GoodReads Yearly Book Challenge

[Kirsty, Jedi Master]

We are approaching the end of the year! How is everyone doing with their GR Book challenges?

I completed mine yesterday - 55 books - go me. However it feels like a hollow victory this year, and I'm pretty sure it'll be the lowest number of pages read that I've done for a good few years, as there's quite a few children's' books in there. As I've mentioned a few times (sorry!) I had a baby back in May so this has really affected the amount of books I've been able to read!

As well as talking about progress, how do you feel about the GR challenges generally? Do you find it helps you read more? Puts you off? Or do you just stick in a number and then not think about it for the rest of the year?

[Nic, Wormhole Technician]

I've managed to beat mine for the first time actually, but mostly because i've set myself a much lower target this year (due to studying) so i didn't expect to be reading as much. I set myself a conservative target of 18, but i'm currently on 31 for the year, so a little underestimated! Just checked my stats and i've read a lot less pages than previous years.

I like to set myself a difficult challenge to keep me motivated, after all, it's not really a challenge unless it's challenging!

[Kirsty, Jedi Master]

Nic wrote: "I've managed to beat mine for the first time actually, but mostly because i've set myself a much lower target this year (due to studying) so i didn't expect to be reading as much. I set myself a co..."

Very true indeed on the challenge front... ha.

I just checked my stats, last year I read 13k pages, 72 books, smashing my target of 45. This year I set a target of 55 knowing that I wouldn't get anywhere near 70 books this year, but I've read 9.5k pages. Soooooo much less!

[Rinn, (Retired mod) Captain of the SSV Normandy]

I managed to beat mine twice, first it was 52 then 75. I set it lower than normal because of uni, I was reading fiction a lot less. Now it's 100, and I've read 87 books - if I don't make it then it will be the first time I've read less than 100 books in a year for a long time! :(

[Kirsty, Jedi Master]

Rinn wrote: "I managed to beat mine twice, first it was 52 then 75. I set it lower than normal because of uni, I was reading fiction a lot less. Now it's 100, and I've read 87 books - if I don't make it then it..."

Still a good amount of time to go! Have you got much time off over Christmas? Prime reading time!

[Paul, A wanderer in unknown realms]

I'm on my second target now, I originally went for 65 books , around the same amount as I managed the previous two years but I passed that ages ago so I upped it to 90. I'm currently on 86 but I have 20 pages left in an Anthology and half way through another book so 88 by weeks end.
My reading rate shot up this year (partly down to this group plus a longer time on public transport when I changed Job)
My page count is much higher with my average book length about 350 pages compared to 300 last year.

[Rinn, (Retired mod) Captain of the SSV Normandy]

I have a week off at Christmas, then back to work for NYE and NYD (who will be visiting museums on NYD?? Surely everyone will be in bed...)

I've read quite a lot since I came back from the Netherlands though, so maybe I'll make it. I read during all my breaks, on the 10 minute bus journey to work and back, and at least a couple of hours in the evening most days. Either that or get distracted by Netflix :P

[Nic, Wormhole Technician]

Rinn wrote: "I have a week off at Christmas, then back to work for NYE and NYD (who will be visiting museums on NYD?? Surely everyone will be in bed...)"

One of the best things about living in Scotland, practically nothing opens on NYD, i haven't had to work a single one since i moved up here. I have horrific memories of dragging myself out of bed to work, and there being absolutely no point, because almost everyone else didn't leave their house.

[Sam]

Nic wrote: "Rinn wrote: "I have a week off at Christmas, then back to work for NYE and NYD (who will be visiting museums on NYD?? Surely everyone will be in bed...)"

One of the best things about living in Sco..."

I live in Germany, and I can't imagine how horrifying it must be to get up early on NYD! It never occured to me that this was common anywhere in the world...

I surpassed my reading challenge - again. I don't know how I do it, but since joining in 2011, my reading has gone up every year. Back then I would read maybe 60-ish books a year, now I've read 108 and we've still got 5 weeks left. Sometimes I wish I could go back to normal, read less and just relax a little. But then the next two or three intriguing titles come my way and I'm all dribbling desire ;)

[Rinn, (Retired mod) Captain of the SSV Normandy]

Nic wrote: "Rinn wrote: "I have a week off at Christmas, then back to work for NYE and NYD (who will be visiting museums on NYD?? Surely everyone will be in bed...)"

One of the best things about living in Sco..."

I always assumed you were from Scotland! I didn't know you moved there :)

Admittedly I don't have to get up SUPER early for work, I don't start until 9.45 because the museum doesn't open at 10, but even so... if we HAVE to open, I don't see why it couldn't just be a half day and open at lunch or something :/

Haha Sam - dribbling desire. That's definitely how I feel in bookshops!

[Cupcakes & Machetes, Hybrid Creature]

I set my goal for 50 this year and am currently at 76. Though they still count the books that you quit so it's probably more like 72.

[Rinn, (Retired mod) Captain of the SSV Normandy]

You can remove those books by taking away the start/finish dates :)

If I DNF a book I tend to leave it under my own 'read-2015' or whatever shelf, so I know I tried the book then, but I delete the dates so it doesn't count towards my goal.

[Whitney]

I usually do 50 but this year I did 40 because I knew I would be to busy and didn't want to add more stress to my plate. I don't think thats what the reading challenge was originally about just challenging yourself to read more than you usually do, making it an everyday thing , a part of your routine and enjoying it. Not cramming smaller books in or reading books we don't want to read just so we can have one more book closer to reaching a certain amount. I've been thinking of either not doing one next year and just reading as I please and enjoying it at my own pace or doing a low number like 12 and then reading what ever and however I want. Anyways I am 7 books behind but i'm not stressing out I'm also a grad student and I try to write etc so the fact that I managed to read over 30 books this year is amazing.

[Paul]

I have 18 books left to go for mine. On target to finish though

[Cupcakes & Machetes, Hybrid Creature]

Good to know Rinn, thanks!

[Scott]

I achieved one goal already (Goal: 104 books ~ I'm currently at 112) and another goal I'm on pace to beat (Goal: 34,000 pages for the year).

But best of all is that I read some really good books this year and had fun.

[Christina]

I originally set my goal at 30, then upped the challenge to 50. I beat my challenge earlier than expected this year. I didn't bother to up it a 2nd time, but I like the GR challenge because I feel it pushes me to read more.

The group challenges are also a lot of fun because I think it helps me branch out into books I may have never taken a second look at and there are so many fun and unique challenges out there.

[Roger, Knight Radiant]

I finished mine a little while ago, I had set it at 100 but have read 113. I'm going to try and read another 10 or so by the end of the year but I'm not going to up my goal.

I might lower it next year and read a little slower, I feel like I've just been reading to check things of the challenge list and while that's enjoyable I think I'm going to change gears next year.

[Tom]

I'm on 69 of 70 so should be done in the next couple of days.
didn't know you could check the number of pages read, do you need be on a desktop for that

[Paul]

You need to be on the desktop for that i think. Go to the my books link and there is a stats link near the bottom.

[Lancer, Warden of the Slums]

Wow, I wish I had time to keep up with you guys, I set my goal at 30 and am on pace for about 35. It would be closer to 40 but read a couple 1200 page books that took a while.

[Sarah]

I feel like such a slacker. Mine is set to 30. Still three to go, but I'm about 80% done with The Color of Magic finally, so that will be finished up for sure this weekend.
Going to try to finish up the one other book that has been lingering on my reading shelf this weekend as well (yay for 4 day holiday weekends), that will leave me with one more with a month to go. I should end up a little over my goal.

I like that the challenge helps me keep track of how much I am reading, but I do feel like it pressures me a little to meet the goal rather than just enjoy what I am reading.

[Paul]

The challenge is pushing yourself a little Sarah, it doesn't matter if it is 12, 24 or 50 at the end of the day

[Shawnie]

I've read more this year than any other due to the challenges here, listening to audio books while commuting, and watching less Netflix. :D I upped my goal once but didn't up it enough. My pages are also up since I'm reading slightly longer books. Does it seem the trend is going to longer books?

Thanks for the tip to remove dates on DNF's! I don't like to rate them or include them in my totals.

[Rinn, (Retired mod) Captain of the SSV Normandy]

Well since we're SFF readers, I guess we will typically have longer books than those who don't read those genres :P

[Whitney]

I also shifted gears this year which I think was helpful. since I don't have a steady income anymore and i'm not guaranteed to get money every week or month I don't do book shopping ( though I still go to Barnes and Noble and browse and have some tea). The result has been using overdrive a lot more and reading my own books that I own and haven't read. It feels really good to get some of those off the TBR shelf that have been there for 5 years.

[Shawnie]

Chakara, I love Overdrive. That's where I get all my audiobooks from the library. :) I'm trying my first Overdrive ebook on my phone. It's not so bad. FREE is awesome.

[Milou]

I set my goal to 25 this year, but am now on 36. I am at uni 5 days a week, often from 8 till 22.00, and I work the other 2 days, and ALL holidays... bye bye christmas, easter, NYD, etc... Therefore I set my goal lower than previous years (used to be 50). Ill set the goal higher again next year

[Whitney]

Shawnie wrote: "Chakara, I love Overdrive. That's where I get all my audiobooks from the library. :) I'm trying my first Overdrive ebook on my phone. It's not so bad. FREE is awesome."

yes I love that you can read them on your browser on your phone or you can check them out through an existing amazon or Barnes account.

[Jeff]

I set my goal at 30 this year. I am on 32. the last couple weeks have gone very slowly even though the books I'm reading a very good. I think 30 is a good number for me it's about what I can handle. next year I will set at 4:40 and see what happens.

[Susie]

I'm amazed at how much some of you guys read! I wish I had more time. I never sign up for the challenge because I don't know how well the number would motivate me. Currently I'm only at 35 books, but over 15k pages because there were some long ones.

I'm more interested in finding challenges that will motivate me to read different books or titles than I would normally grab, so that's my goal this upcoming year. :)

[Paul, A wanderer in unknown realms]

Sounds good.
I'm doing a seven continents challenge for next year,reading a scifi or Fantasy book by someone or set on each of the continents.
Less challenging in terms of the amount of reading but still making me think outside the box a little.

[Paul]

The challenge I designed for this year had a number of categories loosely based around a deck of cards that was designed to push people in directions that they would normally venture

[Paul, A wanderer in unknown realms]

I liked the sound of it ascsomething a bit different :-)

[Lynne]

Rinn wrote: "You can remove those books by taking away the start/finish dates :)

thanks for the tip Rinn!

I surpassed my set challenge (45) in the summer so increased it and had passed it 2 weeks ago but with Rinn's tip knocked two abandoned books off the challenge so i still have a little to go but i have this week off and time over christmas so i'm expecting to surpass my set challenge before the year finishes.

I like the challenge - i never set it so high that its unreachable but like to know how many books I've read in a year and sort of what rate of reading.

[Lel]

I beat my challenge of 120 books and have read 141 so far, will probably make 150 by the end of the year. I do work and other stuff as well as read I promise. I just have issues putting my kindle away.......

[ladymurmur]

I rather enjoy the view the challenge widget gives of all my covers read. For me the challenge provides a convenient means to track how much I am reading each year, rather than being a bar to hit. I've up'd my target number each year, and manage to beat it each time. This year it was set at 140, and I'm currently at 171.

Like Lel, I have trouble putting my kindle away. :-) It is especially companionable on insomniac nights.

[Lancer, Warden of the Slums]

You guys seriously blow my mind. That's like a book every 2 days. I set my challenge @ 30 and was happy to beat it. That is on top of kids and university tho. And I suppose video games cuts into it quite a bit as well. But still, I'm impressed.

[Audrey, Queen of the Potato People]

Wow, some of you are crazy fast readers. I've been able to read more with the kids getting bigger. I have surpassed my GR goal of 50 (64 now), and I need two more for the A to Z author challenge.

[Lel]

What letters are you looking for Audrey?

[Wayland, Ernest Scribbler]

I'm at 113 out of 100 for my challenge, and I have a few left to go. I'm most of the way through the 2015 challenge, and have a few books left in the Marvel/DC challenge.

[Freya, Dragon Rider]

I don't think I'm on track to reach my target of 50 books, I think I've read 40 or 41. Last couple of years they've been 40 and I've passed then by a few but 45 might have been more sensible!

I upped my challenge because I was meeting it and because I would nearly be finished with studying (I am now!) but I usually only manage to read ~20-100 pages a day when I read. I have had a couple of massive books this year which have taken me a long time too.

I miss the days I was able to read a book every two days :P

[Audrey, Queen of the Potato People]

Lel wrote: "What letters are you looking for Audrey?"

I have all the letters; I am reading an "I" book (it's long) and then I'll read my "V" book.

I couldn't find a good "Q" one, so I went with a children's picture book. For "X" I cheated and used someone who had an x in the name.

[Kimonawhim]

Color me impressed.
I finally finished my challenge of 15 books, which is incredibly little and such a low goal, but I am happy to have reached it either way. I've only been back into reading for about 4-ish months now, (I suppose my trip to London inspired me), after having not spend one and a half year or so nót reading. I have -no- idea what I did with my life back then... O_O

[Paul, A wanderer in unknown realms]

Welcome back to the reader family ;-)

[Paul]

Well done Kimberley. I have 11 to go

[Kimonawhim]

Thanks! So glad to be back ;) so much catching up to do still.

Also, I meant 'Color me impressed' by the sick amount of books some of you read in a year... O.o

[Kate]

I reached my goal of 50 books a few months ago, and I am up to 70 now. I was really sick for a lot of this year, so I had more time to read than I originally anticipated.

[Wayland, Ernest Scribbler]

I ended the year at 128 out of 100. Not a bad year for reading.

[Paul]

Well done Wayland