2025 Reading Challenge discussion
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That's a funny coincidence! Last week I went through a purge of books on my TBR and dumped about 50 that I know I really don't intend to read. I still have way too many books on there, though! I'm definitely not adding as many books to the list as I used to be, which helps a little.
Kara wrote: "Today I went through my whole TBR and took off the books that I wouldn't read.Then, because purging felt so good, I went through all of our bookshelves and put books I didn't need to own anymore ..."
I'm doing that with my TBR list, but I can only a few books at a time.
I am also getting rid of books I no longer want, but I am no way near a bag. I think I have gotten rid of three books so far.
My goal this year is to read more kindle books that I own than I buy new ones :) Bought a lot for vacation last year. I always get like : "Maybe I get on a fantasy streak.. and maybe I get totally hooked on this series? Or maybe this series? Or maybe I want to read Stephen King the whole time? Or normal fiction? "
You can imagine... Probably bought like 20 books...
Of course I always overestimate my pace too, I was still reading Harry Potter when I got home :P
I think I might look at reducing my TBR list. I know for my Randomizer Challenge, when some books came up, I had never heard of them and have no memory of putting them on my TBR list. I should at least know the books on my list. Geesh.
Haha ^^ I erased everything, every boo read on my goodreads, this year. Wanted order, so now I will add date to them and review. There was no order :P So my tbr isn't that bad yet, but it is lile 50 books in four months though, not counting my personal complete works challenge for Stephen King, Erin Hunter and Wilbur Smith and many others, of course the 1295 remaining books in the complete 1001 list:P not gonna be bored the next 40 years ^^
I just wanted to drop a quick note to say how much I really enjoy this group! Professional and personal obligations have kept me from being the reader I once was but now that I am a part of this group I am energized and reading quite a bit more and that is a fantastic thing!I enjoy being "challenged" by the challenges and find myself reading a great variety of material as well as favorite genres. Thank you to all who work to keep this group up and running and interesting as well as all of the participants. I have gotten some wonderful new ideas on what to read from all of your posts!
The next 6 months are pretty full but I hope to participate more in the future and help out in whatever ways I can. It's a great group and I'd like to support it in as many ways as possible. Thanks again!
Mary Pat
I feel the same way! I have to read a lot because my shoulder is bad and I don't watch a lot of movies ans tv, so reading is my main thing now. This group has just rekindled my love for reading. I find myself adding challenges, and I love my corner where I have all kinds of challenges, many are just my own personal ones. I also notice I read more varied books:)
That's so great to hear, Mary Pat and Winter! Thank you, both, for being members and participants. :)
Hey, guys! I love this site but my one main criticism is that we cannot give half stars in our reviews (3.5 or 4.5). One of my work friends contacted Goodreads about this. Goodreads responded that their market research shows that people actually review fewer books when they have ten possible ratings to provide, rather than 5. I think that's incorrect - the people who actually rate and review books on a regular basis with continue to do so, whether there are five ratings or ten. What do you all think? Do you want the half star option? We're one of the largest book clubs on the site, so if a vast majority of us want half stars, then maybe we can get their perception of our natures changed:)
Yes! I completely agree with this. When I want to give a half star I usually just write it in my review that that's my actual rating but I would really like to have the option to give a half star. Not sure where they are getting their research but I think it's false that people wouldn't rate. Maybe the people that don't care to rate in the first place wouldn't but that's not really a loss...
There's been quite a bit of research on this discussed in the Feedback Group. While I'm also in the camp of wanting half stars, I understand what they mean. You can read Goodreads' official stance on half stars here: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
Yes, they included that information to my friend as well. Apparently Netflix has the same research. I just do not understand who they are polling for this info - I would be inclined to rate more because it would more accurately reflect my views.
I think that, for people who rate many books (like us), the half stars would be great. I think other people, not already committed to rating books, may shy away from it.There's a difference between committed users and new users, and it may be true that adding half stars would prevent some newer users from rating books by presenting more choice.
I think the research is sound--you and I just might not be the "average" user. :)
The other thing I thought was interesting was that half stars get fewer votes than full stars. So instead of a bell curve for ratings (as most books get with the current system), you get a jagged line--more ratings at full stars and significantly fewer ratings at half stars. This is because folks tend to default to full stars and only use half stars when they're not sure.
I would really like half stars too. Usually when I want to give a half star, I rate the book to the lower rating and then in my review I add the half star. It is interesting that someone has done research around half star ratings.
I think Kara is right about those not committed. I know my ratings can be inflated. I automatically give one star before I start reading because the person finished a book, and then another star if the book has been properly edited (50 Shades of Grey missed that start), and another if I can finish the book. I just feel guilty for giving anything less, so I guess for me, I only have three options: 3 stars, 4 stars, and 5 stars.
I think we all have different ways of using the rating system--I'd be curious to hear everyone's. For me:
1 star: absolutely detested, had a very negative visceral reaction
2 stars: would not recommend, did not enjoy
3 stars: it was fine
4 stars: enjoyed and would recommend it to the right person
5 stars: loved it, would read it again (oftentimes right away), was changed by it
I give half stars (written in the review) if I'm really torn between two options.
I can be quite a harsh reviewer. I try to stay away from half stars, I've never been a fan of them. For me three stars is still a recommendation.1 star - what complete and utter bullsh*t
2 stars - some redeeming qualities
3 stars - I liked it, it was enjoyable
4 stars - I enjoyed it and the writing was good
5 stars - I would sell my kidneys to have written this
I use half-stars in the review. If the rating is a half star off I will tell, I have an 1001 books app too and it says in the notes the real rating with half stars. 5 is just to little. I have been getting stricter as a found that I gave too many 5 and they didn't really mean that much.
I try to be as honest as possible and rate using the following: 1. Absolutely hated it
2. Didn't enjoy it but wasn't dreadful
3. It was alright but wouldn't recommend
4. Really liked it, glad I read it but it's not going to be an all-time favourite
5. Loved it and want to share it with the world!
I try not to give half stars as my feelings are usually pretty accurately summed up using one of the full stars!
I use half stars a lot in my reviews. Basically, it shakes out to this:5 - almost never give, absolutely amazing with flawless writing and makes me think about the story days or even weeks later.
4.5 - really good but not perfect. Ending needed a tweak, character issue, or gap in the plot, etc.
4 - Still good but weaker writer or bigger gaps.
3.5 - Would still recommend but had larger issues.
3 - Just ok. Something lost my interest or there was a character issue or really large gap in the story.
2.5 - Really wanted to be ok but not quite there. Usually, under three there are either factual errors or significant issues with the plot.
2 - Definitely do not recommend. Fell flat or had trouble finishing, typically writing problems
1 - Did not like at all and/or could not finish the book. I almost never finish a book, so this is a rare rating for me.
Megan wrote: "I use half stars a lot in my reviews. Basically, it shakes out to this:5 - almost never give, absolutely amazing with flawless writing and makes me think about the story days or even weeks later..."
I really like your rating system. It's like you expanded how I feel...but I give a larger number of 5s. I think it's because the only thing I love more than reading is people. Even when the writing isn't perfect, if the author can remove me from the world, I'm in love.
It's really interesting seeing everyone's system for rating. I've just recently gotten the hang of writing reviews for pretty much every book I read. So I try to be pretty honest with my take on each. My stars shake out to *mostly* the following:
1- Could not stand/could not finish. I'm extremely stubborn about finishing books I've started so it's rare that I don't finish a book. But sometimes you come across something that you just have a visceral dislike for. One of my one stars is Lolita for an example. Obviously, it's a classic and people have flipped for it for years. But I couldn't deal with the book or the hype around it, but it was probably all the hype that actually put it on the "I hate this level" if that makes any sense?
2- I got through it but wasn't interested in it, the author's style, the characters, etc. Not something I'll ever read again (probably) and not something I'd recommend.
3- I feel like I give more 3 stars than anything else. For me it's a mid-road rating. There were parts of the book I got something out of for whatever reasons and I might recommend the book to the right person. But all in all it was pretty unimpressive.
4- I really liked this book or at least some aspect of it enough for it to really stick with me. I'll probably recommend it more so than a 3 star rating and it's a book I'd add to my library.
5- Not something I give out extremely often. Given to books that really make an impression. When I finish up with an amazing book I tend to make a dork out of myself by sitting back and saying, "wow." So any book that finishes with a wow usually ends up being a five star for me. However, it might also be a book that I still think about years later for some reason. Like a book I read when I was a kid that I have good memories of, the first book that had a main character that I really identified with, a book where the author has a unique perspective or an interesting way of telling their story or of making their characters come to life, etc. So my five star-ers aren't always unbiased but I try to mention why they're a five star for me in the review. Especially if it's more sentimental than anything else.
It looks like most of us have relatively similar ideas about what each star should mean. Unfortunately it isn't the same as GR's definition which is strangely generous to me on the 2 and 3 star definitions. So I am with you guys.
I take GR's as a guideline--I think users should rate books however they wish. :)I love hearing about how you all rate books!
A related question: what is your average rating and rating breakdown? My average is 3.68, and my ratings break down like this:
5 stars: 22%
4 stars: 42%
3 stars: 19%
2 stars: 10%
1 star: 5%
(You can find this by going to your profile and click on the "x.xx average" under your profile picture.)
I've just recently made my rating system a lot more concrete. I just joined last year so it took a bit of adjusting. Here it is:
1 star: I couldn't finish or absolutely detested this book. I very rarely don't finish a book, I am very stubborn about this so most of my one star ratings are books that I really disliked for some reason or other. I rarely give out this rating.
2 stars: This book had some kind of essential flaw. Either the characters or the plot fell flat for me, there were a lot of inconsistencies. In general I just couldn't get into it.
3 stars: This is still a fairly low rating for me. It was okay but not great. I still most likely wouldn't recommend this.
4 stars: This is where most of my books end up. I really enjoyed this read, it flowed well and the characters were well done.
5 stars: I absolutely loved this book. Couldn't put it down, the characters really got me, and something about it really touched me and will stick with me.
My average rating is 3.98. My rating breakdown:
5 stars: 28%
4 stars: 47%
3 stars: 17%
2 stars: 4%
1 star: 1%
1 star: I couldn't finish or absolutely detested this book. I very rarely don't finish a book, I am very stubborn about this so most of my one star ratings are books that I really disliked for some reason or other. I rarely give out this rating.
2 stars: This book had some kind of essential flaw. Either the characters or the plot fell flat for me, there were a lot of inconsistencies. In general I just couldn't get into it.
3 stars: This is still a fairly low rating for me. It was okay but not great. I still most likely wouldn't recommend this.
4 stars: This is where most of my books end up. I really enjoyed this read, it flowed well and the characters were well done.
5 stars: I absolutely loved this book. Couldn't put it down, the characters really got me, and something about it really touched me and will stick with me.
My average rating is 3.98. My rating breakdown:
5 stars: 28%
4 stars: 47%
3 stars: 17%
2 stars: 4%
1 star: 1%
My recommendation system basically breaks down exactly like Stefani's. One star reviews for me are basically reserved for books that were so bad I couldn't even finish them.My average rating is 3.59 with
5 stars: 15%
4 stars: 35%
3 stars: 42%
2 stars: 6%
1 star: 0% (only two books out of 393 rated)
Happy Mother's Day to all of the mothers and mothers-to-be! I hope you are able to spend some time together with your family today.
I'm terrible. Which two books only received one star?
It's funny, because I know there are a lot of fans who will scream at me for these ones, but Inkheart and Dracula are my two one star books. I just couldn't get through them. Inkheart had a great premise but I felt like I was slogging through. Dracula felt like it was finished before the book was halfway over, and I couldn't go any further. Maybe I'll try them again some day.
I felt the same way about Dracula! Absolutely loved about the first third then ugh. It dragged, and I had to force myself to finish.
Ok, I have a long shot question. My Aunt told me about a sci-fi book she read awhile ago but she forgot the name of it. It sounded SOOO interesting! Here is what I know about it if anyone can help me out with a title?A husband and wife participate in an age reversal experiment knowing that it may or may not work, and of course, it only took for husband who got to return to age 25 as he watched his wife continue to age.
... Any ideas?
Oooooh that does sound really good! I haven't heard about it but I'm intrigued now :)
The Confessions of Max Tivoli?curious Case of Benjamin Button?
Voracious_reader wrote: "The Confessions of Max Tivoli?curious Case of Benjamin Button?"
No... I checked those out and it's a no go. :( Thanks for guessing though... If I figure it out before anyone can figure it out for me I'll post here.
Voracious_reader wrote: "Robert J. sawyerRollback"
OMG YES!!! Thank you!!! I'm such an idiot, Rollback is on my TBR list and I still couldn't figure it out haha!
Ha. That happens to me too. I love finding books for other people, though, so thank you!
Does anyone else have a book addiction? I keep buying more books, and I have literally hundreds of "to-read" books but I still buy more and get books from the library too. I have a problem!
Most definitely, Catherine! I was doing so good earlier this year with not buying books until I read some more, but I've been buying so many at good prices that my to-read shelf is packed again. I'm hoping I can pare it down a bit during the last half of the year.
I have the same problem. Especially now that it's yard sale season. I bought four boxes of books for only $4. One box was all Babysitters Club for my daughter, one was middle grade, one was YA (half of which I'm going to read), and the last was books I'm going to read. It wouldn't be so bad, but I'm keeping up with the books posted in this challenge too!
Yes that is definitely an addiction for me. My TBR shelf is huge (like over 3000 books huge!) It's hard because I do so many challenges and I see the completed ones that have all these books on them that look really good. So while the challenges should make my list shorter because they motivate me to read more, in reality I probably add three books for every one I read! haha
I have done good with not buying physical books lately but I have a new addiction to buying free or very cheap ebooks on amazon...It's just too easy!
I have done good with not buying physical books lately but I have a new addiction to buying free or very cheap ebooks on amazon...It's just too easy!
I feel better now, my to-read shelf is under 600. :) I tell myself I'm stocking up on books now so I can fulfill my life's dream of retiring early and just reading books all day every day. Unfortunately I'm only 44 ... I have a long wait!Kelsi, I do the same thing with adding books to my to-read list more often than I finish one. Plus I have books I like to re-read once a year or every two years, so that doesn't help decrease the numbers either.
Catherine wrote: "I feel better now, my to-read shelf is under 600. :) I tell myself I'm stocking up on books now so I can fulfill my life's dream of retiring early and just reading books all day every day. Unfor..."
Lol ya 600 isn't that bad! Honestly I should really go through and clean my list because there are probably a lot of books on there that I probably don't actually want to read anymore.
I have the same goal when I retire except I have a much longer wait, I am only 25! I like that reasoning though, I might use that one next time I stock up on books!
Lol ya 600 isn't that bad! Honestly I should really go through and clean my list because there are probably a lot of books on there that I probably don't actually want to read anymore.
I have the same goal when I retire except I have a much longer wait, I am only 25! I like that reasoning though, I might use that one next time I stock up on books!
One of my many quirks is that if I buy a book to read, I HAVE to read it. Even if I don't like it, I force myself to finish it. (Although that actually doesn't happen that often!) So pretty much everything on my to-read shelf is probably going to get read eventually ... unless something bad happens and I don't live long enough to finish them.I've been putting a lot of cheap or free Amazon books on my Kindle too. At least those don't take up shelf space!
I am the same way once I start reading a book, I can't put it down. If I read the description again and it isn't catching me like it initially did I will remove it from my TBR. I would really like to get in the habit of putting books down that I don't enjoy though because life is too short for bad books when there are so many good ones out there!
I don't put books down once I've started them (with only a couple of exceptions), but I did recently donate a few books that I purchased years ago and now have no interest in reading. They were never going to be a priority for me, so they probably never would have gotten read. I figured someone else could enjoy them more.
Hi Everyone,I just want to let you all know about a free book on Kindle right now. One of our members, Gwen, just read it, really liked it and asked me to pass the information along. It is called Box Set: Books 1-3. Gwen is not affiliated with the books at all, she just liked them and wanted everyone to have the information. Happy Reading.
2025 Reading Challenge
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Authors mentioned in this topic
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Then, because purging felt so good, I went through all of our bookshelves and put books I didn't need to own anymore in the giveaway pile--I filled a whole paper grocery bag. I also made sure books I owned but hadn't yet read were on my TBR.
All in all, my TBR went from 539 books to 398.
I feel so much lighter. :) And NOW I feel like I can finally sign up for the Randomiser Challenge.