Cozy Mysteries discussion
Reading Challenges
>
2023 Goodreads Challenge
I do this every year. I feel bad about last year's total because probably 25 of the things I read were individually published short stories (Agatha christie) and of course, they count as a full read which makes me feel like my number was inflated. I wish GR had a checkbox so you could mark whether to count something toward that challenge or not.That being said, like you, I've set my goal lower than I will likely read and will end up adjusting it up, if last year is anything to go by.
Irritatingly, even though I had to adjust my goal up, I still had challenge books due by the end of the year that I didn't get to -- most of them "real" books (vs electronic or audio) which I've been trying to chip away at. GRRR!
Mod
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/group...
HOW TO DO IT:
1. Go to the link above
2. Click on the “new topic” link at top right
3. In the “topic” field, name your folder — for example “Heather L’s Challenges.”
4. In the “comment” field, you can list challenges in which you plan on participating. You can edit your comments if you need to. For example, In my thread, I have the prompts listed for the Popsugar Challenge. Each month I edit my list to check off prompts completed and enter book titles.
If you haven’t set up your own folder before, I suggest looking at those already set up by other group members.
** Make sure you set up your own folder, do not post your personal challenges in someone else’s folder or it will be deleted. **
I've set my challenge for 360 this year, ten more than last year. We'll see how I go!
I set last year's initial goal at 250 books and ended up increasing it twice, for a total goal of 300. I exceeded that, but my starting goal for 2023 is 275 books. I'll adjust as necessary during the year. There are enough other significant things in life to worry about, stressing about not meeting a GR goal isn't one of them - and I *would stress if I saw I was behind!
Like in previous years I started my goal for 2023 at 250. I increase my goals usually in the last quarter of the year. I finished 2022 at 376 or so (haven't finished adding a small few), so mentally that's what I'll probably shoot for.Heather, trust me, you don't want me to list all my challenges here. 😄 There are soooo many. I keep track of them in the Notepad app under group folders and always celebrate whenever I've completed each. Of course, like books, I keep adding more. 🤣 BUT it means more books read, and it keeps the old brain ticking.
Never reached my goal last year due to family issues so I decided to challenge myself further this year and upped my challenge by 3 books to 153. Wish me luck!
Mod
And Meg — 🤣
I kept my goal the same as last year - 125 and so far at 0/125 I'm on track! I tend to go low so I don't feel any pressure and I can always increase it if need be.
I set my aim to 100 books. I want to read at least this amount and if I see that I am able to read more, I will increase this number during the year. So at least 50 paper books and 50 ebooks on kindle. But as I have about 150 ebooks on kindle to be read I will surely try to read as much of them as possible.
My goal is 100 books again this year. The only challenge I am planning to participate in this year will be the 52 book club challenge. If I finish it before the end of the year, I might see how many prompts of the Popsugar Challenge I can finish.
I feel a bit inadequate when stacked next to some of your lofty goals, but mine is set at 120 for the year. A lot of my reads are actually rereads because of the book clubs I am in, but I still count them and refuse to feel guilty about it!
I'm not sure about some of the others here, but I'm retired and don't have a whole lot of other things on my plate. I read (or try to!) as an escape from Hubby, who recently retired too. He's a reader too, but he limits himself to 25 pages a day (yes, really!), and he has no other hobbies, so he frequently interferes with my reading time. So I can usually get through quite a few books each month, which translates to a lot of books each year :)
Barb wrote: "I'm not sure about some of the others here, but I'm retired and don't have a whole lot of other things on my plate...."Same! And long before I retired I promised myself that I would read (or listen to audiobooks) like there's no tomorrow. My aim was and is a book a day average.
I honestly don't want to cause anyone to feel badly. This is just me and the joy of retirement. 😊
Meg wrote: "Barb wrote: "I'm not sure about some of the others here, but I'm retired and don't have a whole lot of other things on my plate...."Same! And long before I retired I promised myself that I would ..."
No one should feel bad because it's your own goal and what works for you. Thank you for the explanation on how you get to read so many books - the big numbers do fascinate me. Since I'm still working I average about 3 days for a print book and 2 weeks for an e-book - and people think I read fast! I was actually down in books read last year at 153 but I was still happy with that.
Barb and Meg: I admire your goals and your desire to spend a lot of time reading. I'm retired and find that I have so many things I enjoy doing that reading isn't my sole priority.My goal for the year 120, but I may end up increasing it. The ultimate goal is enjoyment!!!
Yes I fully agree that the ultimate goal is enjoyment, Zermeena.
Absolutely! It’s good to push yourself, but you don’t want to rush a good book.
I had initially set my goal for 120 books in 2022 and increased it to 140 and again to 150 by summer. THEN I discovered graphic novels in September and became obsessed with reading them. I did not include them in my personal book totals but GoodReads does so my year end total skyrocketed to 236 books. Since I couldn't reconcile my personal book goal vs. GoodReads total, I decided to include graphic novels for 2023. Therefore, my new book goal is 200.
Julesy wrote: "I had initially set my goal for 120 books in 2022 and increased it to 140 and again to 150 by summer. THEN I discovered graphic novels in September and became obsessed with reading them. I did not ..."I'm glad to know I'm not the only one who reconciles my numbers at the end of the year. I'm already paranoid that I won't figure it out next year because I track by start date and Goodreads does end dates and I have a book I started last year and will finish this year.
Meg wrote: "Barb wrote: "I'm not sure about some of the others here, but I'm retired and don't have a whole lot of other things on my plate...."Same! And long before I retired I promised myself that I would ..."
That is my dream ‘job’ for the future! Retirement means doing what you love. x
Like last year, I've decided to stay with a goal of 75 books. I far exceeded it but decided not to revise it. Not sure if I will do the same this year or increase it. I'm also retired but have a very full schedule.In addition to a few challenges with this froup, other challenges I'm doing include one from the Cruisin' Thru the Cozies Reading Challenge group, the Multi-year challenge from the Crime, Mysteries & Thrillers group, and at least 20 challenges with the Christian Fiction Devourers group (includes monthly, quarterly, 6-month and yearly challenges all with overlaps)
Forgot to check in for the start of the year. I like to start off with a lower goal and increase accordingly throughout the year. So I'm starting with 45. I'm already 7 books in, so I think I'll do my first increase in February. Excited to see what this year brings!
Mod
I started off with a short story and a couple plays so that’s the only reason I’m ahead 😂 usually I’d only have 1 or 2 books finished by now! I’d like to read more short stories throughout the year as a good way to break up some of my other books.
Hi everyone ~I set my goal for 120 books this year, so an average of 10 reads a month. I've got a few challenges I'm participating in here and a couple of other groups to give me a good variety of authors and genres to meet my reading goals. Looking forward to another good reading year with you all!
Karen wrote: "Like last year, I've decided to stay with a goal of 75 books. I far exceeded it but decided not to revise it. Not sure if I will do the same this year or increase it. I'm also retired but have a ve..."Hi Karen ~ Nice to see a fellow Christian Fiction Devourers group member here! I've got quite a few challenges going there too. I'll keep an eye out for you over there :)
Hi KC - nice to see you here too. Like you, I'll keep an eye out for you over at Christian Fiction Devourers.
I've read 17/100 BUT I've been reading cozies and scifi so the books only averaged about 250 pages each. I am making up for that with my two current reads, 671 pages and 470 pages.
Mod
I upped my goal to 50 before January ended, and I'm at 13/50 right now (26%, 9 ahead). This is definitely the most I've read at the top of year. I have a feeling I may up my goal again by 5 this month.
I'm at 16/125 - 4 books ahead. Perfectly happy with where I am at.
I got off to a slow start in January too. I read 3/100 and am several behind. Although one of the ones I finished was 650 pages or so and a second was Alan Rickman's diaries. It was a good book but a slow read for me. I'll catch up
Mod
How are you doing in your challenge(s)?
Mod
I'm at 20/50 right now, 11 books ahead - I've definitely slowed down this month. I'd like to increase my goal when I hit 50%.
I'm 5 books ahead of schedule. I have pushed myself out of my comfort zone by doing the 52-book club challenge. It is getting me to read books that have been on my tbr for long time. Of course I still manage to fit in cozies!
Mod
Brenna — You’ve made great progress!
Zermeena — That’s what I like about the year-king challenges I’ve done, it pushes me to read the books in Mount TBR.
Mod
How did your March reading go? I keep feeling like I’m behind in my reading and yet — I am currently at 28/75 for my GR challenge — ten books ahead. While I didn’t get to four books on my list, I finished 9-1/2 and since I have just finished that missing half on April 2, am considering my March Mini as successfully completed.
Also, the reason I didn’t get to the book originally planned for my “green cover” is because I couldn’t get it to download on my ereader. Naturally, it finally downloaded after I had finished another book for that prompt. Oh well, I’ll work in somewhere else this year, as I really want to finish that series.
Alas, I only read one short story for the month, and that was a classic group read that I listened to on YouTube. Must do better there this month! I have no idea of my progress in other challenges (PopSugar or ATY), as I’ve been bad about marking stuff off. I know I’ll cross off a couple this month.
Well done Heather - I'm 3 ahead at the moment. 93/360. So I'm happy with that :)
42/125 - 11 books ahead! I'm happy with that!
I technically read 5 books in March, though a book I was reading for most of the month I finished on April 1st, so kind of 6. Definitely feel like I'm slowing down so not ready to increase my goal yet. 24/50, 12 books ahead.
I'm at 27/100 on my 2023 Goodreads Challenge; 6 books behind but I should catch up over the summer.
Mod
Brenda, Linda and Brenna — Well done, I hope you had a great month of reading in April.
Teresa — I hope you were able to catch up this last month. I’ve been further behind than that and managed to make it up (don’t be afraid to use children’s/middle grade books to make up the deficit).
I had a good April as far as reading went. There was only one book on my list I did not get to, which I’m hoping I can work in later in the year. Ten books finished for the month (8 print, 2 ebooks).
My GR progress is currently at 37/75 and 12 books ahead (49% complete). Also 11 short stories (now 27/100). April’s progress gives me hope for completing year-long challenges.
Mod
I upped my goal to 55 during April even though I said I wouldn't LOL I'm at 34/55, 16 books ahead. April ended up being a better month than I thought, I crammed in a lot of books at the end!
https://www.goodreads.com/challenges/...
Like last year, I’ve decided to start low (for me, LOL) with an initial goal of 75 books and increase it late summer/autumn if necessary. I increased my goal twice in 2022, but am not sure how attainable 100 will be this year.
Other challenges I am doing include five for the Catching up on the Classics group (including a short story challenge and Bingo), Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge, Around the Year Challenge, and I’m still trying to decide on this year’s Buzzword Challenge.
Please share your 2023 goal(s) with us. Are you doing other challenges besides Goodreads?