Self challenge - Joo's going to read all her really old books

[Joo]

Just before Christmas I tidied up my book spreadsheet to mark off all the books I read in what year and what GR rating I gave them.
Two years ago, I did my month by month challenge and have kept up putting the books into the monthly collection, and tidied that up too.
So my challenge this year is to clear out all the books I downloaded in 2011 - the year I bought my kindle. I have a head start in that I didn't get it until mid-February, but I know that I got a massive amount of books in December.

I won't be tagging all the books I get through, but perhaps I'll mention any reasonably good books.

[Desley (Cat fosterer)]

Good luck, I could do with doing something similar except I don't want to read some of the classics! We do download some of the same books so will be interested in which you like

[Michael]

Good luck and all, but spreadsheet... wa...?

[Joo]

It's been 5 years in the making lol.
Pretty much cut n paste from Manage my Kindle.

[Anna]

A gold star (five of them) for being so well organized, Joo.

[Jud]

I have a spreadsheet too :o) I love it. I mostly have free books left from 2011 (70p worth of unread books) and my challenge is to get through as many of them as I can.

Good luck with yours

[Elle]

Good Luck Joo!!

I have a spreadsheet but mine is just prices etc so I can keep track of money spent, it guilts me into not buying loads more.

I use collections on my kindle to do it! This year I decided to put my foot down and keep the collections but removed all the books in the ones not from the earliest year and I am doing the same as you. Reading the oldest ones first! It's weird cause a lot of these are things I was really excited for.

I'm not making myself feel too bad though. If I really don't like the book I won't force myself to finish, after all tastes change. 2011 is my year as well. Last year I managed to clear all my 2010 ones :)

I'm only like...5 years behind hahaa.

[Jud]

I cleared all my 2010 ones either last year or the year before. 2011 has 327 books to go... I'll never get through them all in 1 year. In contrast I only bought 10 books in 2015!

I might go through the list and clear out books I have no more interest in reading.

[Joo]

I don't delete any books, I just put them in a "not finished" collection.
And I'm more than happy to dump any books in there.
Sometimes if I'm bored and don't want to read, I'll look at the ones I think I' won't like, just to dump them.

[Elle]

Joo wrote: "I don't delete any books, I just put them in a "not finished" collection.
And I'm more than happy to dump any books in there.
Sometimes if I'm bored and don't want to read, I'll look at the ones I..."

Of course I don't mean delete from my account entirely but instead from my Kindle. Over the years I have definitely seen a uptake in Kindle speed when I have way less books on it so now I try to keep it as low as possible so only books I'm reading. Since collections are kept in the archives now, it's been really helpful to keep things organised.

[Elle]

Jud (Disney Diva) wrote: "I cleared all my 2010 ones either last year or the year before. 2011 has 327 books to go... I'll never get through them all in 1 year. In contrast I only bought 10 books in 2015!

I might go throu..."

I only bought 4 books in 2015 with my own money - I do have a large pile in my 2015 folder though thanks to various gift cards and loads of free classics I picked up!

[Pam]

Elle wrote: "Good Luck Joo!!

I have a spreadsheet but mine is just prices etc so I can keep track of money spent, it guilts me into not buying loads more.

I use collections on my kindle to do it! This year I ..."

Gosh! I do have some books on my Kindle and have read a few, but haven't been able to get to as many as I'd like because I am trying to read up a vast collection of paperbacks that go back a lot further than 2011! Good luck.

[Joo]

I was going to come here and mention the books I'd read for January.
But then realised I only got my kindle in February doh.

I read 7 from my January list. Nothing too exciting, the best one was How Not to Self-Publish - The Totally Splendid Hotshot Author's Survival Guide

I dumped 9, so that's a reasonable result. One of them was Twelfth Night. Hideous.

[Patti (baconater)]

There's no way I could ever be as organised as you lot.

I'll blame it on sharing my account with Dave.

[Desley (Cat fosterer)]

Me neither, I keep meaning to try tho

[Elle]

My OCD coming out aha

[Joo]

It's useful with goodreads being attached to the kindle as I can add a book as I start reading it.

[Joo]

It was bought in 2012, but I'm enjoying But Can You Drink the Water? by Jan Hurst-Nicholson

[Joo]

Another 2012 book Fatal Exchange by Russell Blake
It looks a longish one, but is OK so far.

[Joo]

If anyone can recommend anything on this list, I'd be grateful. There's definitely a few that will go in the bin pile.
The only one of these that was paid for is Hard Landing (just 49p).
That was before I found out what SL the person was like. In fact I can't really remember why he's so awful, I just know that I boycotted reading his stories

[Jim]

Ironically his is the only name I recognised and having watched him at play, I too would not bother with his books :-)

[Desley (Cat fosterer)]

I've not read any Blake Crouch yet but wouldn't want to bin his. I've read a Jack Daniels short story, enjoyed it. Quite like Jeffrey Archer despite his past. Thomas Hoover I'm debate able about, the first one I gave up on due to typo's, the second I persevered with but wouldn't be in a rush to read the rest

[Joo]

I like Blake Crouch. I've gathered a whole load of Crouch / Konrath / Kilborn books for free and am working my way through the Jack Daniels books.

I used to read Jeffrey Archer a long time ago and read Kane and Abel many decades ago.

I'm sure I'm going to give up on Hoover. I'll see which one has the best GR rating and try that one first.

[Kath]

I enjoyed The Golden Acorn. The only other I've read is The Miracle Inspector. Didn't really do it for me.

[Desley (Cat fosterer)]

Joo wrote: "I like Blake Crouch. I've gathered a whole load of Crouch / Konrath / Kilborn books for free and am working my way through the Jack Daniels books.

I used to read Jeffrey Archer a long time ago and..."

I've also gathered a load of Crouch /Konrath/Kilborn books for free, I'm reading one at the moment

[Elle]

My mother also really enjoyed The Golden Acorn. Haven't read it myself though.

[Pat ()]

Michael R. Hicks In Her Name: Redemption. It was a while back but I enjoyed this one.

[Joo]

Pat (Scorpio) wrote: "Michael R. Hicks In Her Name: Redemption. It was a while back but I enjoyed this one."

It says it's book 8, but also 1-3 in a trilogy. And is 682 pages. I might avoid that one.

[Jud]

I loved the Golden Acorn! I don't think I've read any of the others

[Joo]

Looks like I know what I'm reading next

I'm updating that post with what I've read.

[Joo]

I finished David Grace A Death In Beverly Hills
It was OK. After I finished it I thought it might be a good idea if I check these old books to see if there's been any updates to them. That one had a major update. Ah well, I'll know for next time............ Probably :)

Now I'm reading Eye of the God by Ariel Allison
It's quite good, about a jewel heist.

[Joo]

Eye of the God was a good read. The end was a good one too.

I binned a few more. I got half way through Hard Landing by Stephen Leather but gave up as it just wasn't going anywhere. I wish I'd given up earlier.

I started The Golden Acorn but am not in the mood for it, so I'll park it. It seemed OK.
I just don't know what I fancy reading now.

[Joo]

I've read one of my old books. Not quite my cup of tea but it was enjoyable

J.N. Duncan Deadworld READ 4*

I did bin a few though.
Noel Hynd Hostage in Havana BIN
Charlotte Brontë Villette BIN
Marilyn Brown Oden The Dead Saint BIN
Noel Hynd Hostage in Havana BIN

And I really couldn't be bothered to go back to this one
Catherine Cooper The Golden Acorn BIN

[Jud]

I really enjoyed Villette and The Golden Acorn but I love books where nothing really happens and kids books :o)

[Joo]

I don't delete books, so I might go back to them once I get through the 500+ books in my "to read" collections :)

[Joo]

I binned all the Thomas Hoover books

I quite enjoyed Deadworld by Jackie Rutledge and The Abigail Affair by Timothy Frost

I cross referenced all my outstanding 2011 books with Amazon and requested updates for the ones that seemed to be out of date. It seems that a few of them have been totally reissued with new ones. So I'm wondering if I should bother as if the author thinks the old book is not up to scratch, why should I read it.

[Desley (Cat fosterer)]

Joo wrote: "I binned all the Thomas Hoover books

I quite enjoyed Deadworld by Jackie Rutledge and The Abigail Affair by Timothy Frost

I cross referenced all my outstanding 2011 ..."

It's a shame as he doesn't seem a bad writer, just needs a proof reader!

[Pam]

Joo wrote: "I binned all the Thomas Hoover books

I quite enjoyed Deadworld by Jackie Rutledge and The Abigail Affair by Timothy Frost

I cross referenced all my outstanding 2011 ..."

Doesn't sound promising if the author's replaced it Joo.

[Joo]

I just finished Tag by Simon Royle
It was a really good read once I got into it and got used to 100 years in the future.
In fact apart from the futuristic language and the fact you can travel from London to Sydney in about 2 hours, it could be set in nowadays times.

[Joo]

On my spreadsheet I came across Dennis Batchelder Soul Identity that I'd not marked as read, however on GR I'd listed it in my gave-up collection.

I didn't recall starting it, so gave it a try and it's quite good so far.

[Kath]

I think there were two of them - Soul Somethingelse. I enjoyed them both.

[Joo]

Soul Intent. And there was a third out this year.
But they don't have a rating off you here, though :)

[Desley (Cat fosterer)]

Joo wrote: "On my spreadsheet I came across Dennis Batchelder Soul Identity that I'd not marked as read, however on GR I'd listed it in my gave-up collection.

I didn't recall starting it, so ga..."

That was one of the first kindle books I read, I enjoyed it and would like to read the second. Didn't realise he'd done a third

[Kath]

Joo wrote: "Soul Intent. And there was a third out this year.
But they don't have a rating off you here, though :)"

I read them well before I joined GR. I've never gone back and rated things I read so long ago.

[Joo]

I binned Jack Daniels Stories
I read Code Blue. It was very bad for typos, mainly formatting, but it was on the verge of readable.

I have 19 items left in the collection. I've started looking at them in the order of purchase. Problem is, the only one left that wasn't bought in December is Kane and Abel by Jeffrey Archer and that's about a thousand pages - well not quite, but it's a rather long book.
I read this many years ago and I know he's a good easy author to read, but I'm 12 books behind on my main GR challenge (although I've read about 6 that haven't been released yet), so want to read some shorter ones for now.

[Desley (Cat fosterer)]

Joo wrote: "I binned Jack Daniels Stories
I read Code Blue. It was very bad for typos, mainly formatting, but it was on the verge of readable.

I have 19 items left in the collection. I've start..."

I enjoyed the one Jack Daniels story I've read. I've also read Code Blue this year. Blimey, it's not like you to be behind your challenge

[Joo]

I've read most of the proper Jack Daniels novels. The one I was referring to is a collection of short stories set in the JD universe with other characters, not just her. I didn't care for the other characters, so binned it.

[Joo]

Blake Crouch Desert Places
Blake Crouch Thicker Than Blood - The Complete Andrew Z. Thomas Series
Donna Fasano The Merry-Go-Round
Ernest Shackleton South: The story of Shackleton's last expedition 1914 - 1917
Gordon Mackenzie The True Story of the First Bicycle in The Antarctic
Helen Smith The Miracle Inspector
Jack Kilborn Flee
Jan Hurst-Nicholson The Breadwinners
Patrice Fitzgerald Running
Paul Levine Ballistic
Phil Edwards Cloud Crash: A Technothriller
Rebecca Forster Hostile Witness
Renee Pawlish This Doesn't Happen In The Movies
Saffina Desforges Saffina Desforges Presents....
Sandra Hill A Dixie Christmas
Scott Nicholson The Dead Love Longer

Ariel Allison Eye of the God READ 4*
David Grace A Death In Beverly Hills READ 4*
Dennis Batchelder Soul Identity READ 4*
J.N. Duncan Deadworld READ 4*
Jackie Rutledge Deadworld READ 4*
Jeffrey Archer Kane and Abel
Richard Mabry Code Blue READ 3*
Simon Royle Tag READ 4*
Stephanie Zia Babe On Board
Stephen Leather Hard Landing HALF READ 2*
Timothy Frost The Abigail Affair READ 4*

A. Sparrow Peregrin BIN
A. Sparrow Xenolith BIN
Catherine Cooper The Golden Acorn BIN
Charlotte Brontë Villette BIN
Eric Meyer Killing Faith BIN
J.A. Konrath Jack Daniels Stories BIN
James LePore A World I Never Made BIN
Louise Voss Are You My Mother? BIN
Louise Voss To Be Someone BIN
Marilyn Brown Oden The Dead Saint BIN
Michael R. Hicks In Her Name: Redemption BIN
Michael Wallace The Kingdom of Bears BIN
Noel Hynd Hostage in Havana BIN
Olivia Cunning Backstage Pass BIN
R.G. Cordiner Treasure Lost BIN
Stephen Leather Inspector Zhang Gets His Wish BIN
Thomas Hoover Life Blood BIN
Thomas Hoover Syndrome BIN
Thomas Hoover The Samurai Strategy BIN
Thomas Hoover Caribbee BIN
Tim Sandlin Skipped Parts BIN

[Patti (baconater)]

Ha!

I binned a bunch of those ages ago.

Every Thomas Hoover I had.
Every *gag* Leather.
Konrath is dire.

[Patti (baconater)]

I binned all the Blake Crouches I had, too.

Ick.