Jumpers Anonymous

[Grace Meredith]

I personally love it when people comment on anything of mine, be it this thread (which I started), my challenge plan, or a book thread that I start! I really enjoy chatting about stuff with Goodreaders.

[Carol]

I am definitely a jumper, I find it difficult to follow a set pattern when reading. Don't ask me why, I've always been the same. I can't read a series of books back to back, I have to read other books in between.

At the moment I've finished: 1-5, 8, 9, 11, 15, 18, 19, 21 -23, 25-29, 32-34 and 40-42.

Still struggling with: a book with bad reviews and a play. A lot of the books I want to read have a mix of reviews and a play is not something I would chose to read, it reminds too much of school. :)

[Kathleen]

Carol - I read "Rabbit Hole" for the play. Quick, probably 45 minute read and it was interesting and not as dull as some of the old school plays in school. :)

[Jody]

Carol, I don't think all of the reviews have to be bad for it to qualify - I read Lolita, which I chose from this list: http://www.buzzfeed.com/chrisritter16....

[Meagan]

Carol- for a play, maybe you should try "Hedda Gabler" it kind of sucks you in and is a really quick read. Or if you like Star Wars there's a parody. It's Shakespeare's Star Wars, I ended up reading all of them, they were so funny.

[Lisa]

So I seem to be mostly a lagger but this time I was a jumper! I read Wonder Woman Archives, Vol. 1 because I found it at the library and couldn't resist! Pretty racist, kind of sexist and super cheesy but good for nostalgia.

[Erica]

I only found this challenge about a month ago so I've been trying to keep up with the current week and jump back to read previous weeks when I have the time. So far I've read 17 books from the challenge, so I'm almost caught up :) Yesterday I jumped ahead a few weeks to read The Strange Library because it became available from my library.

[Francesca]

Part of me thinks that maybe if I'd stuck to the weeks then I might be further along in the challenge but then at the same time I know that if I'd stuck to the right order then sooner or later I would've hit a book I might not have enjoyed as much or that might have dragged and then I'd have probably lost interest. At least by jumping around, I get to read the ones I'm most excited about or looking forward to first.

The only main thing that kind of makes me wish I hadn't jumped is that I feel like I miss out on some of the discussions as I'm either ahead of it for some categories or by the time I go back to a category everyone else is way past it!

[Carol]

Jody wrote: "Carol, I don't think all of the reviews have to be bad for it to qualify - I read Lolita, which I chose from this list: http://www.buzzfeed.com/chrisritter16......"

Hi Jody,

I found J K Rowling's Casual Vacancy as it had a mix of reviews, so going to give that one a try.

[Carol]

Stephanie wrote: "Carol, For a play I read The Cherry Orchard which is a classic, but it is a quick and fun read,

For bad reviews... you may be able to use one of your "want to reads" with mixed review..."

Hi Stephanie,

I've taken your advice and reserved The Cherry Orchard at the library where I work.

Thank you.

[Lisa]

I ran across the book Faith And The Electric Dogs at the library and I remembered loving this book when I was little so I immediately picked it up and convinced my 5 year old daughter that she needed to add this to her stack of books so that mommy can read it to her. I have been a chapter (or two) each night and we have both been loving it so much! Anyway long story short its going down as a book from my childhood on the challenge!

[Kellene]

I'm definitely a jumper, since I just joined the group, and I've been reading since January in the challenge. I also have some "heavy" reads on my list, and I do have to put some of the genre I love in to break the sequences. Luckily, I have managed to get a lot of mysteries to fit various categories. The other issue for me is that I read several books at a time, so following a schedule would be nearly impossible. But I am loving the suggestions from the group for the weeks I haven't read yet.

[Erika]

to be perfectly honest i didn't even realize at first that there were 52 items on the list and so i never had any intention of following the order of the list. i also started late so it's easier for me to play catchup when i don't have a set book to read for that week and can kind of just pick whichever is jumping out at me or most convenient.

plus i'm kind of making it up as i go along in terms of what books i'm reading; i don't have many preplanned selections so jumping just works best for me.

[Connie]

So, I tried going the straight and narrow and sticking to the books in order.
That didn't work out too well and I started jumping around again.

My list is constantly under revision. I tried to keep the list to one author, one book (except the trilogy). Then, I'd read part of a series and wedged the next book somewhere in the challenge just so I could read it and not fall behind. The list is also under revision because sometimes, I look at the book I chose six months ago and decide I've found something better.

[Jody]

I've done the same thing, Connie. I wish I'd kept a copy of my original list so I could see how much I've changed it around. I actually don't think I've kept more than a handful.

I've also swapped some already read books into different categories so I could fit another book in that I couldn't fit anywhere else.

[Tanya]

I am starting to fill in some of the gaps of categories for which the designated week has already passed. Still working off the library queue though and some books that were on my wait list arrive and are able to fulfill a previously unread category. Two more days with the kids in school, so that means potentially more time for reading. I am not really sure since I walk to school morning and afternoon, but drive at midday pickup and return (one of my kids does not go full-time and comes home for a midday break). I will still need to walk since that is how I get in my steps for the day. But, happy to say I am 4 books ahead of schedule, so maybe soon, I will go back and tackle book one on the lost, which is started, but incomplete.

[Tanya]

I started off going in order, but I am participating in other challenges so now I am a jumper. I do want to get caught up this summer and get as many books read before school starts again in August!