[2020] Voting for 18th Mini-Poll

[Perri]

What I most appreciate about the challenge is the chance to sort thought my TBR pile instead of just being distracted by new releases. And the new listopia format will make that even easier!

[Edie]

This year, for the first time, I did do some planning... after the new year started. I have a spreadsheet that includes tabs for each of the challenges I am doing. My planning, such as it is, involves spending an hour from time to time, looking through my TBR list to see what books might fit some of the prompts. I try to have 6-10 prompts (across 4 challenges) that have designated books. This helps with requesting books from the library. Roughly a third of the prompts are filled as I read - books for my book club, books that pique my interest at the library. Particularly as the year comes to a end, I rely on suggestions from other readers doing challenges. A prompt where I had a book slotted that my library doesn't have was replaced with a recommendation from a reader. This works for me. I am awed by people who put together a list of 5-10 books that might fit each prompt. For me, a little planning is plenty... and leaves time for reading and gardening and hanging with family.

[Sophie]

This year I more or less read in order and quite liked it, but I think that next year I'm going to make an ATY jar like Jody and pick the prompts at random. Then I'll choose a book for each prompt depending on what medium I need a book for (I always have one on my Kindle, one on Overdrive and one audiobook).

Last year I focused on finishing series, this year on reading books I've had on my TBR for ages and next year I'll definitely focus on diversity.

[Emily, Conterminous Mod]

Sophie, I plan on using Jody's jar idea as well!

[Jody]

Yay, jar friends!

[Pam]

I’m thinking about the jar idea, too! I like the randomness. I would probably pull 4 at a time, for the month, so I have more options.

[Martha]

I've done the jar challenge for a different group for the last two years and haven't been able to complete it either time because of competing challenges. Using this challenge for that one is how I'll go if decide to do it again.

[Ellie]

I once spent ages writing out my TBR on slips of paper and putting them in a jar... and then I never used it!

[Entropia]

If I were doing that, I'd probably just use random number generator.

[Nadine in NY]

Ellie wrote: "I once spent ages writing out my TBR on slips of paper and putting them in a jar... and then I never used it!"


hah! BTDT!! Twice in the past I came up with a great, clever "teaching" game for the kids that involved writing lots of words on little slips of paper. (One game was a sort of Pictionary that we could play at dinner back when we had a white board propped up next to the table. I can't remember what the other was ... I think it was some sort of "conversation starter" type thing.) We all worked together to come up with words, I typed them all up, printed them and cut them into little slips and ... that was it. Never used them.

[Laura, Celestial Sphere Mod]

I really like the month idea! I’ve progressively lost my reading mojo over the last 2 years and am desperately looking for a way to get it back. I might have to try out the ‘by-month’ approach.