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Reading Challenges > 2022 Goodreads Challenge

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message 1: by Heather L , Cozy Mysteries Moderator (last edited Jan 03, 2022 11:19AM) (new)

Heather L  (wordtrix) | 27500 comments Mod
Time to set your Goodreads Challenge goals! How many books will you read this year? This thread is for participants in the challenge, a place for monthly check-ins and encouragement in completing your goal. You can join the challenge at the link below:

https://www.goodreads.com/challenges/...


I’ve set my initial goal for 85. I increased my goal twice last year (and the year before that), so we’ll see how the year goes. In addition to the Goodreads Challenge, I am once again participating in the Popsugar Reading Challenge, with a goal of at least 30 out of 50. There are also a couple challenges for the Classics group I’m in. I’ll be doing the short story challenge again for sure, as I have a few anthologies started in 2021 that I want to finish. Last year’s total was 291. I don’t anticipate hitting 200 this year, but you never know!

How about you? Are you participating in the Goodreads Challenge? Popsugar? Any other challenge goals you would like to share?


message 2: by Brenna (new)

Brenna Donahue | 2419 comments Starting out my Goodreads Challenge goal with 30 books this year - I would really love to make it to 50, but want to be able to increase my goal instead of not hitting, just in case ;)

I'm hoping that by using the challenges and read-alongs in this & other groups I'll be able to exceed my goal!


message 3: by Jennifer (new)

Jennifer (jhaltenburger) I do the GR every year. I usually also aim low and raise it if necessary. I don't want reading to become a "pressurized" activity for me. :)


message 4: by Kandice (new)

Kandice | 55 comments Jennifer wrote: "I do the GR every year. I usually also aim low and raise it if necessary. I don't want reading to become a "pressurized" activity for me. :)"

I feel the same way. It's a small thing I can control and feel as if I've really succeeded!


message 5: by Brenda (new)

Brenda | 5039 comments My goodreads challenge is 350 books again..


message 6: by Kandice (new)

Kandice | 55 comments Brenda wrote: "My goodreads challenge is 350 books again.."

Wow! I could never do that! I feel a little miserly (and lazy) with my 100.


message 7: by Brenda (new)

Brenda | 5039 comments Haha! Not miserly Kandice - everyone's situation is different. I actually read 407 for 2021 - my best year yet. But I'm going to still aim for 350 to not put myself under pressure :)

Good luck with your number and happy reading!


message 8: by Marisa, Cozy Mysteries Assistant Moderator (last edited Jan 03, 2022 10:23PM) (new)

Marisa (moretta) | 4144 comments Mod
I'm going to begin with 150, as I'm reading less now, but I hope to raise it later this year. Let's see. And no other challenge aside of challenges in this group (well, bingos, but that's another matter).


message 9: by Linda (new)

Linda (rudylkr) | 8978 comments I set my goal at 125 which seemed to work well for me last year.


message 10: by Kandice (new)

Kandice | 55 comments Brenda wrote: "Haha! Not miserly Kandice - everyone's situation is different. I actually read 407 for 2021 - my best year yet. But I'm going to still aim for 350 to not put myself under pressure :)

Good luck wi..."


Thank you! ;-)


message 11: by Teresa (new)

Teresa | 88 comments I'll set my goal for 100 again this year. I didn't quite make it last year and only read 93.


message 12: by Jennifer (new)

Jennifer (jhaltenburger) Best of luck with it, Teresa!


message 13: by Brenda (new)

Brenda | 5039 comments Teresa wrote: "I'll set my goal for 100 again this year. I didn't quite make it last year and only read 93."

93 is pretty darned good Teresa! Well done :)


message 14: by Teresa (new)

Teresa | 88 comments I'm not too upset about missing 100. There were a couple of "chunksters" in there.


message 15: by Kandice (new)

Kandice | 55 comments Teresa wrote: "I'm not too upset about missing 100. There were a couple of "chunksters" in there."

Best attitude! I don't think a goal you are going to stress over, for an activity you should enjoy, is the point. I like "chunksters!"


message 16: by Julesy (new)

Julesy | 1411 comments I will start at 100 and if I need to, will increase it, like I did for the past 2 years. You just never know what will happen.


message 17: by Karl (new)

Karl | 1 comments I read 116 last year (goal was 115), so I will up it to 120 this year. I just take it as it comes, but I do enjoy reading so it is not exactly a chore !


message 18: by Paula (new)

Paula Adams (goodreadscompadams57) | 44987 comments I set mine for 65 this year. Last year I set it for 60 and read 76. So far this year I haven't finished a single book yet.


message 19: by Karen M (new)

Karen M | 1436 comments I usually set it low and keep increasing but last year and the year before I passed my goal of 100, so I'm just setting it for 100. I've pasted it both years but I realize being stuck in the house has a lot do with how much I read.


message 20: by Heather L , Cozy Mysteries Moderator (new)

Heather L  (wordtrix) | 27500 comments Mod
First month check in. How did everyone do during the first month of the year? Are you on track? Already hitting a wall? Any surprises?

The year started off slow for me, but I seemed to hit my stride by mid-month. I finished nine books, six of which filled prompts for the Popsugar Challenge, so off to a very good start there. I also read nine short stories, a few of which were around the 30-page mark.

Eight books planned for February, two of which are for the Classics group, but would be nice if I could squeeze in a couple more than that.


message 21: by Meg (new)

Meg (makeli2) | 2322 comments I was ahead for January, a big plus as I have quite a tbr to work through. I read a couple of classics that were delightful; don't know why I waited so long to read them. I've found myself falling behind posting to my umpteen challenges, though. I've decided to cut back on joining so many this year, especially those that are restrictive; besides taking time away from reading, they cut back on the fun.


message 22: by Karen M (new)

Karen M | 1436 comments I've read 10 books in January so very much on track for at least 100 for the year but last January I had read 14 books so it seems I might be slowing up. We'll see how the rest of the year goes.


message 23: by Paula (new)

Paula Adams (goodreadscompadams57) | 44987 comments I ended up reading 5 books for January and 2 of them were over 500 pages. Says I am right on track.


message 24: by Brenda (new)

Brenda | 5039 comments I was happy with my month of January and hope it'll continue on through the year :)


message 25: by Julesy (new)

Julesy | 1411 comments I read an unprecedented 16 books in January. The reason is because I was on winter break from both work and school. I didn't start my class again until the 18th so I took advantage of the time off and also read a lot during the snow storms we got. Things are slowing down now as I usually read much less during February and March due to March Madness.


message 26: by Heather L , Cozy Mysteries Moderator (new)

Heather L  (wordtrix) | 27500 comments Mod
Meg — Reading challenges can definitely encourage reading (especially across genres) or help get you out of a rut, joining too many can be stressful. I think it’s good to find a balance or set your own limits.

Karen M — Congrats on bring ahead of your challenge. Having a bit of a cushion comes in handy during slower months.

Paula —. Kudos for reading not one but two books over 500 pages in one month!

Brenda — Sounds like you had a great month of reading!

Julesy — I’m glad you were able to take advantage of some down time. March is coming up fast!


message 27: by Brenda (new)

Brenda | 5039 comments Thanks Heather, I did :)


message 28: by Linda (new)

Linda (rudylkr) | 8978 comments I’ve apparently read 14 books already this year so that puts me at 3 ahead. Looking forward to some good books in February!


message 29: by Heather L , Cozy Mysteries Moderator (new)

Heather L  (wordtrix) | 27500 comments Mod
Excellent job, Linda!


message 30: by Brenna (new)

Brenna Donahue | 2419 comments I've read 6 books so far and am ahead of schedule - I'll be happy if I keep reading 5-6 books a month!


message 31: by Teresa (new)

Teresa | 88 comments Currently 1 book ahead.


message 32: by Heather L , Cozy Mysteries Moderator (new)

Heather L  (wordtrix) | 27500 comments Mod
End of February progress report —

Goodreads: 23/85 (10 books ahead)
Popsugar: 10/50
Short Stories: 51 in February, total of 60 to date

Read twice as much as I thought I would this month. No...probably closer to three times, when factoring in short stories. That included two works for the classics group I’m in for February and one of the March reads. I also read both the Feb and March Christie books.

I need to figure out what I can archive on my Nook so I can download one of the books I need yet for March and one for April. Argh! Space is constantly an issue, as I have several of these huge “50 book” classics anthologies. Finishing the “100 Classic Short Stories” collection last year helped immensely, but still don’t have enough space. Not to mention box sets. 😶

As they say — so many books, so little time. 😐

I hope you all had an equally great month of reading and even better month ahead!


message 33: by Paula (new)

Paula Adams (goodreadscompadams57) | 44987 comments I've read 8/65 - 2 behind I think I got my reading mojo back.


message 34: by Leona (new)

Leona (mnleona) | 156 comments I have read 12 so far and my goal is 50. Last year I did not read a lot. I am trying to read what is in my bookshelf before I go to the library.


message 35: by Linda (new)

Linda (rudylkr) | 8978 comments 25/125 - 5 books ahead!


message 36: by Brenna (new)

Brenna Donahue | 2419 comments I'm up to 10 so far, 5 books ahead. I'm thinking of upping my goal sometime this month, but I don't want to get ahead of myself 😂


message 37: by Heather L , Cozy Mysteries Moderator (new)

Heather L  (wordtrix) | 27500 comments Mod
Paula — So glad you got your mojo back!

Leona — The majority of books I read are ones I already own, which only becomes complicated for challenges such as Popsugar, with a vast variety of prompts. Which is why I’ve yet to complete that challenge entirely. There are always a couple prompts for which I have no books that fit.

Linda — Congrats on being ahead!

Brenna — Doesn’t it feel good to be ahead and feel you could increase your goal? I always start out lower than what I read the previous year because it’s difficult to know how the year will go and you can always increase your goal.


message 38: by Julesy (new)

Julesy | 1411 comments @Heather - impressive progress report! Do you have an SD card slot on your Nook? I have 2 ereaders, one a Kobo and a Pocketbook. I keep only a few ebooks on the Pocketbook because I don't like the interface and I become quite annoyed at its navigation. This is exclusively my bath time ereader, so as soon as I am finished reading the book, I delete it immediately.

I love my Kobo which has an SD card. I use this ereader for all other times, including travels. My 600 books are on the main memory, though, and I have nothing on the SD card. The main memory is at about 60% capacity, so I'm still good for a while.

Meanwhile, I am at 29/80 books, 13 books ahead of schedule. I will be upping my goal, probably some time this summer. I started off low because, just like the past 2 years, life has been quite unpredictable.


message 39: by Heather L , Cozy Mysteries Moderator (last edited Mar 01, 2022 12:52PM) (new)

Heather L  (wordtrix) | 27500 comments Mod
Thanks, Julesy — and I would say the same for your progress. Looks like we had the same mindset when setting our initial goals. I will likely increase mine this summer as well.

I have an older model Nook Glowlight, which I love, but there is no SD card. I’m guessing they didn’t think such a thing was necessary until later models, but if you buy a lot of box sets or huge anthologies, it doesn’t take long to overload capacity. It’s easier to archive single books you’ve read or not planning to read right away than larger collections—once you archive a 2000-page or more collection, you’re not getting it back very easily.

Soon after I was gifted my Nook, I found the collections by Golgotha Press. As I was starting to read more classics, they were a perfect way to acquire books I wanted to read for one low price (only $2.99 each!) — and a heck of a lot more convenient than some of the printed Norton literature collections. I still have some of those from college, but it’s easier to read off the Nook than carrying around a three-inch-thick book.

Some of the Golgotha Press anthologies on my Nook are:

* 50 Classic Romance Books (9,800 pages)
* 50 Classic Books: Volume 1 (12,800 pages)
* 50 Classic Books: Volume 2 (14,000 pages)
* 50 Classic Mystery Books (8,500 pages)
* 50 Classic Novellas (3,700 pages)
* 50 Classic Children's Books (6,600 pages)
* 50 Classic American Authors (8,000+ pages)
* Anthology of French Literature (13,300 pages)
* 50 Classic Children’s Books (not Golgotha, unknown press) (7,400 pages)
* Oz: The Complete Collection (1800 pages)


Two collections I have finished and archived:
* 75+ Classic Mystery Stories (2,400 pages)
* 100 Classic Short Stories (1,900 pages)


You can easily see how these would take up a lot of space, and there is surprisingly little overlap in titles contained in each volume. And, of course, there are a few others I would like if I had the room (and time to read them, lol). I also have numerous author box sets, some containing only two or three books, some a dozen or more.

I currently have short story collections in the French anthology (Guy de Maupassant — there are thirteen volumes of his short stories included in this; I read two volumes last year) and 50 Classic Books Vol 1 (Twice-Told Tales by Hawthorne) on rotation with a couple other short story collections, some on my Nook, some in print.


message 40: by Heather L , Cozy Mysteries Moderator (last edited Mar 01, 2022 12:51PM) (new)

Heather L  (wordtrix) | 27500 comments Mod
Oh, if interested, you can peruse a GR listing of books from Golgotha Press here: https://www.goodreads.com/author/list...


message 41: by Karen M (new)

Karen M | 1436 comments 21 of 100

Jan 10
Feb 11


message 42: by Heather L , Cozy Mysteries Moderator (new)

Heather L  (wordtrix) | 27500 comments Mod
One quarter of the year gone already. How did that happen??

How are you all doing on your goals? Is there something you’d like to focus on for April?

I am now 35/85 for my GR goal, 15 books ahead. At this pace, I will probably increase my goal in July. I read 20 short stories in March, for a grand total of 80. And I am now 18/50 in the Popsugar Challenge, with 3-4 books planned for April that will apply to that. Overall a great month!


message 43: by Brenna (new)

Brenna Donahue | 2419 comments I was sick this week so made some nice progress!

50% through my goal and 11 ahead of schedule, so I think I'll increase when summer starts to gear up for poolside reading time!


message 44: by Brenda (new)

Brenda | 5039 comments I'm currently reading my 100th book for the year, so am well on track for my 350 total :)


message 45: by Heather L , Cozy Mysteries Moderator (new)

Heather L  (wordtrix) | 27500 comments Mod
Brenda wrote: "I'm currently reading my 100th book for the year, so am well on track for my 350 total :)"

Well don’t I feel like a slacker! 😜


Brenna — Looks like you’ve made good progress!


message 46: by Brenda (new)

Brenda | 5039 comments Haha! No Heather! You're not - everyone reads differently :)


message 47: by Karen M (new)

Karen M | 1436 comments 33/100 Finishing a thriller this weekend and starting a syfy book next.


message 48: by Meg (new)

Meg (makeli2) | 2322 comments I'm at 125/250 as of April 1st.


message 49: by Teresa (new)

Teresa | 88 comments I'm currently at 31/100, 6 ahead of schedule.


message 50: by Linda (new)

Linda (rudylkr) | 8978 comments I'm at 39/125, 7 books ahead.


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