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2020 GoodReads Reading Challenge
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message 101:
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Heather L , Cozy Mysteries Moderator
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Oct 07, 2020 10:57PM
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I originally set myself a goal of 50 books and was racing ahead. At the beginning of the pandemic I was reading a lot and decided that it would be a good time to broaden my reading horizons and try to read some different genres as I realised I'd been reading nothing but crime novels for at least the last 6 years!So I decided to start with a couple of music biographies and it was a complete disaster. I'd forgotten that I'm such a slow reader when I'm reading non-fiction and I got to the stage where I'd virtually stopped reading. This affected my moods and I found it really difficult to find any enthusiasm for anything.
Luckily I'm now back on track, reading a couple of great books and just starting an Agatha Christie challenge and I feel so much more positive. I've reduced my challenge to 40 so it's achievable and I'm sticking to Crime for the time being!
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Sorry to hear about your reading setback. It’s good to get out of our comfort zone on occasion, but it can be more challenging to read in a genre we’re not used to. I’ve always read across different genres, but there are some I find harder to get into than others. Like you, one of those genres is nonfiction. I always struggle most with those when doing the Popsugar Ultimate Reading Challenge.
I think too that this year, more than any other in recent years, has been harder on people in so many ways, and the external stresses around us can affect our normal activities, such as reading.
More people seem to have experienced difficulty reading since the pandemic, while others have read more, but neglected other activities. I’m in the group who seem to be reading more, but my crafting has fallen by the wayside. A friend of mine is the exact opposite—she’s reading less, but crafting up a storm.
Heather L wrote: "As of tonight — er, today — I am now 94/100 in my reset goal and 18 books ahead again. It looks like I will fulfill my challenge by end of the month. I’m not going to increase it again."This is exactly where I am as well! 👍 I'm not planning on changing my goal again as well. I might hit an all-time record by year's end.
Mod
I have averaged 85-100 over the past decade, with 109 in 2014. That’s my highest total in last ten years, though I may actually break that this year. It’s not my most-read year ever as I had almost 300 one year in the 1990s. I don’t know how I managed that, and am not likely to ever read that many in a single year again.
I don't list all the books I read in GR. I do list the cozy mysteries I read because I'm in a challenge. (Plus, I like to keep track of the series I read.) However, I don't list all the romance I read, mostly adding ones I've reviewed or favorite author and series reads and rereads.I usually list my starting goal as 60 books, just over one a week. I figure that even if things get busy, I can at least finish just over one books a week. I usually hit that and then some. Sometimes I up the GR number, but since I don't list everything...
I do keep track of what I read in an Excel spreadsheet that tallies the number of items read (from shorts to novellas to novels, etc.) and the total number of pages. My totals (to date, 201008) are 40317 pages in 420 items for an average of 96 pages per item. (A lot of the "romances" are short.) What's surprising to me is the average number of pages per day (@143). I don't get to read every day, so I guess when I get the chance to knock off pages, I knock them off.
I have no life!
Just increased my challenge up to 150 books. I've never had a goal this high but with a speed round of bingo coming up I'm confident I can hit it. I'm also still 13 books ahead!
Linda wrote: "Just increased my challenge up to 150 books. I've never had a goal this high but with a speed round of bingo coming up I'm confident I can hit it. I'm also still 13 books ahead!"Good for you.
So we're saying we're all over achievers! :o)
Wow! I'm impressed with all the goals set and exceeded this year. It motivates me to get on with my own tbr pile - I've got some great books lined up.
Mod
LOL — At least with one thing in life.
I hear you on not adding everything. There are a few children’s books I recently left off my list here. If it was one of those years where I was having trouble meeting my goal, I’d probably include them, but don’t see the need this year. I’ve also read nearly 100 short stories this year. Some were in collections I am counting, but more than half are in a huge anthology I’ve been working through, so those are not reflected in my GR total, except the couple for a classics group read.
Heather L wrote: "Karen wrote: "So we're saying we're all over achievers! :o)"LOL — At least with one thing in life.
I hear you on not adding everything. There are a few children’s books I recently left off my l..."
I agree Heather, this is the only thing I over achieve at!
If I read any children's books I don't include them in my GR total. I do have one in there this year since I actually reviewed it here.
Learned a new word today... I was watching a UK game show called The Chase (Celebrity Edition). One of the questions was the country of origin of the word tsundoku. (I correctly answered Japan!)Anyway.. Tsundoku is acquiring reading materials but letting them pile up in one's home without reading them.
I am a master at Tsundoku! (It counts of a lot of those are e-books, right??)
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Well, I officially finished my challenge last week, so am currently 103/100. Currently have three in progress, in different formats: one in print, one on my Nook, and a classic audiobook on YouTube.
Heather L wrote: " Well, I officially finished my challenge last week, so am currently 103/100. Currently have three in progress, in different formats..."Yay, Heather L!
Karen wrote: "Learned a new word today... I was watching a UK game show called The Chase (Celebrity Edition). One of the questions was the country of origin of the word tsundoku. (I correctly answered Japan!) ...Anyway.. Tsundoku is acquiring reading materials but letting them pile up in one's home without reading them.
So am I, Karen. (emoji of shame)
Winter sounds loud tonight. I noticed that I needed to lower my reading challenge this year. The 2021 challenge will revert back to my original 2020 number. Hoping for some cozy warm reading in the coming year. K. H.
Mod
I haven’t read much the last few days as I’ve been making my Christmas cards. Need to stamp an inside greeting and I’m done. I was a bit perturbed yesterday. I found a Christmas-themed book of four novellas on YouTube to listen to while working. Got halfway through only to discover the second half of the book is missing. They only uploaded the first two of four novellas, plus first 2-3 chapters of the third! So rude! I’ll have to find a print or ebook copy if I want to finish it. 😐
That being said, I have finished six more books since my last post on Oct 23. So I am now 109/100. Plus a couple in progress. (Sheepish grin)
Mod
Here’s hoping for a good reading year ahead!
I'm at 190 versus my goal of 175. I should finish one more before the end of the year.Happy Reading in 2021.
You all amaze me! Congratulations on surpassing your reading goals.
Hard to believe it's almost time to set the 2021 goal. I'll finish 2020 at 165/150. I'm not sure how I always seem to read more books than the year before. Feel like the bar is set really high for next year.
I think many are having a record reading year ... not because of good reasons. 😒 My initial goal was 80 books then when I surpassed it, I increased it to 100. Again, I surpassed my goal at 122. I might get a couple more books finished before month's end, but I'm not going to sweat it if I don't. I'm sure I'll go back to my goal of 80 books in 2021 as it will be a very busy year (wedding and vacations, hopefully).
Wow! Well done on achieving and surpassing all your reading goals.I actually had to reduce mine as I found it so difficult to read for much of the year. I'm hoping to do better in 2021 but need to find a couple of new series to fire up my enthusiasm and get me started.
I'm only at 190 of 275 new-to-me titles, but I did 102 rereads, plus much more attention to the news & knitted or needlepointed while listening. I think I'll set my GR goal lower but keep the personal goal of 1 history per 10 mystery (all new), the 50 state + DC, & the 26 A-Z authors. Now that I've found mysteries for Delaware & Utah, it'll be easier.
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Happy New Year, everyone! 🥂
Heather L wrote: "Jane— That’s a lot of rereads! And you found mysteries set in Delaware? Way to go!"Authors Susan Bacon, Maya Corrigan, & Beth Kendrick, so far. I'm only really in the Hs in my resorting of my Mystery TBR list of 220 pages. Haven't -read- them yet, so not a recommendation, but will fulfill the requirement for the Literary Escape Challenge on Facebook.
Bacon: The History Teacher; Corrigan: By Cook or By Crook, the first in an at-least 7 book series; Kendrick: Cure for the Common Breakup, which may actually be a romance instead of a mystery. But definitely Delaware
Mod
Heather L wrote: "Thanks! I didn’t realize the Corrigan books were set in Delaware. When I first did the USA challenge, I managed to find a rom-suspense for Delaware by Hunter Morgan. The only other book I knew was ..."I think the Maya Corrigan series is set in Maryland. I read the first one earlier this year and that’s where it was.
Mod
I finally updated my 2020 GR book list on New Year's. I added the cozies I read from May on as well as some of the romances I read throughout the year. When I was done, I wound up with 184 items for the year on a planned 60, which I should have adjusted earlier in the year but didn't. I just am not that good about updating my reads regularly. Maybe it should be a resolutions, but I know that wouldn't make me do it. :o)All in all my spreadsheet shows that I read/reread 482 items for a total of 46,750 pages!! Sadly, that only equates to 97 pages per item. Still...
As usual, I've listed 60 as my 2021 goal, just over one book a week. Doable if I get busy. We'll see about adjusting as the year rolls on. If I'm good about updating, I'll try to remember to adjust when I hit the goal.
Good luck with your 2021 challenge(s)!!
