book at the same time, and can track with both storylines. Any free moment I have, I read. I don't read to contemplate. I read for fun, to escape, to look at life from another perspective, to travel in other's shoes. If I learn something from the reading material of my choice, that is just a bonus. I love setting a goal, pushing my goal and changing my goal because I surpassed my original ones. It's fun. I also like finding shorter books from an author I haven't read before to see if their style meshes with me. So thanks GR for the new book choices. I'll add a few of them to reach my 500 book goal.

Jan C wrote: "You couldn't pay me to read most of the books on this list.

I am currently reading a 91 page book but not because it is a short book. The topic interested me.

And I do wish GR would quit closing ..."

My Kindle has never done that. That would be annoying!

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. ..."

100% agree. Thank you.
Geez, people, chill.

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. ..."

I agree with this wholeheartedly. I like the challenge and how Goodreads reminds and pushes me to continue reading. I like to read, but the everyday happenings of life can sometimes steer me in another direction.

Plus, it is possible to both read for reading's and learning's sake AND enjoy a challenge!

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 completely agree with you. for me personally I'd rather enjoy the few books I've read than reading hundreds that I remember nothing about.

Some people are so judgmental. What happened to you do you?
Others are intransigent about audio books. There is no compassion for the blind, the dyslexic, the infirm.
I personally love audio books and it is my favorite way to "read". To each their own.

I only skim read some of the essays upset by how people want to achieve reading goals.

Everyone is different, so whilst you’re completely entitled to your opinion, you should also accept that some people enjoy giving themselves goals and deadlines to achieve things.

Don’t forget that someone’s book challenge might only be 5 books for the whole year. It acts as a motivational booster to remind them to take time out and read… even if it’s a smaller book under 300 pages.

I love taking my time reading, but I also enjoy the opportunity to read various books of various lengths and get a kick out of setting myself a challenge and finishing it by a deadline.

I hope you can find a good book to crush or to therapeutically enjoy the end of your reading for the year.

If you're really concerned about "crushing your reading challenge" why not go to the library and pick up some of the greatest American literature ever published. Libraries are open. All you need is a library card. Cheap and easy.
Here's a very short list (all under 300 pages) You get the idea:

The Great Gatsby - F. Scott Fitzgerald
Catch 22 - J.D. Salinger
Slaughter House Five - Kurt Vonegut
Dandelion Wine and Fahrenheit 451 - Ray Bradbury
Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck
Brave New World - Aldus Hucksly
Call of the Wild - Jack London
Old Man and the Sea - Earnest Hemmingway

Maybe the idea of "crushing your book list" from this perspective is purely for "us" to go buy more books...its advertisement. I used to read a lot more when I was pregnant or nursing a baby but now if I can read two or three chapters a week I think I am doing great. Let's just sit back and enjoy our read- if it is the third book of the year or the 127th.

Michael wrote: "The Great Gatsby - F. Scott Fitzgerald
Catch 22 - J.D. Salinger
Slaughter House Five - Kurt Vonegut
Dandelion Wine and Fahrenheit 451 - Ray Bradbury
Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck
Brave New World - Aldus Hucksly
Call of the Wild - Jack London
Old Man and the Sea - Earnest Hemmingway "

Hey, Michael, you misspelled some of the titles and authors you namedropped to claim superiority. Also, I bet it would have been news to Salinger, and Joseph Heller, that Salinger wrote Catch-22. Also, not a single woman worthy of inclusion, huh?

Have you heard the theory that Zelda really wrote Gatsby? Do you want to still list it?

If people have read, and can spell, your list, is it okay if they read one of the above books? Maybe one by a lady?

Jan C wrote: "You couldn't pay me to read most of the books on this list.

This list includes authors that have won the National Book Award, the Pulitzer, the Hugo, the Edgar, & probably some I'm missing. Several of these books have been well-reviewed this year and at least two are short-listed for the Women's Prize in Fiction. Regardless of their motivation for putting together the list, the books are pretty high quality.

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’..."

Because divisiveness drives engagement and keeps you on the site longer. They could have just said, "here's a list of new short books." Instead, there are 4 pages of people arguing over whether short books and audio books are valid and if people are reading for the "right" reasons. There is very little actual discussion of the books themselves.

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. ..."

Right? I feel like I'm the only one not mad. I don't understand the need for everyone to get up in arms about everything. It's pretentious. How dare someone want to complete their reading challenge.

Neil wrote: "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,......"

Right?! Some people need extrinsic motivation to do things. It's not a moral failing to set a goal and want to meet it.

Don't get *me* started on the "Audiobooks aren't books" people either -___-

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’..."

Read what you like when you can just because and stop being concerned about this challenge. At least it encourages folks to read which is the goal.

I've been asking Goodreads for YEARS to add a page challenge instead of a book challenge. That would solve all these issues. Instead of being punished for reading tomes and encouraged to read graphic novels, you could set a real goal of pages instead, and thoroughly enjoy books of any length. It seriously has been years - it's well past time to make this happen!

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

I read it a few weeks ago, it was great. Beautiful and sad- it will stick with you long after you've finished. Same with Of Women and Salt! Both were excellent.

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..."

Audiobooks are reading. If YOU don't want to count audiobooks toward your own count, fine, but others can and should if they want to.

Perhaps the real reason for this list is to expose what possibly are great stories that are bypassed as worthy to read just because they are shorter. Spare me the outrage. Read long or short books, your choice.

Neil wrote: "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,......"

I know, right? Are we really going to be judged by people who don't know us for how or why we read? Maybe I shouldn't post this...the "Reading Police" may come for me. BTW...I'm 193 books into my 200 book goal for this year...

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’..."

Why do you care how others choose to read? So bizarre. Sometimes long books are rather daunting, and I like to have a short sweet book to get me going on to the next.

Omg people. Lighten up!

Mackenzi wrote: "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 ..."

I'm so jealous of your progress! I'll have to up my goal next year so I can compete with you.

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’..."

You're not weird! You are absolutely right!

I love that Goodreads is a platform to find great books, and has a "challenge" to encourage me if and when I want to read more. You can view the challenge like this - encouragement or a marketing strategy to sell books. (Amazon owns Goodreads). At any rate, I enjoy it.

A wave of appreciation for everyone working at GR. Many people will benefit from this article. Your hard work does not go unnoticed.

A kind reminder that if you're not going to say something kind, perhaps do not say it at all. If achieving a reading challenge you set for yourself is not important, than this article just simply does not apply to you..... just simply keep scrolling lol.

I am also a slow reader and far behind in my challenge, I used to think like you until I found the truth that there are indeed some intelligent people who can read much faster than me and at the same time understand the implications of reading much better than me. The implication that others are reading faster than you imply they are now appreciating the content or deep thought is false.

And no, you are not from another planet, this trait is fairly common where due to lack of one's detailed observation of other people's habits, we make such unproven implications. I am also like this.

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’..."

There's a lot of people on my Goodreads friend list who read 200 or 500 books, one even read 1000. It completely depends on the person who is reading the book, maybe they read really fast, that doesn't mean that they read just to finish their goal without understanding anything. That's the thing about books, you can jump from world to worlds anytime you want. And about the "crush" thing, some people are simply excited to finish their challenge. I don't see any problem here, let them be excited dude. There's a reason Goodreads gave the list, because people like to set challenges, even famous authors.

Wow everyone is so mad about the yearly challenge. If you don't want to set a yearly challenge for yourself, you definitely shouldn't but that doesn't mean the concept is inherently evil and degrading the act of engaging with books.

I am a very slow reader pages/hour because I have to say all the words out loud in my head as I go and most of the time I want to pay close attention to what's going on and will circle back to things I didn't understand. However, sometimes it is rewarding to let a boom or audiobook just wash over me and not catch all the details. Sometimes it feels rewarding to finish several books in one month even if they were shorter or even if I didn't delve as deeply into the nuances as I usually do. It's the same thing as reading a book with slightly larger print and/or shorter chapters, even if the word count is exactly the same, I often find myself more compelling to read more words because I get the endorphins of completing something (page, chapter, book, Goodreads yearly book challenge goal, etc).

Obviously, if that was the ONLY reason I was reading books, that wouldn't keep me engaged for very long at all. I just think there is space for both the fun of challenging yourself and making reading into a game and also reading because you love reading.
And it you prefer to engage in one way or the other, that doesn't meab that everyone else is wrong or vapid or something. There can just be both.

Tricia wrote: "I've been asking Goodreads for YEARS to add a page challenge instead of a book challenge. That would solve all these issues. Instead of being punished for reading tomes and encouraged to read graph..."

I would like a page challenge too (I keep track of pages read), but, I find that the GR page count is often way off than the actual pages. (I personally don't count the index, for example, as pages read!)

As far as"crushing the challenge" goes that is a challenge in itself for me. You see I set the goal for myself as my eyesight is getting worse as each year goes by so the delight of physical reading is getting more difficult. Even large print books are sometimes hard to read depending on the day. That is why I set my goal low. So far I was able to finish two books and it took me several months to do so. In those months though I was able to analyze each writer's style and the stories for their worth without just skimming through them as I did when I was younger. I have earned to really appreciate books more now more than ever. I know I could go to audiobooks but a physical book in my hands always is so much better and paints such a more realistic picture of the story than audi ever could.

Tricia wrote: "I've been asking Goodreads for YEARS to add a page challenge instead of a book challenge. That would solve all these issues. Instead of being punished for reading tomes and encouraged to read graph..."

Audiobooks count as 1 page per chapter, and I'm sure people would still be up in arms over graphic novel readers. I think it's always going to be apples and oranges, and that's only a problem if people can't stop comparing.

I, for one, ❤️ Goodreads for the reviews of trusted friends there! I almost always choose my books from their recommendations. Challenges area minor part of their fiber where truly sincere, trusted friendships reign!

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’..."

There is nothing to understand I think. I want to crush it because I like the challenge. Yeah, people read 100, 200 books but what do we know about their life ? I've read 50 books this year and this had never happened before. I was sick for 2 months and couldn't work so I crushed my reading challenge pretty hard this year. Usually I read 30/40 books maximum.

And well:

• Some people can read really fast.
• Some people don't have ADHD and can actually focus while reading. It helps.
• Some can multitasking. They can listen an audiobook and do anything else.
• Some can even listen audiobook at work.
• Some people are retired.
• Some people are addicted.
• Some are sick and have time to read, like me this year.

Reading a lot doesn't mean you don't think about your book. It's not exclusive: you can match quantity and quality.

PS : I don't understand how people can read 500 books a year because it's 10 books a week and I wanna know their secret!

I set my goal this year of reading 10 books...haven't gone past 5. But I read 4 books to my daughter almost every night... so... that means I already completed this years challenge? #lol

In regards to audiobooks, I am very careful with what ones I choose to listen to. Right now I'm listening to the Harry Potter series which I have already read when they first came out. I would rather read a book as it has a different affect on me than listening to a book. But there are some books I've listened to that I have enjoyed a lot because of how much the person speaking puts into their emotions etc. To me it's like watching tv a bit. I think audiobooks are a great tool and I have some friends in my book club who listen to audiobooks instead of reading and that's ok. Choice is good.

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’..."

My sentiments exactly. I do the challenge to push myself to read more books each year at MY pace, but for me it‘s all about the quality, not the quantity. I thought I could maybe read 2 books a month, so I signed up for 24 this year. Having achieved that a month ago, I upped the ante to 30. But i‘m being realistic about my reading speed. I want to retain a memory of these books in the future! Great comment from you!

A King Book under 300 pages? What is it, a short story? (Sorry, I just read the long version of the Stand last year)

Devika wrote: "Yeah, people read 100, 200 books but what do we know about their life ? I've read 50 books this year and this had never happened before. I was sick for 2 months and couldn't work so I crushed my reading challenge pretty hard this year. Usually I read 30/40 books maximum."

Since I discovered the reading challenge in 2013 (I think it was), it has kept me on track to read a minimum of 25 books a year (my goal). Sometimes it is easy, sometimes it is a struggle. But it keeps me acocuntable (to myself).

Years ago (before I was on GR), I read almost 70 books on year -- that is very unusual. But that's becuase I was taking a year off of work (I was burnt out), so I had a lot of time to read. Then once I started school again, my reading dropped (one year, I only read 12 books -- I didn't read one book in six months!). And my reading will also fluctuate depending on what's going on in my life (work, school, illness, travel, my commute).

As you said, people have all sorts of circumstances which is why some people read 100+ books a year, and some struggle to read 10. For myself, 25 is a nice challenge :)

Sofia wrote: "so... that means I already completed this years challenge? #lol"

I say yes!

Stephen wrote: "Perhaps the real reason for this list is to expose what possibly are great stories that are bypassed as worthy to read just because they are shorter. Spare me the outrage. Read long or short books,..."

Personally, I appreciate this list, I've got a couple of books at the library I'm waitlisted for but not far enough out to start something long. But I could get through 300 pages before my checkout period is 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’..."

Totally agree with you. I'm quite happy to read what I want to read, when I want to read it and at the pace that is comfortable for me. Well said, Anna.