Announcing the 2019 PBT Challenges!

[Kiki]

Thank you!

[Kiki]

Anita wrote: "Kiki McPhee wrote: "This may be a silly question, but how do you start a “personal tracking thread”? I am interested in maybe trying the trim the TBR challenge"

Hi Kiki!

Not a silly question at a..."

My list is posted!

[Kiki]

Amy wrote: "There is a members challenges section. You put your list in there, and then Anita will randomize it for you so you will know your number 19. Then you can match up your list with everyone else’s up ..."

thanks!

[Kiki]

LibraryCin wrote: "Hi, Kiki, the members challenges section is here:
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/group...

- Click on the link I just provided.
- Above the column where it says "last ..."

thanks!

[Meli]

How do you guys set the number of books you will read in a year? So, for example, my goal was 20 but I read 31 so this year I want to set a reasonable and achievable goal. I was going to set it somewhere in between like 24, but I wondered what you all do...

[Joanne]

Meli wrote: "How do you guys set the number of books you will read in a year? So, for example, my goal was 20 but I read 31 so this year I want to set a reasonable and achievable goal. I was going to set it som..."

I do what you planned-just a reasonable number somewhere in between-you can always change that number anytime you want

[Theresa]

Meli wrote: "How do you guys set the number of books you will read in a year? So, for example, my goal was 20 but I read 31 so this year I want to set a reasonable and achievable goal. I was going to set it som..."

I usually set a number a few books lower than I read last year. But I have blown past that number significantly 2 years in a row now, So I am going to do what another Good Reads member does, and average the last 1, 2 or 3 years numbers, both what I set and what I actually read, and use that number. For example, if you average 20 and 31, you get 25.5, which I would round up to 26, setting 26 as my goal.

[annapi]

I looked at my reading over the last 10 years and figured out my average, so I shoot for that every year and am just pleased if I make it. I think I had a low of 107 and a high of 223, so I shoot for 150 every year.

[Doughgirl5562]

Nicole, I was too busy in December to get my TBR list ready so am working on it now. Is it OK to include Re-reads? I haven't been active in PBT for a while and can't remember the guidelines for that in challenges. But I would like to re-read The Stand this year since it's been about a decade.

And I'm also prepping for an Outlander trivia contest. The contest is in 2020, but I have to do a very thorough re-read of each of the Outlander books so I'm getting started this year. Don't have to do it in series order though, so I would like to include the Outlander books on my TBR list - and basically let you pick which ones I do this year LOL.

Would that be OK?

[Nicole R]

Hi Doughgirl! Good to see you back on PBT and joining in on the challenges!

Yes, you can absolutely include re-reads on your list, no problem at all. Put The Stand in whatever slot you want.

Also, for the Outlander books, you are giving my Type A personality hives when you talk about doing them out of order! lol. You can do one of a couple of things:
--you can put each of the books on your list, filling 8 slots and just read them in the order they are picked (if at all!).
--you can put "Outlander Series" in one of the spots and if that is selected, then you can read whichever book you have coming up next.

Hope that helps!

[Doughgirl5562]

Nicole R wrote: "Hi Doughgirl! Good to see you back on PBT and joining in on the challenges!

Yes, you can absolutely include re-reads on your list, no problem at all. Put The Stand in whatever slot you want.

Also..."

Thanks for getting back to me so soon Nicole! Normally my OCD personality would be having heebie jeebies about reading out of order also. But I've read the books in this series so many times that it's not a problem. I'll list the books individually, and read them in the order that the randomizer chooses.

[Nicole R]

Doughgirl5562 wrote: "Nicole R wrote: "Hi Doughgirl! Good to see you back on PBT and joining in on the challenges!

Yes, you can absolutely include re-reads on your list, no problem at all. Put The Stand in whatever slo..."

Are you watching the show too?!?!

I have read through book 5, and I think when this season of the show is over then I will tackle book 6. I don't like to get too far ahead of the show because then I get all of the details jumbled in my head, but I think at some point I will probably get farther and farther ahead.

[Doughgirl5562]

Nicole R wrote: "Doughgirl5562 wrote: "Nicole R wrote: "Hi Doughgirl! Good to see you back on PBT and joining in on the challenges!

Yes, you can absolutely include re-reads on your list, no problem at all. Put The..."

Of course I'm watching the show. It's very well done. I'm going to be catching up on the PBT threads within the next few days. I saw that there was a thread on that also (did you start it?) so I'll chime in. My life last year was very Outlander centric (books, show, cruise with Diana, trip to Scotland, conference, etc), so I thought I might create a post telling people about that also - if they are interested.

Many people get the details from the show and the books jumbled. It's not really a problem for me since I've been reading the books for two decades, but I can see how it's easy for most people to do.

[LibraryCin]

Doughgirl5562 wrote: "Nicole, I was too busy in December to get my TBR list ready so am working on it now. Is it OK to include Re-reads? I haven't been active in PBT for a while and can't remember the guidelines for tha..."

Good to "see" you!

This is not an admin comment, just a general comment.

Remember that the books you put on your list may not come up this year. There are 36 books on the list and only 12 will be chosen, so if you have your heart set on reading something this year, you might want to be careful about that.

[LibraryCin]

Nicole R wrote: "I have read through book 5, and I think when this season of the show is over then I will tackle book 6. I don't like to get too far ahead of the show because then I get all of the details jumbled in my head, but I think at some point I will probably get farther and farther ahead. ..."

I'm on the same book and about the same pace as Nicole, but as she (and Book Concierge) can attest to (based on my comments in our discussion thread), I still get all the details jumbled, as it is!

ETA: I don't intend to get further ahead, though. With the books being so long, I choose to read one/year, corresponding to my month long vacation from work.

[LibraryCin]

Doughgirl5562 wrote: "My life last year was very Outlander centric (books, show, cruise with Diana, trip to Scotland, conference, etc), so I thought I might create a post telling people about that also - if they are interested...."

Wow! I'm interested - especially about the cruise! :-)

[Nicole R]

I’m interested too!

[Doughgirl5562]

LibraryCin wrote: "Doughgirl5562 wrote: "Nicole, I was too busy in December to get my TBR list ready so am working on it now. Is it OK to include Re-reads? I haven't been active in PBT for a while and can't remember ..."

It's al good. The trivia contest isn't until December 2020, so I won't get obsessive about it until next year. This year is pretty flexible.

[NancyJ]

Doughgirl5562 wrote: "Nicole R wrote: "Doughgirl5562 wrote: "Nicole R wrote: "Hi Doughgirl! Good to see you back on PBT and joining in on the challenges!

Yes, you can absolutely include re-reads on your list, no proble..."

Wow a cruise with Diana! I'll bet you were voting for Outlander this summer for the Great American Read, and helped her get to #2, just after To Kill a Mockingbird. I was amazed by all the Outlander activity on Twitter.

I'm up to book #7. I love the show too, though I was disappointed by the changes and mistakes in season three. (I reread the book while watching the show.) They had Jamie steering the ship through a storm, instead of ... (I can't remember his name), and anyone who read Voyager knows why that just couldn't happen.

Do you mind sharing info on the trivia contest? Not that I'm a contender. I can't even keep all the character's names straight. (I have the same problem in real life. I can't tell you how often my son gets called by the dog's name just because they start with the same letter.)

[Joanne]

I can't tell you how often my son gets called by the dog's name just because they start with the same letter.)

Thanks for the Monday morning chuckle!

[Doughgirl5562]

Nicole, I've created my list but left #19 blank because it has already been chosen. Was that the right thing to do? Or do I need yo put in a #19 and then have the list randomized?

[Nicole R]

Doughgirl5562 wrote: "Nicole, I've created my list but left #19 blank because it has already been chosen. Was that the right thing to do? Or do I need yo put in a #19 and then have the list randomized?"

Please submit an unnumbered list of 36 books here or in your personal tracking thread and post a link to that thread here.

I will then randomize the list, which will lock in your #19 and likely the February random number as well since I will be announcing it later today.

Then, you will have until the March random number is announced to shuffle around books to align with buddy reads if you want—there was another thread about that somewhere. Once the March random number is announced toward the end of February, then you list is locked.

You should still include book #19 because you can read it this quarter and have it count toward a couple of the challenges! (See the original rules at: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Does that make sense?

---------
This is just a cut and paste explanation from the rules thread about the situation you are in now.....

A note for people who start the challenge after January 1:

Whenever you join, if you want to participate in the current month, then Anita or I will randomize your list as described above, locking in the book for that month as well as the books for all previous months (exact number depending on when you join). Then, you can have the random number for the next month is announced to rearrange the order of the remaining books to align with any buddy reads or just going with your gut instincts!

Once the random number for the next month is announced, your list is locked and you cannot change it until our mid-year shake-up!

This seems like the best way for people to jump in at any point while still keeping things as fair as possible.

[Doughgirl5562]

Nicole, Here is my unnumbered list for the TBR challenge - ready to be randomized! Thanks!

Outlander by Diana Gabaldon
Voyager by Diana Gabaldon
Drums of Autumn by Diana Gabaldon
Fiery Cross by Diana Gabaldon
A Breath of Snow and Ashes by Diana Gabaldon
Echo in the Bone by Diana Gabaldon
Written in my Own Heart's Blood by Diana Gabaldon
Outlandish Companion (Revised)
Outlandish Companion II
The Passage - Justin Cronin
The Stand - Steven King
And the Ladies of the Club - Santmyer
America's First Daughter - Dray
The Nix - Nathan Hill
Such a Pretty Face - Cathy Lamb
London - Rutherford
Epitath - Mary Doria Russell
Breaking Dawn - Stephanie Meyer
1,000 Places to See in the USA and Canada Before You Die
Virgin Earth by Phillipa Gregory
The City Stained Red by Sam Sykes
Forever in Time by Barbara Bretton
Einstein by Issacson
Complete Short Stories of Ernest Hemingway
Jane Eyre - Bronte
Wuthering Heights - Bronte
Into the Wilderness - Sara Donati
Pillars of the Earth - Ken Follet
World Without End - Ken Follet
London by Rutherford
The Woman in White - Wilke Collins
Seplechre by Kate Mosse
Citadel by Kate Mosse
Hawaii by Michner
Sarum by Rutherford
1001 Paintings You Must See Before You Die

[Nicole R]

Doughgirl5562 wrote: "Nicole, Here is my unnumbered list for the TBR challenge - ready to be randomized! Thanks!

Outlander by Diana Gabaldon
Voyager by Diana Gabaldon
Drums of Autumn by Diana Gabaldon
Fiery Cross by Di..."

Here you go! #19 is locked in and another number will be locked in by the end of the day!

1. The Woman in White - Wilke Collins
2. Drums of Autumn by Diana Gabaldon
3. Sarum by Rutherford
4. Citadel by Kate Mosse
5. Pillars of the Earth - Ken Follet
6. Into the Wilderness - Sara Donati
7. Hawaii by Michner
8. The Passage - Justin Cronin
9. Einstein by Issacson
10. And the Ladies of the Club - Santmyer
11. Echo in the Bone by Diana Gabaldon
12. World Without End - Ken Follet
13. Outlandish Companion (Revised)
14. Voyager by Diana Gabaldon
15. Forever in Time by Barbara Bretton
16. 1001 Paintings You Must See Before You Die
17. America's First Daughter - Dray
18. Outlander by Diana Gabaldon
19. Epitath - Mary Doria Russell [LOCKED]
20. Virgin Earth by Phillipa Gregory
21. Wuthering Heights - Bronte
22. Breaking Dawn - Stephanie Meyer
23. Such a Pretty Face - Cathy Lamb
24. Jane Eyre - Bronte
25. Fiery Cross by Diana Gabaldon
26. A Breath of Snow and Ashes by Diana Gabaldon
27. The Stand - Steven King
28. London - Rutherford
29. Seplechre by Kate Mosse
30. 1,000 Places to See in the USA and Canada Before You Die
31. Complete Short Stories of Ernest Hemingway
32. London by Rutherford
33. Outlandish Companion II
34. Written in my Own Heart's Blood by Diana Gabaldon
35. The City Stained Red by Sam Sykes
36. The Nix - Nathan Hill

[Doughgirl5562]

Nicole R wrote: "Doughgirl5562 wrote: "Nicole, Here is my unnumbered list for the TBR challenge - ready to be randomized! Thanks!

Outlander by Diana Gabaldon
Voyager by Diana Gabaldon
Drums of Autumn by Diana Gaba..."

Thanks Nicole. Looks like I probably won't be reading the sequel to Doc this year :-)

[Nicole R]

Doughgirl5562 wrote: "Thanks Nicole. Looks like I probably won't be reading the sequel to Doc this year :-) "

Just so we are clear: you CAN still read #19 for the page number goals that are laid out in the rules. It being [LOCKED] just means that if you want to do any rearranging of the other books over the next few weeks—see above for guidelines on that—you cannot move that book.

[Joanne]

Moke wrote: "I know I am super late to the Trim the TBR challenge - is it too late?
If not, here is my list:

The Invisible Library by Genevieve Cogman
The Girl Who Saved the King of Sweden by Jonas Jonasson
Th..."

No, it is not to late- PM Nicole or Anita and they will randomize your list for you. If you look in the May thread, the very first post it will explain what to do-Welcome~

[Nicole R]

I got you, Moke!! Look for a randomized list no later than tomorrow morning.

[NancyJ]

That reminds me... is there a planned date for when our revised Trim list will be due? Is it safe to assume it will be sometime in June, before the July number is drawn? Please answer this later if you're in the middle of exams. Congratulations on your graduation!

[Nicole R]

We’ll do something in early to mid June before the July Trim number is posted. I’ll post some guidelines on timing and all that jazz as it gets a bit closer.

And thanks! I took my last law school final ever this morning and am now a JD!

[Nicole R]

(I guess technically they have to grade my final, but I seriously doubt that I did not pass 😉)

[LibraryCin]

Nicole R wrote: "And thanks! I took my last law school final ever this morning and am now a JD!..."

Congrats to you, Nicole!

[NancyJ]

Nicole R wrote: "We’ll do something in early to mid June before the July Trim number is posted. I’ll post some guidelines on timing and all that jazz as it gets a bit closer.

And thanks! I took my last law school..."

Thanks.

That's an awesome achievement!

[Amy]

Congratulations Nicole!

[Joanne]

Congratulations Nicole! Take a breather and relax!

[Barbara M]

Nicole R wrote: "And thanks! I took my last law school final ever this morning and am now a JD!l..."

Congratulations Dr Nicole. What a great achievement.

[Booknblues]

Hurray! Congratulations, Nicole! Party hats and noisemakers to celebrate. Great accomplishment.

[Theresa]

WooHoo! Truly a great accomplishment!

Now immediately start partying and reading those trashy romances as you only have a brief window to indulge before buckling down for the final leg of your journey

[Nicole R]

Hi Moke, here is your randomized list! The numbers we have read for so far—19, 17, 34, 12, 24—are locked and you cannot rearrange them. However you have until we announce the June number (the same time that Anita announces the June tag) to rearrange the others if you like.

The Last Dragonslayer by Jasper Fforde
The Angel’s Game by Carlos Ruiz Zafon
Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer
Stiletto by Daniel O’Mailey
All Systems Red by Martha Wells
Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng
The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller
The Skin Map by Stephen R. Lawhead
The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater
Pretend I’m Dead by Jen Beagin
The Bourbon Thief by Tiffany Reisz
The Witch Elm by Tana French
The Woman Next Door by Yewande Omotoso
The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides
Villette by Charlotte Bronte
Ancillary Justice by Ann Lecke
Jar City by Arnaldur Indridason
To Best the Boys by Mary Weber
The Imperfectionists by Tom Rachman
The Book of the Unwinding by J.D. Horn
Murder at the House of Rooster Happiness by David Casarett
Hotel du Lac by Anita Brookner
4321 by Paul Auster
Kraken by China Mieville
The Almost Sisters by Joshilyn Jackson
The Alice Network by Kate Quinn
The Janissary Tree by Jason Goodwin
The Raven Tower by Anne Leckie
The Housekeeper and the Professor by Yoko Ogawa
The Girl Who Saved the King of Sweden by Jonas Jonasson
Kitchen by Banana Yoshimoto
Where the Crawdads Sings by Delia Owens
A Natural History of Dragons by Marie Brennan
The Invisible Library by Genevieve Cogman
The Ghost Bride by Yangsze Choo

[Kelly]

Congratulations Nicole!

[Jemima]

Hi everyone. I'm a little late to the party here. Just discovered here is where I should have posted a tbr list and asked for someone to randomise it. I did post a list somewhere- no idea where now, I can't find where I posted it, but obviously not in the right place. I'm still finding my way around this group. I joined both the Horizons and TBR challenges in May but I guess unofficially since my TBR list wasn't listed here. Hoping it's not too late to join in properly with you all, just for fun. Absolutely love this group!

My list
(minus the two TBR books I read for May #24: The Tuscan Child by Rhys Bowen
and June #30 Just So Stories by Rudyard Kipling - I've added another two from my shelves to replace them)

A Question of Inheritance by Elizabeth Edmondson
My Brilliant Career by Miles Franklin
Georgiana by Amanda Foreman
Madeline by Ludwig Bemelmans
The Saturdays by Elizabeth Engle
Theatre Shoes by Noel Streatfield
The Nanny Diaries by Emma McLaughlin
Dreams from My Father by Barak Obama
The Sky is Falling by Kit Pearson
Autumn Term by Antonia Forest
Cheaper By the Dozen by Frank B. Gilbreth Jnr.
Zoo Quest by David Attenborough
The Kiss of Deception by Mary E. Pearson
The Adventures of Catvinkle by Elliot Perlman
The Case of the Missing Marquess by Nancy Springer
The Secret of the Mansion by Julie Campbell
The Devil Wears Prada by Lauren Weisberger
Charming the Prince by Teresa Medeiros
Who Wants to Marry a Millionaire? by Sophie Ranald
The No. 3 Ladies' Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith
Meet the Austins by Madeleine L'Engle
Birds of America by John James Audubon
The Reluctant Godfather by Allison Tebo
Henry & Eva and the Castle on the Cliff by Andrea Portes
The Serpent and the Pearl by Kate Quinn
Whiskey in a Teacup by Reese Witherspoon
The Weaver Takes a Wife by Sheri Cobb South
The Briar Rose by Dinah Dean
The Unexpected Mrs Polifax by Dorothy Gilman
Twopence to Cross the Mersey by Helen Forrester
When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit by Judith Kerr
The Salzburg Connection by Helen MacInnes
The Bearkeeper's Daughter by Gillian Bradshaw
The Crossword Mystery by E.R. Punshon
Shoes Were for Sunday by Molly Weir
The Greengage Summer by Rumer Godden

[Nicole R]

Hi! I will get your list randomizes later today! Since you already read books 24 and 30, I will just replace whichever books land in those spots with the two you read.

Look for a list from me later today.

[Nicole R]

Hi Jemima, below is your randomized list! I put back in your books 24 and 30 since you have already read them, and the books that are in BOLD are books that are locked into place because we have already announced the numbers. For the other books, you have until the August random number is announced (around July 23rd-ish) to rearrange any of the other books. I know there are some people who tried to coordinate some numbers if you are interested in that....

1. Zoo Quest by David Attenborough
2. Dreams from My Father by Barak Obama
3. Whiskey in a Teacup by Reese Witherspoon
4. Madeline by Ludwig Bemelmans
5. When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit by Judith Kerr
6. The Briar Rose by Dinah Dean
7. Henry & Eva and the Castle on the Cliff by Andrea Portes
8. Cheaper By the Dozen by Frank B. Gilbreth Jnr.
9. Meet the Austins by Madeleine L'Engle
10. Who Wants to Marry a Millionaire? by Sophie Ranald
11. Theatre Shoes by Noel Streatfield
12. The Greengage Summer by Rumer Godden
13. The Saturdays by Elizabeth Engle
14. The Reluctant Godfather by Allison Tebo
15. The Weaver Takes a Wife by Sheri Cobb South
16. Charming the Prince by Teresa Medeiros
17. The Crossword Mystery by E.R. Punshon
18. The Adventures of Catvinkle by Elliot Perlman
19. The Salzburg Connection by Helen MacInnes
20. Birds of America by John James Audubon
21. A Question of Inheritance by Elizabeth Edmondson
22. The No. 3 Ladies' Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith
23. My Brilliant Career by Miles Franklin
24. The Tuscan Child by Rhys Bowen
25. Autumn Term by Antonia Forest
26. The Sky is Falling by Kit Pearson
27. The Nanny Diaries by Emma McLaughlin
28. The Case of the Missing Marquess by Nancy Springer
29. The Bearkeeper's Daughter by Gillian Bradshaw
30. Twopence to Cross the Mersey by Helen Forrester
31. The Secret of the Mansion by Julie Campbell
32. Shoes Were for Sunday by Molly Weir
33. Georgiana by Amanda Foreman
34. Just So Stories by Rudyard Kipling
35. The Serpent and the Pearl by Kate Quinn
36. The Devil Wears Prada by Lauren Weisberger

[Jemima]

Thanks Nicole. That is so kind of you. I’ll check out others lists for books in common but otherwise I’ll lock it in!