Ultimate 2015 Reading Challenge

[Melissa]

Heather L wrote: "Melissa wrote: "Lisa wrote: "Thanks everyone! It is now time to find a trilogy!"

I'm thinking about reading the Millennium Trilogy books for the trilogy since I have had these books a while but ha..."

I haven't been interested in reading the Hunger Games books so far, maybe someday. As for Nora Roberts, I just looked through her books and you just increased my TBR pile greatly! I can't believe I haven't looked at her books before now!

[Kirsten]

Nora is okay, but pales beside her alter-ego JD Robb!

As to the Hunger Games, I love the way they're written. They're done completely in the voice/head of Katniss! The movies are good. But, the book (the first one, as I haven't read the others) is wonderful!

[Kimberly]

I really like The Hunger Game trilogy and recommend them. :) But, I also am a fan of young adult books (even though I'm 38). ;) I felt differently about the Divergent trilogy, though. The first two books were really good, but the end of the third one just sucked. :P I don't want to spoil it, so I can't explain why. But, it totally ruined the trilogy for me. :(

[Kirsten]

Hey, I'll by 49 this year and I LOVE YA! Especially the dystopian ones.

[Lisa Kay]

Kirsten wrote: "But if you need inspiration I found this list on-line of 40 books you should have read in high school."

Thanks for the link, Kirsten! Whoa. I'm amazed I've read all of those books but three. However, I was long out of high school by the time A Confederacy of Dunces was even published, so I would say that one doesn't count. I might go with One Hundred Years of Solitude, since I can't see me reading The Brothers Karamazov.

[AlegnaB †]

Heather L,

I've asked this before, but you may have missed it, especially if I deleted my request when I redid some posts. Would you please set up a challenge tracker for this? In case you don't know how, I think I can help you. Since you're a moderator, you should see "Create Challenge" on the right-hand side of the main page of the group, in the column under Group Home, Bookshelf, and Discussions. Click on it, and you'll be taken to the page that allows you to set up a challenge. After you've set it up, members will be able to use it to track their books for this challenge. When a member joins the challenge, a bookshelf will automatically be made (or they can type the exact same name as a shelf they already set up for the challenge). They'll be able to go to that challenge at any time and see how many books and which books they've read for it. They'll also have the option to have an update post automatically to their feeds whenever they mark a book on that shelf as read and include a date. In other words, it will work the same way as the Goodreads 2015 Reading Challenge.

[Kirsten]

That's a great idea, AlegnaB!

[Kirsten]

#6 of 52 -- A book that made me cry

Betrayal in Death by J.D. Robb

[❂ Murder by Death]

AlegnaB wrote: "Heather L,

I've asked this before, but you may have missed it, especially if I deleted my request when I redid some posts. Would you please set up a challenge tracker for this? In case you don't k..."

Have you used this much Alegna? I know it's one of the projects GR started on, but it never got out of the beta phase and GR dropped it. A lot of people report it is extremely buggy and you can't delete challenges that are over. I'd love to hear what you think of it though; I thought it was a really great idea and was more than a little disappointed when GR just let it whither away half-done.

[AlegnaB †]

❂ Jennifer (reviews on BookLikes) wrote: "Have you used this much Alegna?..."

Yes, I've used it quite a lot. I joined a couple of challenges last year, and they worked fine for the most part. I've joined seven this year, and they are working. I joined a few in 2013 but deleted them in 2014, since I didn't want to keep the shelves. I still have my shelves from last year, and I can still see the challenges. The only problem I ever had with the challenges was getting them updated when I read a book, but I soon learned that I just had to go to View Books or click on the reading progress info [e.g. 1 of 15 (7%] to get them updated if the challenges didn't automatically update (which is the same problem that I used to have with the GR yearly challenge).

[Marisa, Cozy Mysteries Assistant Moderator]

Alegna, that's working at this moment (I created a private group where I record my challenges), but they were wrong since August (dates weren't calculated well, something you only get if they're not a yearly around).

Jennifer, the option to delete a challenge is there (I don't do it because I want to keep them) ;) There are two things you can't do:

"Hide" a challenge: They're sorted by creation date, and you can change it. The only way to make it disappear is to delete.

"Access" a challenge: The listed challenges is limited, so you can't access to previous challenges, unless you have the address at any point. I've created yearly messages where I write down those address.

[Sharmon]

I have been using a challenge tracker in one of my other groups and it has been working well...granted I have only added 2 books so far but it did allow me to add the same book to two different book challenges since you can add as many shelves to one book as you want. I even went in and cancelled "joining" one challenge and then reset it up to change the name of the shelve.

I find if i just refresh the screen it fixes my total for the Goodreads challenge when it doesn't do it automatically.

[AlegnaB †]

Sharmon wrote: "...I even went in and cancelled "joining" one challenge and then reset it up to change the name of the shelve"

I've also "left" challenges and rejoined them in order to change shelf names. I didn't have any problems with that.

[Nell]

Are you using challenge trackers in private groups that you created for yourselves? It sounds complicated for a large group especially when we can just edit our post in this thread. I have not created a special shelf for this challenge.

[Sharmon]

No these are regular Goodreads groups...when you join the challenge you create the shelf name and it makes you a tracker. I don't know if I am explaing it correctly. In my other group we still list the books in a thread just like here it just creates a little box to let you know how "on track" to the goal you set for yourself.

[AlegnaB †]

Nell wrote: "Are you using challenge trackers in private groups that you created for yourselves?..."

I'm not. One group I belong to has a moderator who sets up the challenges. There are usually no more than 50 people participating in any one challenge, although I doubt there's a limit on how many can participate; the group has almost 3500 members. The moderator has set up 12 yearly challenges and one monthly challenge so far this year, and she'll be setting up a new challenge with a unique theme each month.

It isn't complicated. A challenge is very easy to set up, and after it's set up, the moderator probably doesn't have to do anything other than post a message giving the link to the challenge. The challenge page has "Name has read # books toward her goal of # books" and shows a progress bar for each participant. If the participant's profile is not set to private, you can click on View Books and see the books that were read.

[❂ Murder by Death]

Well, this is all good information to have; I only ever saw the people in the Feedback Group who complained about it, lol. I was very sorry to see further development and support of it dropped by staff, but it does sound like it generally works well enough for everyone.

[Kirsten]

#7 of 52 -- A book you can finish in a day

Interlude in Death by J.D. Robb

[ஐ Katya (Book Queen)ஐ, Cozy Mysteries Group Owner]

Heather L wrote: "For your convenience, here are the 50 categories for this challenge".

Love it. However, my 80-100 books read on average a year dropped to just 22 last year as our business is taking off and I've got more to do (as the entire office staff! lol)

I'll try to aim for half the list.

[Kirsten]

I'm aiming for the full list... but I don't have a job or kids or a husband, so I have more time.

Still, I figure I'll just try for the easy ones first. It'll be interesting to see which one gives me the most grief.

I think it's not so much the completion but the journey. I like this one because it makes me look through my to-read list and find books to read (like one from my birth year).

[Kirsten]

Anyone still looking for a memoir?

I noticed that Finding Me: A Decade of Darkness, a Life Reclaimed: A Memoir of the Cleveland Kidnappings by Michelle Knight is only $1.99 in the Kindle Store: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00HSNMGBI/r...

It would also count towards the Goodreads Choice Awards challenge.

[Heather L , Cozy Mysteries Moderator]

Sharmon wrote: "I selected The Bell Jar for my author under 30 because it is our quarterly classic over at the Bookworm Bitches group and it has been on my TBR for some time, but I did find this list ..."


I'm surprised they don't have SE Hinton on that list, seeing as The Outsiders was written when she was only 17.

[Heather L , Cozy Mysteries Moderator]

Melissa wrote: "Heather L wrote: "Melissa wrote: "Lisa wrote: "Thanks everyone! It is now time to find a trilogy!"

As for Nora Roberts, I just looked through her books and you just increased my TBR pile greatly! I can't believe I haven't looked at her books before now!"


Hehe... Yeah, I'm evil that way. ☺

[Heather L , Cozy Mysteries Moderator]

AlegnaB: Thanks for the info on setting up a challenge tracker. We have so many different challenges going on at one time, though, I don't know how viable it would be for this group. As others and myself have mentioned, though, people can set up their own private challenge boards to keep track of all the challenges they are doing.

[Heather L , Cozy Mysteries Moderator]

ஐ Briansgirl (Book Sale Queen)ஐ wrote: "Heather L wrote: "For your convenience, here are the 50 categories for this challenge".

Love it. However, my 80-100 books read on average a year dropped to just 22 last year as our business is tak..."


I'll be happy myself if I check off only half the list. *grin*

[Heather L , Cozy Mysteries Moderator]

Kirsten wrote: "I'm aiming for the full list... but I don't have a job or kids or a husband, so I have more time.

I think it's not so much the completion but the journey. I like this one because it makes me look through my to-read list and find books to read (like one from my birth year). "


Exactly! It's gotten me to look over my TBR mountain and see what I already have and have been "meaning" to read and never seem to get to. I've done the same for the World Trip challenge.

[Melanie]

Kimberly wrote: "I really like The Hunger Game trilogy and recommend them. :) But, I also am a fan of young adult books (even though I'm 38). ;) I felt differently about the Divergent trilogy, though. The first two..."

I'll be looking for a new trilogy too! I've read the Hunger Games one and also recommend them. I liked the first Divergent but the second didn't grab me.

[Sharmon]

Heather L wrote: "Sharmon wrote: "I selected The Bell Jar for my author under 30 because it is our quarterly classic over at the Bookworm Bitches group and it has been on my TBR for some time, but I did..."

Thanks for that reminder...I had forgotton about that one...my daughter loves both the book and movie.

[Sabrina]

Surely for "a book with 500 pages" they mean at least 500 pages right, not exactly 500 pages?

[Amber]

I am reading the Witches of East End as my trilogy. We are reading that for my local book club. I really enjoyed the first one so I thought this would be a perfect pick for me to fill this category.

[❂ Murder by Death]

Sabrina wrote: "Surely for "a book with 500 pages" they mean at least 500 pages right, not exactly 500 pages?"

Yes, they mean minimum of 500 pages.

[Lisa]

I need some advice, has anyone read either one of these trilogies:
The Complete Farseer Trilogy: Assassin's Apprentice, Royal Assassin, Assassin's Quest,
His Dark Materials
Are they any good? Is one better than the other? Thank you again!

[Sabrina]

Lisa wrote: "I need some advice, has anyone read either one of these trilogies:
The Complete Farseer Trilogy: Assassin's Apprentice, Royal Assassin, Assassin's Quest,
[book:His Dark Materials|..."

Hi Lisa, I've just finished book 1 and 2 in the "His Dark Materials" series and they're actually quite good. The reviews are quite mixed though, some people love these books to bits, others are irritated by their anti-religious message.

[Melissa]

#24 of 52 -- A book based entirely on its cover


Dorothy Must Die by Danielle Paige

[Melanie]

Melissa wrote: "#24 of 52 -- A book based entirely on its cover


Dorothy Must Die by Danielle Paige"

I got this on sale at Kobo - did you like it? It is on my TBR list.

[Melanie]

Amber wrote: "I am reading the Witches of East End as my trilogy. We are reading that for my local book club. I really enjoyed the first one so I thought this would be a perfect pick for me to fill this category."

Thanks! I'll check that out.

[Heather L , Cozy Mysteries Moderator]

I updated the category list in post #2 with some links that should help people find books for the challenge.

[❂ Murder by Death]

Just updated my post to add "A non-fiction book" - Dawn of the Belle Epoque: The Paris of Monet, Zola, Bernhardt, Eiffel, Debussy, Clemenceau, and Their Friends.

[Melissa]

Melanie wrote: "Melissa wrote: "#24 of 52 -- A book based entirely on its cover


Dorothy Must Die by Danielle Paige"

I got this on sale at ..."

I saw that there were some low ratings for this book, but I really, really liked it!

[Kirsten]

Lisa wrote: "I need some advice, has anyone read either one of these trilogies:
The Complete Farseer Trilogy: Assassin's Apprentice, Royal Assassin, Assassin's Quest,
[book:His Dark Materials|..."

I loved the HIS DARK MATERIALS trilogy.

Also, what about that series that starts with CINDER? Is that a trilogy?

[Kirsten]

#8 of 52 -- A book with magic

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

[Donna]

Lisa wrote: "I need some advice, has anyone read either one of these trilogies:
The Complete Farseer Trilogy: Assassin's Apprentice, Royal Assassin, Assassin's Quest,
[book:His Dark Materials|..."

I read both trilogies several years ago and loved both of them. I don't think that I could recommend one over the other.

[Amber]

Kirsten wrote: "#8 of 52 -- A book with magic

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern"

Kirsten did you like this book. I read this a few years ago for my book club and I absolutely loved it. I didn't think I would at first and it is a very strange book but it is ranked as one of my all time favorites.

[Kirsten]

I did really like it, Amber! I read it as a book club selection and was surprised at the amount of people that thought it was boring. I thought it was charming and delightful and interesting.

[Sharmon]

@Kirsten

Cinder is a YA book series based on the retelling of classic "princess" stories my daughter recommends it but I haven't got to it yet. The 4th book is due out late this year.

[ஐ Katya (Book Queen)ஐ, Cozy Mysteries Group Owner]

Just a note about the "rules". The official challenge will have one set of rules, but there is no reason why you can't tweak it to fit you personally. Do you need to take more than a year to finish it? Will a book fit more than one category? For example, I'm reading Spencer's Mountain by Earl Hamner Jr. I just finished rewatching the movie by the same name starring Henry Fonda and Maureen O'Hara. However, this novel was also the inspiration behind the TV series, The Waltons. So yes, it can fit two categories. Depending on how you want to play the game... use it once or twice. Since I've been so busy as our home business has taken off, my 80-100 books on average I've read a year dwindled the last two years to 55, then 22. :( Dismally disappointing. I'm aiming for more. However, if I can complete this challenge at all, even by using a book for more than one category... I'll have increased not only the amount of books I've read, but the variety. To me, that's part of the point. Also, the challenges are suppose to be fun, not something to stress over. I will probably skip a category or two on this list, or modify it, like a book my mom loves. Unless I read some 9 book Christian series, or the bible, I don't have anything to choose. However... my father reads Harlequin romances. hehe So I could alter the category to read what my Dad loves. :)

At the top of your challenge post, you could put a small disclaimer to mention any personal rule changes you're allowing, so others can tell by looking at your list. Or, as we have a folder for personal challenge threads, you could put your personally modified one there. (You can put any challenges there, as it's there for you to use.)

I realize the idea here is to read 53 books (50 categories, one of which is a trilogy). I just want folks to realize, challenges are suppose to be fun. If it can encourage you to read more books, read a more diverse group of books, that's all great. But I've also seen folks stressed out about not being able to complete a challenge, or personally I've gotten to the point where I hated that everything at one point I was reading was to complete challenges and I was no longer reading anything of what I actually enjoyed. So enjoy the challenge, and do as much of it as you can, any way you can. ;)

Group owner

[Kirsten]

Yes many of the categories can also be interpreted in different ways. Like the book that scares you: is that scares (frightens) or scares (intimidates) you? I'm interpreting that as intimidates.

However, regardless how hard it may be, I am also going to try to do one for one.

I just hope no one will rule out any category because they don't like a certain category or don't think they can meet it. I'm just going through it and doing all the easily meetable ones first. If I have trouble, I'll just ask for suggestions.

[ஐ Katya (Book Queen)ஐ, Cozy Mysteries Group Owner]

Kirsten wrote: "I don't know @Marisa, if you rule out a couple categories, you might as well just not do it."

I absolutely don't agree with this attitude. This group is for everyone. Everyone can participate, whether they finish a challenge or not. The fun is in participating. Did they fail if they read 49 but not all 50 books? NO!

Some categories may have to be modified and personalized. Read a book your mother loved? What if someone's mother was lost in childbirth? My mom doesn't read anything other than the bible, so I'm going to read a book my Dad would love. Close enough. Read a book you were suppose to read in highschool but didn't? I took a lot of English classes but I don't recall having to read books for them. So I never missed any as none were assigned. Can I choose something teenagers typically are asked to read in school, yes, but that means I'm having to modify a category.

I read only 22 books last year. Am I going to get all 50 books for this challenge read this year. Not on your life. I'm too busy. But that doesn't mean I'm not going to try. That's part of the fun.

[❂ Murder by Death]

ஐ Briansgirl (Book Sale Queen)ஐ wrote: "I absolutely don't agree with this attitude. This group is for everyone. Everyone can participate, whether they finish a challenge or not. The fun is in participating. Did they fail if they read 49 but not all 50 books? NO!..."

I think everyone talked this out early on in thread and reached a consensus that is similar to your feelings on the matter. We're all going to have fun with the challenge, do the best we can, cheer each other on, and suggest books for categories that might be stumping other participants.

Kirsten and Heather and quite a few others have had some excellent suggestions for some of the prompts and I'm looking forward to continued conversations over this challenge. I haven't looked forward to checking in with the cozy group this much in quite some time! :)

[Kirsten]

I think we did talk this to death. And I am not going to say that you shouldn't try if you can't finish.

Last year, I tried the a-z challenge and never finished.

I do think that many of the categories are open to interpretation. For instance, if I didn't have a Mother or if I'd read everything I was supposed to in school AND those were the only 2 categories I had left, I'd find a creative way to finish them.

Say, I had a mother-in-law or grandmother or a neighbor of the same generation... I might ask them.

Or I'd read a book one of my siblings had to read in school...

By the way, Briansgirl... you had an English class where you weren't assigned any books? Where was your teacher when I was taking English?? LOL!