The 52 topics for the 2018 Reading Challenge

[Jody]

You can do it, Heather!

[Heather]

I have two books over 400 pages lol

[Michele]

Oh hahhaa! I cant believe I didn't understand that hehe *slowly sinks into the ground from shame*

[Michele]

I am also very excited for this challenge,it is my first time taking part in such a thing. I am also a lot worried haha. I read quite slowly and am also taking part in a monthly stephen king book reading thingy. So..let's see how far I can go before I give up. Also, I have never read so many books (5a month) before ...

[Laura, Celestial Sphere Mod]

As a mod, I haven't been able to finish the challenge in the past 2 years :|

Life happens. But I continue to read way more than I did before participating in the group. So if you don't finish then that's okay, it's just an excuse to up your goal for the year after!

[Charity]

Michele this is my 3rd year and I haven't finished the challenge yet either. Don't give up. If you read more than you normally would you've accomplished something. Welcome to the challenge!

[Michele]

Reading more than usual is my true goal. Although it would be cool to complete such an massive(for me at least) challenge

[Emily, Conterminous Mod]

I started this challenge in June, when I was 6 books behind. At some points, I've been 10 books behind, but I've finally caught up and am on track to finish it with exactly 52 books. It's definitely the most I've ever read in one year! I love this challenge for pushing me to read outside of my comfort zone and read more than I've ever read.

The downside is that I have my least favorite categories left, so I'm stuck finishing the year with books I'm not excited about! (Hugo Award Winner and Collection of Short Stories). Next year, I'll have to plan a bit better!

[Zaz]

Also, we are very nice because we allow to fill some of the prompts with things like children books, novellas and graphic novels. For those enjoying these formats, it's easier to finish the challenge. I read a lot but I like to fill some prompts with easy/quick reads :)

[Michele]

I already chose the first 4 books for January and just realized that they are all at least 200 pages long hehe...wish me luck

[Michelle]

For prompt #1, does the title have to have words that begin with the letters A,T,Y or can the letters just appear anywhere in the title?

[Zaz]

ATY need to be in the title but not at the beginning of the words (you can have all in one word or some in several words).

[Michelle]

Zaz wrote: "ATY need to be in the title but not at the beginning of the words (you can have all in one word or some in several words)."

Thanks Zaz!

[Tracy]

I'm getting very impatient for January 1st!!!!!

[Ann]

Tracy wrote: "I'm getting very impatient for January 1st!!!!!"
I've gone way past impatient. Want to read. Need to start on book club book for January 8th. Can I start it now if I don't finish by after January 1st?

[Tracy]

I have literally pulled a stack of books off my shelf for January and they're sitting here mocking me, lol.....I'm dying 😭

[Joan]

I also can’t wait but there is a small challenge I’m trying to finish for 2017. Three more books to go. I’m off so I might get it done.

[MJ]

Sigh! I have nine books left to read for this challenge! I am too busy reading to think about January 1!

Don't get me wrong though, i have two books waiting next to me for that day, and two or three that are whirling about at the periphery of my brain that want space too!

[Katie]

I have 2 books left for the 2017 challenge, but I'm so not motivated. I'm just so excited for the new challenge.

[Emily, Conterminous Mod]

SAME. I didn’t realize that I was saving my least favorite categories for the end of the year, and now I’m just blah, reading books I’m not excited about while looking at the beautiful stack of books I’m starting in January!

[Marie]

I saved one I was really looking forward to until the end this year, but I'm still looking longingly at next year's pile of books! Maybe I should've hidden them until 1st January, instead of putting them all right next to the sofa.

[Eric]

Marie wrote: "I saved one I was really looking forward to until the end this year, but I'm still looking longingly at next year's pile of books! Maybe I should've hidden them until 1st January, instead of puttin..."

don't put books right in eye sight cause you're tempted to read next year's books

[Ann]

Eric wrote: "Marie wrote: "I saved one I was really looking forward to until the end this year, but I'm still looking longingly at next year's pile of books! Maybe I should've hidden them until 1st January, ins..."I have a special shelf UPSTAIRS where they are out of sight, but I keep going up there to "check" on them.

[Pam]

Tracy wrote: "I'm getting very impatient for January 1st!!!!!"

Me, too! I've already read one book and started another that I was going to read in 2018. I put my library holds in too early! I've got a library ebook I'm waiting for Jan 1 to start reading.

[Charity]

I’ve got 2 left for this year but I’m not sure if I’ll get them finished before the end of the year. I’m almost halfway through one and I’m off but I’m home for the holidays and wanting to spend time with family and friends. We shall see how it goes.

[Ro]

Short stories (up to 50 pages) count for the challenge?

[Jody]

Everything counts!

[Rachael]

For #27 I highly recommend The War that Saved My Life. It is about WW2 and overall and amazing book.

[Shelley]

I have Moby Dick for the book on the water in week 42 and War and Peace for the book that intimidates me in week 45. This may not be the best of plans.

[Laura, Celestial Sphere Mod]

Ann wrote: "Tracy wrote: "I'm getting very impatient for January 1st!!!!!"
I've gone way past impatient. Want to read. Need to start on book club book for January 8th. Can I start it now if I don't finish by a..."

I typically count a book as long as I finished during the year. So if I started it in December, I would still count it as long as I finished in January. Unless it's only a few pages :P

Some may be more strict but it's really how you want to handle your challenge.

[Emily, Conterminous Mod]

It counts for next year if it's finished in 2018, is my philosophy! I am going to finish 2017's challenge today, so I just plan on reading my next choice REALLLLLLY SLOWLYYYYY so that I get that last page in on January 1! haha!

[Claire]

I'm new to this. How do you set up plans? I've searched and can't seem to figure it out.

Also, how do you do the following?
"Create a dedicated shelf in your profile, copy-paste its name (not the url) in the "challenge box" and add your books to this shelf!"

I've gone to my profile, but do not see a "challenge box"?

[MJ]

Shelley wrote: "I have Moby Dick for the book on the water in week 42 and War and Peace for the book that intimidates me in week 45. This may not be the best of plans."

If you're having trouble deciding between the two, War and Peace all the way. Long, but I was sad when it ended. Moby Dick was painful.

[MJ]

Claire wrote: "I'm new to this. How do you set up plans? I've searched and can't seem to figure it out.

Also, how do you do the following?
"Create a dedicated shelf in your profile, copy-paste its name (not the..."

A "plan" is just what your personal plan is to get through all your books!

As for the challenge box, it will appear on the group home page on January 1. This will be my third time doing this, and I always have trouble with getting my shelf set up. Maybe this year I'll get it the first try!

[MJ]

Claire wrote: "I'm new to this. How do you set up plans? I've searched and can't seem to figure it out.

Also, how do you do the following?
"Create a dedicated shelf in your profile, copy-paste its name (not the..."

Sorry Claire, the "plan" part is copying the 2018 topic list that's at the beginning of this thread, and pasting into a "new topic" in the "2018 plans" folder. After you do this, you can add the books you want to read for next year in the discussion thread you've completed. Is that what you're asking about?

You asked about plans, and I was thinking strategy. Oops!

[Shelley]

MJ wrote: "Shelley wrote: "I have Moby Dick for the book on the water in week 42 and War and Peace for the book that intimidates me in week 45. This may not be the best of plans."

If you're having trouble de..."

Over the past three years I've been making my way through a BBC's top 100 list and I'm getting to the point where I only have the intimidating books left. I will get to Moby Dick eventually, just maybe at a more fortuitous time. Like when I actually need to learn about 19th century whaling practices.

[Claire]

MJ wrote: "Claire wrote: "I'm new to this. How do you set up plans? I've searched and can't seem to figure it out.

Also, how do you do the following?
"Create a dedicated shelf in your profile, copy-paste it..."

Thanks MJ! I will try to find the "2018 Plans" folder. LOL

[Michele]

I'm excited but also scared, since I am a really slow reader...or rather one with a really short consentration span. I will try my best though :)

[Jody]

MJ wrote: "If you're having trouble deciding between the two, War and Peace all the way. Long, but I was sad when it ended. Moby Dick was painful..."

Too funny - I would suggest the total opposite! War and Peace took me almost a year to finish, and I was just relieved when it was over. I loved Moby-Dick or, The Whale - I found to be very funny, and an absolute epic.

[Laura, Celestial Sphere Mod]

Claire, adding to what MJ said (thanks, MJ!), you can add a shelf to your page in order to use the challenge feature.

- Click 'My Books' at the top of the page
- 'Add Shelf' on the left (button)
- Type the name that you want for your shelf. I would suggest just copying and pasting "around-the-year-2018" without he quotes
- 'Add'
- Once the challenge is available on the 1st, you will click to add your shelf. Just past the shelf name (i.e. around-the-year-2018) and the number of books you want to read. If you want to complete the full challenge then you put 52. If you want to do part of the challenge then put your goal. As the year progresses, be sure to add books to your challenge shelf on the 'My Books' page as you read them so the challenge bar will update.

[Tamula]

Can you tell me how to create the link from the title of the book to the Goodreads description of the book? I see other people doing it but I can't figure it out. Thanks!

[Jody]

You can’t link if you’re on the app, but if you are using a computer, when you post, just above the text box you can click on “Add book/author” (or something similar ... I’m in the app right now 😂). Click on that, type in your book title and a list of options will come up. Click “Add” next to the right one and there you go!

[Sophie]

You can also access the same option if you come to goodreads via the browser of your phone or tablet. I always do that because the app is terrible!

[Tamula]

Thanks. I was trying to use the app on my phone. I switched to my desktop and was able to do it.

[Susan]

I agree 100% about the Goodreads app. It's awful and so not user friendly.

[Zaz]

But they are improving the app, now we have beautiful... profiles :p
I use the app only for reading the groups and updating my current books, the rest is on computer.

[Jody]

They’ve really messed up the app (even more) recently too. When I go into thread notifications, it dumps me halfway I rather than at the unread spot. So annoying.

[Emily, Conterminous Mod]

I’m also finding that when I read threads on the app, the posts are missing or cutting off words. Half of the comments above don’t make much sense.

I guess I should go review it on the App Store and hopefully they fix these bugs!

[Zaz]

Ha ha, yes, the missing words that GR knows about and does nothing about it. The groups are on the low priority side, so maybe that'll be fixed in 2030.

[Heather]

Can’t wait to start my year off with Harry Potter!