2015 Reading Challenge [Closed] discussion
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Reading goals - not quantity - for 2015
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I completely agree with you! I have to admit though that in the last few years my reading has been kind of non-existant which is why I plan on changing that this year, so I've set a goal for 70 books.Aside from finishing these 52 books for this particular group, I looked over that link you posted for the list challenges and come to find out I've only read 13 of those books, looks like I need to get a move on that one! Sadly, I'm one of those people that not only do I tend to read a bit slower, but I also have no problem permanently shelving a book if I'm not hooked within the first 100 pages.
So my goals for this year (other than the 70 books) are:
1) reading The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings trilogy.
2) finish The Ultimate Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy (i've started this particular book umpteen times now)
3) re-read the Harry Potter series (let's face it, you've got to have SOME fun during the year!)
4) I'd love to sit down and actually read all of The Chronicles of Narnia
I'm with you on #3, I added a bunch of 'should have read by now' books to my challenge list. The likes of War of the Worlds, Little Women, A Clockwork Orange just to name a few.I've also picked up another challenge to read 20 books with strong female protagonists, still a number in the end, but I like the idea behind it.
My first goal was to actually start reading again, which I've done with a vengeance! I include the books I read to my daughter on my GR challenge but not on the 52 week challenge. Another of my goals is to read a greater variety of books. I've tended to stick to historical fiction, Christian fiction, and inspirational/spiritual books. I now have The Lord of the Rings trilogy ready and waiting for me. I've never even considered reading it before getting on GR!
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I do another challenge based on a list of fantasy authors (some I know, some new).
I've only read 29 on that list Brittany, so I'm not much further along that you are. I always consider myself fairly well-read until I look at lists like those. :(LotR is on my "White Whale" list too, plus I would love to read the Chronicles of Narnia too - I've only read the Lion so far.
I love that idea Jodez - I'll have to add a few of those to my list.
Mod
I'm in grad school right now and have essentially been on school all my life. I took a year off in between undergrad and grad school but I did a year of service with City Year and worked about 60-70 hours a week. So I've always figured that reading needed to be a mental break as opposed to something I had to really think about. But I'm finally (!) done with school in May of 2016. So I figure that after that I can read more nonfiction and classics.
I don't want to crazy but I figure 2 or 3 a year would be good (as far as classics go). War and Peace and Anna Karenina have always been on my list. I'll likely use the list you posted or one of those "100 books before you die" lists. There's also the Rory Gilmore book list which was always daunting.
http://www.listchallenges.com/rory-gi...
Well, I'm about to crack the (ibook) spine for The Hobbit as we speak (or type rather) and get to knock off a book for my 52 week challenge as well as one that is long overdue on my part. And I totally agree with you Zaz about Goodreads being a great way to review and find new independent authors. I actually just got an ARC for The Catacombs coming out this summer from an author on here, so that is on my list right after the Hobbit :)
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Jodez > do you have a link to your "strong female" challenge or to some interesting book lists? I'm searching books like this and it's not always easy to find something interesting.
Brittany > I discovered the ARC existence this year, I'm totally curious about them :)
Zaz, I just learned about them about a month ago looking through some of the give-aways on here! I signed up for this book and added it to my "to-read" shelf and got an email this morning on here from the author saying that I had been selected for an ebook version before the actual signed copy winner is chosen. I'm Excited :)
My # goal is 200.... but when I started thinking about it, due to my other goals 200 might not really be attainable.My first goal is to read these 52 books (obviously). My next goal is to spread my genre horizons. I mostly read YA fiction and some (not a lot of) adult fiction, and memoirs. I want to start reading historical fiction, fantasy and science fiction.
My next goal is to read more substance based books. More nonfiction, lesson learning books.
My next goal is to read longer books, A majority of the books I read are between 300 and 450 pages. I want to read more 500 and above page books. I know that this task will be quite daunting since I want to read 200 books this year, but I am willing to give it a try.
I hope that I can accomplish all of these goals.
My number goal is 52, because of the 2015 Reading Challenge, but I'm probably going to finish the challenge early and do a lot of side reading.I really want to read some different genres. For the last few years, I've only read a few classics and a lot of teen fantasy, funnny graphic novels, easy reads. For this year, I'm going to try and read a ton of classics, and to write solid reviews for each one. Along with that, I'm going to look at genres like science-fiction, paranormal, utopian, and the likes. I want to try some of the less known ones.
I use a similar list as you, Jody! I think, it is this one: http://www.listchallenges.com/bbc-the... . I have the list in a reading journal, where there are other lists as well (Pulitzer price winners, Time Magazine: Top 100 novels, Oprahs's book club picks etc.)I haven't set a number, but my goal is to read as many of the books throughout the year.
I also try to read different genres, but I haven't decided on certain titles yet. I just go after what I'm in the mood for next!
I've seen that one too Marina! I've done quite a few lists on that site, I love it (hey, it's lists, what's not to love?) - but for some reason that other BBC one keeps coming up as the top one, so I figured I may as well use that as a start. :)Actually, I just thought of another goal of mine - I really want to/should read more from Australian authors (being an Aussie myself).
Zaz wrote: "Jodez > do you have a link to your "strong female" challenge or to some interesting book lists? I'm searching books like this and it's not always easy to find something interesting."I fixed the link in my original post (must have been too tired to remember to add the url) but here it is again just in case... You pick which and how many you want to read for the year, I went with 20, so far. Many overlap with my PopSugar list, so I'll probably add more later.
I don't know how accurate the search function is on here but there is quite a list for strong female protagonists
Jody wrote: "Actually, I just thought of another goal of mine - I really want to/should read more from Australian authors (being an Aussie myself)."
Oh I should too! I always seem to overlook Aussie authors. Not on purpose, I just seem to get most of my recommendations from US or UK friends...
I have read 33 books froms the "BBC Believes you only read 6" list and 31 from "BBC's The Big Read" list. I think both are great list and I already put some of the missing books in my TBR bookshelf :)
Silvia wrote: "I have read 33 books froms the "BBC Believes you only read 6" list and 31 from "BBC's The Big Read" list."I just looked at both those lists and I've read 11 & 12 respectively. I did notice that if the book was a "classic" then I read it only if it was required reading for school.
I find those types of lists are heavily weights on classics which is not the best type of list for someone like me who doesn't enjoy them.
My goal for this year, and the reason I picked this challenge, is to pick some books outside my regular reading genre.
In addition to my 100 books goal this year, I also have some goals that are more directed towards what I actually want to read!Here are my main three goals:
- I want to read more Norwegian literature (I am Norwegian myself), about 20 books or so is my goal, and I have read 7 so far
- I want to read all of Jane Austen's books. I have just read Pride&Prejudice so far, but now I'm starting from her first novel and going to read trough them all
- I want to read the books that I already own, by authors I've never read before. Some examples: Charlotte Brontë, Aldous Huxley, Kurt Vonnegut, Douglas Adams and Emma Donoghue.
Sigrid wrote: "In addition to my 100 books goal this year, I also have some goals that are more directed towards what I actually want to read!Here are my main three goals:
- I want to read more Norwegian litera..."
Sigrid, I have to say that Brave New World by Aldous Huxley is probably one of my favorite books of all times! I really hope you enjoy it :)
Brittany wrote: Sigrid, I have to say that Brave New World by Aldous Huxley is probably one of my favorite books of all times! I really hope you enjoy it :) "
Currently on my bedside table, just waiting for me to finish my current reads. I'm looking forward to reading it!
I read that last month (Brave New World), and really liked it. The ending, or more to the point the way he wrote the ending just took my breath away (I felt the exact same way about the ending of The Hunchback of Notre Dame). For me, it will just stick with me forever - so evocative.
One of my goals for the year is increased diversity. I want to read more books by and about people of color, books with LGBTQ characters, books not originally written in english...you get the idea.
I haven't read for a very long time and so this year I made it a goal to essentially 'catch up'. I want to read all kinds of different genres and finish series that I had started and never finished off. I want to read a bunch of authors I never read before and immerse myself in a world of stories once again. I also want to read all the unread books that I own WITHOUT purging my bookshelf, so I'm certain to read some interesting things this year.
My main goal for this year is to read more books outside of my normal comfort zone.this means reading different genres, discovering new authors, and I would like to finish some series I previously started.I am not a fan of the classics, is there a list of books you should read that were published within the past 10 years?I like the idea of this topic, sometimes we get all hung up on the numbers, and that is not really the whole point.Reading is fun, and escape, a journey, a little vacation you can take from the comfort of your own home!
Mod
http://www.listchallenges.com/best-bo...
http://www.listchallenges.com/best-bo...
http://www.listchallenges.com/the-mor...
http://www.listchallenges.com/best-bo...
Thanks for the set of lists. I've got lots more to on these too.
2015 Reading Challenge [Closed]
Books mentioned in this topic
Moby-Dick or, The Whale (other topics)War and Peace (other topics)
I'm all over the "how many books" Goodreads reading goal, I think it's great, but I kind of wish that there was a bit more scope here in the goal-setting, as most of my reading goals aren't really related to the number of books I want to read this year.
I'm really interested to hear if (and I'm sure most of you do) anyone else has any other goals for the year, rather than just a number - like, a particular book you want to read, or an author, or a list that you're working through.
Mine are:
1. To read Moby-Dick; or, The Whale (which I've done) - this was my (pun very much intended) white whale for this year. My next one is War and Peace, but I'm not sure if I'll tackle it this year or next.
2. To read ten more books on this list: http://www.listchallenges.com/kaunism... (I've read five new ones this year so far, so halfway there!).
3. To read a book by each of the following authors: Virginia Woolf, Ernest Hemingway, Charles Dickens, Kurt Vonnegut, Agatha Christie (authors that I really, really should have read by now).
Anyone else? :)