SciFi and Fantasy Book Club discussion
Members' Chat
>
Looking forward to 2019: plans, challenges?
My 2019 goal is definitely stopping to add books to my TBR list and instead actually reading the ones that are already in the list.
I've been so stressed out about scheduled/planned reading this year, that I don't even want to think about this yet. It's possible I'll want to set some goals when I start my 2019 spreadsheet, but I didn't care about any of them this year, so probably not. My final planned challenge for 2018 will start in a few days (read 26 books in November for AtoZ readathon), and once that's over, I might never want to see a book again. I'm looking forward to reading something I pick up on a whim, instead of having my calendar full of reading plans.I still like planning though! I just need a little break from trying to keep up with my brilliant plans.
I already started 2019 by downsizing TBR. It's at 9, which is realistic for now.
Mod
Next year my main goal is to try Malazan, and, if I enjoy it, finish the main series! I have a bit of insider knowledge, so there are a couple other group challenges I'm gonna try, but as usual these are things that can be fun and are not the controlling goal of my reading.
With 500 books on my TBR list there is no way I will finish that in the near future so I’m not even going to attempt that XD However, it looks like I’m able to read 80-90 this year so next year my goal will be 100.
I don't have a reading plan but a few intentions that I'm pretty sure I'll do. I won't be reading as much next year due to other projects, and I am better at life if I litter it with variety. =)2019 Intentions
- Goodreads Reading Challenge Goal will be set at 200. A reasonable book goal. =)
- Series Catch Up: There are a few series that I follow & want to get caught up on and maybe complete.
- Malazan of the Fallen: Going to try and get into this series because it's fairly popular. If I don't get into it this time, I'm calling it quits and moving on.
- Physical TBR: I want to make a dint in the pile by reading more of them next year. I actually read a bunch of them this year but I added more than I read.
- Skim/speed read the books I left unrated & rate them.
- Review Writing Changes: Notes will replace the mini-reviews for books that did not make a big impression. For books that I really like or love, I'll go back to writing a full review. I've taken a break for a few years from full review writing. I figure it's time to ease back into it.
- Book Buying: 2018 is all about reading everything and buying within small boundaries. Next year, I will cut down my buying spree to series collection pieces and books that I love.
2018 Wrap Up
- Read 365 Books: I read several short stories this year and will need to read 12-15 books to make the tracker meet 365 books.
- Be comfortable, without any distortion, at listening to audiobooks at 2.5x by the end of the year. Currently, I'm at 2.15x.
Well, every year there is a 12+4 Challenge. 12 books that you commit to read, no matter what; with that being said, you get 4 alternates to take place of any books that are DNFs. I also have an Around The World challenge that I started 2 years ago, that I am absolutely loving. It is very hard though, to find Sci Fi, Fantasy and Horror (Especially Horror) from other countries. The Nordic countries and some in Europe, not so much....but Caribbean, African and old USSR countries, it is still hard. Mysteries are much easier.
I lastly do an individual list to conquer all of those series and misfits.
Not too early to think of 2019, but earlier than I would like … LOL
I've already set myself a goal of reading 52 Ursula Le Guin works in 2019, so that is likely to dominate my reading agenda. My Goodreads TBR is a total loss at this point (well over 1000 books and still climbing) but I would like to make some headway on my physical TBR pile. We are likely to be moving next year, so cutting out books I either no longer want to read or wouldn't want to read again would be very helpful in reducing the volume of books we'll need to transport. That also means cutting down on book purchases - nothing I won't read immediately. Fortunately/unfortunately, moving will also have the effect of removing me from my preferred source of physical books.
I'll probably do a few challenges, depending on what seems reasonable, interesting, and likely to help trim the TBR list.
I also have a last few 2018 goals to finish up, including reading everything that's currently on my "Top of the TBR" shelf (9 books) and completing the TBR challenge for this group (7 books, although 2 overlap with the Top shelf). Plus 14 buddy reads of interest, although I don't expect that I will actually end up reading all of these. And maybe also clearly out the books I have marked as currently reading?
I don’t set any sort of numeric goals like # of books or pages. I already feel like I have a good balance as far as time spent reading versus doing other things that are important to me, and I think a numeric challenge would tempt me to spend more time reading and neglect those other things. It might also take the fun out of the process if it started to feel like an obligation rather than entertainment. I also avoid category-type challenges, because I just want to read what I want to read when I want to read it, with as few constraints as possible.I do maintain a tentative reading schedule, though. I don’t usually schedule out an entire year, but maybe 4-6 months. It’s just a loose plan for what series I want to read, and what standalone works I’ll read between them. I switch things out fairly often whenever I find reason to, like if something I’ve really been wanting to read goes on sale, or if I think the next series I had intended to read might be too similar to the one I’m finishing up. My schedule includes dates, mainly because that helps me plan out the few date-specific reads I commit to. However, the dates are intentionally calculated based on 75% of my average reading pace, so there’s no pressure when life gets busy because I’m always ahead of schedule in the long run. I periodically have fun choosing extra books to insert into the schedule, to fill in the gaps when I get too far ahead or abandon a series, and sometimes I rearrange my schedule altogether.
I don’t do too much in the way of content-specific goals, but I do have a couple. In 2017, I decided to start reading one classic book per quarter. This doesn’t count SF&F classics, since I would have read those anyway. It’s a very small commitment, but it’s been an easy one to keep and has been more entertaining than I expected. I had avoided the classics since my school years, but so many modern works reference or pay homage to the classics. I recognized many of those references in the past, but often didn’t grasp the full meaning of them because I didn't know or remember the context. Now I find them more meaningful when I encounter them for a classic I've read over the last couple years.
My only other content-specific goal is that I like to pick one large series to read per year, whereas the rest of the year is spent on smaller series and standalones. I typically start them toward the fall or early winter when I always seem to have a bit more time. Right now I’m reading through Robin Hobb’s Realm of the Enderlings series, and next year’s big series will probably be Feist’s Riftwar Cycle. Last year it was The Wheel of Time, and before that it was Discworld.
The challenges I could think of for now:- read all remaining physical books I have
- complete my incomplete series and read the latest books of series I follow
- cut down my TBR to a manageable 10
- maintain my SFF short stories, standalones, explorer (new author), and female author challenges. These are all just number-based. I am considering to stop challenges where I have to assign a book to a criterion e.g. cover and bingo challenges, since I keep changing books and it has been a hassle.
- have a maximum of three buddy reads in a month (which could be difficult) to allow some solo reads
- still continue my 3:1 (3 books finished = 1 new book) challenge
I think I’m just going to read the books I do own and only get books from the library. I’ve made a promise to myself I won’t buy anything next year. My 2019 reading goal will be the same amount I have in my tbr pile shelf.
Heh goals!! I started a new shelf in September for books that I own that I'd like to read in 2019. Right now it has over 70 books. I read about 55 books a year so... Also, 5 of the books I read next year will likely be published in 2019 and I will borrow at least 10 from the library. So if I'm lucky, my tbr (owned books) will go down by about 35. But chances are with the kindle sales, my personal library will increase by more than that...I like to do a couple of challenges. I hope there is a tbr challenge next year here. Hanks's rules of course (read books I own). I also like Read Harder.
Next year I hope to get to the next book of the series: The Year of the Flood, Countdown City, Caliban's War, Imago, Zoe's Tale, The Subtle Knife, Komarr, Record of a Spaceborn Few. I might get to 3 of these.
I hope to read at least 8 of our club books next year.
Alondra wrote: "Well, every year there is a 12+4 Challenge. 12 books that you commit to read, no matter what; with that being said, you get 4 alternates to take place of any books that are DNFs."Oh, I like this one, Alondra! It's a manageable number of books and can easily be mixed and matched with other goals.
I’m going to write books and you’re all going to read them!...pretty please?
Trike wrote: "I’m going to write books and you’re all going to read them!...pretty please?"
I'll look forward to that!
As I found the 2018 SFFBC Owned Books Challenge a bit restrictive this year I may skip it next year. I usually read both a scifi/fantasy book and a book in another genre at the same time, I found myself running out of 2017 non-scifi/fantasy books to pair with the scifi/fantasy books and having to dip into 2018 purchased books which meant no pointsI did reduce my TBR pile quite a bit....so maybe ....
I'll stay with the same goal of 25 books and likely again get it to 30 anyway. Maybe I could read more but I need to have some breaks between them, otherwise, I get weird crossover dreams and then wake up confused.There are some books I'm likely to read but I'll keep that for myself for now. It'll also depend on what the group (re)reads are and if they catch my interest.
There's also a writing-related goal I have - and which will be my biggest challenge.
I'm currently quite happy that I've managed to recommit to private reading over the last two months and tackle at least some of the books in my tbr pile (thanks, in large part, to this group). I hope I can keep this up, while balancing this against all the reading I do for work. Not sure I want to set myself a number of books I want to read next year, but I might.
@Trike: Bring it! Y'know, NaNoWriMo is just around the corner, so you could get a headstart before 2019 even starts.
Mod
Oddly my only real reading goal right now is not to over commit myself.. like I kinda sorta did this year.
Beth wrote: "Oh, I like this one, Alondra! It's a manageable number of books and can easily be mixed and matched with other goals...."I like it too, because then I have to get rid of those books off my TBR. Now, it does nothing for all the books I add.... ugh. LOL
Next year I need to focus on my Uncompleted series and my owner books more......I wonder if we could somehow do BR of second and third books in series.....someone else must have my problems right?!! 😆
That's why I always vote for the standalones! Everyone else is crazy and the series starters always end up winning.
Yes, we need more stand-alones! Or at least first in series that could be read as standalones. I have 20 as my target this year but I reached 25 already. Next year it might increase it to 25 or even 30.
Rachel wrote: "Next year I need to focus on my Uncompleted series and my owner books more......I wonder if we could somehow do BR of second and third books in series.....someone else must have my problems right?..."
These are my goals as well! I'm about to be buried alive under books that I already own, so I'm trying to read some of them and get them out. Also making it a goal to sell/donate books that I own and no longer have intentions to read. If I find myself passing a book over too many times, it needs to go. A lot of that includes series for me, as well as some series that I don't own but still intend to finish.
I’m going to start the Malazan buddy read in January and if I like it, I’ll continue with that series. Regardless, I’ll also continue making my way through the Realms of the Elderlings books. Beyond that, I’ll carve a path through my endless TBR queue, hopefully turning a bunch of those into buddy reads, since I have discovered buddy reads make life infinitely more interesting. Some of those will be standalones and some will be parts of series. It all depends... I’ll also want to read all 24 of the monthly group reads and probably several of the group rereads. And I’ll be curious to see what other challenges and games our wily mods dream up.
Anthony wrote: "I’ll be curious to see what other challenges and games our wily mods dream up."Me too! :D
Rachel wrote: "Next year I need to focus on my Uncompleted series and my owner books more......I wonder if we could somehow do BR of second and third books in series.....someone else must have my problems right?..."
(raises hand) This year's Owned Books Challenge focused on that to an extent, giving more points for later books in a series, completing series, etc.
There's always an intention to finish more series than I start, but somehow my series spreadsheet keeps getting bigger and bigger.
Rachel wrote: "Next year I need to focus on my Uncompleted series and my owner books more......I wonder if we could somehow do BR of second and third books in series.....someone else must have my problems right?..."
One of my buddies in another group is doing that exact same thing. All of the challenge books are from series that they've already started.
Anthony wrote: "It all depends... I’ll also want to read all 24 of the monthly group reads and probably several of the group rereads"hey quick question, do you plan on sleeping at all next year? because dang
For next year, I have no solid plans other than reach a goal of reading (at least) 50 books. Considering how close I am to reaching this year's goal of 20, after only starting to count in mid September, I feel pretty confident. Also, to finally read the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series. My mum gave the full set to me for my 13th birthday. I'm 23. I think it's finally time I get through them.
Otherwise, I'm content to go with the flow of the group and just tag along on Buddy Reads when my workload permits it. It's more fun reading along with others than reading alone. :)
Anthony wrote: " I’ll carve a path through my endless TBR queue, hopefully turning a bunch of those into buddy reads, since I have discovered buddy reads make life infinitely more interesting...."I am in full support of this endeavor. And plan to tag along as many of these kind as possible.
I guess my current grant plan for the next year are just to try and keep up with this lively group. Hopefully get a couple of separate, impromptu 'own reads' in between.
And sleep. Sleep would be nice too, but doubtful to happen.
I'm looking forward to another TBR challenge. I only have 1 left to read this year, which shouldn't be a problem, and I like having a way to focus my reading choices.I'll also be finishing my Discworld-a-thon next year, even though I find myself once again behind on my scheduled reading for that, as I haven't read the Sept book, yet, let alone the October one. Once I'm done all my spooky reads - which I'm also behind on - I'll look back to catching up on the Discworld books. Even if I don't quite catch up, though, I should still be finishing sometime around mid-year next year.
I would love to join the future BR as much as I can and hopefully able to catch a bit group flow, not always down there at the bottom(smile). And maybe mature a bit to post thoughtful thoughts…hmm, the goal is too high, as long as not that many childish talks is good enough :)
Wen wrote: "I would love to join the future BR as much as I can and hopefully able to catch a bit group flow, not always down there at the bottom(smile). And maybe mature a bit to post thoughtful thoughts…hmm,..."Don't stop being yourself! Mature, thoughtful thoughts are way overrated ;-)
Gabi wrote: "Mature, thoughtful thoughts are way overrated..."Hear, hear! No reason to try and be too 'flowery' with thoughts or words , just trust your gut feelings, Wen.
(they say convincingly while feeling too committed to write 'final words' for reviews)
Allison wrote: "I believe Trike was joking which is why I left it. Please recall that we're talking reading goals 🙂"Now I’m actually going to do it!
Erm... what should I write about? Like space or something?
Sarah wrote: "Oddly my only real reading goal right now is not to over commit myself.. like I kinda sorta did this year."I think it was just a logistics thing. For next year all you have to do is quit your job, shirk all other responsibilities, get a Red Bull and Mt. Dew IV hooked up and then you’re set. Easy peasy!
Anthony wrote: "Beyond that, I’ll carve a path through my endless TBR queue"At this point I think I could create a literal path through my physical books. Maybe I’ll make a maze for the local librarians to wander through.
Provided it doesn’t collapse on me first. https://youtu.be/c7vFlYBpTUw
@Gabi and Jemppu: You are so sweet! I feel like you guys always precisely describe things that you want to say. And mine is like, oh, boy, what did I just post… :) Nevertheless, I wish we would have a lot of fun in 2019 too~
I've become particularly fond of the buddy readings as well, as they've really helped me discipline my reading. It seems setting goals with other people is a great incentive to read. So I'll be doing a lot of that for sure!
I'll have greater responsibilities in 2019, so I'll likely make a goal of a book a week. This year I spent a lot of time reading indie titles. During the last few months I've read a few of the books often recommended on Goodreads. Therefore, next year I'm going to read more of the books of the month. There's never a lack of good sci-fi and fantasy books!
Just found a goal for next year: read more new publications. I just wanted to vote at the "best of 2018" here in GR and can't cause I've only read 1 or 2 in SF or Fantasy.
Gabi wrote: "Just found a goal for next year: read more new publications. I just wanted to vote at the "best of 2018" here in GR and can't cause I've only read 1 or 2 in SF or Fantasy."Nice :D ...I'm having the same problem.
I don't think the GR "Awards" is a good reason to read more new releases. Other awards, yes.
Anna wrote: "I don't think the GR "Awards" is a good reason to read more new releases. Other awards, yes."But can I vote in them?
I find voting in GR awards, or looking at them at all, tends to make me angry. But if you want the voting experience, go for it! :D
All I really use these kinds of awards for are looking for reading inspiration among the noms. Otherwise I tend to find voting unfair when I’ve only read one or two and if that’s what everyone base their vote on the award doesn’t really reflect anything other than which books have been read the most ^^
SciFi and Fantasy Book Club
Books mentioned in this topic
Deadhouse Gates (other topics)Gardens of the Moon (other topics)
Gardens of the Moon (other topics)
Gardens of the Moon (other topics)
The Winds of Winter (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
S.M. Stirling (other topics)Gardner Dozois (other topics)
Gardner Dozois (other topics)
Are you already thinking forward to 2019 and what you're hoping to accomplish with your reading? Buddy reads, famous (or not so famous) challenges, personal goals? I'm interested in seeing if anybody else is pondering these questions this early, or if it's just me (and, presumably, Darren).
I don't have anything incredibly concrete, just a few nebulous goals:
- add two or three books to the GR challenge. Audiobooks have made this year's challenge a breeze, so I'll increase it next time.
- read a SF or fantasy series start to finish during 2019. Something I own but have never touched like Earthsea, The Coldfire Trilogy, The Morgaine Cycle, or The Faded Sun Trilogy
- Finish up some of the SFF series I've started and have had "good intentions" of finishing for years. Lots of options there, including three (!) of Jemisin's series.
- Read some more classics! Any of the Brontes, Wharton, Burney, Trollope, (Barchester series in particular), Story of the Stone, etc.
- I never do well with group challenges, since I'd have to devote too much of my already small annual count to them, so won't jump in to any next year. Group and buddy reads on an ad hoc basis are always fun and doable though.